Retreats, Workshops, & Classes
Sometimes our circumstances are such we need to remain and grow where we are. But sometimes, when life allows, we need to get away and retreat to learn to breathe again and regain our balance.
–And so we find ways we can come together with others of like mind, to get away in an idyllic setting, away from the routine, the requirements, the numbing repetition of existence, to find and reclaim our art and, therefore, ultimately our lives. Once reclaimed, we can return home, knowing that the magic was never in that location but rather, is within each of us. It is us and is wherever we are, whatever we do, and is part of that essence that this world has never seen before and will never see again. Ultimately we realize that by retreating we are never “getting away from” but rather, if we are lucky, we live a life in which we are always following our own sacred path toward who we are meant to be.
RETURNING September 9th, 2023!
The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development at
St. Mary’s Sewanee in Sewanee, TN
The labyrinth and photography are tools that can be used in a spiritual practice to combine image-receiving with the contemplative nature and open-heartedness of mindful walking. In both cases, the labyrinth and the camera can be used to help guide us to receive that which we pass by or take for granted along our daily way.
During this day-long retreat, we’ll attend sessions, have labyrinth walks, and enjoy periods of time to breathe, to mindfully explore the beautiful campus of St. Mary’s Sewanee allowing a shift of our focus from looking to seeing. The labyrinth sessions will help cultivate slow attentiveness and receptivity. The camera will help us develop a practice of visio divina which is a form of sacred seeing and is essentially an application of the rhythms of lectio to looking with the eyes of the heart. This will be a time for reflections, journaling, labyrinth walks and, of course, making images.
No photography experience is necessary for this Saturday retreat. You are welcome to bring a camera but expensive equipment is not required. A smartphone or iPhone camera will work just fine. As photographer Ansel Adams once said, “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!” Bring your openness and willingness to learn to walk and see on a deeper level.
The retreat will begin with an introduction to the labyrinth and will feature presentations, labyrinth walks, and time to make images, but also quiet time and space to be able to just listen to that inner voice. We’ll leave you with ideas to take back to your own life to continue your journey.
workshops:
Labyrinth walks
Nashville, TN |
As an experienced labyrinth facilitator, let Terry teach you the benefits of this walking meditation including some history and a lot of ideas for getting the most from your labyrinth experiences and how to identify inspirations from individual walks as well and discerning ideas that come together as a result of multiple walks. Workshops will be scheduled throughout 2021 in middle Tennessee and return here for a schedule of workshops led elsewhere. Terry is also available to travel to a labyrinth near you to lead a personal or group workshop.
workshopS:
FROM SPARK TO STORY WORKSHOPS WITH CHARLOTTE RAINS DIXON
Join Charlotte Rains Dixon and Terry Price for a Friday evening/all-day Saturday creative workshop in beautiful Nashville.
In this intensive two day-event you’ll learn the steps to beginning and cultivating a consistent creative writing practice. We’ll present tools, ideas, and exercises that will help you find what works for you to begin--and most importantly, remain--on your writing path.
As writing and creative coaches, both Charlotte and Terry have helped creatives in diverse areas to work and find their own rituals and routines that fuel their passions and drive them to their art. In this weekend workshop we’ll talk about:
Writing rituals - What are things you can do that prepare and help you ease into your writing?
Cultivating your writing practice and how to consistently keep it going - How you can establish and maintain your writing practice so that is a part of your life, just like your other routines.
Accountability - What do you need and how much? Are you an extrovert or introvert? Can you do it yourself or do you need support? Can you do peer to peer or do you need a coach? Do you need goals?
Our goal is to help you find what works for you. Come and let Charlotte and Terry help you find your path.
We’ll meet on Friday evening and talk about obstacles that are keeping you from what you are called to do and then send you home to sleep, dream, and allow your subconscious to play with possibilities for overcoming. On Saturday, you’ll return refreshed and excited to play with ideas and suggestions designed to tease out ways to make your art not only possible but a part of your daily life. Finally, on Saturday afternoon, we’ll help you develop a plan to get you to your art and keep you there.
If you've attended our workshops in the past, these will be new presentations. All of the Spark to Story workshops compliment each other however, each is self-standing and can be taken independently.
RETURN HERE FOR DETAILS AS FINALIZED!
mtsu write:
MTSU Write is a from-home mentorship program under the English Department. It is a three-semester program, working with new and experienced writers in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting.
I was one of the original graduates of the program and am now adjunct faculty and mentor in the fiction and creative nonfiction tracks.
The mission is simple: helping you become the writer you long to be.
The method is direct: working one-on-one with a mentor to hone your writing skills and produce a publishable manuscript.
The award-winning faculty have distinguished themselves in a variety of genres and styles, and we are confident we can provide you with a mentor who understands your interests, can help improve your skills,and coach you toward achieving your goals.
If you'd like to advance your writing in any of the above genres, whether you wish to work with me or another faculty member, check out MTSU Write.