A typical day with HER WILD SONG begins with a wake-up chant in the barely light dawn. Soon a bell calls us to the meditation circle. Depending on the leaders and the mood of the trip, what follows will include sitting meditation, movement, and chanting.

The second hour includes hatha yoga, Body-Mind CenteringTM, and QiGong. On days when we break and move camp, we spend most of the day on the river or trail, moving at a pace that allows for discovery and appreciation of our surroundings. We plan layover days into all the trips. On these, there may be a morning talk or discussion and then time for exploration, contemplation or relaxation.

Meals are celebratory times for gathering. We sing and read poems to bless the meal and then eat in silence for a few minutes before a bell invites us to talk, laugh, and share in voice.

Most evenings, we gather at the fire circle for council, singing, and a formal close to the day. Those who wish may stay up later at the fire. The rest of camp begins the Noble Silence which we hold until after breakfast the next morning.

Shared spiritual practice is at the heart of all HER WILD SONG retreats. Sitting in a circle on the earth, still and quiet, in the early dawn light; paddling a river or hiking a forest path, silently in an easy rhythm, carrying with us all that we need; sharing delicious meals, massaging aching muscles, singing 'round a campfire: such ancient, time-honored gestures as these carry us along in the stream of our ancestors . We learn to move in right relation again, right-sized, right-paced, with no more to do in a day than the day can comfortably hold. We discover intimacy with rocks and trees and wind. We find that our bodies are not other than the Earth's body. We come home - in a simple, ordinary, embodied and intimate way. We find great joy.

Her Wild Song • PO Box 177 • Brunswick, Maine 04011 • (207) 721-9229 • journeys@herwildsong.com