Breathing Room: Writing for Self-Compassion and Rest
Breathing Room: Writing for Self-Compassion and Rest
5637 Erie St, Racine, WI 53402, USA
Apr 23 - 25, 2027
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Facilitator James Crews is the author of Turning Toward Grief: Reflections on Life, Loss and Appreciation and Breathing Room: Poems of Rest and Retreat. He is the editor of bestselling poetry anthologies The Wonder of Small Things and How to Love the World. He has been featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and in People Magazine, The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, The Sun Magazine, and The Washington Post. James lives with his husband in Vermont where they are restoring habitat for pollinators.
Details of this retreat
Poet Ross Gay asks, “What if joy, instead of refuge or relief from heartbreak, is what effloresces from us as we help each other carry our heartbreaks?” Tenderness and belonging are available to all of us when we open our hearts and allow ourselves to be touched by the whole spectrum of human emotion - grief and gratitude, confusion and wonder. Writing can unlock a deeper form of self-compassion, grounding us in the physical gifts of being here, while helping us generate more kindness for others.
Join us for a gentle, supportive retreat filled with spaciousness, discussion, opportunities for creative expression and connection, and optional sharing of what we create in this safe and brave space we shape together.
Join us for a gentle, supportive retreat filled with spaciousness, discussion, opportunities for creative expression and connection, and optional sharing of what we create in this safe and brave space we shape together.
Getting Here
Siena Retreat Center, 5637 Erie St, Racine, WI 53402, USA
Directions
We are convienently located between two major international airports in Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL. For details, please see our website: https://www.sienaretreatcenter.org/directions/
Accommodation
Siena Retreat Center has 67 private bedrooms with private in-room bath facilities. Linens and towels are provided and guests have access to a free, fully-stocked guest laundry. We ask that silence be kept on bedroom floors. There are rooms with one twin bed, two twin beds and with queen-size beds. Only one person is assigned to a room unless you specifically request to share. Siena Retreat Center has elevator access to all floors and ADA accessible rooms are available upon request. Service animals are accepted.
Partner Cost
Covers approximately 60% of the program and operational costs of offering this retreat.
Advocate Cost
Covers approximately 80% of the program and operational costs of offering this retreat.
Sustainer Cost
Covers approximately 100% of the program and operational costs of offering this retreat.
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
What's Included
- Overnight accommodations: Private Bedroom with Private In-Room Bathroom
- Catered Meals and 24/7 Beverage Center
- Access to indoor amenities: Creativity Room, Prayer & Meditation Room, Whole Body Wellness Room, Sitting Rooms & Book Nooks, Guest Laundry
- Outdoor amenities include: Screened-in Patio, Cretan-style 7-circut labyrinth, pathways along Lake Michigan overlooks and woods & restored prairie, two beach access points
- On-Site Bookstore with a curated selection of books and gifts to enhance the retreat experience
What's Not Included
- Airfair
- Transportation to/from center
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