Nov 30-Dec 2, 2007
Being gentle with yourself is not habitual for a woman coming to terms with the legacy of incest or rape. Learning to treat yourself lovingly expands the possibility of reconnecting with your essence. During this empowering, down-to-earth retreat, we will create a safe place to explore your issues.
In Rowe’s cozy indoor spaces, as well as outside in its picture-postcard scenery, this retreat will be creative and fulfilling. We’ll walk Rowe’s labyrinth and use guided meditation, journaling, and breathing to ground ourselves. You will have an opportunity to share your strengths, as well as your vulnerabilities.
Survivors long for a non-judgmental environment and we will create one. Expect to be heard. Expect to feel feelings. There will be lots of soft tissues for the hard times. This workshop will support you with the utmost gentleness and respect in developing the emotional tools necessary to create safety and self-awareness for your unique path to healing.
We will celebrate our phenomenal stamina, our incredible courage, and our beautiful collective wisdom! Imagine yourself learning in the safety of our group. Even though sexual violation happened to us, we are people, after all. Being alone is a burden; silence and secrecy are confusing. It is a precious gift to live among peers for a whole weekend and we will build a meaningful mutual-aid community together. Please wear clothing and anything additional that comforts you. Bring a journal, and choose one special creation to share, either a poem, a written piece, something theatrical or artistic of which you are very proud.
Donna Robin Lippman supports, vitalizes, organizes, and advocates for survivors of sexual abuse who seek healing in community. Donna focuses her healing efforts through the lens of body awareness, feelings, and the amazing mutual-aid of small groups. She founded the Incest and Rape Recovery Center in Manhattan, which offers workshops and low-fee drop-in groups. She is a social worker and is certified in the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®, a dynamic healing modality for the integration of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Donna sees her efforts as one small, manageable piece of the larger effort to heal our world. An ordained Interfaith Minister, she finds personal and political violence abhorrent, including the tricky and confusing violence that masquerades as entertainment. She is honored to return to the warm and sane oasis that is Rowe. We welcome her return.