Compassionate Couples BEtreat
A Mindful Relationship Retreat with the Healing Garden
Relationships take us on a wild ride of experiences that give life meaning and present challenges. All couples have moments of uncertainty, conflict, connection and deep love – even more so when we face struggles such as a cancer diagnosis and treatment or chronic illness. As both patients and caregivers, how do we cope with conflicts while cultivating loving kindness?
Simply put, we choose to try, experimenting with new ideas, and trying again. Join Lara Wilson, stage III cancer survivor, mother of four who recently celebrated 30 years of marriage, and founder of 501c3 mindful wellness non-profit Be Well Be Here, for this Compassionate Couples BEtreat, an online retreat that explores the path of partnership through mindful communication and connection.
Compassionate Couples is for partners struggling with cancer care, chronic illness or Covid. Through The EPIC Way process (see below), we’ll discover why we show up as we do, work toward being “unstuck” as a couple, and re-ignite the reasons we chose to Be in it together. Discover simple ways to shift habits and learn daily micro-actions that settle the nerves to co-create more contentment and wellBeing.
Compassionate Couples BEtreat
online through Zoom
Saturday, March 13 at 9:30 am - noon
(includes breaks)
9:30 am Where Are We Now?
Welcome to the Compassionate Couples Retreat, and thanks for showing up! We’ll begin by exploring your natural way to Be Present without pressure. Step away from past baggage and future worries to observe yourself and your partner in the moment with a caring, open mind.
10:00 am Compassionate Couples and The EPIC Way REPEAT Practice
How might I find a way to feel heard and show I care when life gets complicated?
Humans evolve every minute of the day. From our cells to our mindset, we sense this process of change and renewal. REPEAT Practice returns us to innate states of being through personal and interpersonal connection. Experiment with this mindful wellness process as you:
· awaken your ability to sustain attention
· develop natural resilience skills as you stay in the game
· enhance your window of tolerance to feel less irritated by others
· experiment with reframing the story of your relationship
· learn micro-actions to respond rather than react
· communicate with kindness and compassion
The EPIC Way invites us to explore new ways to communicate clearly and compassionately. After examining the mind / body connection through REPEAT Practice, we’ll try some simple journaling to privately express our story of Self. By understanding and even befriending our identity as storytellers, new narratives arise as we re-imagine the Why behind our relationships.
11:30 Compassionate Couples Guided Meditation
Time to relax! Experience a simple way to rejuvenate and release what is no longer needed. As you let go of stress, learn mindful wellness prompts that can be added to daily life. We’ll conclude with loving kindness meditation (Metta), and step forward with a new sense of ease and possibility.
$48 per couple. Please complete BWBH’s Scholarship Application if you need financial assistance.
The EPIC Way REPEAT Practice
The EPIC Way REPEAT Practice somatically returns us to innate states of being through personal and interpersonal connection. This mindful wellness methodology awakens our natural ability to Be present, access resilience skills, tolerate challenges, and communicate with compassion.
1. Release – Let Go of Excess Energy
2. Experience – Situate in the Moment
3. Pause – Simply Notice
4. Explore - Engage Curiosity
5. Attend – Embody Awareness
6. Trust – Listen, validate, respond
REPEAT! The EPIC Way process shares evidence-based practices that inculcate a deeper felt sense, which leads to greater intuitive understanding, authentic shared values and the evolution of cultural consciousness. With The EPIC Way, participants develop deep compassion for the self and others to build caring, connected communities and enhance our collective wellBEing.
