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June Retreat

Enjoy a "Fit of Joy" with us at Lonesome Lake in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park

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What

Our retreats are an expedition into exploration and focused attention.   The programming traverses outer and inner wild landscapes with the intention of cultivating “outside in” transformation.   We cultivate that transformation in three ways.  First and foremost, all of our retreats include time in Wilderness so that we can reconnect with the power of “wild awe” and its transcendental ability to melt away the distractions from our daily and digital lives.  Second, we disrupt routines of reactivity and comfort to pursue expanded states of consciousness, with the belief that we can reveal aspects of ourselves hidden from everyday awareness. Third, we build a positive community with the belief that it can support the creation of new positive rituals and self-care.   

 

Where

This weekend retreat is located in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park.  Our home base for the weekend will be the AMC Lonesome Lake Hut.   Resting at 2,760 ft. Lonesome Lake Hut is the most accessible of all AMC huts.  It is located on the southwest shore of Lonesome Lake, with superb views of the Franconia Range.  The reflections of the mountains in still water are picturesque and provide a serene setting for the weekend’s mindfulness programming.   Following a brief orientation, we will begin our approximately 1.5 mile hike up to the lake, via the Lonesome Lake Trail, gaining approximately 1,000 ft of elevation.   Once we are settled into the hut, the plan is to do a short walking meditation around the lake, culminating with a sunset meditation, before returning to the hut for a home-cooked hot meal.   Following breakfast, Saturday will feature a more rigorous day of hiking.  We will continue along the Lonesome Lake trail for approximately 2 miles and 1,650 ft of elevation gain before reaching the Kinsman junction, where we will begin our traverse along the Kinsman Ridge Trail.  A 3-mile hike ascending another 1,600 ft. will bring us to the top of North Kinsman where we will enjoy lunch and amazing views of the Franconian Ridge and the Presidential Mountain Range.   Lunch will be followed by additional mindfulness programming before we begin our descent back down to the hut via the Fishin' Jimmy Trail.  There is an option to climb South Kinsman Peak, which would add approximately 1 mile and 350 ft of elevation gain.  This will be a group game day decision.  Our plan is to take a rest at Kinsman pond, before descending the ridge down a few miles along sometimes step and rugged terrain, featuring several staircases down to Lonesome Lake Hut.  Sunday,  we will descent down the High Cannon Trail back to the Lafayette Parking area, following a sunrise meditation exercise and breakfast.  Once we have descended we’ll do a quick wrap up before departing for home.   

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When

June 14th-16th, 2024, with arrival Friday 12:00 at the Highland Center and departure by 12:00 on Sunday.

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Why

It is no secret that nature has been proven to be restorative to the mind and body. We seek to expand the power of time spent in Wilderness by enhancing it with a peer-supported Community, and guided programming of meditation, yoga, breath work, and Mindfulness practices that you can take with you even after the retreat has come to a close.

 

How

We will use the power of awe in Wilderness towards the process of untethering from the stressors and distractions of daily and digital life. We will use our retreat location to re-connect with the natural world, and enjoy its healing powers. Our program will offer instruction on Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices that promote calm, clarity of thinking, and confidence that can be restorative and transformative to us, and our lives. We will use shared, peer-supported experiences to help promote connection, courage and willpower, leading to personal growth even beyond the summit. 

What Is Included

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  • Conference space and storage at the AMC Highland Center. 

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  • Yoga instruction by Bethany Cass.

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  • Summit hikes of Mounts Kinsman (South and North)

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  • Guided nature meditations and personal reflections

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  • 2 nights at AMC’s Lonesome Lake Hut​

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  • 2 hot meals each of the 2 days at the AMC Hut.

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  • A master class in breathing techniques that promote focus and relaxation.

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  • Sunrise meditation.

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  • Closing reflection and farewells. 

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  • invitation for supported post-retreat connection with your peers and guides. 

Retreat Partner

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In order to realize the Sherpa of Souls mission and vision, we will need to find and secure critical partnerships with organizations that share our convictions about the restorative and transformative power of wilderness, meditation and community. We are thrilled by the initial response we have received from professionals in these fields and look forward to building strong relationships with them over the next several decades. Our intention is to be strategic connectors between our clients and world-renown professionals that traverse the intersections of wilderness, meditation and community.

 

Bethany Cass will be helping to lead our second retreat in the White Mountains in October.  She lives in Topsfield, MA with her husband, yellow lab and her now three grown children. She has a passion for helping people push outside their comfort zones to experience personal growth and transformation and promote the benefits that nature and mindfulness have on our overall well-being.  She herself embarked on a personal journey during COVID to reassess how she was caring for her body, mind and spirit.  She started to physically get back in shape by cycling and hiking in the White Mountains and worked on her mental and spiritual health through yoga and meditation practices, which she found to be profoundly life changing.  She completed her 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training and Wilderness First Aid in 2022, Mental Health First Aid and Adult First Aid/CPR training in 2023 and is currently enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Training program. When not working her day job as a consulting actuary with Milliman, she is typically off doing yoga, training for her next cycling event or triathlon, or in the White Mountains in her pursuit of completing all the 48 NH 4000 footers.  She is thrilled to be joining Sherpa of Souls in their mission and to share in these experiences with other like-minded, spiritual, nature-enthusiasts!

Pricing & Logistics

Participants are responsible for all transportation to and from the AMC Highland Center located in Brenton Woods, NH. There are 6 spots available that will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.  The registration process is intended to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all guests. 

 

The cost of the trip is $495 and includes all retreat programming and materials, lodging and food for Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday morning. Please tell us if there is a need for scholarship funds to subsidize the retreat. Our goal is to make the retreat accessible to as many participants as possible. 

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Let's go!

Please click the button below to get started with your Sherpa of Souls retreat booking. 

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