ONSITE: Here I stand! A Creative Dive into Finding and Crafting Purpose (Spring)

This four-part series honours the themes of Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. These programs can be taken as standalone experiences or together as a year-long exploration through the seasons. Scroll down to explore the themes of each season!

Spring

Daily forays into the wild and I’ve a sense of space I haven’t felt in months.  My body starts to unfurl as more light comes into each day, alongside the new buds and the arrival of Robin.  With nature leading the dance, I feel myself slowly, slowly come to life.  When I hold seeds in my hand, if I listen closely I can hear them, feel them singing softly.

Everything is waking up.

The invitation then, is for us too to wake up.  This season we endeavour to create alongside the infusion of light and life that Spring brings with her.  With breath and movement, connection and the stories held deep in our bones, we choose this time to create art and hold sacred the telling of our Spring tales.  Your art, story, and the sharing of it is most important.  Like the season of Spring we will use it to help wake ourselves and others and join the earth in her timeless and beautifully complex dance of awakening.

Can you feel her humming in anticipation?

We will spend 5 days together, holding space for one another to create and share, and make time for the sharing of our story.  Our time spent together will involve connecting with the land that holds the Haven, one another, and the mysteries each of us will bring.  We will use movement, breath, sharing, music, and meditation to help cultivate our creativity and having done so, will use the majority of our time to create art.

The course will provide a basic canvas, a plethora of tools, and ample time with which to create art and story that we will share with one another at the end.

We look forward to meeting you all.

Sna chail’ya

Format

The workshop will be largely experiential: a collective of individuals all using their creative energies to shake themselves up, awaken our ancestral wisdoms through artistic expression, and perhaps shape some collective healing along the way.

This is one of four workshops that can be taken as a series or standalone.  Each workshop will be infused with curated readings, poetry, music, and visual art.  Prior to coming to the workshops we will be doing things for ourselves that set the stage for where we wish our minds and creative selves to land.

We will be following themes that are infused by the seasons themselves and the art we create will be in relationship to both the seasons and some of the emotional qualities/ideas these times of year bring.

You do not have to be an artist.  You just have to want to engage in the world in a way that enlivens you through art, movement, and connection.

This program is for people who want to:

• Use nature, movement and creativity to stimulate art that helps you find your voice
• Rebel by finding your ground and stimulating your critical thinking
• Generate creative moments that move your energy in an artistic fashion
• Connect with yourself, your community and the world around  you

What you will need:

Please dress in comfortable clothing that you can move in.  Some sessions and activities will be outdoors so bring appropriate outer wear.

Art supplies will be provided.

Reading List (optional):

• Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta
• Rescuing the Light by Martin Prechtel
• When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, editor Joy Harjo
• Dynamic Permaculture by Sept Holzer

Seasonal Themes

Winter – Loss, Grief, Anxiety, Death, Cold, Darkness, Quiet, Slowing Down, Endings

Spring – Growth, Rebirth, Courage, Hard Work, Awakening, Movement, Connection, Freshness, Moisture

Summer – Heat, Rage, Anger, Fruiting, Smoothing Out the Edges, Bringing Things to the Light, Discovery, Siesta, Rest, Beaches, Life, Resourcing, Readying, Building, Sun Worship, Shade Worship, Water Worship, Water and Heat Connection

Fall – Gathering, Fruits of Our Labours, Readying Oneself for the Cold and Dark, Taking Stock, Celebrating and Thanking Those That Keep us Alive and Well, Coming to an End, Holding Sadness and, the Circle of Everything.

Investment:

Tuition is $980.  Shared and private room options are available. Each season’s program will be listed separately once details are available, and participants joining in multiple seasons will receive special pricing on subsequent sessions as part of a series package.

Accessibility and inclusion are important to us.  If you can’t attend due to financial constraints please be in touch as we have some limited support options available.  Contact morag@haven.ca.

You can find our cancellation policy here

Schedule:

A movement/embodiment session will be offered each morning before breakfast.

• Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00am
• Morning session 9:15am to noon
• Lunch noon to 1:00pm
• Afternoon session 1:00 – 6:00pm
• Dinner 6:00 – 7:00pm
• Evening session is open for art, connection, or self-resource.  Damian will be available informally for creation and connection.

This workshop is very much catered to each participant who will be able to monitor their own energy levels and come and go as fits for them.  It is a very open format where each person’s circumstances will be easily accommodated.

Your program finishes with an afternoon session from 1-5pm with lunch being the last meal.

Covid 19 Protocols and Mask Mandates:

The Haven is currently following the BC Provincial health guidelines which means that proof of vaccination is no longer required to register for this program.  Masks will no longer be required to be worn inside session rooms, while those who wish to continue wearing masks may do so.

Participants are required to self-monitor for symptoms of illness, and are asked to isolate from others when showing symptoms.

Review our current Communicable Disease Safety Protocols to keep us all healthy on property.

Admission requirements: The student must have the desire and ability to learn.  Must demonstrate a capacity for responsible self care, responsible self organization and sound mental health.  The student must understand and speak English.

This program does not require approval by the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.  As such, the registrar did not review this program. What does this mean? Click here to learn more.