The Geography of Joy Retreat

Welcome, Joy Seeker!  The Geography of Joy retreat invites you.  Are you willing to seek and spread Joy?

Who: This 3-day retreat is for you if you are: willing to invest time, energy, and attention in your Joy; open to meeting a wonderful, welcoming group of like-minded people in a space of non-judgement; and, curious about finding and celebrating your place of safety and empowerment in this miraculous world.  Space will be limited to roughly four dozen Joy Seekers.

What: A mindful celebration of your best life consists of sessions that are balanced with the goals of intensive growth and self-awareness, on the one hand; and, rejuvenating exploration and relaxation, on the other.  Sessions include: daily yoga and guided meditation; facilitated gratitude and joy-centered workshops; massage therapy; guided hiking and forest bathing; evenings by fireside.  All meals are included in the cost of registration, prepared on-site, sourcing local, organic produce whenever possible; all meals include vegetarian options.

Where: Join us atop Bald Mountain at Elohee (EL-oh-HEE), which means “earth place” in Cherokee.  Elohee is part of 220 acres known as Landsong, near the village of Sautee Nacoochee in the Blue Ridge foothills.  The breathtaking Bald Mountain facilities are at the heart of this year’s Geography of Joy retreat.  Each building – communal and meeting spaces within walking distance of cottages and the dining hall – was designed in partnership with the diverse eco-settings of the region.  Panoramic views of the north Georgia mountains during Winter invite rejuvenating reflection, and determined preparation.  For guests outside of the region, Elohee is located (a traffic-dependent) two hours from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

When: The Geography of Joy will take place on December 13-15 of 2019, nestled ideally between holidays.  Guest arrival begins at 3pm on Friday afternoon, and departure follows lunch on Sunday and before 2pm.  This is the perfect window of time for you to set your intentions for the New Year.

Why: These are challenging times.  Although human distress and suffering are as old as humans themselves, this ancient suffering is now empowered by remarkable technology.  The map of our humanity is an increasingly tragic expression of unmet needs.  Powerful abuses of people and places are commonplace in the political, economic, and ecological spheres – all of which take place on the Earth that we share.  This is a vital time to empower ourselves to do our very best, most soulful work.  You are invited to ‘remap’ your life – with an orientation towards your Joy – and leave here ready and able to help create a new Geography of Joy for our shared world.

A few important notes:

• Tuition for this retreat is $300.00. If you are able to fully finance your retreat, please do so, so that we can collectively support the retreat’s mission.  However, we invite you to consider our sliding-scale options (below); or, please contact Matt (mattmitchelson@gmail.com) to discuss the possibility of additional support.

• Everyone has different financial ability, and our sliding-scale tuition allows participants to pay according to their means.  Sustaining tuition is $300; mid tuition is $200; and base tuition is $100.  At checkout, you will be asked for a discount code.  For sustaining tuition, no discount code is required.  For mid and base tuition, please enter one of the following codes:  mid200 or base100, respectively.

• You will also have the opportunity to donate any amount of your choice, when registering, which will help others attend this retreat.  Simply enter your donation amount in the “Donate Here” field at the bottom of your registration form.  A percentage of donations will be matched by the retreat.

• Funds from University System of Georgia institutions (e.g., departmental travel funds) cannot be used to attend the Geography of Joy.  Any student or colleague (past or present) of Dr. Matthew L. Mitchelson should also contact Matt (mattmitchelson@gmail.com) before registering to ensure that no possible conflict of interest or ethical dilemma arises.  These policies are in place to prevent any possibility for a conflict of interest, violation of Matt’s terms of employment with Kennesaw State University, or ethical compromise.

If you have questions or would like additional information about this retreat, please contact Matt at mattmitchelson@gmail.com.