Category — retreats & workshops

JUNE 16-22, 2009
MORGAN’S ROCK HACIENDA & ECO-LODGE
SAN JUAN del SUR, NICARAGUA

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Join New York Times best-selling author and Buddhist teacher Susan Piver for a week of relaxation, writing, hiking, and fun day trips. Give yourself the gift of immersion in your own writing and enjoy the company of fellow-writers. Learn how to meditate and explore the relationship between meditation and creativity.

Open to writers of all genres and styles, published and unpublished. Bring existing projects, new ideas, or simply the wish to explore your own creativity. In paradise.

“Susan is a caring, compassionate person whose presence, insights, and instructions made for a valuable week exploring meditation practice and writing.” Heather R, Albany, Travel Writer

“Susan Piver is very wise, intuitive, and insightful and has had great impact, with a very light touch.” Gil D, St. Johnsbury, VT, Corporate Consultant & Business Writer

“Emotionally moving, spiritually a gift, cathartic beyond my wildest imagination.” Miriam L, Cambridge, Essayist

Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge is more than just a hotel or luxury resort. It is a unique and natural haven for the true traveler who is looking for a touch of luxury while enjoying the adventure and excitement of an exotic and tropical destination. But most importantly, it is a project of nature conservation, community development and reforestation offering Agro and Ecotourism at its best.

Enjoy the solitary companionship of one of Nicaragua ’s most beautiful beaches while slipping back into your spacious private bungalow overlooking Pacific sunsets and tropical wildlife.

The hacienda is located just north of San Juan del Sur, about a 45-minute drive from the Costa Rican border and two hours from the colonial city of Granada in southern Nicaragua. Endowed with a private, white-sanded beach visited by sea turtles to lay their eggs, the hacienda also hosts its own primary tropical dry forest ecosystem.

“The room was exquisite, spacious with an amazing view. The daybed on the porch was a sweet way to feel time slip away. The beach was absolutely perfect beyond belief, from the cabanas to the hammocks to the warm waters; and we were almost virtually alone! The cocktails were delicious, the pool (along with every other aspect) is beautifully designed. And once again, the staff was wonderful.” –Gay Kalember & Adrianna Pavloff

For a tour of Morgan’s Rock, have a look at this short video clip.

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Morgan’s Rock is part of a full-scale tree farming, reforestation and conservation project that extends over 1,800 hectares. And the rooms are gor-geous. In fact, the whole place is gorgeous. It’s been reviewed favorably by Conde Nast, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, and so on.

Join me June 16-22 for this amazing retreat. You’ll have plenty of time to sink into your writing, and we’ll also share day-trips, hikes, and fun, focused group conversation about our work.

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Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Authentic Inspiration: A Retreat for Writers
Karme Choling Shambhala Meditation Center
Barnet, VT June 29 – July 6
$675
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“I had not written anything in a long time. The Writers’ Retreat gave me the space, time, and inward focus to let creativity happen naturally. I hadn’t realized how much I had to say. The meditation aspect of the retreat provided a peaceful structure where writing could be a pleasure once again instead of work. Susan led each day with a purposeful blend of meditation practice and writing sessions and I appreciated the fruits that came from a firm but generous schedule.” –A.B., Boston

What do writers want more than anything in the world? Time to write. Yet even if such precious time could be found, it’s not always easy to settle into the writing groove.

Get away to Karme Choling, a beautiful Buddhist retreat center in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and spend five full days on writing and your own unique voice.

In addition to plenty of personal writing time, quiet, and the supportive (but non-intrusive!) presence of other writers, the program will include daily meditation practice and simple creativity exercises. Although the focus will be on individual work, there will be opportunities for moderated discussion of each other’s writing.

Open to writers of fiction and non-fiction, published and unpublished. Bring your ideas, works-in-progress, or simply your wish to devote attention to your creativity.

No meditation experience required. Instruction will be offered.

Join me and yoga teacher extraordinaire, Dana Strong for a life-changing journey to Cambodia and Vietnam. Through the practices of meditation and yoga, the exoticism of the outward journey will be matched by a deep inner journey. We will travel to such sacred sites as Angkor Wat and the Perfume Pagoda, as well as to the center of our own hearts and minds.

Both Dana and I are students of Shambhala Buddhism and there will be an emphasis on serious fun. Serious. Fun.

The lovely and totally excellent Dana Strong

Dana has been teaching yoga nationally and internationally since 1998. She has studied extensively with Rodney Yee and in NY with Genny Kapuler and others. She was a senior teacher at Om Yoga Center. She has completed the Graduate Program of Buddhist Studies at the New York Shambala Center. Dana’s teaching draws on her current Iyengar studies as well as her practice of meditation. She combines the fluidity of breath with precision of alignment based on personal intuition and the experience of her students. Her classes are known to be challenging but playful. She teaches and practices yoga to bring ideas and action together, creating a relaxed body and a wakeful mind.

She is also a graduate student at Columbia University, where she is focusing on Buddhist-Christian dialogue.

Please join me for a 5-day Meditation Retreat for Writers.

Which I happen to love, love, love teaching. And would love, love, love to see you there. Of course.

I had not written anything in a long time. the Writers Retreat gave me the space, time,and inward focus to let creativity happen naturally. I hadn’t realized how much I had to say. The meditation aspect of the retreat provided a peaceful structure where writing could be a pleasure once again instead of work.
Anne, Boston, Office Manager & Memoirist

If you’ve promised yourself to set aside time for writing but never seem to get around to it, this program is for you. It invites you to drop everything and tune into your own authentic voice. The moment you make this commitment–and give yourself the support of meditation and a non-intrusive community of fellow-writers–the words will flow. They truly will.

May 11-16 Kripalu, Lenox, MA

June 29-July 5 Karme Choling, Barnet, VT

This is what happens on the retreat:
Writer and teacher Susan Piver creates a warm but focused environment in which to reflect and create. The majority of time will be spent on personal writing projects.

Meditation, journaling, and lots of time for personal writing create a sense of flow and deep connection to your authentic voice.

Evenings are spent in group discussion. Each student will have a chance to read his or her work and receive feedback.

Meditation instruction will be offered; no prior experience needed.

Open to writers of fiction and non-fiction, published and unpublished.

You’ll leave the program inspired and relaxed, having written a lot.

Here are some nice things people have said about this retreat:
Susan Piver is very wise, intuitive, and insightful and has had great impact, with a very light touch.
Gil, St. Johnsbury, VT, Corporate Consultant & Business Writer

This course helped me integrate meditation skills such as serenity, focus, compassion, and insight into the areas of poetry and fiction. I am extremely grateful!
Brian, Ithaca, College Student & Poet

I cannot recommend this writing and meditation retreat enough! Susan’s carefully considered practice schedule offers precisely the right balance of meditation and space in which to write. Her teaching style allows for full creative expression to unfold because she neither interferes with the writing process, nor does she abandon the writer to his or her own devices. The result is a profound deepening of the work of writing and the practice of meditation. I left with a much more sophisticated understanding of how these two practices are not only complimentary, but how meditation is crucial to the life of the writer. This is a very rare opportunity for anyone, indeed.
Crystal, NYC, Novelist & Writing Teacher

I can’t imagine any way to improve this program because it was more than I could have asked for.
Kathy, Cleveland, Librarian & Memoirist

The growth I experienced in five days was life changing.
Britta, NYC, Graphic Designer & Memoirist

Susan is a caring, compassionate person whose presence, insights, and instructions made for a valuable week exploring meditation practice and writing.
Heather R, Albany, Travel Writer

Emotionally moving, spiritually a gift, cathartic beyond my wildest imagination.
Miriam, Cambridge, Waitress & Essayist

It’s really fun, I swear.