Resilient Retreat

Outdoor Mindfulness (in-person)
2025-04-23 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Join outdoor mindfulness guide Kathleen, in the ‘more than human world’ for 90 minutes of quiet nature-focused time. Carve some space for yourself in the outdoors as we transition through spring and feel the benefits on our bodies and minds that we achieve by connecting with our senses while outside. Practicing breathing, relaxing, feeling and watching in the natural environment around us can provide beneficial results even after the actual session. The session will involve some gentle movement, slow walking over uneven terrain and participants will be invited to sit on the ground for a short period of time. This session is open to adults who are comfortable with the mobility described. Please bring a towel to sit on and sunscreen or bug repellent if that will make you more comfortable. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy closed toe shoes (sneakers or boots) Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register. Space is limited to ten.

Trauma Informed Yoga with Extended Meditative Sivasana (in-person) - PROGRAM FULL
2025-05-13 10:30 - 12:00
Led by a yoga instructor trained in trauma-informed care, this in-person gentle yoga class will include stretches and meditation. The goal of this group is to address the body-based impacts of trauma by providing participants with a safe space for relaxation and peace. Call (941) 343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) the office to register.

Immersive Meditation (Online)
2025-05-27 15:30 - 16:45
Join Mindfulness coach, Julie Burch, for mindfulness training with an emphasis on specific techniques for relaxing and feeling good.Please call (941-343-0039) or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register.

Immersive Nature Walk (in-person)
2025-05-29 16:00 - 17:00
Join us for an immersive nature walk on our 84 acres of conservation land focusing on sensory awareness activities that allow us to connect and be present with nature. Exposure to green space results in mental restoration, increased positive emotions and decreased anxiety. Closed – toe shoes are required to participate. Please call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientreatreat.org to register.

Celebrating the Summer Solstice (online)
2025-06-10 17:15 - 18:00
What’s your favorite season? Our bodies and minds are exquisitely designed to be in harmony with the rest of nature. As we transition through the seasons, things change within us and around us. Learn to flow with the changes through reflection and setting intentions. Create your own road map to enjoy the summer and reap its benefits as we celebrate the Summer Solstice! Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Mindful Meditation (online)
2025-06-17 16:30 - 17:00
Mindfulness meditation is a guided technique you can use to develop focus, clarity and balance as well as to increase inner peace, resilience and happiness. Call (941) 343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) the office to register.

Essential Oil Yoga (week 12 of 12)(in-person)
2025-07-16 09:30 - 10:45
Using essential oils on pressure points and meridians in conjunction with yoga to facilitate the release, balance and connection of our emotion’s energetic patterns and unique frequencies. Encouraging the release of muscle tension through movement and static stretches. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register and for the facilitator to prepare oils.

Immersive Meditation (online)
2025-07-23 15:30 - 16:45
Join Mindfulness coach (Julie Burch) for a multi-sensory mindfulness practice designed to promote deep relaxation, emotional well-being, and sustained focus. The program uses carefully guided audio to create a soothing “cocoon” that gently minimizes external distractions and helps participants turn inward. By fully engaging the senses, Immersive Meditation supports a state of ease and presence where the mind can settle naturally.

With an emphasis on practical mindfulness techniques, the training focuses on relaxing the body, calming the nervous system, and cultivating feelings of comfort, safety, and pleasure. Participants are guided through methods that encourage letting go of tension, enhancing awareness of pleasant sensations, and developing a positive, grounded emotional state that can be carried into daily life..Please call (941-343-0039) or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org).

Beyond Counting Sheep (online)
2025-08-13 16:30 - 17:30
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for our mental and physical health. Yet, quality rest often eludes many of us. Join us for this virtual workshop where we will share helpful sleep strategies beyond just counting sheep. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register.

Humming for Happiness for Beginners (in-person)
2025-08-21 14:00 - 15:00
Humming is an internal sound bath and the vibrations you create can be intentionally directed to the parts of your body, offering pain relief and healing. In addition, humming is a way to bring your mind into a deeply calming and meditative state. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Becoming Picasso (Peer Support Group) (online)
2025-08-22 11:00 - 13:00
Through a series of exercises, inspired by theater directors Boal and Stanislavski, and ancient knowledge from the Yoga Sutras, explore the thoughts that think they are facts and that have the most influence in our behaviors. Take an inventory of your consciousness, examine your intelligence, outer mind, senses, and ego. Be in the present moment, break the habitual cycle of thinking and step into the space of infinite possibilities. This program is facilitated by Maria, a teaching artist and sponsored by the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Community Resilience Model (CRM) ® (online)
2025-09-09 17:00 - 18:30
The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® offers us the opportunity to understand our nervous system and how our body and brain respond to times of high stress and trauma. Simple biologically-based skills to support and stabilize the nervous system will be introduced in this workshop. Call (941-343-0039) or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register.

Educator Strong Peer Support Program (3 of 4) (online)
2025-09-16 16:00 - 17:00
Calling all school staff – this series of virtual peer support groups is for you! Connect with other school staff members to give and receive support. PRE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register.

Fall Equinox Celebration (online)
2025-09-18 17:15 - 18:15
Fall is in the air! Well… at least the calendar says so! While leaves may not be turning in Florida, there are still changes a plenty this time of year. Join us for a ceremony to mark the fall equinox, the first official day of fall. Decide which experiences and ideas to “harvest” from the summer and what to bring forth into the next phase of the year. Learn about the cycle of the year and how to work closer with nature in the process. When you register, you will receive a worksheet through email. If you’d like, have colored pencils or pens or other art supplies in case you would like to make your worksheet festive. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register.

“Rooted & Resilient: Nature’s Gifts Indoors & Out”(online)
2025-09-25 17:00 - 18:00
This gentle, experiential session will explore the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of spending time in nature, even when we can’t physically be outside. We’ll engage in a virtual guided nature meditation, discuss practical ways to bring nature into indoor spaces, participants will have an opportunityto share their own ideas and inspirations if they wish. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Educator Strong (Online) 4 of 4
2025-09-30 16:00 - 17:00
Giving and receiving support and sharing a sense of community are important resilience builders. This peer support group is a safe, confidential place to feel connected with other educators survivors and to brainstorm ways to cope and discover how Resilient Retreat can continue to be a support. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Pathways to Resilience (in-person)
2025-10-02 10:00 - 11:30
Join us for this interactive discussion with Drs. Banyard and Hamby who will explore the 3 pillars (regulation, building inter-personal skills and meaning making). They will share a 4th pillar. Participants will have time for reflection, journaling and mindful discussion, on tools and modalities, to help break habits that no longer serve us and cultivate new ones that allow us to embrace the pillars in our daily lives. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org.

Sew Relaxing (in-person)
2025-10-15 11:00 - 13:00
Join us for a 2 hour program focused on connecting with others while you experiment with your creative skills sewing. The multi-sensory experience of sewing, which includes the feel of different textures, the sight of colors coming together, and the quiet sounds of the work, can have a grounding effect. This helps pull attention away from stressful thoughts and into the physical world. We will be sewing coasters with a Fall theme! Call (941) 343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register.

Creative Pause - Needle Felting (in-person)
2025-10-24 10:30 - 12:00
Join Kat a Sarasota Performing Arts Teaching Artist and explore creativity and regulation through art. Art can be a powerful tool for emotional regulation and mental well-being, encouraging exploration of emotions and potentially reducing anxiety by activating brain regions involved in problem-solving and emotional processing. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail (info@resililentretreat.org) to register. Space is limited and registration CLOSES the FRIDAY PRIOR for planning and preparation of art supplies.

Mindful Mornings at Resilient Retreat for School Staff Members (in-person)
2025-10-25 09:30 - 11:30
Join us for a relaxin QiGong session and learn ways to counter compassion fatigue and build resilient. Pre-registration is required. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Gifts of Imperfection™ (in-person) Led by Sandy Mitsch MCC,TICC Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator - PROGRAM IS FULL
2025-10-30 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-06 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-13 10:00 - 12:00
Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Brené Brown, The Gifts of ImperfectionTM is an invitation to join a wholehearted community. A small, quiet grassroots movement that starts with saying, “My story matters because I matter.” A movement where we can live our messy, heartbreaking, grace-filled, and joyful lives. A movement fueled by freedom that comes when we stop pretending everything is okay when it isn’t. A call that rises up from within when we find the courage to celebrate those intensely joyful moments even through life’s difficult times. Space is LIMITED. Registered participants are REQUIRED TO ATTEND ALL 6 WORKSHOPS. Each workshop builds on the week prior. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.

Reflections: Nature as Mirror and Metaphor (online)
2025-10-30 17:15 - 18:00
We are nature, and the rest of nature around us has a beautiful way of mirroring and reflecting parts of our inner nature. We can use those messages to learn about ourselves, answer questions that we have, and deepen our self-love and self-care. In our time together we will play with nature examples, metaphors, photos and stories and you will have the opportunity to journal, create haikus or draw about what they mean to you. Please bring paper, pen, and colored pencils/art supplies (if you choose). E mail info@resilientretreat.org or call 941-343-0039 to register.

Qi Gong (in-person)
2025-11-05 11:00 - 12:00
Qi Gong involves moving meditation, coordinating slow-flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm meditative state of mind. Qi Gong is a mind-body-spirit practice that combines breathing, movement, posture, and other techniques to improve mental and physical health. Qi Gong can be used for recreation, exercise, relaxation, and may assist with releasing tension, stress and anxiety. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register. Space is limited.

Breathe, Move, Create (online)
2025-11-06 17:30 - 18:30
Breathe, Move, Create (Jessica McHugh)

Join us for an immersive class co-facilitated with the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, where the power of deep breathing, yoga, and artistic expression come together to nourish your mind, body, and spirit. This unique experience begins with guided breathing practices to cultivate awareness and energy, followed by a dynamic yoga session designed to open your body and heart.

As you flow through movements, you’ll connect deeper with your breath, paving the way for a creative exploration. In the last portion of the class, unleash your imagination with an art activity that encourages self-expression and mindfulness (A Peaceful Setting – please have paper and a pencil (colored pencils optional). Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, this space welcomes all!

Step off your mat feeling rejuvenated, inspired, and connected to your unique creative essence! Call 941-343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register. Please register by the Wednesday prior for planning purposes.

Embracing the dark of the year (online)
2025-11-11 17:30 - 18:00
This turn of the seasons (and changing of the clock!) makes our nights longer and brings more Yin energy into our daily lives. We’ll explore how to work with these changing energies, achieve and maintain balance, and nurture ourselves in ways that connect us more deeply to nature. Create ways to make this deep, dark time one of the richest times of the year. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org). Please register one day prior for planning preparations.

Mindful Meditation (Online)
2025-11-18 16:30 - 17:00
Mindfulness meditation is a guided technique you can use to develop focus, clarity and balance as well as to increase inner peace, resilience and happiness. Call (941) 343-0039 or e mail (info@resilientretreat.org) to register. Please register by the Friday prior for planning purposes.

Creative Memoir (online) Part 1 of 2
2025-11-25 15:30 - 16:45
Writing your story (memoir). A memoir is a recounting of a part or a theme in our life. We don’t start at birth and tell the story of our life, we share something specific. There are many reasons to write our story and different approaches we can take. If you are writing for others to read, it helps to have a few tools in your writing toolbox that will make your story more engaging. Join Julie Burch a published author, and lifelong teacher, for this experiential writing session and sharpen a few tools to help you craft a more impactful story. This is a 2 part program with the second program building on the first. Call 941-343-0039 or e mail info@resilientretreat.org to register.
