Harmony Hill Retreat Center

Hello Biznik Community-

If you know someone living with cancer, please tell them about the nourishing Cancer Retreats at Harmony Hill Retreat Center. There is NO COST to the participant for these programs, which are designed specifically for people living with cancer and the people who love them.

Below you will find the remaining retreat dates for 2006 with corresponding program descriptions. I will be facilitating a couple of this Fall’s Cancer Retreat three-day programs. All retreats are held at Harmony Hill's twelve-acre facility on beautiful Hood Canal, offering a tranquil retreat environment of gardens, nature trails, and spectacular mountain and water views. There are also three outdoor labyrinths for walking meditation and reflection that are open to the public, and the new Elmer & Katharine Nordstrom Great Hall - a beautiful multi-purpose space with a large river rock fireplace and grand piano. (By the way, renting this beautiful place is one of the ways Harmony Hill is able to offer their cancer retreats at no cost.)

Harmony Hill programs are designed to serve as supportive adjuncts to medical treatment. Harmony Hill is a place to retreat from the stresses of daily life and have time to focus on yourself. For many, it is a chance to be nurtured, in body, mind, and spirit, in a peaceful and comforting environment. For others, it is an opportunity to explore complimentary techniques that can be taken home as a toolkit for their continued healing journey. For more information, visit the Harmony Hill website: http://www.harmonyhill.org

Thanks Biznik!

Karen Gorrin, MA, LMHC Licensed Psychotherapist

Tools for the Journey: Living with Cancer

This one-day mini-retreat is a day filled with practical resources and strategies, such as simple movement, guided imagery, and information on how to live fully despite the challenges of cancer -- plus a delicious Harmony Hill lunch! The majority of spaces in this program are reserved for people on the waiting list for our weekend cancer retreats, but additional spaces are open to any other individuals with a cancer diagnosis who would like to learn about healing resources.

Monday, Sept 18, 2006, 10am-4pm Monday, Dec 4, 2006, 10am-4pm

Cancer Retreat Three-Day Program

This program helps individuals find emotional, mental and spiritual healing in the face of cancer. Inspired by the acclaimed Commonweal Cancer Help Program, the three-day cancer retreat offers experiences and education to help individuals explore the issues, choices, feelings and concerns associated with a cancer diagnosis. Through stress reduction skills, guided imagery, daily support groups for learning and sharing, yoga, and massage, participants facilitate their own healing and restore quality of life.

Oct 22-24 for women (Sun-Tues) Nov 3-5 for sexual minority women Nov 17-19 for men & women with companions Dec 8-10 limited to those with breast cancer

Thriving Beyond Cancer: Spiritual Health and Well-Being

This series of one-day programs focuses on special issues of living fully despite the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges of cancer. Spirituality—however you define it for yourself—is a powerful coping mechanism for dealing with cancer and its aftermath, as well as a way to derive meaning from your cancer experience, deepen your quality of life, and renew hope, gratitude, and compassion. In this mini-retreat, you will:

• discover the five elements of spiritual health • let go of “New Age guilt,” the crippling belief that your "spiritual achievement” causes your physical health • learn what research reveals about the positive effects of spirituality on physical and emotional healing and wellbeing • learn how to give yourself a “spiritual wellness checkup,” and identify sources of spiritual support in your own life.

Monday, Nov 13, 2006, 10am-4pm