Equinox Registration

Community Agreement

Opening to Fall Equinox • Friday Harbor, WA • September 11–14, 2025

This weekend invites a shared rhythm of presence, reflection, and connection with the more-than-human world. 
If the atmosphere and agreements described below do not feel aligned, this may not be the best offering for your current needs, and that’s okay.

Please read through all of the following details below before registering.
Those who feel drawn to this retreat will be trusted to self-select with care.

Guiding Principles and Practices

  • This retreat is designed to be:

    • Substance-free
      To support clarity and cohesion, please refrain from alcohol, plant medicines, and other substances throughout the gathering.

    • Adult-only
      Unregistered guests (including family or friends) may not join any portion of the retreat.

    • Tech-light
      Minimal phone use during shared experiences.

    • Grounded in mutual respect, care, and gentle rhythm

    • A shared experience shaped by presence and reciprocity

    Please be mindful of noise and volume.
    This is a space for soft conversation, deep listening, and reverence for the natural world.
    Our focus will be softly held on offering our awareness, listening for insights, and sharing how we might put them into practice.

  • Our shared time is held as a form of renewal.
    By registering for this retreat, participants agree to:

    • Arrive on time and stay for the full retreat (Thursday–Sunday)

    • Join group activities with openness and respect

    • Honor quiet periods and reflection time as integral to the experience. 

    • Attune to timing, tone, and group flow, supporting a relaxed and spacious group atmosphere

    • Respect boundaries (spoken and unspoken) with grace and attentiveness

    Arriving open makes room for something new to move through.
    Enjoy this time of having nothing to fix, solve, or prove.

  • Listening opens the way. Through quiet awareness and presence, patterns begin to reveal themselves—within place, within one another. This gathering honors the practice of deep listening as a way of being in relationship with land, sea, and community. With open ears, open heart, and without an agenda. 

  • These gatherings invite us to step outside the rhythm of daily life and remember what it means to live in harmony—with ourselves, with each other, and with the living world.

    Together, we’ll:

    • Meditate and spend simple time in nature

    • Connect with others and ourselves through presence and acceptance

    • Bring more love and creativity into the way we live

    • Welcome ceremony, ritual, and celebration as everyday expressions of reverence

    • Practice living with awareness, guided by what’s true inside

    This is a space to return to what feels real. A place to listen more closely, soften where we've been hardened, and root into what nourishes. To feel our pulse in harmony with all life on Earth.

  • Each person brings a unique rhythm, perspective, and presence. This space is shaped not only by what is shared, but by how we hold and receive one another’s presence. These group dynamics support the experience as a whole—helping to cultivate trust, depth, and shared belonging.

    On Sharing
    This retreat offers space for honest presence, quiet reflection, and meaningful connection. Sometimes that means speaking, sometimes listening, sometimes just being together. Please allow each person’s process to unfold in its own way.

    This is a space for offering, witnessing, and letting things be, without a need for commentary. We can release any pressure to fix, advise, interpret, or offer feedback unless someone explicitly asks for it.

    It will be helpful to share from your own lived experience, by using “I” statements rather than “you/we/they/it”. This might make it easier to share your truth without making assumptions or generalizations.

    Let’s try to stay:
    Curious. When something feels tender or uncertain, consider the question: What’s here for me to learn? Let curiosity soften reaction, in order to stay with your own inner experience. We get to release any urge to perform, teach, or know during our time together.

    Brief. As a courtesy to the group, aim to be concise in your expression, speaking clearly and with intention. No need to rush. The group will thank you for your clarity and care. Think of it as a practice in the power of words.

    Relevant. Offer what feels timely and true. Stay connected to what’s unfolding. Trust yourself to know what belongs in the space, and what’s better left to silence.

    Why Speak Aloud?
    Sharing dreams, goals, or even small truths aloud activates both emotional and cognitive centers of the brain. Research in psychology and neuroscience shows that speaking something out loud helps encode it more deeply, strengthening memory, motivation, and clarity. In other words, saying it helps make it real. As social beings, voicing our inner world with others can bring coherence to thoughts and emotions, reducing stress and increasing a sense of alignment. Some would call that science, others call it magic. Maybe it’s both.

  • Punctuality. Beginning together helps create a shared rhythm and spaciousness for all.

    Hold Stories with Care. What’s shared here is offered in trust. Speak and listen in ways that honor that trust, without retelling anyone else's story without permission.

    Shared Respect. This space is open to the full spectrum of who we are, in our identities, experiences, perspectives, and ways of being. Let us show up with humility, warmth, and a willingness to learn.

    One Voice at a Time. Let’s allow each person to finish their thought before the next begins. This creates a more easeful, attentive rhythm and helps everyone feel heard.

  • All guests will stay together in an oceanfront lodge. Sleeping arrangements are mostly in shared rooms, with a mix of beds and premium air mattresses.

    To maintain a cozy environment for relaxed connection, we will all agree to:

    • Communicate respectfully and honor each other's rest and privacy.

    • Practice tidiness, flexibility, and consideration in communal areas.

    • Honor quiet hours 9pm-9am, and personal space to support deep rest.

  • Please help us maintain a sense of emotional safety and mutual care.

    • If experiencing any illness or symptoms before the retreat, communicate with the organizer as soon as possible, before arrival.

    • Communicate personal needs with clarity and compassion.

    • Tend to one’s own emotional state, and avoid placing caretaking on others.

    This retreat is not a therapeutic setting, nor intended for deep personal healing work.
    While emotion and reflection may naturally arise, the space is not designed for processing trauma. Each participant is encouraged to tend to their own needs, take quiet time when helpful, and support the shared rhythm of the group. Heartfelt sharing is welcome, and everyone is trusted to speak with care, knowing what feels appropriate to offer.

 FAQs

  • This retreat brings together meals, transportation, lodging, and thoughtful facilitation — all in a unique island setting during the peak of fall wildlife season. The price reflects not only logistical coordination and shared time on the water, but the unseen work of curating a meaningful, easeful group experience.

    Rather than separate bookings or an à la carte approach, everything has been arranged with the group in mind. Many behind-the-scenes details are included to support ease. The cost reflects this thoughtful integration, making it easier to simply show up and be part of the experience.

    Transportation has been arranged for the entire group from Oregon to the island and back, removing one of the most common logistical challenges — navigating ferry schedules and vehicle reservations. Traveling together also supports a grounded, cohesive rhythm from the very beginning. Each guest is asked to register and participate fully. If you're planning to come with a partner or friend, both people must register separately and be confirmed in advance.

  • This gathering is designed with care and intention. Every element — from transportation and lodging to the chartered boat trip and shared meals — is included to create a seamless, restorative experience.

    I’ve designed this to be simple—intentionally low on decisions, so it feels easy to step into.

    This is the kind of experience I’ve longed for myself, and now hope to share in community. It’s not a high-end resort or a packed schedule of workshops, but a quiet, meaningful gathering for a small group. Also, this place we’re going is just pure magic. The cost reflects thoughtful coordination, respectful group size, and the real expenses of creating something this grounded and deeply supported.

    All guests stay together at a private oceanfront lodge, with access to cozy shared spaces, nature walks, and time on the water. Lodging is communal and comfortable, with a few private options available. Guests have some ability to select the space that best suits their needs, and everything else is taken care of — including van travel from Oregon, a full-day private wildlife charter, materials, meals, and more.

    This is a curated group retreat. Each person registers individually, and all guests must be approved and fully confirmed in advance. If you're considering coming with a friend or partner, you're both welcome to apply — just know that all spots are reserved for fully participating, registered guests.

  • Group transportation is included and strongly encouraged, as it simplifies logistics hugely, and helps us begin the retreat in a shared rhythm.

    However, if you need to drive separately due to specific circumstances, please get in touch as soon as possible.

    You’ll be responsible for your own ferry reservations and parking, and retreat pricing remains the same to support the full group plan. We’ll coordinate meeting times for all scheduled activities.

    If there is any way to join group transportation - let’s definitely explore how we can make that happen if possible.

By proceeding with registration, each guest agrees to the Guiding Principles listed above.

Please take a few moments to share your details and reflections. Feel free to skip over any optional questions. This retreat welcomes thoughtful, grounded presence, participation, and mutual respect. 
If you anticipate needing extensive accommodations, are unsure about traveling with a group, or tend to prefer high stimulation, this may not be the best match for your needs.
Space is limited and carefully curated to support the shared rhythm.  Your responses will help ensure this is a good fit.