WELCOME!

THE SPIRITUAL BRAIN

April 16 -19, 2026

4 P.M. Thursday – 1 P.M. Sunday

Santa Fe, New Mexico

** All meals, lodging, and day excursions from the Benedictine Abbey are financially covered by the registration fees. **

PROGRAM:  

This retreat explores the biology and function of the brain as it relates to experiences of the sacred. It will draw upon experiences 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 be reviewing the latest medical research as it pertains to addictive behaviors and the challenge of evidence-based models for effective treatment and recovery.

We will explore the “Tradition of the Dream” and how this peculiar phenomenon has informed virtually all religious traditions down through the centuries. Perspectives of dream-work will be presented in the context of C. G. Jung’s understanding of the collective and personal unconscious. Opportunities will be provided, for those who wish, to do some personal dream work in small groups.

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 external (social/political) landscapes. Retreats have been held in monasteries, remote cabins, and on American Indian reservations.

RETREAT DESIGN: 

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 prepared by Melanie Mottinger, traveling from Michigan, who regularly serves as our Cedar Tree retreat chef. Meals are given careful attention to health and exceptional taste, using as many local products as possible. 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:

Larry Skendzel is Hospice Medical Director and Program Director for Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Gundersen Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Mike Grossman is a family physician, a medical director for UP Home Health and Hospice in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He also serves as medical director for Great Lakes Recovery Centers, is certified as a specialist in addiction medicine.

Greg Fricchione is Associate Chief of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, and the Chester M. Pierce Division of Global Psychiatry at MGH. A member of the faculty of Harvard Medical School (HMS) since 1993, he is the HMS Mind Body Medicine Professor of Psychiatry.

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 the COO for a progressive faith community in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

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)

Diana Magnuson is a children’s book illustrator and Tai Chi / Qi Gong instructor who lives in Marquette, Michigan
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 assists in facilitating CTI retreats and trainings across North America.

Melanie Mottinger is a chef from Marquette, Michigan who works with Institute projects providing healthy meals for workshops and retreats on American Indian Reservations, at monasteries, and in remote settings on the shores of Lake Superior.

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, parish pastor, social worker, and university instructor, he’s received clinical training at the C G Jung Institute in Chicago and Boston’s Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.