Facilitated by Karen Ely and April Ely
October 12 – 14, 2012
Chatham, Cape Cod
I love you. I love you not.
Sometimes she’s the last person you want to see . . . but the first one you call for advice. That’s the seesaw of feelings between mothers and daughters. And something every mother and daughter can relate to.
When you're five, she's a goddess. When you’re thirteen, she often becomes the most out-of-touch creature on the planet, and you can't get far enough away from her. Your primary form of interaction for the next five years or so is one word . . . "Mooooooooooooommmmmmm!"
And then, somewhere between your twenties and your thirties, if you're lucky, she becomes your friend again.
No relationship is quite as primal as the one between a mother and daughter. "It's the original relationship, and it's also a relationship that has been sentimentalized but not honored," says Lee Sharkey, Ph.D., who directs the Women's Studies program at the University of Maine at Farmington, where she teaches a popular course in mother-daughter relationships. "Women grow up and our energy is largely turned toward men, but the original love relationship is with a mother. If we as daughters don't acknowledge that, we're closing ourselves off from a great source of power and fulfillment and understanding of ourselves."
This retreat invites mothers and daughters to share beautiful and insightful experiences together: walks on the beach, meditation, small and large group exercises, quiet reflection, laughter, tears, chocolate and healthy meals . . . all surrounded by the nourishing beauty of the Cape Cod coast.
Through guided exercises, joyful play, and quiet introspection, we will explore trust, instinct, self-confidence, boundaries, and respect. You will be working, at times, in groups of just mothers and just daughters, as well as together. You will leave the weekend with a better understanding of yourself and the special bond you share as mother and daughter. This retreat is for mothers and their daughters over 21 years old.
About Retreat Facilitator Karen Ely
Karen is the founder and director of A Woman’s Way, one of the country’s premier women’s retreat and workshop program located in Sedona, Arizona. Karen is the author of: Daring to Dream: Reflections on the Year I Found Myself published in 2006, which chronicles the end of her 32-year marriage, A Retreat of My Own, a women’s personal retreat guide published in 2008, and Breathing Space: Mini-Retreats for the Heart & Soul published in 2011. Karen is an experienced facilitator with a commitment to assisting women in creating and living authentic lives of passion and joy. For information on Karen and A Woman’s Way, please visit www.awomansway.com.
About Retreat Facilitator April Ely (yes, mother and daughter!)
April is a practicing psychotherapist in Northern Arizona, specializing in work with children and families, women’s issues, and grief and loss. She received her BA in Psychology at the University of Colorado and her MSW from Smith College. Most recently, she has studied mindfulness practices and is learning ways to incorporate mindfulness into her therapy practice and with children within the education system. She has lived in Arizona for the past 8 years, where she enjoys reading, hiking, and being with family and friends.
Venue Information
Chatham is considered to be Cape Cod's most beautiful walking Village, often referred to as the "Nantucket of Cape Cod." Our retreat venue, Harbor View Cottage, offers tranquil, beautiful grounds and stunning saltwater views of one of Chatham’s spectacular ocean harbor inlets. Located just a short distance from Chatham Village and Hardings Beach, ranked by National Geographic Traveler as one of the top ten beaches in the U.S., it offers all the grace and nostalgia of a uniquely preserved former era. The perfect place to get away from it all ~ and deeply connect with each other.
Retreat Fee - $695
The retreat fee include:
~ Facilitated weekend retreat, opening at 5:00 pm on Friday evening, October 12, and continuing from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm on Saturday, October 13, and 9:00 am – 2:00 pm on Sunday, October 14.
~ All meals from dinner of Friday evening through lunch on Sunday afternoon.
~ Lodging is not included in the retreat fee, however, there are a limited number of rooms available, on a first come first-served bases, in the retreat cottage ~ private rooms for an additional $100/person for the weekend and double occupancy rooms for an additional $75/person for the weekend. There is also a wide variety of lodging available within a short distance of the retreat cottage.
~ $300 is due a time of registration ($150 of this is non-refundable); the remaining $395 is due no later than August 30, 2012.
In order to register online, you’ll be required to pay the entire retreat fee. If you’d like register and pay only the deposit OR reserve a space in the retreat cottage, please call us at 928-254-1897.
