MorningSage is a nonprofit, educational organization under The RiverWind Foundation, a Wyoming 501(c)(3) corporation. MorningSage offers small, intimate retreats in settings of incomparable natural beauty, fusing the power of remarkable places with educational and experiential programs to restore, re-inspire, and transform the body, mind, and spirit.
Landscapes of Healing
A Five-Day Retreat for Cancer Survivors
Landscapes of Healing offers a unique opportunity for cancer survivors to fully immerse themselves in their healing journey. By exploring both the nature within and without—that is, dovetailing attendees' own healing stories and challenges with the visible and sensory healing images surrounding them in wild nature— Landscapes of Healing catalyzes a special synergy in which things new, essential, and good become possible.
In the presence and wisdom of wild places, participants are guided through specially-tailored experiential processes, sharing circles, nature-connecting activities, and story telling sessions. Each day begins with a query that is the focus of the day's inner and outer explorations. Time for silence and reflection is an integral part of the program. Informal campfires, fireside chats, personal time, or star gazing make up the evenings. Nature is a comic, and so are the facilitators of the retreat: humor is at home here.
Crafted to collaborate with the healing energies of remarkable natural places, Landscapes of Healing is a retreat experience in which insight and transformation may occur gently within the intimacy of small group work. Surrounded by incomparable natural beauty, attendees can find their personal “medicine bags” expanding in ways both unimaginable and unexpected. Into this sacred space, powerful healing allies may emerge—not just for the course of the retreat, but for life.
This retreat program works best for people who are engaged the healing process, and who are comfortable working in small groups. Landscapes of Healing is an educational program, not a treatment program. Participants must be under the care of an oncologist or other conventional physician, be well enough to benefit from the program, and able to care for themselves in a rustic retreat setting.
Details
- September 6-10, 2007: Murie Center Ranch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
- Maximum of 12 participants (Partners and spouses are welcome to attend—fees noted below)
- Landscapes of Healing retreats are respectful of survivors' needs to address the medical aspects of their healing journey, as well. The faculty for this retreat includes Dr. Mark Menolascino—board-certified in both internal and holistic medicine—whose practise focuses on balancing the mental, emotional, and medical components of illness and wellness.
- For an additional fee, retreat participants may schedule a private medical consultation with Dr. Mark before or after the retreat.
Cost
- $1,250. Fee includes tuition, meals, and a cozy, shared cabin.
- Private cabins are available at higher rates. (Please contact Lorna at friend@muriecenter.org or 307/739-2246, for information on private lodging options and costs.) Visit www.muriecenter.org for more information on this nationally historic and wild treasure.
Registration
Please contact Susan or Carol at romacernak@aol.com or 208/787-4170 to register, or if you would like more information. Please provide a phone number where we may reach you. Registration includes filling out an application, and scheduling a phone interview with Carol Taylor to determine if this is the right program for you at this time. A packet with more detailed information about the retreat, local airports, transportation, and suggested clothing and supplies will be sent out/emailed when you register.
Retreat Facilitators
Author-facilitator Susan Chernak McElroy and Carol Taylor, M.S.W., L.M.S.W., have collaborated together for many years, creating spaces where personal authenticity, renewal, and integration unfold.
Susan Chernak McElroy
As a “terminal” cancer survivor of 20 years, Susan brings years of personal experience, deep reflection, and unstifled humor to the topic of what healing is, and what it takes to heal. An author of five books on the topic of nature/animals and healing, she has presented at many conferences and facilitated scores of workshops and retreats. Her lectures on cancer, nature, and healing are published through Sounds True Audio Company. She has counseled many cancer patients over the years, guiding them through the challenges of recurrences and treatment options.
In addition to facilitating her own cancer support groups, Susan is a “graduate” of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program and the Dr. Carl O. Simonton course for cancer visualization and healing. A student of indigenous tradition for many years, Susan is a Sundancer in the Lakota tradition, lodgekeeper for a Cherokee-tradition sweat lodge, and the carrier of a sacred medicine pipe. She believes in the power of ritual and ceremony, and crafts many of her own for groups and celebrations. Susan is a board member of the Riverwind Foundation, and a former board member of the Delta Society.
Carol Taylor, M.S.W., L.M.S.W.
Carol Taylor, M.S.W., L.M.S.W., has decades of experience as a clinician in medical social work, working extensively in hospital, home health, and hospice settings. She is a native in the land of healing, and of leave-taking. Carol has developed and facilitated many support groups for those facing serious illness, those navigating difficult life passages, and those who are grieving. Creativity, engagement, humor, and compassion are the hallmark's of Carol's healing presence.
Carol is a master at team-building and at finding creative, heart-mind solutions to the emotional and societal challenges of illness, treatment, and healing. Through her Idaho-based consulting practice, Above & Beyond Consulting, She works with groups and organizations nationwide as a teacher and facilitator in organizational development, customer service, and leadership training, as well as educating health care professionals about mind, body, and spirit healing processes. She has served on the Idaho Commission on Aging, was a nominee for the national Robert Wood Johnson Community Service Award, and serves on the board of A Better Way Coalition. She currently works and counsels in the Oncology department of St. John’s Medical Center, and is co-chair of the SJMC Ethics Committee.
Dr. Mark Menolascino
Dr. Mark Menolascino is the medical liaison for this retreat. Dr. Mark is board-certified in both internal and holistic medicine. He is also trained and certified in an array of complementary medical techniques and practices, including Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Homeopathy, Biofeedback and Meditation, Reiki and Healing Touch, and the study of naturopathic remedies and herbal medicines. Dr. Mark’s practice is a blend of the best of evidence-based internal medicine with complementary and alternative medicine techniques, creating an integrative and individualized healthcare plan for each patient.
Judy Bayse, RN, OCN
Judy Bayse, RN, OCN, oncology nurse consultant, has been a clinical nurse for more than 40 years and brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and experience in cancer treatment, intensive care nursing, and home health. As the Director of Oncology for St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming, she is renowned for the compassionate care she offers each patient and family, tailoring treatment to their unique needs and preferences. Judy has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for her clinical expertise, dedicated patient care, and for the contributions she as made to the Jackson Community.