Gatherings as Practice

“These basic technologies of humaning feel like magic because we are so unused to them being parts of day to day life.” – Ariel Brooks, Toronto Cattail Retreat

“My playful passenger arrived on the bus, a remembering of the fun through laughter, friends, singing and scribbling with no agenda, no purpose, simply being in the here and now!” – Helen Patterson, Toronto Serviceberry Retreat

“The alchemy [of Coralus gatherings] creates the conditions for something rare and deeply meaningful: authentic witnessing, courageous conversations, collective reflection, and co-creation that feels both grounding and expansive at the same time.” – Lori Anne Jones, PEI Yarrow Retreat

“I knew that being in a physical space with a group of aligned people would be good for the soul and help me stay on my path to authentically showing up in the world.” – Robyn Hooper, Vancouver Fireweed Retreat

“Learned something new about the GABA hormone and appreciated the fact that the group was willing to discuss menopause and how what we were learning about our nervous system, hormones, and energy fields were related to The Change.” – Dori Tunstall, LA Retreat

“We learn about the “bus” and how nervous system regulation can assist us. I notice that many of the things that regulate our nervous systems are happening, here and now at our retreat. Perhaps what we were creating together is not simply retreat space, but a kind of living experiment. A remembering of older human rhythms and ways of being that modern life has largely stripped away.” – Louise Tarrier, Glastonbury Retreat

“We pulled cards from the Wild Unknown Alchemy deck and mine was exactly aligned. The card was about spring, winter ending, and coming into a time of blooming which reflected the transformative phase I’m in.” – Myriam Francisque, Ottawa Wild Rice Retreat

“I recognized and began to embody my own agency regarding what is being created and the role I want to play in that. I also began to recognize the interconnectedness of things and recognizing that what I need to thrive cannot be separate and must take into consideration what the world needs to thrive.” – Celia Fernandes, Toronto Sugar Maple & Burlington Sage Retreat

“The conversations around the polycrisis made me think about what it means to move beyond supporting people to succeed within existing systems, and instead imagine new ways of organizing that do not keep exporting harm to the poorest communities.” – Lee Tracie Stockburger, Vancouver Salmonberry Retreat

“These last couple of days helped me get connected to the parts of me that I had shut down to be very much in the dynamic, egocentric want, go, go, go energy, and I’ve learned that I’ve always benefited from my magnetic energy, my way of life, appreciation for others.”

– Behi Shafiei, Toronto Sweetgrass Retreat

“I’m continuously checking in with my energy, breathing in day to day to calibrate. I prioritized doubling down on my weekly martial arts practice as a result.” – Chloe Chan, Toronto Sweetgrass Retreat

“I’m no longer just pushing my way through the day. I’m learning to balance dynamic, magnetic, and receptive energy, and it’s changing what’s possible.” – Melissa Kaye Online Retreat

“Holding an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the people in this community. I feel like I learned how to breathe.” – Jennifer Lewis, Toronto Sugar Maple Retreat

“One of the biggest tools I took away from the last retreat was this: if our intention is to show up authentically and share our perspectives, especially within communities that hold such diversity, how do we each bring our truth to the center without censoring ourselves, while also moving through anger and all the feelings that arise, and then practicing repair? I think that’s the only way we’re going to do things differently. Otherwise, we’re simply repeating the same old patterns.” – Golnaz Golnaraghi, Toronto Serviceberry & Online Retreat

“I realized that the only way we’re going to build the kinds of connections our future communities will need is if we learn how to disagree, experience rupture, and know how to repair. We don’t have to ignore discomfort or simply “love each other over it.” We can have the difficult conversations that deepen our relationships, knowing: you will still be here, and I will still be here.” – Melissa Kaye, Online Retreat

“It felt like a time to connect with a really powerful group of women… to see past the chaos and explore the possibilities of not a better, but a more revolutionized way of walking in the world, and I left feeling stronger, hopeful, and more connected.” – Wendy Morrison, Vancouver Salmonberry Retreat

“What I found was a group of women willing to look inward, not just outward. Willing to do the inner work that community actually requires, not just the networking. Sober about the scale of the challenge. Informed about what the data says. Open to uncertainty — to staying in the fog longer than feels comfortable — and still, genuinely, oriented toward what’s possible.” – Laurie Spengler, Glastonbury Retreat

“Response-ability. In the face of the hard stuff, the messiness, the crisis, and the sweetness of life, to be able to sit and cherish, and then also take a stand and advocate when needed.” – Wendy Blake, Toronto Serviceberry & Burlington Sage Retreat

“You never fully know what resource is in the room until people gather and how those people will intersect. The magic lives in human connection.” – Lee Tracie Stockburger, Vancouver Salmonberry Retreat