Teen Wellness Retreat

January 21, 2023
The Living Seed
New Paltz, NY

We held a one-day teen Wellness Retreat at The Living Seed in New Paltz. The retreat was open to current members of the Youth Action Team, who were encouraged to bring one guest friend from outside of the foundation. The intention for this event was to offer a day of midwinter restoration for teens during a busy, challenging time in their academic year.

Teens explored practices such as QiGong, various forms of meditation, self-massage with foam rollers, how to use temperature sensitive biodots to track changes in their bodies, and were introduced to the Eastern energetic perspective of balance through the teachings of Yin/Yang philosophy. Participants were also led through a Labyrinth walk, an ancient meditative activity used to quiet the mind in order to achieve a new perspective. Teens shared that the Labyrinth walk showed them that “life is not linear, nor is it a maze, it is a labyrinth”, and that “turnarounds in life can be difficult, and are really times of growth”, but that “if we’re focused on the destination, we miss out on the journey”.

The Youth Action Team officers collaborated with Board members Terry and Jacki Murray, and Carisa Borrello, who brought their individual expertise in planning, leading activities, and teaching at the retreat.