Hey all! I’m currently working with a great team of mindfulness practitioners to offer a free, day-long mindfulness retreat here in the San Luis Valley.
As you all know, if you’ve been reading my blog for a minute, yoga and other mindfulness practices have been a great help to me in my life, as I deal with mental health issues and major periods of transition. I am lucky that I’ve been able to access these resources, and feel doubly fortunate that I am able to teach and provide these resources for others.
A major block in access to things like yoga and mindfulness is the cost.
The area where I live has a high poverty rate. Jessica Chacon of Sweetgrass Therapeutics, along with me, Trey Bell, Jesse Marchildon, and Bethany Perry, are working together to offer this day-long retreat so that people with financial restrictions are able to benefit from these helpful practices.
We are seeking sponsorship from local organizations, and have launched this GoFundMe in order to cover the costs of the event. We’ll be renting a space, providing childcare and transportation for those who need it, and providing lunch.
Please reach out to me with any questions you may have, and, if you are able, consider donating or sharing!
Read the description from the GoFundMe here:
As many of you may know, some residents of the San Luis Valley experience high rates of poverty, and stressors that can come with that-such as mental and emotional difficulties. The SLV is a beautiful place that offers many the space to interact with nature. It’s a place where people come (from all over the world), to take part in retreats that aid them in learning to manage daily stressors, develop a personal spiritual practice and/or take a break from life. Yet, many of our own residents do not have the financial means to take part in retreats, or even the privilege to “retreat” from life.
With that, Sweetgrass Therapeutics and friends want to offer a gift of a day-long Mindfulness Retreat to our community members, in hopes of supporting them to learn how developing a mindfulness practice can lead to greater resilience as they move through daily challenges and triumphs. We have designed this day specifically for those who are new/new(er) to mindfulness practices and/or those who have never had the opportunity to attend a retreat due to financial restraints. We understand that retreats are often expensive and not accessible to all, because of this, this retreat will be offered for free. We also know that some parents cannot afford to step away from their family life to retreat, so we will be working to provide childcare during this event, to make it even more accessible!
With that said, due to Sweetgrass Therapeutics being an individually owned, small business that offers affordable services to our community members, we cannot offer this retreat on our own and are reaching out to friends and family like you, who may have had the privilege and/or know the value of our neighbors being able to access a mindfulness retreat.
If this speaks to you, we ask for your support in helping us to sponsor and put on this event! Funds will be used to pay for the 4 instructors, venue fees, marketing/advertising, food/catering services, supplies and childcare.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jessica via contact info on sweetgrasstherapeutics.com
Thank you in advance and many blessings to you!
-The Gift of Presence Team
Ink and Vein 