Since the start of 2023, Patch of Heaven Sanctuary has invited nature lovers, tree huggers, mindfulness practitioners, and humans seeking respite, refuge, and replenishment to spend a day in quiet contemplation on the grounds of our soothing, sacred spaces through the practice of retreat.
Our Chief Experience Officer, Suzanne Jewell, envisioned a “Signature Series” that would be held quarterly, each event recognizing the season and the tradition of meditation retreat centers worldwide, to take “a day away” (or more, in the tradition she practices since taking Vows of Refuge).
This daylong immersion experience welcomes you to truly set aside the hustle and bustle of the city and your daily life. Drop into what some call “slow living”, first by considering the first invitation of the day:
- Drop off your phone & disconnect from technology
- The day’s agenda invites further “arriving” and “dropping in” to the present moment:
- Pause & Reflect at our Intention Board, also known as your “sankalpa” or aspiration of becoming and how you will incline your heart for the day.
- Take Your Seat: Awaiting you is a special jewel-toned meditation cushion, a personal journal, your very own Heart Stone, and color-coordinated yoga mat.
This unique offering is meant to create a core of community practitioners that are drawn to Nature, to lay the foundation toward ways of living more gently within the Cycle of Life with all living beings and to explore ancient meditation and contemplation practices.
Event Schedule
Don't miss out on this one-time event.
8:00 - 8:30
Arrive, Breakfast Nibbles
Arrive, pause and learn the“Catch Your Breath” practice.
8:30 - 9:30
Welcome, Mindful Pocket Park Immersion Experience
Mindful Nature Guides
Learn about Patch of Heaven Sanctuary, the Mindful Pocket Park, why the science of focus and attention training helps mental wellbeing and the benefits of Nature-based Mindfulness.
9:30 - 12:15
Deep Dive Guided Meditation, Mindful Movement Instructions & Dharma Talk, Mindful Inquiry, Suzanne Jewell & Adriana Moreno-Zarate
Ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official inauguration of the world's first Mindful Pocket Park.
12:15 - 12:40
Guided Walk of Wonder
Pause to “make a wish” and send lovingkindness to Nature, this sacred act invites a contemplation of what’s your highest aspiration for Nature and Earth
to be well.
12:30 - 1:30
Silent Mindful Eating/Lunch/Instructions - Suzanne Jewell
Five Sensory Gardens “guide” the experiential aspect of the 5 Senses.
1:30 - 1:45
Guided Mindful Walk to Tree of Life
“Check-out” choosing two words to describe in THIS MOMENT NOW the state of their heart-mind upon taking “The Nature Pill.”
1:45 - 2:45
Sound Healing Experience
Pause to “make a wish” and send lovingkindness to Nature, this sacred act invites a contemplation of what’s your highest aspiration for Nature and Earth
to be well.
2:45 - 3:30
Reflection Time & Sharing - Suzanne Jewell, Adriana Moreno-Zarate
Five Sensory Gardens “guide” the experiential aspect of the 5 Senses.
3:30 - 4:00
Insight Contemplative Magic Spot Experience (journaling)
“Check-out” choosing two words to describe in THIS MOMENT NOW the state of their heart-mind upon taking “The Nature Pill.”
4:00
Close the Awaken In Nature Retreat
Pause to “make a wish” and send lovingkindness to Nature, this sacred act invites a contemplation of what’s your highest aspiration for Nature and Earth
to be well.
4:45
All attendees depart Patch Of Heaven Sanctuary
Five Sensory Gardens “guide” the experiential aspect of the 5 Senses.
What is the UN International Day of Peace?
Grounded in the 2600 year old practices of insight (vipassana) and present moment attention, the day will guide retreat guests to “put down” the hectic hustle and open themselves to the soothing rhythms of “the nature pill at Patch” which permeates our 20 acre forest preserve and nature sanctuary.
Mindfulness in Nature has been shown by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) to reduce anxiety and increase calm. Many of us “know” that a walk helps calm the savage beast, yet few of us know how to actually experience Nature as Nature itself.
Why do we celebrate International Peace Day at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary?
We will guide you through the foundations of how earth-focused awareness practices began, weave you into the neuroscience of anxiety and offer the antidote of the Mindful Pocket Park’s “deep dive” into how to Pay Attention With Your Senses or P.A.W.S. When we learn through Sight, Sound, Scent, Touch and Taste how to offer ourselves present moment awareness, we open to the joys of birdsong, the sweetness of a breeze, the the lilting uplift of the chimes in our Sound Garden, and the sacred act of offering a prayer to the air before our Tibetan Prayer Wheel in the Touch Garden
Led by trained teachers of mindfulness, yoga, resilience and sound healing, you’ll experience first-hand the benefits of increased awareness, concentration, meditation and contemplation. Learn more about each of them below, check out the day’s treats of soothing spaces, tastes and time together.
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The Teachers
Suzanne Jewell
Chief Experience Officer, Patch of Heaven Sanctuary
Founder of the Mindful Pocket Park @Patch, certified mindfulness meditation teacher through the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center/Sounds True training, Executive Resilience Coach and Forest Therapy guide.
Adriana Moreno-Zarate
Yoga Teacher
MA ERYT500 is a certified mindful educator. She teaches the MBSR Mindfulness Stress Reduction and the Mindful Self Compassion MSC as well as Trauma informed Mindfulness. She has been practicing and guiding Yoga and Meditation for the past two decades at The University of Miami. She teaches Mindfulness to the teachers of Miami Dade.
Sarai Polanco
Sound Healer
Sarai is a female entrepreneur, a dedicated mother and founder of BWELL, a mindful event curation venture dedicated to fostering wellness and connection within ourselves and the community. With over two decades of experience in the luxury health and wellness industry as an LMT, Sarai has dedicated her life to helping clients discover whole person healing.
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