Fall Institute Retreat

$350.00

Join us October 27-29 for the 2023 Fall Institute Retreat! All called to nourish and strengthen the work of holding space for birth, breath, and death are welcome.

*Institute members receive 50% off of their tuition. Use the Institute member code upon check out. All are welcome to join the Institute ~ membership is lifelong.

Description


The 2nd Annual Fall Institute Retreat at
the Center for Conscious Living & Dying

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Friday, October 27 –
Sunday, October 29, 2023

The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death & The Center for Conscious Living & Dying
bring you a nourishing 2023 Fall Institute Retreat. Join us for meditation, ritual, song, silence,
healing, laughter, hope, reflection, education, & restoration.

Stay at on site!

*All participants are responsible for their own lodging, food, accommodations, and childcare. 

**The 2023 Fall Institute Retreat will be held 15 minutes from Asheville, NC
at the Center for Conscious Living & Dying, located at: 83 Sanctuary Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778.


Friday, October 27

6:30 to 8:30pm  ~ Welcome, Introductions, + Opening of Birth, Breath, and Death Sharing
Facilitated by Amy Wright Glenn, MA (she/her)

8:30 to 9pm ~ Open Fire Circle/Conversation + Tea under the Stars

Saturday, October 28

9 to 9:45am ~ Birth, Breath, and Death Sharing
Facilitated by Amy Wright Glenn

10 to 11:30am ~ Workshop 1 ~ Participants choose between two options

Option A

Workshop Title ~ Creativity in Crafting Rituals for Birth, Breath, and Death
Facilitated by Clare DuPlace, MA (she/her)

Option B

Workshop Title ~ Facing Fear
Facilitated by Kalyan Volpe, MA (he/him)

11:30am to 1pm Lunch Break ~ bring your own lunch or go off site

1 to 2:30pm ~ Workshop 2 ~ Participants choose between two sessions

Option A

Workshop Title: Grief and Social Learning
Facilitated by Will Daddario, PhD (he/him)

Option B

Workshop Title ~ Thriving as a Care Provider ~ Nourishing your Nervous System as you Hold Space 
Facilitated by Amanda Heisman (she/her)

2:30 to 3:30pm ~  Open time

3:30 to 5:00pm ~ Workshop 3 ~ Participants choose between two sessions

Option A

Workshop Title ~ Nourishing Loving & Healthy Relationships
Facilitated by Maryam Amir, MA

Option B

Workshop Title ~ Aging with Intention
Facilitated by Jacki Jackson, Ed.D

5 to 7pm Dinner ~ Dinner Break ~ bring your own dinner or go off site

7 to 8pm ~ Community Centered Death Care
Facilitated by Aditi Sethi Brown, MD + Executive Director of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying

Sunday, October 29

9-10 am ~ Morning Yoga
Led by Sheri Kay

10:15 to 11:15am ~ Reading/Stories + Book Signing
Featuring Garret Drew Ellis (he/him), author of Write Until You Feel Better

11:30am to 12:30pm ~ The Role of the Institute in Today’s Society
Presented by Amy Wright Glenn

12:30 to 1pm ~ Closing Birth, Breath, and Death Sharing
Facilitated by Amy Wright Glenn

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Fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains is gorgeous!!!

The Center for Conscious Living and Dying (CCLD), an organization in partnership with the Institute. CCLD is working to reclaim, practice, and share a timeless wisdom: community support in end of life transitions. The Center for Conscious Living and Dying (CCLD) is organizing and training a diverse group of volunteer caregivers who will provide free non-medical end of life care as well as education on options to supplement support for the emotional and spiritual needs of families facing this universal experience.


Aditi Sethi, MD ~ (she/her) is a hospice and palliative care physician, end-of-life doula, and Executive Director of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying. Featured in the forthcoming film The Last Ecstatic Days, Aditi is an emerging and important voice for shifting our culture’s understanding and approach to dying, death, and bereavement care. As a child under the guidance of her parents (Kapil and Ranjit Sethi) and grandparents from India, Aditi studied devotional music from the Sikh and Hindu traditions. Her other music pursuits include playing music with her husband, Jay Brown, a musician and hospice music therapist. Aditi and Jay recently formed a group called The Appalucians, with Angie Heimann and Cas Sochaki. Releasing their first CD “Bright Hills” in 2018, the Appalucians play music from the mountains of Western North Carolina, featuring spirited songwriting, tight harmonies, and a lovely layered interplay between dobro, guitars, harp, bass, and banjo. Aditi and Jay are the parents of three amazing children. Learn more here.

Jacqueline Kitson Jackson, Ed.D  ~ (she/her) was born and raised in Harlem and the Bronx in New York City. She earned an Ed.D in Reading, Writing and Literacy at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was the recipient of the Ralph C. Preston Award for Scholarship in Teaching and Literacy Research in the Service of Social Justice (2008). She earned BA degrees in English and History at the State University New York in Binghamton, and a M. Ed from The City College of New York. Dr. Jackson has been a community educator for over forty years, teaching reading and writing classes in community centers, adult literacy programs, drug treatment programs, and prisons. Dr. Jackson has worked at the Young Adult Learning Academy, the International Center for the Disabled and the New York City Department of Corrections. She was the Director of the Germantown Women’s Education Program before beginning to teach first year undergraduate students. Her research interests include women’s literacies and first-generation students in Higher Education. Inspired by her experiences with nontraditional students in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, Dr. Jackson returned to school and earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health. Her current interests include issues of equity, social justice and the role of trauma in learning. Dr. Jackson is an advocate of mind and body connections and practices and teaches workshops on meditation and mindfulness. She is a licensed spiritual practitioner with the Centers for Spiritual Living and Agape East. As a Hospice and Palliative Care volunteer and End of Life Doula Dr. Jackson supports caregivers and patients with terminal illnesses and issues of loss and grief.

 

Will Daddario, PhD ~ (he/him) has a Master’s of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a PhD in Theatre Studies. Along with his wife, Joanne Zerdy, he founded Inviting Abundance, where he facilitates online grief workshops and courses; Reiki sessions and classes; and individual mentorships. Will also works as a Clinical Counselor at Oasis Recovery Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

 

 

 

 

Maryam Amir ~ (she/her) is an educator, writer, advocate for social justice, community activist and trauma survivor. She speaks candidly about the issues and challenges facing the Muslim community in the current zeitgeist of the day. Maryam has been privileged to grow up traveling the world, speaks multiple languages and has lived in five of the seven of the world’s continents. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Language Teaching from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Maryam is the mother of two beautiful daughters and she loves to hike with her girls in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She is currently writing her first book and excerpts of her writing can be found on here.

 

 

 

 

 

Garret Drew Ellis ~ (he/him) Writing and finding himself in the field of memoir, remembrance, death and grief for as long as he can remember, Garrett established himself as a professional writer in 2005 and as an End of Life Doula in 2019. That same year, Garrett founded Beyond Morning, offering doula and storytelling services after receiving training from INELDA (The International End of Life Doula Association). Garrett studied English at Central CT State University and has been a ghostwriter and author for almost 20 years. He has been a hospice volunteer. The author of “Write Until You Feel Better” and the forthcoming, “Writing In Memoriam”, Garrett works locally in the Central Pennsylvania area and offers his services nationwide through digital platforms. He speaks at workshops, leads groups and works with individuals to process death and grief, document their lives and to help them do the same for others. (Bio originally published here).

 

 

Clare Duplace ~ (she/her) holds a BA in Elementary Education from Warren Wilson College and an MA in Mindfulness Studies from Lesley University. Clare was previously a teacher for 12 years and has received certifications in numerous alternative healing modalities- Herbal Medicine, Reiki levels 1 and 2, Acupressure, as a children’s yoga teacher and with flower essences. Clare believes strongly in supporting one’s emotional well-being and has been working with flower essences for grief and many things, for over a decade. She recently started a mini-business called MoonFlower, creating flower essence blends for each phase of the moon. She is almost a full-spectrum doula- currently a birth, postpartum and death doula and will soon be receiving her training as an abortion and pregnancy loss doula. Clare has always been called to a path of service and showing up for others, throughout her life. After losing her mama to a glioblastoma in 2017, she has been journeying in learning about grief and death for herself and how to hold safe space for others during these times of loss and sacred transitions.

 

Kalyan Volpe ~ (he/him) holds an MA in Education from Goddard College and is the Co-Founder of Odyssey School in Asheville. He has been a holistic educator with a focus on spirituality in education for 25 years. Kalyan has traveled the world visiting over 35 countries and living in 6 including India where he met his extraordinary wife Shanti with whom he has 3 wonderful boys. Kalyan describes his life path as seeking a balance between internal work and service to humanity. He has been a practitioner of Ashtanga yoga for 25 years and finds deep bliss in devotion and surrender. (He served as a monk for three years in Nicaragua before deciding to dedicate himself to education).  As a middle school teacher Kalyan has explored many ways of incorporating spirituality in the classroom including meditation, visualizations, art, and spiritual warrior exercises. Learn More.

 

 

 

 

Sheri Kay (she/her) is an organizational coach, facilitator, end-of-life guide, and yoga teacher.  As the Director of Resident and Volunteer Services for the Center for Conscious Living & Dying, she is passionately helping to build the foundation for community supported end of life care right here in the heart of the Swannanoa Valley. Sheri enjoys holding space for individuals and groups as a pathway toward deeper connection to self and others.

 

 

 

Amanda Heisman, CHHC ~ (she/her) is an Energy Embodiment Coach, Nutrition Channel & Intuitive Eating Teacher.  Amanda is trained in food psychology and energy medicine. Amanda is the founder of Heisman Health which focuses on guiding women to create joyful and easy relationships with food and body. In particular, she supports female leaders, professionals, mothers, and entrepreneurs in the deep nourishment and self-care it takes to run a business and create holistic success. Having spent a decade in the  corporate world, she recovered from burn-out herself and now helps others do the same. She is also a writer, speaker, alchemist, dancer, and nature-lover. Learn more here.