Return to the Land: An Earth-Based Retreat in the Appalachian Mountains
Where: Western North Carolina
When: TBD
Come spend four days in some of the oldest mountains on earth, along some of the oldest rivers. The Southern Appalachians have been here for 480 million years — and something in us remembers. Bring your body, your mind, your spirit — and let this land do what it has always done: hold you.
Together we’ll move through guided meditative walks, a foraging journey through the forest, ceremony led by indigenous women, and gentle teachings that invite you to slow down and listen. Quiet time is woven throughout. We’ll gather in a beautiful mountain retreat, share nourishing meals, and return home carrying an abiding connection: to yourself and to the land.
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Stay tuned for details about time, place and itinerary.
Location
Near Asheville, NC. Details shared when registration is ready.
First Friday Meditation
Where: Online
When: July 3, Aug. 4, Sept. 2 at 9 a.m.ET/ 2 pm UK
Join this simple, sweet 30-minute meditation on the first Friday of most months at 9 a.m. ET / 6 am PT. I will open the meditation with 10 minutes of guided centering, which may include a body prayer, a chant, or a reading. Then I will lead us into 15-20 minutes of silence and will ring us out and send us with a final blessing into our day.
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The meditations will be on Zoom. You can sign up to receive the link by contacting Laura for more information.
Location
A link will be sent via email when you register by email.
“Laura beautifully blends intellectual curiosity, spiritual wisdom, music, sacred ritual and humor to create events which promise to stir the soul and touch the heart.”
– Suzannah Tebbe Davis, Your Awakened Life
Love and Lament: A Day with Creation Retreat
During this half-day retreat, we will listen for the voice of the Creator speaking to us through the Creation, as well as through writers from various spiritual traditions. Contact Laura for more information.
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Through guided and walking meditations, silence and journaling, conversation, and ritual, we will be invited to experience our love for creation, as well as the inevitable grief that comes as we acknowledge the crisis our earth and her species are in. Sometimes, this eco-grief can feel overwhelming, so we might numb ourselves to it. Entering into the poetry of lament found in the Psalms and other sacred texts, we will move through our grief by deepening our sense of passion and care. Moving toward a hope drenched in devotion, we will close our time together with worship.
Justice and Joy Mini-Retreats
Geared toward folks who are working in social justice spaces, these mini-retreats bring restoration and renewal to activists, those working with people in trauma, and others in front-line, essential jobs. Retreats can be arranged for nonprofit staff, movement leaders, or other small groups. They can be as short as 90 minutes or as long as a full day. Contact Laura for more information or to arrange a retreat for your group.
Forest Bathing Sessions
Forest bathing (“shinrin-yoku” in Japan) invites us to spend time in the forest to let the woods fill us with well-being, as we soak in all the senses of being in nature.
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Spend two and a half hours with Laura Collins walking in the Blue Ridge Mountains around Asheville, NC, pausing to observe, listen, meditate, journal, and soak in the loving energy of the rocks, trees, plants and air. The healing properties of the Blue Ridge Mountains, some of the oldest and most bio-diverse mountains on earth, have been appreciated by diverse spiritual communities for hundreds of years. The Eastern Band of Cherokee hold ancient healing rituals in WNC to this day. George Vanderbilt chose this place for the Biltmore Estate after bringing his mother here for the healing air. A wide variety of religious groups – from Christian to Hindu to Buddhist – have chosen these mountains for their retreat centers. Laura has walked these Blue Ridge Mountains her entire life and lived in them full-time for the past 16 years. As much as she loves so many other beautiful places around the world, these mountains are the place where she finds the most consistent healing and connection. Come see why so many people find peace by resting in the lush forests of Western North Carolina.
What You Can Expect
Participants should be able to walk on moderate trails for up to 3 miles carrying their own water, and be comfortable sitting on the ground (or carrying your own camp chair). Small journals and pens are provided (but you can bring your own, if you prefer). The two hours will include walking, sitting in silence, and using guided meditation prompts to tune into the beauty and power of nature around you.
Cost
$65/per person
