Flourishing in the 3rd Age

Flourishing in Your 3rd Age

Oct 17-20, 2024

Are you wondering about what is next in your life?  Do you find yourself daydreaming about shifting  your work pattern or taking a leap into retirement? Maybe life has turned you upside down and you find yourself in an unplanned transition.   Or maybe you are questioning what is important to you now, especially as a result of living through a global pandemic, climate change, wild fires, droughts and other disasters.  Perhaps you have already retired and want to pause and reflect on where you’re at…

Welcome to your Third Age!  

Flourishing in Your 3rd Age  is a retreat on Salt Spring Island, BC for women (50+ years of age) who have or have had careers and wish to make the most of their time here on earth.  You will explore such questions as: 

• What is important to me at this unique point in time?

• What can I expect with this transition time in my life?

• Will it be good for me?

• Which capabilities and strengths do I bring to my 3rd Age that will help me flourish?

• How will I design my life going forward? 

• How will I relate to co-workers, family, friends? 

• What will my support community and social networks look like?

This retreat will help you:

• Discover challenges and possibilities arising from your life transition.

• Gain fresh perspectives on your interests and what is important to you.

• Recognize and appreciate your strengths and wisdom arising from unique and varied life experiences.

• Self-assess key areas of your life and make a transition plan that is grounded in what matters to you.

• Learn practices and activities that spark your creative self and nourish your body, heart, mind and soul. 
  

Together with other women and master facilitator, professional coach and retreat host Dori Howard and master facilitator, consummate learner and experienced retiree, Grace Mickelson, you will explore learn, focus and plan as you experience a transitional time in your life. Grounded in key research findings, this retreat will help you focus on getting clear about what is important to you, being compassionate with yourself, finding new meanings and discovering potential pathways for this brand new phase of your life.

*Note: Retirement/3rd Age financial planning is important; however, not a focus of learning for this retreat. We recognize that there are many workshops and experts who are available for financial health for those in the 3rd Age. If you wish to learn more about financial planning, we can recommend some financial advisors.

What you will do at the retreat:

• Reflect on what is important to you
• Align this phase of your life with your values
• Explore transition and retirement challenges and discover new possibilities
• Make plans that are achievable and meaningful to you, through professional coaching by Dori and other associate coaches
• Connect, share, laugh, paint, sing, hike, paddle, row, breathe and have fun!
• Be introduced to and integrate enso’s Four Shades of Joy including:

• Nutritional Harmony

• Mindset Elevation

• Heart and Soul Re-alignment

• Synergy with Nature

  
  You will leave this program feeling more confident and optimistic about the next phase of your life.

Unique retreat environment

• Immersion in an inspirational setting on Salt Spring Island, BC conducive to relaxing, connecting, learning and creativity
• Individual and group reflection
• Facilitated discussion
• Healthy meals prepared with local and organic ingredients
• Enjoyment of nature, poetry, yoga, meditation, painting and music

Prices

rates

$1650– treehouse
$1600 – private
$1550 – shared room
$1100 – commuter

What’s included

Retreat fees are per person and include the following:

• Pre-retreat session 1 week prior and Post-retreat session 4 weeks after via Zoom

• 4 day interactive and experiential learning program

• 3 nights of comfortable forest view or ocean view accommodation (unless you choose commuter option)

• oceanfront venue complete with lounging areas, dining area, multiple decks, beach access to private beach, yoga/art studio, forest paths

• healthy nourishing meals with locally sourced ingredients

• skilled facilitators

• yoga classes and guided meditation

• free on-site parking.

Location and How to Get Here:

The enso Learning Centre is located on tranquil Salt Spring Island, BC - where Zen meets West Coast. This 4.3-acre oceanfront property has stunning sunsets, soothing waves gently rolling onto a private smooth stone beach, dense forests of arbutus and fir trees, a babbling brook and close proximity to hiking and the funky town of Ganges.

To get there, you must travel by BC Ferries. Bring your car and/or carpool with other participants. Ferry walk-on is possible and arrangements can be made for transport to the retreat location. You can also travel via float plane with Harbour Air. Transportation to and from terminals can be arranged. What to bring:

• Comfortable clothing/warm layers for sitting in retreat, yoga, lounging, comfy pyjamas
• Journal and pen
• Artifact/Object of meaning
• Poem that resonates with you now
• Outdoor/Rain gear and walking shoes
• Hiking/walking poles if you use them
• Water bottle, thermos

About the Facilitators 

Dori’s mantra, “it’s all about the learning,” is integrated into all aspects of her life. Her experiences in healthcare for over 30 years have brought many lessons of giving, receiving, health and wellness. she has been in a steep learning curve in the practice of self-compassion and becoming a heart-centred entrepreneur. She was catapulted into a series of life transitions and has experienced the process of reinvention and alignment of life to values. Dori’s view is that there is no magic bullet but rather a range of life practices that can move us ‘a shade more…’ towards wellness and healing. She created a self-prescribed holistic care plan that has now become her signature Four Shades of Joy, that integrates Nutritional Harmony and conscious nutrition, Mindset Elevation including kundalini yoga and meditation,Heart and Soul Alignment and Synergy with Nature including forest bathing, hiking, and time in nature in her daily life in order to balance compassion for self and others. The peaceful and tranquil environment at Enso Retreat Centre on Salt Spring Island has created a safe, holistic space to become A Shade More… Whole. Dori is a skilled facilitator with extensive experience in leading individual and group learning activities. She is a certified executive professional coach and holder of brave space. Her passion is creating spaces and opportunities for people to reflect, learn and try out new (or re-activate) practices that move them toward life wellness and ‘connect to a truer you’

Grace opted to retire in 2015 after almost four decades of professional work in nursing, professional development and education leadership roles in the health care field.
Several years in, she describes the transition as a continuing process that is sometimes exciting, other times challenging, full of surprises (mostly pleasant!) and, ultimately, an uplifting experience. The transition takes time and is aided by willingness to self reflect, new learning, improvisation and connection with others. 
Grace’s passionate belief that ‘learning opens doors’ provided the spark for her work in the healthcare field and continues to energize her current co-facilitator role at enso.
She welcomes the opportunity to reflect with you and others and, together, learn “A Shade More…” about how to thrive in this unique and precious time of life.

 
a quick glimpse of Flourishing in your 3rd Age:

Pre-Retreat Session-TBD

• 2 hr Zoom call 1-2 weeks prior to retreat

• introductions, retreat prep, getting to know you and a wee bit of learning.

Thursday-Day 1

• early afternoon: Arrivals and Pick-up

• afternoon: Registration, Welcome, Opening Circle, Workshop

• late afternoon: Gentle Yoga Class

• evening: Dinner, connection and sharing artifact, closing

Friday-Day 2

• early morning: Morning Meditation

• morning: Breakfast, Transition Workshop

• mid morning: Nutrition Workshop, Hike (level – easy-moderate) + Workshop activity, picnic lunch

• afternoon: Workshop

• late afternoon: Creative activity

• evening: Dinner, Sharing poem and connection, Evening meditation

Saturday, Day 3

• early morning: Morning Meditation

• morning: Breakfast- workshop

• market, Lunch at market

• afternoon: Workshop

• evening: Dinner, beach or pit fire,

Sunday-Day 4

• early morning: Morning Meditation

• morning: Breakfast, Action planning, coaching

• mid morning: Closing Circle

• noon: Lunch, pack up, Departures
  
  
  
  

Post Retreat Session-TBD

• 2 hr session via zoom:

• check-in, follow up, progress with action plan

• support moving forward to flourish in the 3rd Age