The Act of Being - A Summer Retreat

Our liberation is the act of being.

Our liberation is Love itself.

~Caverly

This retreat is about the act of being (a phrase that has been used to encompass many knowings and philosophies, from the Catholic philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas to Mullā Ṣadrā, an Islamic mystic, philosopher, and theologian). It’s about knowing a happiness you can’t explain because you have no reason to point to. The joy of pure being. Of knowing who you are, resting in presence, and acting in the world on behalf of this deep knowing. 

On this retreat we will explore the act of being in many ways. Honoring the various pathways that support us in remembering our true nature. Freed from the conditioned loop of seeking and resisting, we remember and move from our direct experience of awareness itself.

This summer, we invite you to remember the truth of who we are with us. We invite you to reconnect as we gather for our cherished tradition of retreat, to heal. To be nourished. To clearly see what tends to get in the way when something does. To let it go and return to presence. 

Our time together will be held in the container of the Whidbey Institute. Nestled amongst a 106-acre conservation forest campus on South Whidbey Island, WA, the Whidbey Institute is dedicated to nurturing the conditions for transformational learning and growth.

Our home for the week will be a community of farm houses and cabins dotting the meadow and forest, with delicious organic meals prepared especially for our group by the Institute’s chef. Our daily rhythm will include meditation, community discussion, and individual sessions with Caverly. This retreat experience will be deeply enhanced by the embodied movement practices offered by the gifted Zakiya Rhodes. 

There will be plenty of free time to explore the trail system, wander the gardens, as well as rest. Deeply rest. Rest the mind. Rest the body. Rest into the heart of awareness itself. 

The retreat will have extended periods of silence as well as time for connecting in other ways. It is a hybrid retreat, both relational and silent. Connecting with old friends, meeting new ones, all while connecting deeply with ourselves. Resting in true nature, together. Acting on behalf of the heart of who we are. Acting from being. 

Recommended, but not required, reading for this retreat: The Heart of Who We Are: Realizing Freedom Together

We hope you will join us, friends!

Scholarships

We are offering three types of limited scholarship: for people who identify as BIPOC and/or part of a marginalized community; for those experiencing financial hardship; and for Whidbey Island residents. You can learn more and apply HERE.

Interested in contributing to the scholarship fund? Thank you! You can do so HERE.

Registration Details

Lodging Packages

Packages include 6 nights accommodations, access to the Whidbey Institute campus, meals (dinner, July 22 through lunch, July 28), coffee and tea service, as well as registration and supply fees. 

To increase accessibility for this workshop, tuition is being offered on a sliding scale. Tuition covers the cost of teachings and is listed separately on the registration page. When registering you will be required to select a lodging package, AND a tuition option.