Soul Care Circles 

Where:  Asheville, NC

When: New groups begin May 30 & May 31, 2025

Soul Care Circles are intimate groups where we invite the transformative healing of Divine Love – through the temple of your own body, through the loving energy of the group, through your innate wisdom, and through my gentle, expert facilitation. Limited to 5 participants, to allow for one-on-one time with each person, we will create a safe container together with a profound trust in the power of sacred wisdom to flow through us.

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I believe that each of us has access to the flow of Divine Love. Just as a stream can get clogged with debris, we might find obstacles that are impeding the current in us. These may be external circumstances, such as illness or loss or the state of the world, or internal fears and anxieties. The stuck places may be the residue of trauma or the stubbornness of our ego. My work is to help you become aware of blocks to the movement of grace within you and work with you to open new channels.

Soul Care Circles are similar to the work I do with individuals, but in-person and with the support of community. I have consistently found that working in community benefits not just the person in the center of the circle’s care at any moment, but also each person who is holding that loving witness and healing intention. The energy created by a Soul Care Circle expands the possibilities of healing for all of us.

In addition to my 30 years as a minister and chaplain, I draw on my training in Gestalt therapy, contemplative practices, energy healing, and the Spiritual Direction tradition as I sit with you to discern where God (your higher power/deeper wisdom/True Self) is speaking.

My next two groups will begin on May 30 (Friday group) and May 31 (Saturday group), respectively, and meet monthly from 10 am to 11:30 for six months, on the 4th Friday or Saturday (except for May, which is the 5th week). Please email me for details. 

Cost for the series (9 hours of time): $375

To register, please send me an email and I will respond with some questions for you to answer.

 

Location

A beautiful location in the heart of Asheville, shared upon registration.

First Friday Meditation

Where: Online 

When: April 4, May 2, June 6 at 9 a.m.ET/ 2 pm UK

Join this simple, sweet 30-minute meditation on each first Friday of the month 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