The Leaven Center offers summer retreats

Following is a list of programs offered at The Leaven Center, a retreat and study center in Lyons:

For girls 

June 26-30 - GrrrlFest: An Event Just for Girls Ages 10-14

This is girl-space! Create music, art, and poetry; have fun outdoors; eat pizza, play games, do service projects; and lots more. A place to share dreams and talk about what's great and what's hard about being a girl ... More ...

July 14-16 - Tell yOUR STORY: A weekend of aRT, ImproV, wrITing, and MOVEment ... for Girls Ages 13-17 

Express yourself and your wildest dreams ... in words, movement and art! Join us for this transformational weekend that will include theater improv, story-telling and story-writing, dream-catching and friend-catching, weaving fibers and words, adventures indoors and out, and more.

July 26-29 - Spark! Dream! Action! Cultivating Vision and Celebrating Talents for a Better Tomorrow: A Retreat for Girls Ages 13-16

What kind of world do you want to co-create? Explore your ideas and your goals with other young activists; learn how to promote your cause through art, letters to the editor, press releases, poems, video, blogs, acting, music and other talents. Plus yoga, meditation and great food for a healthy mind/body/spirit.

For writers and other artists creating for social change
 
July 1-3 - Spittin' Politics: Poetry, Performance, and Political Activism

Spoken word poetry and performance provide entertaining ways to make political and social justice issues accessible to diverse audiences. This retreat with "powerhouse poet" Ami Mattison explores the relationships between poetry, spoken word performance and political activism by offering participants intensive workshops in writing and performance, as well as an opportunity to present a rehearsed and polished performance. Gender inclusive. More ...

August 18-22 - Yearning for Justice: Writing is/as Resistance

At a time when global and local resistance movements are accelerating in all areas of human life, bringing into voice greater numbers of people --- often from long oppressed populations --- the once hidden longings of people for justice and dignity are at the center of the language we hear every day. Our vision is filled with images of resistance, as well as images of loss unbearable and continuing.

For writers in all genres, at all levels of experience, this workshop with Anya Achtenberg and Demetria Martinez will provide a space in which to create the stories and poems, plays and songs, essays and articles, that convey aspects of your own life previously silenced or hidden, and honor others in their struggle, loss, and great resistance movements. Gender inclusive.

Workshops and retreats for activists and allies

July 19-24 - Doing Our Own Work: A Seminar for Anti-racist White People

Doing Our Own Work is an intensive seminar for white people who seek to deepen their commitment to confronting and challenging racism and white privilege where they live, study, and work. It is designed as a supplement to, not a substitute for, contexts where people of diverse races discuss and strategize together how racism can be challenged. This Allies for Change program will be led by Melanie Morrison and Allyson Bolt.

September 9-11 - Our Coming Together: Disabled People of Color and Allies Retreat 

This retreat, facilitated by three disabled women of color: Angel Miles, Naomi Ortiz and Stacey Milbern, will provide an opportunity for disabled people of color and their allies (also all people of color) to come together and discuss topics of interest and concern to disabled people of color and those committed to their success.

We will use storytelling, group time, individual activities and meditation, among other tools, to cover a wide variety of topics related to disability justice, such as individual and collective identity, ableism, racism, community, and self-care.

This retreat will allow disabled people of color and their allies to build community and share practices for self-care and disability justice. Gender inclusive.

Opportunities for personal transformation and healing

August 13-19 - Manitou Yoga: A Women's Wilderness Trip of Perspective 

Wilderness describes both the external wild beauty of nature and the internal wild landscape of our hearts, minds and souls. This trip allows women to return to the wilderness as an integral part of their spiritual journey and a meaningful way to nurture their spirit and to gain perspective. Come and be held by the peace of North Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, where the retreat will combine the peacefulness of a kind-hearted island with a daily yoga practice. Each moment is yours, to develop and encourage your truth, to hear your voice again. This retreat, presented by the Women's Spirituality Project, will also provide a time to stretch your body, lift your spirit and energize your mind. For women.

September 16-18 - Awakening the Sage Within: Hearing Wisdom's Call 

Where do you find Wisdom: within yourself, a mentor, the Sacred Texts, your women's group? What does it mean to be a Sage? How do we listen for Wisdom's call in our busy lives? How do we live with greater confidence into a way of Wisdom? The women of this retreat, led by Betsy Perry of Lumunos, will gather around the themes of wisdom and call using stories, exercises, creative expression, and reflection questions for sharing and discussion.

Poetry, song, and sacred texts are used to help discern what Wisdom, Herself, may have in mind for participants. Sharing is done within a listening context that aims to affirm each woman's experiences and not to fix or give advice. Women are encouraged to write thoughts, musings, and questions in a journal or notebook. At the end of the retreat, women will explore ways to continue in community to gather support for self and others over time. For women.

Sacred space retreats

The Leaven Center offers "sacred space" for individual retreats each month in the Lodge. No programming ... the time is yours. Come for the day, overnight or both. Overnight retreatants each will have their own room. Bring your own food for meals - snacks and beverages provided. Gender inclusive. Upcoming dates are July 6-7, August 3-4, September 7-8, October 6-7. Dates don't work for your schedule? Other dates may be available.

The Leaven Center is near Lyons, Michigan, midway between Lansing and Grand Rapids and easily accessible off I-96.

For more information on renting Leaven's facilities, visit our website or write to leavencenter@leaven.org