Reclaim Creativity as a Birthright

This deeply experiential weekend retreat is designed to help you step out of burnout and back into authentic imagination and purpose. Guided by Rev. Dr. Shelley Best—artist, activist, curator, yoga and mindfulness teacher—this program creates a contemplative, embodied space where creativity is reclaimed as a birthright and a spiritual resource rather than a luxury or performance.

Throughout the weekend, you will engage in mindfulness meditation, gentle movement and yoga, Yoga Nidra, sound healing, reflective journaling, storytelling, and collaborative creative practices. These modalities work together to quiet the nervous system, open the inner landscape of imagination, and foster genuine connection with self, others, and a more compassionate future. Rather than focusing on artistic skill, the retreat emphasizes accessibility, curiosity, and shared exploration, making it suitable for people of all backgrounds and experience levels.

The retreat is rooted in Dr. Best’s Creative Disruption framework described in her book by the same name, developed and refined during her time in Kripalu’s artists and activists environment and featured in Chapter 17 as “Kripalu and Intentional Breaks.” In that chapter, Kripalu is lifted up as a model of how intentional retreat can help creative leaders and change‑makers rest, reset, and recover clarity. This program brings that vision to life on campus: you not only experience personal renewal, but also learn how to use retreat as an ongoing practice to sustain creativity, courage, and hopeful leadership in your community.

In this program, you will experience:

• Mindfulness meditation and Creative Imagination Meditation, using breath, gentle guidance, and open awareness to invite images, insights, and inner guidance.
• Mindful movement and gentle yoga to reconnect body and breath, release tension, and support nervous system regulation in accessible ways for all levels.
• Yoga Nidra and sound healing sessions that guide you into deep rest, receptive awareness, and inner visioning.
• Reflective journaling and writing prompts that help you name insights, emotions, and emerging possibilities.
• Storytelling and facilitated dialogue circles where you share experiences, listen deeply to one another, and cultivate a sense of belonging.
• Collaborative creative exploration—such as intuitive writing, drawing, and symbolic art‑making—focused on process, play, and discovery.

Return home with practical contemplative tools, simple creative rituals, and a renewed sense of belonging—to your own inner voice, to a supportive community, and to the work you are called to create in the world.

Recommended Reading: Rev. Dr. Shelley Best, Creative Disruption: How Artists and Innovators Build Influence, Drive Change, and Shape the Future