Flourishing with purpose

May 2-5, 2024

Welcome to your Third Age! 

The Third Age is a time of life when you shift to a new state of ‘becoming’. With the benefit of long and varied life experience, you ask different questions about what really matters to you and why. You begin a reset or renewal – healing old wounds, letting go of baggage, moving away from what is no longer fulfilling, and seeking what is nourishing and life-giving. You may make a bold move to do something different or take gradual steps. You may discover a new sense of gratitude for people and experiences in your life.

Flourishing With Purpose in your 3rd Age is a retreat for women 50+ and is an opportunity for you to explore more deeply to discover or reconnect with your life’s purpose and passions. Together with a group of women and master facilitators Dori Howard and Grace Mickelson you will explore such questions as:

·      How is my identity I evolving in my Third Age? Is it good for me?

·      What does my soul long for? What are my passions? What are my fears?

·      With the gift of wisdom, how will I celebrate and enjoy my life?

·      How will I participate and contribute in my family, community and networks?

·      What can I do to sustain, nourish and renew myself?

This retreat will help you:

• Use the Flourishing Protocol to guide your pathway to living purposefully

•  Ground yourself in connection with the natural world

•  Identify arenas for life inspiration and new learning in your Third Age

•  Adopt renewal practices that enhance your health and vitality

•  Refresh your flourishing plan

•  Recognize and celebrate gifts of the Third Age

What you will do at the retreat:

• Reflect, discuss, consider, imagine, create

• Connect, share, laugh, paint, sing, write, hike, walk, have fun!

• Breathe, move, chant & relax

• Soak up the ocean, forest and beautiful Enso surroundings

• Enjoy delicious, nutritious food, including a workshop on how to prepare some of it!

 
You will leave this program feeling more confident and optimistic about the next phase of your life.

Unique retreat environment

• Immersion in an inspirational setting on Salt Spring Island, BC conducive to relaxing, connecting, learning and creativity
• Individual and group reflection
• Facilitated discussion
• Healthy meals prepared with local and organic ingredients
• Enjoyment of nature, poetry, yoga, meditation, painting and music

Prices

rates
$1650 – private
$1600 – shared room
$1150 – commuter

What’s included

Retreat fees are per person and include the following:

Preparation Phase:

• Pre-retreat session 1 week prior to retreat (Date and Time TBA)

• Yoga online via zoom 1 month prior to retreat

• Meditation on Friday mornings

• Assessment of flourishing

Immersion Phase:

• 4 day interactive and experiential learning program on Salt Spring Island

• 3 nights of comfortable forest view or ocean view accommodation (unless you choose commuter option)

• oceanfront venue complete with lounging areas, dining area, multiple decks, beach access to private beach, forest paths

• healthy nourishing meals with locally sourced ingredients

• cooking workshop with holistic nutritionist

• skilled facilitators

• hiking options, water activities, creative activities

• yoga and meditation

• free on-site parking.

Integration Phase

• post retreat session ~1 month following retreat

• 1:1 coaching session post retreat

Location and How to Get Here:

The enso Learning Centre is located on tranquil Salt Spring Island, BC - where Zen meets West Coast. This 4.3-acre oceanfront property has stunning sunsets, soothing waves gently rolling onto a private smooth stone beach, dense forests of arbutus and fir trees, a babbling brook and close proximity to hiking and the funky town of Ganges.

To get there, you must travel by BC Ferries. Bring your car and/or carpool with other participants. Ferry walk-on is possible and arrangements can be made for transport to the retreat location. You can also travel via float plane with Harbour Air. Transportation to and from terminals can be arranged. What to bring:

• Comfortable clothing/warm layers for sitting in retreat, yoga, lounging, comfy pyjamas
• Journal and pen
• Artifact/Object of meaning
• Poem that resonates with you now
• Outdoor/Rain gear and walking shoes
• Hiking/walking poles if you use them
• Water bottle, thermos

About the Facilitators 

Dori’s mantra, “it’s all about the learning,” is integrated into all aspects of her life. Her experiences in healthcare for over 30 years have brought many lessons of giving, receiving, health and wellness. she has been in a steep learning curve in the practice of self-compassion and becoming a heart-centred entrepreneur. She was catapulted into a series of life transitions and has experienced the process of reinvention and alignment of life to values. Dori’s view is that there is no magic bullet but rather a range of life practices that can move us ‘a shade more…’ towards wellness and healing. She created a self-prescribed holistic care plan that has now become her signature Four Shades of Joy, that integrates Nutritional Harmony and conscious nutrition, Mindset Elevation including kundalini yoga and meditation,Heart and Soul Alignment and Synergy with Nature including forest bathing, hiking, and time in nature in her daily life in order to balance compassion for self and others. The peaceful and tranquil environment at Enso Retreat Centre on Salt Spring Island has created a safe, holistic space to become A Shade More… Whole. Dori is a skilled facilitator with extensive experience in leading individual and group learning activities. She is a certified executive professional coach and holder of brave space. Her passion is creating spaces and opportunities for people to reflect, learn and try out new (or re-activate) practices that move them toward life wellness and ‘connect to a truer you’

Grace opted to retire in 2015 after almost four decades of professional work in nursing, professional development and education leadership roles in the health care field.
Several years in, she describes the transition as a continuing process that is sometimes exciting, other times challenging, full of surprises (mostly pleasant!) and, ultimately, an uplifting experience. The transition takes time and is aided by willingness to self reflect, new learning, improvisation and connection with others. 
Grace’s passionate belief that ‘learning opens doors’ provided the spark for her work in the healthcare field and continues to energize her current co-facilitator role at enso.
She welcomes the opportunity to reflect with you and others and, together, learn “A Shade More…” about how to thrive in this unique and precious time of life.

 
A quick glimpse of Flourishing with Purpose in your 3rd Age:

Preparation Phase

• 2 hr Zoom call 1-2 weeks prior to retreat

• introductions, retreat prep, getting to know you and a wee bit of learning about the Flourishing Protocol.

• Assessment on Flourishing

• online yoga live via zoom

Immersion Phase

Thursday-Day 1

• early afternoon: Arrivals and Pick-up

• afternoon: Registration, Welcome, Opening Circle, Workshop, Flourishing Protocol

• late afternoon: Yoga Class

• evening: Dinner, connection and sharing artifact with purpose, closing

Friday-Day 2

• early morning: Morning Meditation

• morning: Breakfast, Flourishing Protocol Workshop

• afternoon: Cooking Workshop with Meg de Jong

• evening: Dinner, Story Salon

Saturday, Day 3

• early morning: Morning Meditation

• morning: Breakfast- Flourishing Protocol workshop

• hike and picnic following by creative and art activities

• evening: Dinner, celebrating and sharing gifts of 3rd Age

Sunday-Day 4

• early morning: Morning Meditation

• morning: Breakfast, Refresh Flourishing Plan, Action planning

• mid morning: Closing Circle

• noon: Lunch, pack up, Departures
  

Integration Phase

• 2 hr session via zoom ~1 month post retreat:

• check-in, follow up, progress with flourishing action plan

• support moving forward to flourish in the 3rd Age

• 1:1 coaching

• yoga live via zoom