Come join us for a weekend of Mindfulness on the Mountain. This will be a Silent Retreat. There will be both guided and silent meditations, with morning, afternoon and evening teaching by Gordon Peerman. Ryan Black of Nashville Tai Chi and Wellness will lead the mindful movement of Qigong, integrated throughout the retreat. Kenneth Robinson will lead us in the devotional chanting of Kirtan. Meals will be silent (except for the opening Friday dinner). Both beginners and those with experience in mindfulness practice are most welcome.
Gordon Peerman is an Episcopal priest, psychotherapist, and mindfulness meditation teacher. He is the author of Blessed Relief: What Christians Can Learn from Buddhists about Suffering, and his most recent book, The Body Knows the Way: Coming Home through the Dark Night. He leads retreats and workshops on the intersection of contemplative practice and psychological growth. With his late wife Kathy Woods, Gordon taught mindfulness practices at Vanderbilt’s Osher Center for Integrative Health, and to Vanderbilt law and medical students. At Vanderbilt Divinity School, he taught courses in Buddhist-Christian Dialogue and pastoral psychotherapy.
Ryan Black learned Tai Chi from Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming of YMAA, after years studying Taekwondo, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and Kendo. Ryan is a strong believer in the health benefits of Tai Chi for people of any age, but he recognizes that as we get older, it becomes an especially powerful practice. He is also interested in mindfulness and is currently a co-teacher at the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program at Vanderbilt’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and a regular facilitator for Mindful Mondays. He incorporates mindfulness in his teaching of tai chi as well.
Kenneth Robinson is a psychotherapist in private practice in Nashville, Tennessee. His practice brings together art, psychology, and spirituality as a means to facilitate emotional integration following trauma. Employing dance and movement, body and breath awareness, and “healing theatre,” Kenneth guides others beyond the shattering consequences of trauma to a sense of wholeness and connection. He considers his work a form of performance art, and his approach is best expressed in his quote: “Freedom is not a luxury; Ecstasy is not an indulgence.” Kenneth is a poet and musician and a founding member of Chant Ram, a musical group that leads kirtan, a form of meditation and worship that allows participants to move to open-hearted awareness and self-expression through sound.
After 72 hours of registration, a $100 cancellation fee applies. There are no refunds within 7 days of the program arrival date.
Scholarships are available. Contact Reservations@stmaryssewnee.org for application.
Roommate discounts are available. Contact Reservations for more information. St. Mary’s Sewanee does not assign roommates.
*A minimum registration is required for retreats to take place. If the program does not meet the minimum registration within 2 weeks of the event, there is the possibility of cancellation. If SMS cancels a retreat for any reason, any registered guest will receive a full refund of all payments.
Lodging in Anna House (motel style room, private bathroom), meals, program fees and materials included
Lodging in St. Mary's Hall (dorm style rooms, shared bathrooms), meals, program fees & materials
Meals, program fees and materials