On Retreating...

Open skies, orchards, flowers, horses, trails, bubbling creeks and great fellowship. Where did I experience these? Thanks to DA, I have been able to benefit from the past three retreats at Casa di Maria's Retreat House near Santa Barbara. On these glorious weekeends, I learned about the fellowship and the inner workings of the program.

I learned about service: • the service of a commitee planning for many months and participating in the work and fun • the service offered by the facilitators of workshops, many of whom are professional therapists, who spend a morning or afternoon enriching our lives through poetry, discussion, dreams, drama, music, dance and art • the service of musicians who brought their music for the group to sing around the doorway or bonfire • the service of those who participated in pressure relief groups.

Yes, retreating offers challenges beyond meetings: • I learned to write a poem about a randomyl selected object. This excercise triggered deep feelings that I never even knew were there • I learned to interpret a dream and shared those insights with other DA members. This helped clarify some of my personal challenges. I shared my conclusions with the group which helped me realize that what I thought was personal was in fact universal (and therefore less overwhelming) • I took a workshop on improvisation which helped me "feel" events from my past. I was reassured by the circle of progrm members offering comfort • I learned to create a vision by selecting and pasting text and images on my vision board that captured that hitherto "unattainable dream". I was inspired by the large room strewn with magazines, poster board, magic markers and glue pens.

Some members visions were put in the form of a "God box" decorated with personally designed colorful papers. The facilitators of the workshops kept the emphasis on going towards "the miracle just around the corner that we work to achieve".

I learned to associate some "fun" with serious work. I particularly enjoyed the closing ceremony of this years retreat where we symbolically threw into the bonfire whatever we wanted to rid ourselves of and then wer crowed with a laurel wreath by our leader (and Chairperson) wh ws dressed as a greek godess. I howeled with laughter (as did many others) as a DA version of the Odyssey was read.

Yes it was work. Yes it was fun. Yes it was DA at another of its finest hours.

—Ruth M.