Rest, Reflect, Renew Retreat

Rich is a Certified Guide for the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT), based in Morristown, New Jersey. Rich has personally guided almost 500 Forest Bathing retreats since 2019. His company, Friendly Territory, specializes in Forest Bathing retreats, Nature Therapy walks, embodied meditation, and Labyrinth work. At the entrance to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi are the words "Know Thyself." Sometimes it seems like we're running so fast, and juggling so many balls that we forget who we are. Knowing oneself can therefore seem a daunting challenge. It is a big job to ponder this and not something we can easily undertake as part of a 'to-do' list. Getting reacquainted with ourselves requires a dedicated block of time. And while truly knowing oneself is not something that can be accomplished in a single weekend, it is important to make a start. Luckily, we have some tools at our disposal. Our ancient ancestors have gifted us two powerful symbols for understanding ourselves and the universe in the Enneagram and the Labyrinth. These ancient symbols are not merely intellectual, but meant to be incarnated through understanding of their deeper meaning and how to best utilize them. Additionally, we have the practice of Forest Bathing. Although it has its current iteration in 1980's Japan, its roots go much further back, with fragments of this practice being found in Druidic, Shinto, Native American and other indigenous belief systems. Over the weekend, we'll employ each of the symbols and the magic of Forest Bathing to breathe life into remembering who we are and why we are here..

Megan is passionate about the Enneagram, helping people create meaning out of suffering and bringing an awareness that we are inter-connected. She began her journey toward a deep understanding in the Enneagram while working for a hospice on an inter-disciplinary team. Megan serves on the board for the Northeast Chapter of the International Enneagram Association. When I first learned about the Enneagram it felt very overwhelming to me but yet so simple. The system broke down ego structures into an easy to follow guide for me to understand myself and others. The reality is that we all embody most "types" and it helps us navigate interpersonal relationships with compassion and a new perspective about why we are the way we are. The true gift of learning the Enneagram is to develop compassion and patience for yourself so you can detach from your auto-pilot mode and go back to the very essence in which you were created. You are not your personality; you are a complete, loving human being who is inter-connected with all things within universe.