A Sanctuary of the Heart: A 5-Day Retreat
A SANCTUARY OF THE HEART
A 5-Day Retreat
to Calm Your Nervous System
and Rest in the Mystery of Presence
with Jeff Foster and Matt Licata
Join spiritual teacher Jeff Foster and psychotherapist Matt Licata on a five-day retreat in the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Enjoy the peace and quiet of Sunrise Ranch as we gather together to rest our weary minds and hearts and open to the mystery and the beauty of this life.
Weaving together teachings and meditations from the fields of spirituality, nonduality, and embodied inquiry; somatic and depth psychotherapies; trauma- and shadow-sensitive mindfulness and self-compassion; and the mystery of human friendship, we’ll spend time each day in a healing, relational field where we can come into a sanctuary together and remember with one another what it is that’s most important to us in this life.
Coming on retreat is a true gift to yourself and also to our world, to take the time to really slow down and open into the mysteries of the heart, of friendship, and to recommit to our own unique spiritual and healing paths.
Return to yourself.
Underneath your troubles (?) there is an inner sanctuary.
Remember the entrance door to the sanctuary
is inside of you.
~Rumi
“For the first time ever, I truly understood what it means to be a friend to myself…”
SLOWING DOWN TOGETHER AND…
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DROPPING INTO THE MYSTERY TOGETHER
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FALLING INTO THE NOT KNOWING TOGETHER
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TOUCHING INTO THE SACRED TOGETHER
We have lost contact with ourselves… Lost in busyness, lost in self-improvement…. Even lost in spirituality…. Etc
Retreat is an invitation to come back to yourself. To your body. To your sensitive and vulnerable heart. To the truth of your life. To the Mystery of Existence.
To radically commit to your own path, your own heart, your own….
On retreat, we take time out from our busy lives. We take a break from the busyness, the stress of the collective… to remember and reconnect with the sacredness of life itself… To awaken to the preciousness of the present moment.
Relief from the self-improvement project…
We gather together in a safe field of permission and kindness, a sanctuary, refuge, to inhabit our bodies, breathe, rest our nervous systems, and remember what is sacred….
In the stillness, we listen our hearts…. Whats really calling us…. What’s needing our attention and our love……. Our unlived life.. That can easily be drowned out by the voice of faster bigger more….
There is something unique about coming together in a field… allows us to access parts of ourselves that aren’t always easy to find when we’re alone…
Something special about a healing relational field…. Helps us to remember our path….
OUR NERVOUS SYSTEMS CRAVE IT…..
Permission to finally be what I am
We can’t tell you what will happen when you drop into the Field…. You have to experience it for yourself…..
From the deepest peace to rage that wants to be finally felt…… to tears that long to be shed…
Our commitment is to be in this field of permission….. Not to fix you or give you answers…..
Breaking out of all the old concepts of spirituality…. Wild and undomesticated, unplanned, unexpected….. Never second-hand or pre-packaged…..
Unconditional kindness, trust, willingness to LOOK. Meeting those parts that have been hidden, lost, wandering…. Longing for your attention.
The commitment to radically be a friend to yourself.
Support each other in this healing sanctuary.
PERMISSION FOR RESISTANCE
PERMISSION FOR ….
PERMISSION FOR JOY, GRIEF, RAGE, ALL OF IT
BECAUSE IT’S ALL SACRED
THE RETREAT SCHEDULE
The schedule for our retreat is as follows:
***Yoga?
Tuesday, June 3 – 7:00 p.m. Opening session with Jeff and Matt
Wednesday, June 4 through Saturday, June 7:
9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Morning session with Matt
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Afternoon session with Jeff
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Evening session with Jeff and Matt
Sunday, June 8 – 9:30 a.m. Closing session with Jeff and Matt
Each morning, there will be an optional gentle yoga/ movement class taught by… importance of embodiment, etc.
REGISTRATION DETAILS
***Please note that there are two parts to the registration process for this retreat. You must complete both parts in order to attend!***
Tuition: You will register for retreat tuition here on this page. The tuition cost is $795 if registering by January 31, 2025; $895 thereafter.
Accommodations/ Food: Sunrise Ranch offers a variety of types of accommodations – single, double, and triple rooms; dorm rooms; private apartments (limited); and camping.
We highly recommend that everyone attending the retreat stay on campus, as a way to be together with one another and support the deepening of the relational field and the cohesiveness of our journey together. It is possible that space at the Ranch will sell out, however; there is a hotel (LaQuinta) around 15-18 minutes away. There are also a handful of Airbnb options in the town of Loveland (15-20 minutes away).
Please click here to register for your accommodations
Sunrise Ranch will provide three healthy, nutritious, often locally raised meals per day, as well as two snacks. If you have any specific dietary needs or preferences, you can speak directly with the Ranch about this when you register.
***Please note: even if you are staying in a nearby hotel, Airbnb, or commuting from the Boulder/ Denver area, it is still required that you register as a “commuter” in order to attend the retreat.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Is this a silent/ meditation retreat?
No. While each of our sessions will likely begin with some form of guided meditation, experiential inquiry, grounding, embodiment, etc., this is not a formal meditation retreat. We will not be spending long periods in meditation each day. While we will maintain silence in the main hall at all times (except when interacting with Matt and Jeff) you are welcome/ encouraged to connect with your fellow participants in all other places on the Ranch.
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Is this a therapy group/ or form of psychotherapy?
No. Please note that this retreat is designed for educational purposes only and is not a psychotherapy group. There will be no individual assessment, diagnosis, or treatment offered. If you have a history of or are currently struggling with clinical types of depression, anxiety, or traumatic or post-traumatic stress, please consult with a mental health professional before signing up for the retreat to make an informed decision as to whether this type of event is in your best interest at this time.
It’s important to understand that no individual treatment or help will be provided, due to the size and nature of the gathering.
While many find these retreats to be “therapeutic” in nature and effect, it is important to know that they are not designed to offer therapy in any form. While there will be opportunities to ask Jeff and Matt questions, or seek their guidance, any responses will be in the form of consulting, coaching, and spiritual guidance, and not clinical or psychotherapeutic.
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I’m unable to attend the entire retreat. Can I come to part of it? Even if I pay the entire tuition fee?
It is not possible to attend only part of the retreat. As a large part of the retreat has to do with the relational field itself, and the safety, rest, permission, and deepening that is our intention, we ask that you only register if you can attend the entire program, from start to finish. Otherwise, there’s a way that the field itself can become leaky and unsupportive.
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Are there any prerequisites for attending?
No. You need not have any experience with meditation, psychotherapy, or psychological inquiry to attend the retreat. We would suggest familiarizing yourself with our books and videos on YouTube, however, to get a sense of our teaching style.
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What happens if I register and then, for whatever reason, am unable to attend?
With regard to tuition, you may receive a full refund if you cancel by May 3.
With regard to accommodations and food refunds, please contact Sunrise Ranch directly about this to speak about their refund policy.
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What will the weather be like? What should I pack and wear?
Please dress as comfortably as possible! Also, do note that even though it should be warm in June, it can be unpredictable in the mountains, so please bring along different layers in case it gets cool. We will try to maintain a comfortable temperature in the hall itself, but as “comfortable” is subjective, we would suggest you dress in layers.
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What airport do I fly into? How do I get from the airport to Sunrise Ranch?
You will want to fly into Denver International Airport. The drive from the airport to the Ranch is around 1 hour, 10 minutes, depending on traffic. You can learn more about getting to the Ranch here including a shuttle option. You can of course rent a car from the airport as well if you’d prefer.