Event Details: May 10th, 2025 9:30AM-3:30PM @ Awakenings Wellness Center: 1016 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Experience a nourishing retreat for women in all seasons of motherhood, from pregnant women and new moms with babies to empty nesters and grandmothers, as we journey through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”.  Together, we will consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, candid and authentic dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we will be at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.

WHAT IS THE VIBE?

This retreat exists in radical defiance of accepted cultural depictions of motherhood that are far too small.  Within the retreat, we will reject idealized or sentimentalized portrayals of mothering, exploring instead the reality of what it means to be called “mom”: holding space for the wildness and fierceness of your love for your children, while also honoring and grieving the intense suffering, sacrifice, invisibility, resentment, and loneliness that is common to our experience.  By attending, we move towards freeing ourselves of the shame of comparing ourselves to other mothers, and work to defend one another by sharing only what is raw, real, and true in our lives, rather than perpetuating false images of perfection.  In other words, your spirit, and the spirits of your children that you carry within you, will be welcomed here, no matter what.  

WHAT IS A RETREAT AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

A “retreat” as we mean it is a deliberate act of generosity towards God – Who is never outdone in generosity – a making of ourselves available to God with the fullest amount of zeal and vulnerability we can muster.  The retreat is designed to be customizable so that you can have the experience you want and need.  Among the offerings will be talks and lectures, silence and private contemplation, as well as group discussions and dialogue, and you are free to participate however you wish.  Whether you are eagerly seeking conversation with other mothers or prefer to park yourself at the dessert table in silence with no one talking at you, the day belongs to you, and no one knows what you need better than you do.  However you choose to spend your retreat day, God will find you and meet you there. 

Registration for one to “A Mother’s Retreat” on May 10th, 2025, hosted by The Wind Rose Collaborative. This event is offered with community tiered pricing, so choose your level of contribution: $50.00 (Community Price, supported by your peers), $75.00 (Supporter Price, pays your own way), or $100.00 (Sustainer Price, helps pay it forward). Can’t wait to see you there!