Come Into the Garden with Claudia, Joan and Mary

DATE CHANGE -- SATURDAY, APRIL 27, from 9:30AM to 4:30PM

Gardens range from formal to informal, ordered to wild, well-groomed to disorderly. Every daffodil craning its neck to the sun and every fern uncurling is beautiful and full of promise. Everyone has his or her own inner beauty, a secret garden, a place where the soul hopes, where the heart loves, where the spirit strives for faith. The world can be cruel, but we can find peace within, sometimes making it a haven away from reality. What is the best path to follow along this garden path? How do we tend this secret garden, this beautiful place within, known only to us, and to God?

Riverside Retreat is in the midst of a natural space along a meandering river in Dundee, Michigan. It’s the perfect place for renewal and for finding out what the heart wants. When Mike and Susie Clemmer found it, they knew it was special, and they’ve made Riverside into a retreat center in the woods. This is where we’ll come into the garden.

 9:00 AM –         A wholesome breakfast and discussion of our gardens, inside and out
 9:45 AM -         Dance performance by Mary Bodnar
10:00 AM –        Awaken the body and spirit with yoga, prayer, and chanting with Claudia Taller
10:30 AM –        Zendala meditation and keepsake art with Joan Barris
12:00 PM –        Capture nature in photos and drawings
12:45 PM -        Lunch
 1:15 PM           Share photos and drawings and the garden within
 2:00 PM -         Dance workshop with Mary Bodnar
 3:00 PM –         Write Your Song, a spiritual poetry workshop with Claudia Taller
 4:15 PM -         Plant Your Garden, an herb garden to take home

Riverside Retreat, on Lloyd Road in Dundee, Michigan, is two hours from the Greater Cleveland area. Photos can be found on Facebook.  Bring a cot or blow-up mattress and stay overnight on Friday.  If you prefer a hotel, group arrangements have been made at the Dundee Quality Inn if you make your request by April 13.

The cost is $75/person or $120/couple for supplies and presenter fees (yes, men are welcome). Please pre-register by APRIL 15 by sending your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address with the workshop fee to Igniting Possibilities, 26408 Chapel Hill Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070. Contact Claudia Taller for more information at 440-554-6046, claudia.taller@yahoo.com.

“When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives,” Julie Cameron said. Let’s get creative and wander through our secret gardens together.