Retreats Offered by Vicky Curtiss

Vicky Curtiss is a retreat leader, spiritual guide, and Program Director for Siena Retreat Center.  She served as a Presbyterian pastor for 40 years. Vicky is  trained as a spiritual director, SoulCollage® facilitator, labyrinth facilitator, grief coach, grief companion and supervisor of spiritual guides. She is also a sister, aunt, widow, quilter, and lover of nature.

The Enneagram 

The Enneagram is a personality framework with ancient roots in the Sufi tradition that identifies nine types of people based on their gifts, their desires, and what they fear or seek to avoid.  It is a tool often used by spiritual guides with their seekers, as well as for staff teams to learn how to work together with more understanding.  In this retreat you learn about your type and its particular strengths and challenges, as well as explore each one’s distinctive path toward wholeness.

Length: 2 hours to weekend.

Communal Discernment

Communal discernment aids groups who seek to reach oneness on a decision led by the Spirit.  Vicky Curtiss can either teach groups a process for engaging in communal discernment or lead a group through the process for discerning a particular issue. Steps include building community, clarifying issues, gathering information, letting go, praying and reflecting, naming and weighing options and reaching consensus.

Length: 4-8 hours.

Ways to Pray  There are many ways to meditate, to listen to and talk with God, or simply be in Divine presence.  This retreat can teach particular forms of prayer such as Lectio Divina, the Examen of Consciousness, Centering Prayer, and dialogue journaling.  It can also include walking a labyrinth, which is an ancient practice used by many different faiths for spiritual centering, contemplation, and prayer.

Length: 2 hours to weekend.

Discerning Your Call & Gifts

We find meaning in our life when we engage in service to something greater than ourselves. Each of us has particular gifts, passions, and vision that bring us alive when we engage them. In this retreat we explore the marks of a calling, identify our gifts, name barriers to pursuing our call, and spend time in silence to discern God’s call on our lives in this present moment.

Length: 6 hours to weekend.

Healing After Loss

Life brings many losses, some of which result in deep grief. This retreat will provide a safe and loving space for people who are grieving, whether your loss was long ago or recently, whether it was a death, end of a relationship, loss of job, loss of future hopes, relocation, or illness. Retreatants learn tools that can instill hope and help you move through grief toward healing.  Incorporates self-reflection exercises, journaling, ritual, stories, poetry, and sharing.

Length: 4 hours to weekend.

Writing Haiku as Sacred Art

Living in the present moment with attentiveness using all our senses is a spiritual practice enhanced by writing haiku. Haiku is a brief poem, usually of three lines with 17 syllables or fewer, that originated in Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku includes a nature image and seasonal reference.  In its English adaptation, haiku captures a variety of moments within our everyday days—moments in which we can recognize the Sacred. Writing prompts and contemplative walks fuel your creativity and awareness throughout the retreat.

Length: 3 – 8 hours.

SoulCollage®

 SoulCollage® engages one’s intuition and imagination and reveals inner wisdom through making a collage and journaling with it.  Participants browse through colorful pre-cut images, then play with them to create a small collage.  Then using a few writing prompts, you discover what message the card has for you.  Often it seems like a sacred surprise in its synchronicity.  Anyone can express themselves in this fun exercise. Beginners are welcome; no art experience is necessary.  Pre-cut images from magazines and calendars, 5” x 8” mats, scissors and glue sticks are provided.

Length: 1.5 hours to weekend.

Forgiveness

Forgiving others and ourselves, and accepting forgiveness, move us toward wholeness and to authentic, reconciled relationships. Forgiveness often takes intentional inner work to acknowledge and release shame, guilt, and regret; to face and transform our anger; and to receive and offer forgiveness.  Through music, poetry, journaling, and making SoulCollage® cards, we will move toward the freedom forgiveness offers.

Length: 4 hours to weekend.

“Thank you, Vicky, for a wonderful retreat experience on forgiveness.  Each part was so intentional.  The poems, the songs, the video, and ritual added to the experience. Your gentle presence is a gift.  Namasté.”  (Shaun O’Keefe)

Seminar Offered by Judy Gavigan

Valuing Differences, Creating Unity: A True Colors Workshop: through lighthearted, interactive activities, we use colors—orange, gold, green, and blue—to differentiate four  primary personality types and illustrate how these types best interact with each other. Every person uses all four of the color personality traits to differing degrees. Participants will learn about their most and least dominant personality traits, and gain insight into their combination of personality traits, communication style, and best ways to manage conflict and stress. Grow in self-awareness, the ability to navigate relationships, and appreciation of others’ differences.

Length: 2.5 hours.