Celebrate Your Light 2010: Women's Retreat

PRESENTERS AND SERVICE TEAM

Lotus has arranged an amazing line-up of EXTRAORDINARY women (many of them professional coaches) to facilitate your unfolding and guide our group into blissful transformations. Each woman brings a unique set of gifts and talents. Together in collaboration, we co-create a magical cauldron of powerful transformative processes. This is a fun and gentle process of personal growth with an emphasis on comfort, ease and holistic well being of mind, body and spirit. We do this in a context of play and women's empowerment.

Feel Re-energized, Inspired And More Joy-full With SARK While You Learn Creative Solutions For Current Challenges, Plus Juicy Practices to Apply Exquisite Self-Care

How well and often do you love yourself? Are you your own best friend? How kindly and exquisitely do you tend to your own soul? Your answers to these questions may reveal an opportunity to practice more self-love.

In SARK's Self-Loving Festival of Lounging and Liberation, you will begin a life-long practice of deeply loving yourself, no matter what circumstances have happened. To truly love and be friends with others, we must practice loving ourselves well and fully on a daily basis. SARK will show you how to become the most marvelous friend to yourself first. As you expand your experiences of self-love, you'll observe that you're more available and loving to friends and family too. Your own inside well will be so full of love, that you'll just naturally share the overflow.

Practicing self-friendship and love also means tending to, and being present for the the times you don't feel positive or self-loving at all. SARK will show you how to find your broken places and gain strength there too by practicing looking into your shadows (you can use a flashlight) and becoming aware of how to best care for yourself during those times also. You'll experience loving yourself unconditionally more often.

You will turn your wide heart and loving eyes towards yourself and awaken what you already know: You are Seen, You are Known, You are Loved.

In this fun and deep workshop, you will receive and experience:

1. Feeling reenergized, inspired and more joy-full, which are essential ingredients for creating real change and energetic shifts.

Prepare to be uplifted and transformed with SARK and other kindred spirits in this unusual workshop

SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) is a best-selling author and artist, with over fifteen titles in print and well over two million books sold. She has been teaching and leading extraordinary workshops for over twenty years. She is a transformational role model offering inspiration and guidance to people in their process of living more powerfully and authentically, and being more actively creative on a daily basis. SARK is also the founder and CEO of Planet SARK, a thriving business that creates innovative products and services to support empowered living. Call her on the Inspiration Line at 415.546.3742 or visit www.planetsark.com.

Outrageous & Living Out Loud! I had not read any of SARK's books and had only seen her poster a couple of times, but something inside said go to the workshop. Wow, am I ever glad I did! What a Great happening that was! It was very inspiring, motivating and ever so much fun as well as being quite spiritual. That part surprised me. I came away pumped up to get back to writing, which I had not done for a very long time. SARK is a delightful expression of Spirit and when I grow up, I want to be like SARK - outrageous and living out loud!!!! ~Donna McCaskey, age 73 SARK Should Be President Beautiful experience with SARK and 25 other women in Sedona last weekend. As my 2nd grade daughter Calen has been mesmerized by SARK's books, she exclaimed, "SARK is sooo lucky, we're not allowed to write with marker or pen in our school journal." I replied, "SARK is following her heart and creating her own journals." To that Calen exclaimed, "SARK should be President and tell all the teachers to let us write/draw in marker and colored pens!!" SARK, thank you for inspiring women from 5 yrs to 105 yrs old. love and light, ~Heather Janesky, Gilbert, AZ Nourishing Creativity & Aliveness Delightful, Radiant Sark - I have never felt more ALIVE except for when I gave birth. I attended your Juicy Pen, Thirsty Paper workshop at Changing Hands on May 9th in Tempe. I felt a transformation take place in that room... the loving, positive, creative, uplifting energy from all the friends/flowers fed by the SARK SUN was AMAZING! The garden grows by leaps and bounds now that I fully embrace not just that I need to, but HOW to nourish my creative soul. I have been having a blast changing my inner and outer surroundings to reflect my heart. My creativity has never been so directed. I am having FUN and am looking forward to sharing my GIFTS and STORIES with the world. Blessings, Peace and Grace be Showered Upon You and Daily! ~Stacey Phelan (Sunny Arizona)

A Playful Adventure Into Powerful Self-Discovery: Peek Into The Windows of Your Soul

Laura Rifkin will lead a Self-Portrait: Full Body Art Collage Playshop -- NO ART EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Self portrait offers windows into the soul and an opportunity to play in creativity. Discover some of what is dwelling inside of you -- your wishes, hopes, dreams, longings, creative whispers, symbols of self, hidden meanings and thoughts, powerful insights and transformations. Often the process is just as powerful as the end result.

Working with large butcher paper, and collage and art materials, we will create full scale self-portraits. Laura will be your gentle guide through the process and provide prompt questions to lead you inward (along with all materials, although feel free to bring your own favorite art/magazine supplies. At the end of the playshop, we will have a short art exhibit where we will share our self-portrait (optional) and use the group to help us with further discovery and self-reflection.

Laura Rifkin, Ph.D. holds degrees in the areas of Integral Philosophy, Consciousness Studies, Transformative Adult Learning/ Organizational Change and Creative Arts/Recreation Therapy.
She is retired Faculty Emerita from San Francisco State University where she coordinated the Therapeutic Recreation concentration. She has over 30 years of experience leading workshops, and teaching classes using expressive arts, creativity, play, and self-expression as a means to know self, heal and experience joy. She was the developer of Summer Camp for Women along with Karen Ripley and loves the kind of wanderings that retreats allow for.

She has been recognized by the Mayor of San Francisco for her groundbreaking work in her field, where she developed the first theoretical work on the importance of leisure to the recovery process. She was also acknowledged for 30 years of service with underserved populatons of the Bay Area, including starting the first project for homeless families led by the National Park Service; being Associate Director of "The Way Home"- a film on race, gender, and ethnicity; co-creating/and adapting an award-winning self-esteem program, "I'm Somebody" for children of all abilities; and most recently her work as Founder of Fabled Asp (www.fabledasp.com)- a project documenting 40 years of disabled lesbian herstory in the Bay Area. She received special honors both from the University and her own department for outstanding service/teaching and her commitment to the larger whole. Her dissertation was on the deep transformative power of the feminine and Integral Philosophy to the peacemaking process.

Laura has become the type of teacher who is so seamless that when she works, the group feels that they have done it all by themselves; and she has become the invisible thread weaving us together. ~Workshop Participant

Stop Being So Hard On Yourself, Tap Into Your Inner Wisdom, And Feel Like You Are Your Own Best Friend Again

Coach Amy Ahlers offers us her coaching knowledge and enthusiasm in her "How to Stop Being So Hard on Yourself" Playshop.

Have you ever noticed that no matter how successful a woman is, behind the scenes, she is being WAY too hard on herself? In this play shop, you’ll learn how to get out of the “beating yourself up” spiral by using a powerfully simple 3-Step process. Then, you’ll put it into practice with interactive exercises right there in the room. You will learn how to take your power back from your Inner Critic, who I like to call your Inner Mean Girl. The most important relationship in your life is your relationship with YOU and when you transform your negative self-talk, you transform everything. You will leave this session tapped into your inner wisdom and inspired to be your own best friend.

Amy Ahlers, The Wake Up Call Coach, is on a mission to wake you up to the truth about how fabulous you are. She discovered the world of coaching in 2000 and never looked back. She is an International Certified Coach, the CEO of Wake-Up Call Coaching (www.WakeUpCallCoaching.com) and the Creator and Hostess of The Women Masters Tele-Seminar Series (www.TheWomenMasters.com), where she has spoken alongside amazing women experts such as Lisa Nichols, Marci Shimoff, SARK, and many more. She earned the CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) designation from The Coaches Training Institute, is a Bigger Game Certified Coach, is a certified Business Advisor from OneCoach, and is a Master Coach Equivalent. Amy is exceptionally energetic and inspiring. In the words of one of her clients, “Amy’s enthusiasm is catchy.” She is a mom, a wife, an entrepreneur, a spiritual seeker and a lover of life!

Cheerleader for Your Big Game Coaching with Amy is like having the World’s Most Truthful Cheerleader on your side during the Big Game of your life. She is supportive, practical, and relentlessly optimistic. Me, before coaching: overworked, underpaid, confused, often sad. Me, After Coaching: richly rewarded, relaxed, and clear. ~Samantha Bennett, Founder, The Organized Artist Company Intuitive Guidance Amy is a skilled, intuitive coach who quickly helped me focus on the essence of what I needed to do to move forward. ~James Schaller, President, Sound Covenant On The Right Track Having you as my Life Coach was one of the best things I ever did for myself. When I went to you I was at a crossroads in my life. Both professionally and personally, I was struggling to find my way. Your empathy, kindness and tough love were just what I needed to get me back on track. I am now happy to report my career is back on track and personally life could not be better. I now have a happy husband and a new, happy 3-month-old baby boy!! I don’t know where I would be now without your guidance. You truly are quite gifted at helping people find their way!! ~Irene Tassiopulous-Lyle, Full Time Homemaker Digging Deeper Coaching has brought me Amy: one who never judges, never criticizes, and always supports. She cares, digs deeper (even when it doesn’t always feel good, but actually IS a good thing), and makes me look at things differently. She has given me courage when I needed it, support when I needed to face my fears, love when I just needed to feel love and to remember to love myself, and the ability to realize that I’m human and OK, just as I am.~Frances-Victoria Cole, Human Resources Manager, 3-Co

Transform Your Relationship With Your Body and Your Life

What’s the secret to feeling truly beautiful? Gabriella Taylor knows! She has learned that happiness has nothing to do with getting rid of cellulite. Really.

Soul of Beauty Playshop - Gabriella will guide us in exploring:

BELIEFS- what we believe to be true about beauty, our bodies and value;

BODY IMAGE - our thoughts, feelings and perceptions;

BODY LANGUAGE - how we speak to ourselves inwardly, how we speak about ourselves and how our bodies speak to us;

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - what may be unconsciously motivating us to think we will be happy if we are thin and beautiful.

By learning to update your Beauty Blueprints you will:

• Gain clarity on what really controls your ability to feel confident

• Discover ways to powerfully redefine your personal definition of beauty and begin to stop comparing yourself to unrealistic beauty ideals

• Learn specific, proven tools that stop the cycle of criticism

• Bring your intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions into alignment so you can move out of your comfort zone and build the life of your dreams

As a leading expert in body image issues, Gabriella has completed two Master’s Degree programs from the University of Santa Monica: M.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Consciousness, Health and Healing. She has travelled and worked in over twenty-five countries on six continents. She is actively involved in community volunteer programs, youth mentorship and a spokesperson for widening the definitions surrounding female stereotypes. She is founder of Soul of Beauty, which introduces women to their Beauty Blueprints, and CEO of a successful catering company based in Los Angeles, CA. You can find Gabriella at thesoulofbeauty.com.

Ms. Taylor’s effective, proven programs are based on her extensive training and research and are aimed at helping women dramatically improve self-esteem, achieve success and enhance their quality of life.

Her mission is to help expand the definition of beauty so women everywhere feel included within it.

Make Peace With Beauty Gabriella is, simply put, amazing. She addresses the greatest pain women in our time face with, not only wisdom, but humor and innovative strategies to make peace with beauty - once and for all! -Cynthia Kersey, Bestselling Author of Unstoppable and Unstoppable Women Discover the Soul of Beauty Within You Gabriella has walked the journey of self-discovery and radiates beauty from the depth of her soul. She is a master that can help you discover the soul of beauty within you. -Sylvia Kostopoulos, Mary Kay Senior Sales Director

Unleash Powerful Self-Talk For Personal Approval, Elation And Victory As You Enjoy A Fun Collaborative Art Project

Retreat Coach Kelly Noel Morrison will lead us in gathering our creative impulses and join heartful expressions in our "Share Your Juicy Creativity" Collaborative Art Playshop. Experience the wonder of a collaborative group art project with Kelly Noel Morrison. Together we’ll create necklaces; passing them from hand to hand; imbuing them with loving thoughts and prayers. They will carry with them a bit of the spirit and character of each woman. As we create these amazing art pieces, we’ll explore how to adorn ourselves and others with affirmations and positive self talk.

What is your “Yay!”? Explore how an easy dose of simple awareness can transform your inner dialogue. With this awareness, you will easily unleash powerful self-talk for personal approval, elation and victory. As you recognize and celebrate all that is “Yay!” for you, you will naturally recognize and celebrate all that is “Yay!” for others, too.

Kelly Noel Morrison is passionate about inspiring others to living with greater awareness. She celebrates and savors all that is “Yay!” about life. Kelly brings a willingness to be transparent and vulnerable, wisdom earned through experience, a student's heart, a teacher's confidence, a friend’s compassion and a child's desire to play and create. She is a member of the Certified Coaches Federation and the Retreat Coaches Network. Coach Kelly may be found at www.kellymorrison.byregion.net

Fresh Approach I loved Kelly’s fresh approach and willingness to share and listen. ~T.H., Seattle, WA Playtime! I love how Kelly brings out the playfulness in me! She always helps me get in touch with my inner child and brings her out into the light. Her relaxed and creative retreats are always just what my soul is hungering for! ~S.G., North Bend, WA Gentle Guidance I have really enjoyed attending retreats led by Kelly. She has often led me to think about things in a new way by asking very thoughtful questions, and she has encouraged me to celebrate myself and my achievements no matter how small. While sometimes the questions have taken me out of my comfort zone, she is always gentle and kind in her approach and in the end I am grateful for the experience. ~Y.G., North Bend

Experience The Healing Power Of Music To Focus Love And Honoring Into The Natural World

Sarah Adams will seranade us with her lovely voice and guitar during inspired moments throughout our sojourn. Sarah has been involved in music as long as she can remember -- playing guitar, cello and singing in different musical groups. Celtic music is perhaps her deepest soul connection. She especially enjoys focusing on the healing power of music and its power to bring us closer together as a human family and to focus love and honoring into the natural world. She also enjoys facilitating sacred heart circles for building community and magnifying joy. Sarah enjoys working as both a life coach and an energy healer, assisting others in lifting limiting beliefs and blocked emotions, as well as serving as a guide on the journey to wholeness. Sarah may be found at sarahadams.org/

Nadine Risha ~ As though the Earth herself were singing, Nadine intricately weaves a liquid-velvet tapestry of lyrics, melodies, and moods... which communicate a knowing and insight belying her youth. But more than just her powerful vocals and an empathic songwriting prowess that grabs you by the heart and soul, Nadine emanates an aural magic, quite simply, like no one has ever known. Her songs range from ancient world-inspired chants to uplifting contemporary pop. Her beautiful voice has touched audiences around the globe, from Los Angeles and New York, to extraordinary places like Egypt, Lebanon, India, China and Peru.

Nadine is a professional singer, songwriter, performer and producer. As a recording artist and Star Music Awards' Best Spiritual Artist for 2008, she creates albums and incredible live music/performance events internationally. Her newest CD "Sacred Om" is an hour long journey into the depths of the heart through sacred sounds and words. Nadine creates an inspiring and moving aural experience with this new release. Most of the tracks include only vocals, creating a moving tapestry of sound and heart. From English and Arabic to Sanskrit and pure toning, Nadine sets the stage for one to dive deeply into an internal journey of remembering. More information can be found at nadinerisha.com.

Get Your Portrait Taken & Enjoy a Sound Healing

Shelby Sharie Cohen is passionate about and committed to her healing path and offers sound healing sessions (for an additional minimal charge), which she has been doing 13+ years. Using special tuning forks, she balances the body's physical and subtle energy field to promote healing and inner harmony. She has assisted many in creating their life intentions and action steps.

Shelby Sharie also captures the essence of life! She is a Commercial Photographer specializing in Portrait Photography, and Shelby Sharie has been creating portraits for over 25 years. She has been featured in publications all over the world. Shelby is passionate about her art, and she is an expert in natural light! You can find her at shariecohenphotography.com.

Make Sacred Space & Be Reminded of Who You ARE

Lissa Dirrim, Liturgical Designer, will be designing the sacred elements of our gathering spaces to reflect our co-creative vision of the alchemical, elemental, and divine feminine. She has been involved in liturgical art for five years and regards the process as a transformation of sacred space to a statement reflecting a specific event or message. Lissa celebrates creation using textile arts, text and print. She has a background in sculpture, set design, and mural arts. She firmly believes in sacred ecology and an embodied spirituality in a troubled world. She holds a masters degree from the Graduate Theological Union/Pacific School of Religion. She is also a Swedenborgian, a denomination which has attracted many artists throughout history because of the "form follows function" foundation inherent in the theology. Lissa is also an InterPlayer and marketer of eco-friendly coffins.

Commit To Honor Your Self As Integrally Connected To The World Which Breathes You, While You Celebrate Your Divine Feminine

Join me in these fabulous offerings as I channel my Source, divine feminine wisdom, spiritual and nature guides to co-create powerfully evocative elements and containers of ritual, guided meditation, symbolism, self-adornment, visualization, metaphor, celebration, joy and poetry. Through play and heart-centered connection, I will lead you in accessing and speaking your sacred truth in the moment as we walk the Beauty Way.

"World As Lover, World As Self" Circle in Women's Wholeness - Partake of the natural world as deeply and irrevocably interconnected to your deep, Divine Self. Surrender to that which sustains, nourishes and "loves" you from birth to death. We will share meditation, visualization and prayer.

Wisdom Walk & Self-Adornment Ritual - Join Lotus for a Wisdom Walk to touch in with Spirit in silence, gather a few natural elements to combine later with make-up, paints and other festive materials to adorn ourselves in preparation for our Marry Your Self ceremony. We'll wear our special necklaces that we create in our Share Your Juicy Creativity Collaborative Art Project. Bring your most comfortable and beautiful outfits and Goddess wear to beautify and pamper yourself for the ceremony (and throughout the retreat). This is a time to let your hair down and rev up your comfort meter.

Marry Your Self Ceremony - Culminate your self-adornment and self-love in a beautiful ritual to harmonize our divine feminine and masculine aspects, honor our Muses and our Beloved within. We will make a deep commitment to our Selves -- our self-love and self-care BEFORE we care for and give our gifts of energy and presence to others we love. In this way, we are always serving from a full cup of love.

Coach Lotus Allen is a Community Catalyst and the creative, visionary force behind Femme Fire Productions. Her mission is to support women and social change leaders to reach for radical self-care, authenticity, empowerment, prosperity, vision and infinite possibilities. She balances many roles. Lotus combines her spirituality with the theoretical stuff she has learned about collective living, ecological sustainability, healthy culture, and transformative learning with her training and experience as a retreat coach, vision quest guide, event coordinator, and council leader. She then weaves it all together with a profound love of nature and Gaia’s interconnected web of life.

Discover Your Inner Wilderness Lotus of the Desert, thank you for sharing such a wonderful adventure into the known and into the unknown; into the wilderness of the desert and into the wilderness of my mind. You have helped me contemplate on several things I have not been willing to consider on my own. May you continue to guide others with your special insight and loving spirit. ~Vivian Aldridge, San Francisco Authentic Wisdom After the first paragraph [of your "How To Love & Marry Yourself" eCourse], I could not turn away from your clarity, beauty, and writing style. Your “conversation” shows authentic wisdom, deep spirit /nature connection, and I …well, I just wanted to tell you…if you have not written a book, I wait for the one you will someday write! Your writing and the persona behind the writing is beautiful. I’ll proceed now with the Fieldwork section. Just had to stop and acknowledge you, and let you know it’s already impacted me. ~Nancy (Trojanowski) Wolfer, Professional Spiritual Life Coach (heartoflifecoaching.com) Compassion in Action Coach Lotus is a person who sees positive imagery in difference. This quality allows her to be an affirmation to change, daring and diversity. She is a generous person. This quality gifts her friends in many ways, whether it be a cool glass of water from a kitchen that smells of sweet delights; or a ride to the bart station when you just feel tired; or a good ear and tongue that with compassion will speak the truth -- not just flowery garbage without substance of what she heard. Lotus desires women's health. It is a quality to be honored in times when women's issues are not as popular as they were for a few decades. Lotus continues to work for our health. ~Laurel Lee, Teacher & Artist, Oakland, CA Visionary Capacity Lotus has the kind of vision and dedication that I think is extremely important for the state of our world. I'm amazed at her capacity to bring people together in ways that generate fantastic results for everyone involved. ~Nathan Brown, Marketing Consultant, JB Web Analytics/Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage Insightful & Grounding Presence I experienced Lotus to be a caring and effective coordinator. She provided an insightful and grounding presence. ~Robert Silber, Founder of Kipuka Temple Community and ConsciousSensuality.com, Big Island, HI

Accommodations

Single Discount $624.00 Friend Discount $1,024.00 Camping Discount $424.00 Private Room Discount $774.00

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