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“When we intentionally tune into one another, we enter another realm. We begin to speak without words. Feel without touch. See with our eyes closed. Our bond is soul deep and our love is a retreat from this world as we know it.”
-Sanjo Jendayi |
This summer's memoir retreat for the Writing Down the Soul community will be held at
Santa Sabina Center in San Rafael, California
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From the Center's website: "Some visitors claim that the walls of Santa Sabina speak, communicating a sense of calm and peace, and foster rest and restoration. They say that presence was cultivated by the prayer of the Dominican Sisters who honed their understanding of the contemplative life through daily practice, consecrating it for a future as a place of retreat. So, it has served thousands of guests since 1970 when the center started welcoming spiritual seekers from various faith traditions and spiritual paths. It is the mission of the Dominican Sisters and of Santa Sabina Center to foster contemplative ways of being." Click here to visit the website. |
I chose this location for many reasons, including:
- The gorgeous grounds, which contain many private and tucked away spaces for writing alone, meeting in intimate small groups, taking hikes and walks in the woods or strolling through the nearby Dominican University campus. I've been on a retreat there before, and know just how magical and restorative the surrounds are.
- The multiple meeting spaces, including a room for all of us to gather together, and other spaces for small group meetings, quiet writing and reading time, and sacred spaces for meditation and contemplation
The Pillow Room--Our Main Meeting Room
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The Library--For Small Group Meetings and Writing/Reading Time
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The Monastic Chapel--For Meditation and Quiet Writing Time
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The Parlor/Bookstore--For Small Group Meetings and Writing Time
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The Rose Room--For Small Group Meetings and Writing Time
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The Inner Courtyard--A Silent Space for Contemplation and Writing
- The all-inclusive, reasonable pricing, which includes six days, and five nights of lodging in simple single rooms conveniently located on the second floor of the main building (elevator accessible), and three catered meals a day, with coffee/tea/snack service
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The Entrance to the Large Art and Meditation Space
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RETREAT LOGISTICS
Getting There
The easiest way to reach Santa Sabina Center by flight is to fly into San Francisco International Airport and catch the Marin Airporter shuttle to central San Rafael (the Anderson Drive drop-off). It runs every 30 minutes, for $25 one way, and takes approximately an hour. From there, catch a Lyft or Uber or taxi for the remaining 3 miles to the Center.
Santa Sabina Center is located at 25 Magnolia Avenue in San Rafael. Parking is free on site for those with cars.
Santa Sabina Center is located at 25 Magnolia Avenue in San Rafael. Parking is free on site for those with cars.
Lodging
Have you stayed in the dorms at Pacifica before? The rooms at Santa Sabina will remind you of your stay there--after all, Pacifica's dorms were home to the Jesuit brothers and Santa Sabina's rooms were home to the Dominican sisters.
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Think spartan. Each of the 19 single rooms contains a twin bed, a desk, and a sink (if we have more that 19 participants, we will overflow into double rooms, but still with single occupancy). Showers and toilets are shared, with separate locations for men and women. All the rooms are upstairs in the main building, accessible by stairs and an elevator, and across from each other in narrow hallways. The walls are thinly built by design, so the superior nuns could walk the hallways and hear the sisters praying in their rooms--for this reason, we will honor silence upstairs, with no cell phone conversations or Netflix on your computer (without earbuds) or late-night gab sessions allowed (there are plenty of gathering spaces downstairs and outside for that!). Bring a sound machine if you're a light sleeper like me!
Like Pacifica, there is no air-conditioning on-site, nor are the rooms serviced during your stay. |
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Check-in time is anytime after 3:00 pm on Tuesday the 25th (participants must check in by 10:00 that night--no staff are available to check you in after that), and dinner is provided that evening at 6:00. For those arriving on Wednesday or Thursday, you may check in anytime up until 10:00 at night. Participants must be out of their bedrooms by 10:00 on Sunday morning, and off the premises by 2:00 Sunday afternoon (lunch is included).
Please note: Because of the nature of the rental agreement, there are no discounted rates for shorter stays--it's $1350 whether you stay only a few nights or the full five. It was important to me to offer five nights, so we have plenty of time to relax into the beautiful and peaceful place, and have an opportunity for a day-trip on Saturday (see below for details).
Please note: Because of the nature of the rental agreement, there are no discounted rates for shorter stays--it's $1350 whether you stay only a few nights or the full five. It was important to me to offer five nights, so we have plenty of time to relax into the beautiful and peaceful place, and have an opportunity for a day-trip on Saturday (see below for details).
Food
Meals include dinner on Tuesday, three full meals on Wednesday through Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday.
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Meals are served cafeteria-style in the main dining room. Participants may eat in the dining room, or take their meals outside to a beautiful common area with ample picnic tables, or eat in the silent cloister courtyard or any of the shared interior spaces.
The following special requests will be honored: gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free, and any food allergies. There is not a vegan option; however, there is a shared refrigerator and freezer where participants can leave food and beverages (please plan to label them with your name), and a microwave for heating meals. Please note: the food is catered off-site and is limited in nature, so special requests beyond those listed above and pre-arranged cannot be honored. For those who wish to enjoy dinner off-site, there are wonderful restaurants in San Rafael, 20 minutes by foot and 5 minutes by car. There are also multiple grocery stores and markets within that same distance. |
The Dining Room—Through the Doors is an Open Green-Space with Picnic Tables
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Please note: no refunds or reimbursements will be given for any meals purchased off-site. Again, the $1350 fee is a flat-fee, regardless of meals not taken or nights not stayed.
Coffee, tea, and filtered water are available 24 hours a day in the kitchen area, along with simple packaged snacks.
Coffee, tea, and filtered water are available 24 hours a day in the kitchen area, along with simple packaged snacks.
Daily Schedule
We will officially begin our retreat on Tuesday by gathering together at 5:00 pm for an hour before dinner, and end on Sunday at 12:00 in time for lunch.
Breakfast is served daily at 8:00 am, lunch at 12:00 pm, and dinner at 6:00 pm.
Our days and evenings will be spend in a combination of the following activities:
In addition, participants who would like to offer a session on a specialty content or craft topic related to memoir, or offer any group embodied practices like walking meditation, yoga, singing, etc., will be offered a time-slot on the schedule to do so.
Saturday will be a free day for those who wish to leave the Center and enjoy the surrounding environments. Jennifer will help coordinate groups and transportation for those who wish to go in San Francisco or Berkeley, take a drive to the ocean or wine country, or visit and hike in Muir Woods. For those who wish to remain at the Center and take a quiet writing day or gather in small groups, all meals will be available.
Breakfast is served daily at 8:00 am, lunch at 12:00 pm, and dinner at 6:00 pm.
Our days and evenings will be spend in a combination of the following activities:
- Large group gatherings for content and craft presentations, and writing activities
- Panel presentations and discussions
- Cohort-specific small-group gatherings
- Ample free time for writing, art-making, communing with nature, and conversing with friends
- Salon-like events where participants have a chance to share their writing aloud
In addition, participants who would like to offer a session on a specialty content or craft topic related to memoir, or offer any group embodied practices like walking meditation, yoga, singing, etc., will be offered a time-slot on the schedule to do so.
Saturday will be a free day for those who wish to leave the Center and enjoy the surrounding environments. Jennifer will help coordinate groups and transportation for those who wish to go in San Francisco or Berkeley, take a drive to the ocean or wine country, or visit and hike in Muir Woods. For those who wish to remain at the Center and take a quiet writing day or gather in small groups, all meals will be available.
Covid Policy
Please note, this COVID policy has been edited. Santa Sabina requires either proof of vaccination, or an onsite PCR test upon arrival at a $40 charge.
To provide proof of vaccination, the following are needed:
Masks are optional on-site.
To provide proof of vaccination, the following are needed:
- Vaccination card
- The date(s) of the specific dose(s) vaccine, including boosters
- The type of vaccine received
- A driver's license or government ID corresponding to the name on vaccination record
Masks are optional on-site.
Liability Waiver
All participants must sign a liability waiver upon arrival. Click here to review the waiver.
Program Cost
The six-day, five-night, all-inclusive retreat cost is a flat-fee of $1350, and includes single occupancy lodging and all meals on-site. No fee exceptions can be made for off-site meals or stays fewer than five nights.
Participants with the means to do so are encouraged to include a sponsorship donation so no members of our community are left behind. To request a scholarship, please contact Jennifer. Please note: the amount of money available for scholarships will vary, and I may not know what I can offer you until the final payment date of June 8th.
Participants with the means to do so are encouraged to include a sponsorship donation so no members of our community are left behind. To request a scholarship, please contact Jennifer. Please note: the amount of money available for scholarships will vary, and I may not know what I can offer you until the final payment date of June 8th.
Registration Due Dates
June 8th--Payment in full is due. Payments can be made through this website or directly to Jennifer using Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or check.
Refund Policy
The rental of Santa Sabina Center is a flat-rate, non-refundable fee fronted by Jennifer. Therefore, I can't be as generous with a refund policy as I'd like.
Participants paid in full who cancel by July 8th will receive a $500 refund. After July 9th, no refund is possible, with advanced apologies.
Participants paid in full who cancel by July 8th will receive a $500 refund. After July 9th, no refund is possible, with advanced apologies.
"Nowhere can man [and woman] find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in their own soul" (Marcus Aurelius)
"or at Santa Sabina Center" (Jennifer)
"or at Santa Sabina Center" (Jennifer)
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