Retreat Recap: Yoga & Flowers
On a sun-soaked, mid-September Saturday, we had the joy of hosting our very first Wild Sanctuary Retreat. A Mini Yoga & Contemplation Retreat, Yoga & Flowers, at Nash Creek Farms—and what a beautiful beginning it was!
We gathered early at the flower farm, the air still carrying the sweetness of late summer and the fields abundant and alive with the most beautiful dahlias you’ve ever seen. There were butterflies galore, and the funniest ‘drunk on nectar’ bees passed out on the petals.
Yoga, Contemplation, and Community…
Our yoga practice unfolded beneath the generous shade of a magnolia tree, its branches arching like an ancient guardian above us. Moving and breathing together in that open space reminded us how deeply connected we are to the rhythms of the seasons and the gift of creation.
As part of our contemplative time, we engaged in Visio Divina—a practice of seeing with the eyes of the heart. Each sister was given a unique flower and, with unhurried attention, received its colors, patterns, and delicate form as a window into beauty and God’s Loving Presence. In silence and reflection, the flowers became teachers, reminding us that if God puts such detail, attention into the care of the flowers, would He not take even better care of us? (Matthew 6:30)
We also made space for community—sharing conversation, laughter, and reflections that wove us together in a spirit of belonging as we sat in circle, mingled around the snack table, sipped Late Summer herbal iced tea, and walked the fields, gathering blossoms into bouquets, arranging them as expressions of gratitude and joy.
Celebration and Renewal…
Woven throughout the day, like a golden thread, was a liturgy for picking and arranging flowers (see below); bearing witness to the promise that death is a lie and beauty, eternity and a Kingdom of Peace here and now are what we were made for.
This morning was more than a mini retreat; it was a celebration. We honored the turning of late summer, the abundance of creation, and the beginning of Wild Sanctuary Retreats. What began as a dream has now taken root, and we are excited to watch how God guides this flower to grow. We are so grateful for those who joined us in marking this milestone.
As the sun reached towards high noon, we carried away not only flowers in our hands but also a renewed sense of wonder, rest, and connection. This is the heart of what we hope to offer through Wild Sanctuary Retreats: sacred pauses, where the beauty of nature and the practice of God’s Loving Presence meet.
A Liturgy for the Picking & Arranging of Flowers
Adapted from, A Liturgy for the Planting of Flowers, Every Moment Holy, Volume 1
The planting of flowers is an act of protest!
A counterstrike to the cruelty, violence and loss that are always so prevalent in our world. The bursts of color and beautiful blooms will be bright dabs of grace, witnesses to a promise, reminders of spreading beauty more eternal, and therefore stronger than any evil, than any grief, than any injustice or violence.
In full bloom, they are like banners on a hilltop, proclaiming God’s right ownership of these lands. They are a warrant and witness, each blossom shouting from the earth that death is a lie. That beauty and immortality is what we were made for. They are heralds of a restoration that will forever mend all sorrow and comfort all grief. They declare a kingdom of peace, of righteousness, of joy, of love, of justice and mercy.
If planting flowers is a protest; then the picking and arranging of flowers is an act of worship.
A statement of gratitude for earth’s bounty; and the invitation to hold these eternal promises more closely to our hearts in our own intimate spaces. Co-creators of the beauty of the kingdom that is now and later. A reminder that our created identity is blessed, beautiful, and meant to expand beyond our roots.
A statement of reverence for the wisdom patterns of nature and for an even greater holy mystery. Though these flowers point us to a greater eternal truth; they will wither and die. Our act of picking has indeed insured their death with little thought to their continuing life cycle had they been left alone. It begs the question: ‘should we not then pick?’ But any horticulturist can tell you, cutting cultivated flowers can encourage plants to produce more blooms.
And so it is with our own cultivation. A sure pruning can lead to greater growth in the fruit of God’s Spirit. And our Spirit fruit was made to be eaten. Like the flowers that will wither and die, so shall we; but not before their beauty has beared witness to God’s glory in a dim corner of a dusty room, a hospitable bedside table, or a centerpiece at a grand feast. The place matters not; the arrangement and type of flower make no difference. The value of the picking and arranging of flowers is in the act of hallowing God’s Great Name, wherever beautiful and broken place they may land.
