RETURNING WHOLE TO A CIVILIAN WORLD
- Nature as a Mirror to the Veteran Soul -
SUMMER RETREAT & MIRRORING WORKSHOOP
It may not be overdramatic to state that our species survival depends, to a great extent, on our learning to tell and listen to stories. Much of the strife among individuals, families, communities and nations derives from our inability to tell our story clearly and to listen carefully to another’s story. If we cannot tell with expression, our life is mute. If we cannot listen like a mirror, we cannot reflect back the wholeness of the story -- the body, soul, mind and spirit of the teller. The best stories are about human nature -- that is, the human of us which is nature in her basic manifestations as physical, psychical, rational, and spiritual. One of the best ways to create a story is to put people in contact with nature. - Larry Hobbs
Overview: You have been intiated into the largest warfighting culture that has ever existed. The identity, purpose, and belonging of your previous life were rooted out and transformed into Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine, with strict protocol and ritual organizing and shaping your life from sunup to sundown for years on end. The sacrifice and lasting impacts on your body, heart, mind, and spirit, loved ones and family to support the mission could never truly be understood, and required daily suppression of all of you are and all that you have carried. You were rebuilt by the DOD to be a human doing, not a being, and the abrupt transition to a disorganized civilian world that cannot see, hear, or understand you can lead to desparation.
In Returning Whole in a Civilian World, Nature as a Mirror for the Veteran Soul, Veteran Rites provides the space, the community, and the practices to begin reclaiming and remembering your authentic self with nature as your guide and mirror so that you can find your balance and live the future worthy of your sacrifice.
This immersive summer retreat and mirroring workshop takes you on a journey of personal discovery while also training you with the reflective listening and mirroring skills that bring you into deeper and right relationship with nature, your peers, and loved ones.
Mirroring for Empowerment is a foundational individual and communal practice in the Veteran Rites wilderness rites of passage, interventions of despair, and daily peer empowerment. This mirror gifts the Veteran with the feeling of being truly seen and heard without being counseled, fixed, or advised. This witnessing from the heart widens the perspective of the story, inviting the storyteller into a deeper understanding of their true nature and the wholeness of the story.
On Sunday, August 3rd at 4:00pm we will cross the line into Returning Whole in a Civilian World. We will all be spending two nights together in the glorious Rainbow Lodge and its 40 acres of enchanted forest. We will begin our time acquainting and reacquainting ourselves with our Map of Wholeness, the Four Shields of Human Nature. The following two days will be spent in a mixture of teachings, exercises and stories. You will learn to elicit personal “mythos” through the expression of story, to utilize council practice as an tool for self and group empowerment, and to listen and respond to the four personas of human nature, that is, to mirror. There will be times alone in nature that will evoke in you and your fellow attendees the stories and myths of your, and our, collective true nature.
Who Should Attend: Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, Partners, Spouses, Survivors, and Peer Supporters seeking to dive deeper into their own and our community’s return to True Identity, Purpose, and Belonging.
This workshop elicits deep self-awareness and emotional response in an intimate setting. Everyone is responsible for co-creating a container that welcomes home the whole diversity of our military family with Love and Honor. Veteran Rites will be contacting all interested attendees to see if this workshop is appropriate for you at this time in your journey.
Required Preparation/Orientation: All attendees will be required to attend two preparation group video calls. The calls are currently scheduled for Thursday, July 17th, and Thursday, July 24th from 6-8pm PST. These calls will prepare your whole self for the experience and build the community cohesion so we can get the most of our time together at the lodge.
What to Bring: We will be spending a large part of our time outdoors, so bring layers and waterproof clothing (e.g. rain-pants, rain-jackets). The weather is always unpredictable, so prepare for cold, wet, or warm. You may want to take notes or reflect on your experience, so we encourage the use of a notebook or journal. We will have some free time together, so feel free to bring musical instruments that the group might enjoy. As with all of our gatherings, any personal items of significance that bring you strength are always encouraged. You’ll be bringing your own toiletries, extra cozy blankets and pillows to supplement what the Rainbow Lodge provides.
Meals and Lodging: All meals and lodging will be provided by the Rainbow Lodge and paid for by Veteran Rites. The lodge is very responsive to allergies and dietary needs. Given that we want to maximize this opportunity to as many individuals as possible, we will request that some be able to share a room. Special accommodations and dietary considerations are available upon request. Rooms are blocked together by mens and womens and there are standalone rooms that are ADA accessible. Special considerations on room assignments can be made on a case by case basis.
Transportation. Veteran Rites is providing the experience, the lodging, meals, and guides at no cost to the community. Participants are required to arrange for their own transportation. If there are accessibility or other barriers that VR can support with please indicate that in the RSVP below.
