This semi-silent weekend retreat is designed for those who want to slow down, deepen their meditation and stillness practices, and create something meaningful with their own hands.
In a culture of constant input and noise, silence can feel unfamiliar — even intimidating. This retreat offers a gentle, structured way to enter extended periods of quiet, supported by guided meditation, simple rhythm, and a welcoming, grounded environment.
Throughout the weekend, we'll be guided by Haymitch St Stephen, a talented artist and meditation teacher, in the ancient Japanese art of dorodango — the meditative practice of shaping a ball of earth and water into a smooth, polished sphere. The process is unhurried and repetitive, asking nothing of you except presence. It becomes a centering practice you can return to again and again throughout the retreat, an anchor in the silence and a meditation you can hold in your hands.
This retreat also carries a deeper, ritual layer. Drawing on the spirit of the ambiguous loss liturgy from our last gathering, each participant will be invited to write down losses they've experienced along their faith journey. We will burn the notes to ashes and fold those ashes into the dorodango ball itself. In this way, our grief becomes part of something we shape with care — something that, through patient attention, is transformed into an object of quiet beauty. Each participant will take their finished dorodango ball home as a decorative piece, a meditative tool, or simply a tangible reminder that what feels like dust and ashes can, with time and tenderness, become something luminous.
This is not a rigid or ascetic experience. It's not about intensity. It's about learning to listen — to the subtle movements of your inner world, to the wisdom beneath thought, and to the steady presence that remains when the noise settles.
Friday 6:00–9:00pm Saturday 9:00am–8:00pm (lunch & dinner included) Sunday 9:00am–4:00pm (lunch included)
We end at 9:00pm on Friday and 8:00pm on Saturday to give people time to return to their home or hotel.
What the Weekend Will Include
Guided meditation and instruction
The art of dorodango, guided by Haymitch St Stephen
A ritual practice of transforming written losses into something you shape with your own hands
Gradually extended periods of shared silence
Gentle structure and clear expectations
Spacious time for reflection and integration
A supportive group container that allows your nervous system to settle
A finished dorodango ball to take home
Silence will be held collectively, but you will not be left alone in it. The structure is designed to help you feel safe enough to soften — and present enough to listen deeply.
Why Silence?
Stillness isn't about emptying your life or escaping it. It's about giving yourself a little space to breathe.
When we step back from constant noise and stimulation, something subtle begins to shift. We notice things more clearly. Thoughts settle. New ideas surface. Sometimes solutions to long-standing struggles rise up in unexpected ways.
And practicing stillness in a group carries a quiet strength of its own. There's something steadying about sitting in shared silence — knowing you're not alone, even in the quiet.
In silence, we begin to notice that beneath the constant movement of thought and emotion there is a powerful layer of presence. As we learn to rest there, dissonance loses its hold, and a deeper peace becomes accessible.
This retreat is an invitation to practice returning to that quiet center — and to discover how shaping something with your hands in stillness can transform the way you hold your own story.
To preserve the intimacy and depth of the experience, participation is limited to 20 people.
Donations
Our retreats are donation-based, so anyone in need can come. The suggested donation for this retreat is $250, which reflects our approximate per-person cost.
You are welcome to contribute any amount that feels aligned and accessible. There is no "right" number — only what is possible for you. If you feel moved to help make this retreat possible for someone else, you're welcome to contribute toward another participant's attendance as well. We're grateful for every contribution, as it helps make these gatherings possible.
Our hope is simple: that finances never stand in the way of someone receiving the compassion and support they need.