Play, Art, and Presence: Exploring Inner and Outer Landscapes

A weekend retreat to calm the mind and enliven your spirit

We will delve into creativity, explore presence with the landscape, and connect to the spirit of play in this facilitated retreat. Retreatants will be invited to be creative in community with self, other, and nature, with generous time for solitary reflection in the beauty of GilChrist’s woods and meadows. 

The three-night retreat is designed to practice bringing more awareness and delight to the interactions between ourselves and the worlds in which we exist, to cultivate an increased capacity to notice with all our senses, to be curious about the inner self, to linger for just a bit in a world away, and ultimately return home with a bit more grace and joyful appreciation of all that is within and around us. 

The retreat is open to anyone with an interest in expressive arts and sacred play, but may be especially helpful to therapists, healing professionals, and teachers who are interested in these approaches in their work and for their own reflection and restoration. While we will be using art processes, no prior experience with any medium is necessary. 

Each day begins with a group blessing in the gathering house that will include gratitude for the indigenous history of the land, as well as the invitation to reflect on our biological ancestors and any spiritual, community, or cultural lineages that have brought sacred play into our lives. Participants will receive prompts that can be used for reflection—as a group, or in solitary contemplation. 

In between each day’s facilitated workshops, there will be ample time to explore walking trails, ponds, and the labyrinth. Art supplies will be also available in the gathering room—which will have a designated quiet space–for anyone to use as they wish. In the evening, we will come together in the gathering house for a simple, communal vegetarian meal, followed by evening activities that include expressive dance (for all bodies and abilities) and sharing reflections. 

About the Facilitators

HEATHER MARITANO: Retreat Facilitator, LCSW, RPT-S
Heather Maritano, founder of Inner Resources Counseling & Training, has been supporting the growth and healing of clients, colleagues, and community for over 25 years through therapy, education, mentoring, and advocacy. She creates soothing spaces, relationships, and experiences that invite exploration and discernment through steady presence. 
Heather has clinical specialties in play, sandtray, and expressive arts therapies. She has traveled and trained throughout the world. 
She maintains a sense of awe, regularly practices her belief in the healing powers of play, and is particularly fond of dancing.

TRACY ZOLLINGER TURNER: Retreat Facilitator
Tracy Zollinger Turner is a longtime writer, editor, and meditator with a deep love of art, music, rescue dogs, dance, play, justice, and anything else that promotes warm connection and shared humanity. A practitioner of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism for over 20 years, she tries to apply dharma teaching to her parenthood, daughterhood, and partnership, and the rest of her work, home, and community relationships. 
The daughter of an art educator, she loves to share the gift of creating as a process, regardless of the product. She has led courses in writing poetry in response to art, workshops about the art of noticing, and writing circles designed to help participants still their critical inner editors and work with trust.

Retreat Schedule

Participants will arrive Thursday, April 24, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and are invited to gather at WindHill for our first communal dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. During this time, we will get to know each other and introduce the weekend’s focus on sacred art and play. 

Friday, Saturday, and through Sunday at noon, participants will alternate between group interaction and unscheduled time for reflections and explorations of your choosing. Details will be provided to participants prior to the start of the retreat.

Registration and Lodging

To register, and for additional information, click here.

Cost: $595 early bird pricing in effect until February 15, 2025, then $655. We are offering equity pricing for this retreat at 3 tiers. 

The accommodations for this retreat are secured directly with GilChrist at a cost of $60 per night. There are five cabins total, two of which have two bedrooms and the rest are studio style. A map of the property is available on the retreat page. 

To make reservations after you have registered, contact GilChrist to reserve your cabin using the online registration form or by calling the main office at (269) 244-1130 with any questions. If you are sharing a cabin with a friend, make sure that you communicate clearly when making your reservation.

Participants can check into their cabins between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 24. Cabin check-out is at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 27.

A communal, vegetarian dinner will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and a communal brunch will occur on Sunday morning. Please contact Heather with any food restrictions. Otherwise, participants are responsible for their own meals. Each guest space at GilChrist is equipped with a complete kitchen. See the complete GilChrist FAQ for more information about the facility.