October 22–24, 2010, May 20–22, 2011, and October 21–23, 2011
Our lives are our story, and our story is our life. Story is the narrative thread of our experience – not what literally happened, but what we make out of what happens, what we tell each other and what we remember. This narrative determines much of what we do with the time given us between the opening of the blank page the day we are born and the closing of the book the day we die. —Christina Baldwin
For over forty years I have kept a journal. For the most part, these chapters of my life just sat in a great mountain of dilapidated boxes. Then, about five years ago, I returned to these journals pouring over the details of my life. The re-reading of my journals was part of the process of writing my life story. A process I can only describe as miraculous and astonishing. A process that has been at least as significant as any therapy or healing work I have ever done. Ultimately this journey led to the publication of my memoir Returning to My Mother’s House: Taking Back the Wisdom of the Feminine. I found myself inspired to re-create this experience for my students. I am not referring to the kind of writing that leads to publication (though for some it can certainly assist that process) but rather writing that leads to a profoundly creative understanding of yourself and your world.
In the process of writing about our life story hidden patterns emerge. Things begin to fit together not in a linear chronological fashion, but in a fluid mysterious way that is often astonishing. In writing about our life we see that important events are not contained by time and space, but rather they appear and disappear in a powerful dynamic tension that pulses at the very center of our existence. Said another way, our past is not really ever over and our future has been living in us for a very long time. Writing about our life from the vantage point of the present moment, past, present and future merge into that timeless dimension called our imagination.
I am convinced that it is here in the infinite realm of the imagination that the deepest and most lasting healing takes place.
As we write our life story the imagination offers these gifts:
• The cosmic cause and effect at play in our life becomes clearer than ever. Hidden patterns are revealed and we make connections that give lasting meaning to our lives. The continuity of these patterns—the red thread—is breathtaking.
• We gain emotional clarity; regrets are given up, betrayals set right, unspoken repressed feelings and experiences released.
• Our suffering comes into proper perspective in the larger scheme of life and our pain no longer defines us.
• Beloveds who have died are vitally alive and greater intimacy and/or closure can occur. For some this written relationship is far more intimate than when the person was alive.
• We can live out our unlived dreams and though existing only on paper this is freeing.
• Our story and our behaviors become more congruent. This allows us to relax deeply into life because when our story and our actions are consistent we can trust ourselves and the world around us.
• We consciously contribute to the story of our lineage and leave a record for those who come after us. We also join all those who have followed the red thread of their story thus giving us an experience of belonging to something much larger than ourselves.
Your inner life, what you make of your story in the realm of your imagination, can be radically different than the outer details of your life. This is what makes writing about your life so radically liberating. No one can create your story except you. In following the red thread back into the labyrinth of your life you become the spiritual detective solving the mystery of your own existence, creating a meaningful design of your destiny.
Thee Red Thread Spiritual Growth Retreats – 2010 and 2011:
Journal Writing: In Spring of 2010 Red Thread Retreat preparation will be assigned. You will be asked to keep a journal from Spring 2010 to Autumn 2011. Ideally you will journal several times a week. The focus for the October 2010 Retreat is the story of the self. For May and October 2011 the focus will be the larger story of your family. For each retreat I will carefully assign specific meditations, exercises and focuses that will guide your journal writing.
Exercises might include the following: what do I want to train myself to notice on a daily basis; what story within my story can save me; where are the places of greatest disorientation within the story of myself; what parts of myself have I abandoned and now need to reclaim; and what are the most profound repeated tensions within my story. You will be asked to work with artifacts such as photos, letters, scrapbooks, and journals that illuminate aspects of your story. In class there will periods of writing and telling your story as well as small group work where you are listening to other people’s stories. No prior writing experience is required but a willingness and/or fondness for journaling is suggested. I am defining journal writing as the ongoing practice of writing your life story. This story is told to the self, by the self, for the purpose of understanding both ourselves and our world.
Ongoing Support: Along with the three weekend retreats in October 2010, and May and October 2011 you will be assigned to a Red Thread Support Group. These ongoing support groups will meet either in person or on conference calls. In addition Gail will offer occasional two-hour master class conference calls to support you.
Registration Information For Red Thread Spiritual Growth Retreats
Dates: October 22–24, 2010, May 20–22, 2011, and October 21–23, 2011
Location:
The retreats will be held at The Guesthouse at Holy Cross Monastery, in West Park, New York. Holy Cross is a place of great beauty and serenity perched on 26 acres overlooking the Hudson River. Surrounded outside by meadows, woods, and walks along the river, and inside with quiet nooks for reading and the monk's warm and inviting hospitality, the Monastery's Guesthouse is perfectly conducive to this kind of spiritual growth retreat. There is an especially beautiful chapel for personal periods of silence, prayer, and meditation. We observe the Monastery’s Great Silence tradition where silence is maintained from 9:00 PM in the evening until 8:30 AM the following morning. The food at the Hoy Cross is delicious and nutritious. Both retreats begin with 6:00 pm dinner on Friday evening and end with 12:30 lunch on Sunday. For those traveling outside the Northeast, Holy Cross is easily reached by plane, train or bus. Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York is the closest airport. For directions visit the website www.holycrossmonastery.com.
Interview Requirement:
Unless you have already studied with Gail Straub a short interview with her is required before registering for this program. This is an opportunity to ask questions and to ensure that the program fits your needs This is an opportunity to ask Gail questions and for her to ensure that the program fits your needs. For an interview, .
Tuition:
$1490: Includes three retreat sessions, master class, as well as room and board at Holy Cross. Most rooms in the Monastery’s Guesthouse are singles, and some are shared with a roommate. Bathrooms are dormitory style.
Payment Schedule:
$745 to register, $298 October 22, 2010, $297 May 20, 2011, and $150 on October 21, 2011. Visa and Master Card are accepted as well as checks. Some scholarships available on a first come first serve basis. For scholarship application
WITH THE SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP THAT YOU REQUEST.
Registration:
All registration is submitted by an e-mail form. To register contact Gail’s assistant,
and she will email you the form. These retreats fill quickly and early registration is highly encouraged.
Cancellation Policy:
No refunds are given after the first $745 payment unless there are medical or health-related circumstances.
Our lives are our story, and our story is our life. Story is the narrative thread of our experience – not what literally happened, but what we make out of what happens, what we tell each other and what we remember. This narrative determines much of what we do with the time given us between the opening of the blank page the day we are born and the closing of the book the day we die. —Christina Baldwin