Make Spiritual, Creative & Dream Journaling weekend your spring getaway

I'm leading a three-day Spiritual, Creative and Dream Journaling retreat the weekend of April 25-27, 2014 at The Christine Center in central Wisconsin. If you or anyone you know might be interested in attending, see more here.

Make this hands-on journal-writing exploration your spring post-Lent and post-Easter getaway to greet the season with new inspiration. Perfect for beginning and seasoned journal writers alike. The Christine Center is set near a state forest with lodging in hermitages, each unique, that dot wooded paths. Delicious vegetarian meals are served in the main building where the workshop takes place, along with optional attendance at morning and evening meditations, chakra-focused chanting, wood-fired sauna, a sky full of stars, and more.

Spiritual, Creative and Dream Journaling Retreat
Three-day journal-writing exploration
Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27, 2014
Christine Center, Willard, Wisconsin, tucked away in a pristine setting in central Wisconsin in

Deepen your spirituality, better understand relationships, foster creativity and delve into your nightly dreams with more focus through journal writing. Over the course of this three-day retreat, leader Cynthia Gallaher will help you uncover the journaling method or methods that best suit your personality. You’ll take part in hands-on explorations of journal dialogs, Japanese haibun (journal entries that end in a short poem) and naikan gratitude journal methods, Leonardo Da Vinci-style notebooks, artists’ journals, modern dream journaling techniques and more.

This retreat provides a stimulating and non-judgmental atmosphere for both newer and long-time journal writers. By the end of the retreat, participants can experience more clear direction toward spiritual, creative and emotional renewal through journal writing, and be motivated to develop a regular journal writing practice. Tuition is on a sliding scale basis. Range is from $85-$125, plus meals and lodging.

* Friday night, April 25, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.: Journal writing introduction, overview personality quiz and getting started.
* Saturday morning, April 26, 9 a.m. to noon: Stepping Stones and Dialogues as the basis of modern journaling.
* Saturday afternoon, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Japanese techniques, artist and creative journals, and what would Leonardo da Vinci do?
* Saturday evening, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Dream journaling
What do you do when life gives you synchronicities, serendipity, coincidences or confirmations?
* Sunday morning, April 27, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Final thoughts for future journaling.

Cynthia will also include a few PowerPoint presentations, provide handouts and display selected books on journal writing.

At the completion of this retreat, participants will be able to:
~ Focus on the type of journal writing to fit his or her personality.
~ Access their own list of numerous, personal journal writing topics and questions.
~ Use journaling methods of Stepping Stones and Dialogues to address personal and creative issues.
~ Understand and use the Japanese methods of haibun and naikan.
~ Create a Leonardo da Vinci-style notebook, artist’s journal or other type of creative journal.
~ Create an active, personal dream journal.
~ Use journaling to explore & understand personal values, issues & memories.

Retreat leader Cynthia Gallaher is a poet, playwright, nonfiction writer and journal writer. She leads journal writing workshops in libraries, schools, centers and spas throughout the Midwest, and teaches an online course on journal writing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. ◦

Make Spiritual, Creative & Dream Journaling weekend your spring getaway