I'm spending these last few days of summer in Maine with my husband, Eric, and in this precious pause we have before the busyness of the fall begins, I've been thinking a lot about silence.
One of my teachers, the Buddhist monk and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, writes:
If you don't have silence in yourself, you cannot hear the call of life. Your heart is calling you, but you don't hear. You don't have time to listen to your heart.
So many of us don't have the silence and focus that we need to truly listen to our heart.
Too often, we are like seagrasses tossed here and there by the waves, unable to really focus. Our contemporary world cultivates attention that is shallow, scattered, and short-term.
But we can cultivate a different kind of attention that supports connection and true creativity.
In my two upcoming fall offerings, I'll be guiding you to tune in to the silence in yourself so you can listen to your heart, discover and develop your unique, authentic creative voice, and step into your power—on and off the page.
First, I invite you to join me in-person this fall:
Five Days in Retreat. An Immersive Experience.
In this in-person writing retreat on Omega's stunning 250+ acre campus in the Hudson Valley, you will have FIVE full days to focus ENTIRELY on your own writing, your own creative vision.
The retreat runs from September 29th to October 4th, 2024, in Rhinebeck, New York (about 90 miles outside NYC).
This retreat is for writers of all levels and backgrounds writing in any genre. We'll be using poetry to inspire us, but you need not be a poet or consider yourself a poet to attend. You're more than welcome to write in any genre during our time together.
Our five rejuvenating days together will be filled with:
- Reading inspiring literature
- Writing with the support of creative prompts and gentle instructor guidance
- Playing with and exploring our creative voices and imaginations
- Pausing & listening to our minds, bodies, and souls through contemplative practices
- Moving mindfully with embodied practices
- Connecting with the Earth on nature walks through Omega's woodland trails
- Bonding in a small, intimate supportive community
- Exploring new avenues of possibility, insight, and transformation
6 More Reasons to Sign up for this Retreat 🙂
- You'll be fully immersed in writing, creativity, reflection, and healing.
- You'll have the time, space, and supports you need to rejuvenate and even transform your body, mind, and spirit through writing, reading, meditation, yoga, and time in nature.
- You won’t have to worry about cooking meals or finding lodging because it’s all-inclusive at Omega (room/board, freshly prepared meals, etc.)
- You can leave behind the stress and busyness of the everyday and revitalize your writing (and yourself!) with the time, attention, and care it (and you!) deserves.
- You'll have the opportunity to connect deeply and meaningfully in person with a community of writers, poets, and creative souls from around the world.
- You never know what insights, what mystery, what magic might emerge from this period of deep, creative listening.
This retreat is an invaluable investment in the well-being of your whole self 🙂
Holly and I have designed this retreat as a period of growth, transformation, and renewed possibility; we hope that the insights, writing, and connections you make will nourish you not only for the week we are together, but for months—and even years—to come.
I would be so delighted to get to work with you in person and know you better!
Learn more about the retreat here or at the button below.
I'm also offering an online course this fall...
The Poetry of Attention:
a 10-Week Online Poetry Course
Fall in Love with Poetry
as a Contemplative Practice!
- Read inspiring poems by Mary Oliver, Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Lucille Clifton, and Ross Gay, and learn to read with greater attention as a writer
- Write your best work, get new techniques and skills and create a strong body of work
- Live fully and mindfully through embodied and contemplative practices
- Connect with other mindful writers from around the world and with your own creative center
Learn more about The Poetry of Attention here or at the button below. I have a lot more information about the course and the community and answer common questions on the course page 🙂
**If you sign up for BOTH the Omega retreat AND the Poetry of Attention online course, email me! I’ll give you an extra discount! Just show me you’re enrolled in both programs, and I’ll refund you $50—let me know by emailing me at nadia@nadiacolburn.com**
Have questions about the Omega Retreat, the Poetry of Attention Class, or something else? Just email me at nadia@nadiacolburn.com, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
I believe in you and your voice and am excited for your creative deepening this fall and beyond 🙂
with love,
Nadia