Spirit of Place 2023: Experiences of Engaged Spirituality

WELCOME!

THE MYSTERY OF TREES II

An Odyssey into Deep Ecology

September 13 – 16. 2023

Marquette, Michigan

(4 P.M. Wednesday – 1 P.M. Saturday)

PROGRAM:

Building on the success of the Institute’s 2022 fall seminar, this retreat continues exploring the mystery of trees, moving ever deeper into this extraordinary natural gift to the earth’s biosphere. Presentations by foresters, poets, musicians, wild land fire fighters, and theologians will again provide opportunities to explore the essential, sacred role that forests play in the health of the planet. There will be time for solitude, prayer, and reflective dialogs about the role of trees in the Great World Religions and in Native American traditions. As part of the closing morning of the retreat, interested participants will be collectively and prayerfully invited to assist in planting 100 small cedar seedlings in a nearby community forest.

Since its founding in 1995, The Cedar Tree Institute has sponsored 26 retreats and seminars across North America that have brought together small groups to explore specifically designed experiences of “engaged spirituality.” These events have focused on environmental and justice issues, others on the dialogue between East and West, several on the critical link between prayer and social action. Participants are invited to connect both inner (personal) and outer landscapes. Retreats have been held in monasteries, remote cabins, and on American Indian reservations.

RETREAT FORMAT:

Participants will have the option to begin the day with an introduction to mindfulness and Tai Chi exercises. Our time together will be based at the historic Thunder Bay Inn in Big Bay (a former summer retreat for Henry Ford). Two of our three evening meals and discussions will take place at cabins near the shore of Lake Superior. Saunas available for those who choose.

TRAVEL, MEALS, AND LODGING:

Meals will be nourishing and healthy. Transportation will be provided by the Cedar Tree Institute throughout the retreat. There will be a balance of informal and formal time together. Single rooms at the Inn will be provided unless otherwise requested.

Marquette, Michigan is located in the State’s Upper Peninsula. It can be accessed by airline via Sawyer International Airport (a 25-minute drive from Marquette). Transportation will be provided from and to the airport for those traveling by plane. If choosing to travel by car, Marquette is a three-hour drive northeast from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a three-hour drive from Mackinac Island, located at the east end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Transportation is also available via a van from O’Hara International Airport in Chicago – arrangements to be made with Institute logistics coordinator Ruth Almén. (Departing early on the morning of September 13 and returning to Chicago on the evening of the 16^th.

FACILITATORS:

Joseph Piccione is a theologian and ethicist holds degrees in theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC and St. Mary’s Seminary and University. He is the author of “Receiving God and Responding – In Breath Meditation.” (2020)

Jeff Noble, is forester and veteran forest fire fighter who has numerous experiences across North America in challenging and remote settings. He is retired from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and serves as a guide and technical consultant for Institute projects.

Ruth Almén previously held leadership positions with hospice agencies and community mental health organizations serving the rural poor across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Most recently, she served as a Clinical Manager with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. She currently works as COO for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, a progressive faith community in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Jan Schultz is a retired botanist that has led a long career with the United States Forest Service. She served as chief field botanist overseeing 16 National Forests in 20 states, working in partnership with American Indian tribes of the Great Lakes Basin.

Kenton Fish is a retired ophthalmologist residing in West Texas. He is a leader in his faith community, a musician, and long-distance runner. Kent continues to assist in facilitating CTI retreats and trainings across North America.

Kathleen Heideman is one of the Upper Peninsula’s most beloved poets.A writer, artist and environmentalist Her newest collection of poetry is Psalms of the Early Anthropocene (Winter Cabin Books, 2017).

Jon Magnuson is Director of The Cedar Institute, a nonprofit organization in Northern Michigan that initiates projects and provides services in the areas of mental health, interfaith collaboration, and the environment. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, he has served as parish pastor, clinical social worker, and adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington. Working with faith communities and local American Indian tribes, since 1995 the Institute has coordinated the planting of 27,500 cedar trees across 15 counties of Northern Michigan.

WELCOME!

The Art of Walking

Traveling in Prayer and Mindfulness

November 16 – 19, 2023

Santa Fe, New Mexico

(4 P.M. Thursday– 1 P.M. Sunday)

PROGRAM:

This retreat explores the rich heritage of pilgrimage in Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Native faith traditions. We will be based in a Benedictine monastery, 20 miles East of Santa Fe in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Guided walks and daily reflective experiences on trails of various lengths will be available each day. Running options also will be provided.

We will learn about gait and movement from certified foot specialists. Personal consultations will be made available for those who choose. There will be an in-depth look at the bio-mechanics of movement.

Readings and discussions on mindfulness and movement will bring focus for our group experience based on writings from Thich Nhat Hanh’s “How to Walk’ and Erling Kagge’s “Walking: One step at a time.”

Since its founding in 1995, The Cedar Tree Institute has sponsored 26 retreats and seminars across North America that have brought together small groups to explore specifically designed experiences of “engaged spirituality.” These events have focused on environmental and justice issues, others on the dialogue between East and West, several on the critical link between prayer and social action. Participants are invited to connect both inner (personal) and outer landscapes. Retreats have been held in monasteries, remote cabins, and on American Indian reservations.

RETREAT FORMAT:

Participants will have the option to begin the day with an introduction to mindfulness and Tai Chi /Qi Gong exercises. Our time together will be shaped by settings that include Benedictine community life and a leisurely afternoon excursion exploring Santa Fe’s historic plaza.

TRAVEL, MEALS, AND LODGING:

Meals will be modest, but nourishing and healthy. Transportation will be provided by the Cedar Tree Institute from Santa Fe to and from the monastery (Our lady of Guadalupe Abbey in Pecos). There will be a balance of informal and formal time together. Single rooms will be provided unless otherwise requested.

Ruth Almén, our Institute logistics coordinator, will assist you in travel details and suggestions for travel to Santa Fe (via airline) or to and from the Albuquerque airport by shuttle or train.

FACILITATORS:

Joseph Piccione is a theologian and ethicist holds degrees in theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC and St. Mary’s Seminary and University. He is the author of “Receiving God and Responding – In Breath Meditation.” (2020)

Ruth Almén previously held leadership positions with hospice agencies and community mental health organizations serving the rural poor across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Most recently, she served as a Clinical Manager with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. She currently works as COO for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, a progressive faith community in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Diana Magnuson is a children’s book illustrator and Tai Chi / Qi Gong instructor who lives in Marquette, Michigan

Don Miller is a resident of Santa Fe, a walker who has traveled extensively by foot on trails, village streets, and pathways across the American Southwest.

Kenton Fish is a retired ophthalmologist residing in West Texas. He is a leader in his faith community, a musician, and long-distance runner. Kent continues to assist in facilitating CTI retreats and trainings across North America.

Jon Magnuson is Director of The Cedar Institute, a nonprofit organization in Northern Michigan that initiates projects and provides services in the areas of mental health, interfaith collaboration, and the environment. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, he has served as parish pastor, clinical social worker, and university instructor.