Relationships are an important testing ground for self-awareness and spiritual insight. We often resist intimate emotional connection, and despite our longing for closeness, we are frequently sabotaged by fear-driven, negative patterns that leave us feeling isolated, lonely, and cut off from the people we care about and ourselves.
In this 5-day Writing to Awaken retreat, you explore the foundations of intimacy in your life and what poet John Keats called the "holiness of the heart's affections." Writing about the relationships that impact you and your stories about those relationships is liberating and illuminating, Mark's teachings serve to open your heart and mind to new ways of loving, sharing, and learning.
Known for his intuitive work with students, Mark uses targeted writing prompts, small-group sharing, and inspirational lessons and readings to guide you through a process of self-inquiry designed to deepen insight, heal obsolete narratives, and hone your writer's craft.
In Intimacy as a Path of Insight, you explore:
- The importance of candor in intimate relationships
- The difference between self-love and self-cherishing
- The gaps between story and truth in love
- The link between loneliness and self-protection
- The impacts of the psychological shadow on the heart's affections
- The illuminating power of memoir writing as a path of insight
Scientific studies have shown that a consistent writing practice has wide-ranging benefits, and Mark creates an atmosphere of warmth, wisdom, and safety in which to do this powerful practice. By focusing on truth-telling and transformation, Writing to Awaken has helped thousands of students around the world move toward their personal, professional, and spiritual potential.
