by Sylvia Somerville, Special to Kudos
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Dr. Quinn returns by popular demand to lead 
A Woman's Way Retreat, Sept. 30-Oct. 2

Sedona resident Debbie Winslow attended the inaugural retreat for A Woman's Way in April 2004. It was the weekend before her last chemo treatment in her bout with breast cancer. For Winslow, the retreat led by Janet Quinn, author of I am A Woman Finding My Voice, was a true celebration of life. "It was a wonderful experience that energized me physically, creatively and spiritually," she says. Other retreatants were similarly moved, calling the weekend "life-changing," "meaningful," "important" and "sacred."

Wherever she goes, Janet Quinn has a profound effect on people, especially women. She is devoted to healing in all its forms. Quinn holds a doctorate in nursing and is a recognized leader in the field of mind-body medicine, specializing in Therapeutic Touch. She has led retreats for more than 20 years. "I am committed to helping people to heal and to grow, in one-to-one encounters, with groups and through my writing and speaking," she says. "At the heart of my life and work is my spiritual commitment to grow in love and service."

Quinn is returning to A Woman's Way on September 30 to October 2 to lead a retreat for women at the scenic Briar Patch Resort in Oak Creek Canyon. For more information, visit www.awomansway.com or call 928-254-1897.

What is the goal in your retreats?

For me, retreats are about celebration and renewal. They are not about healing per se or fixing something that is broken. The focus is to reconnect with who we are and to celebrate that.

How will your retreat be structured?

We will create a sacred circle together, a container where we can be authentically ourselves in community and as individuals. We will create a safe space for each other. The retreat will be a back and forth process between solitude and coming together in a group.

There is no way of knowing what will emerge. There is an invitation to the authentic self of each woman to step forward. When you issue such an invitation, women always come. This makes each retreat, each circle individual. It's a deeply humbling opportunity and an immense privilege.

What is an authentic self?

It's what is left when we remove the roles and expectations that we try to live up to. We connect to what is most profoundly true. When we find our own, authentic voice as women, we use our power to nurture life, love, relationship and community.

Why are retreats important?

In our society it is increasingly difficult to quiet down. Women are so busy multitasking that to find a moment to be quiet is increasingly rare. The point of a retreat is to get still enough, quiet enough and centered enough so that we can remember something about who we are. In a retreat we have the space, the time and the ritual to connect with self and to look at our roles and ask: Are they still true expressions of who we are?

Can one weekend make a difference?

It is possible to touch something that is ultimately real in one weekend because it is always present and available to us if we allow ourselves to get quiet enough to notice.

What tools will you be using?

They will include guided imagery, meditation, journaling and sharing in small groups. 

What are you working on now?

I have embarked on a new project called Claritas, Institute for Interspiritual Inquiry with my friends Joan Borysenko and Gordon Deveu. It is a mentoring program. It is a program for people to deepen on their own spiritual journey and to connect with the mystical heart of the world. It is not based on any one religious framework. It is for people who have a deep longing for the spiritual, for connecting with ultimate truth (however they conceive it) but don't feel that institutional religion can feed them. The principal purpose of Claritas is to create a community of nondogmatic inquiry and practice. When people drop into their contemplative stance, the experience is ineffable.

If you go:
Retreat fee of $575 includes facilitated retreat, accommodations and all
meals from 5:00 Friday evening through 3:00 on Sunday afternoon. For information or to register, call 928-254-1897 or visit www.awomansway.com.

~ Sedona writer Sylvia Somerville writes frequently about arts and culture.

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