Illuminating Advent 🕯️ Illuminating Advent 🕯️Illuminating Advent 🕯️ Illuminating Advent 🕯️

Illuminating Advent 🕯️ Illuminating Advent 🕯️Illuminating Advent 🕯️ Illuminating Advent 🕯️

Illuminating Advent
Yoga + Contemplation Half-Day Retreat

A half-day retreat journeying through the cycle of darkness and light within the four traditional themes of advent.

Illuminating Advent

Advent is one of the most well-known and well-loved seasons in the Christian calendar. Signalling our entrance into Christmastime, advent is a season we often mark with joy, gift giving, and celebration of the birth of Jesus.

What if we acknowledged that Advent is truly so much more?
What if we could be honest about how we are showing up this Advent?
What if we could acknowledge the hard and the good, the dark and the light, that  part of our daily lives?
What does it mean to meet with God in both the dark and the light?

Welcome to Illuminating Advent, a half-day Yoga and Contemplation retreat inviting you to lean into the rhythms of the church and the wisdom of nature. Here, we lean into the cycle of light to reveal the ever-present Divine with us during this season of anticipation, waiting, and the ‘now’ and ‘yet to come’.

Through intentional reflection, nourishing yoga, serene silence, and intentional creation with earthy elements, you’ll lean deeper into the sacred themes of the advent season. At Illuminating Advent, you’ll experience the cycle of darkness to light within the four traditional themes of advent; hope, joy, peace and love.

What is Advent?

Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’ and in the Christian calendar, it refers to a four-week season of remembering and celebrating the arrival of Jesus on Earth. It’s also a season where we anticipate Jesus coming again.

We are an Advent people; As Henri Nouwen says, “The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.”

Darkness to Light within Advent

The four traditional themes of advent are joy, hope, peace, and love. All things that shine a light.

But it’s often in times of darkness, when we are experiencing despair, separation and unworthiness, suffering and sorrow, turmoil and injustice, that we find ourselves craving the light that God brings us.

At Illuminating Advent, we will journey inward towards the darkness and explore where we are finding God, our Light, with us in these times desolation. Then we will journey outward, toward the light, experiencing God with us in our times of consolation. This journey will guide us through the cycle of light that marks our natural seasons.

  • Yoga

    You’ll enjoy a nourishing restorative yoga practice followed by an active ‘soul care yoga’ practice guided by 500hr yoga instructors rooted in the Christian faith while embracing the yogic tradition.

  • Creation

    You’ll prayerfully use natural, earthy elements to create your very own individual advent wreath candle holder you can use to light your four traditional Sunday's of advent, infusing your advent with a connection to God’s creation.

  • Contemplation

    You will engage in practices that give you space to become aware of the presence of God revealed all around you, to intentionally spend time being with God without doing or earning God's love, and finding enjoyment simply in the presence of the Divine.

This retreat is for you if…

🕯️You want to bring a deeper meaning to your Advent
🕯️You are craving a meaningful connection to God
🕯️You are tired of the ‘performing’ that comes with the holiday season
🕯️You crave authenticity in your relationship with God
🕯️You enjoy yoga and embodied practices
🕯️You want to explore the Christian calendar
🕯️You want to rest and soak in God’s love
🕯️You want to be intentionally and lovingly guided through a half day of spiritual formation
🕯️You want to make new friends who are on a journey of faith with you
🕯️You want to ground into the season around us as well as Jesus’ way
🕯You want to find community who loves Jesus and the Holy Mystery of this way of living
🕯You want embrace holy curiosity as you try new practices that facilitate a deeper connection to God

Illuminate the Season

If you could use a half-day sacred pause of spiritual formation, soaking in God’s love with you in times of darkness and light, engaging in activities filled with intention, exploring Jesus’ way and embracing the Holy Mystery of the advent season, this day is for you.

“Search me, O my Beloved, and know my heart! Try me and discern my thoughts! Help me to face the darkness within me; enlighten me, that I might radiate your Love and Light!” - Psalm 139

See the tentative itinerary and plan for this beautiful day.

Meet your Guides

  • Meet Aelea

    Aelea is the founder of Wander to Wonder Soul Care, a space for intentional practices that nourish your soul and facilitate a deeper awareness and connection to God and self.

    She is a trained and certified Life Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Spiritual Director and finds deep purpose in walking with others as a spiritual companion.

  • Meet Kimee

    Kimee is the founder of Sacred Rhythms Yoga. She loves weaving the rhythms of the Christian calendar and wisdom of nature into her offerings, creating a unique space to connect intentionally with the Divine and the natural world around us.

    She is a trained Yoga Teacher and comes alive when sharing yoga and other spiritual  formation practices with others as a way to deepen their relationship with Christ.

Details and Registration

RETREAT DATE: Saturday, November 23rd, 2024

RETREAT TIME: 9am-1pm

RETREAT LOCATION: Nashville First Baptist Church, 108 7th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

WHAT'S INCLUDED: A half-day of intentional practices to prepare your heart for an authentic advent. Practices include 2 guided yoga classes, guided prayer practices, silence, prayerful creation of an advent wreath candle holder for use throughout advent, and delicious snacks.

INVESTMENT IN SELF: $45 per person Early Bird - Register by the end of October, 2024.
$65 per person Regular Price - Starting November 1, 2024
*If the cost is preventative to attending, please reach out to discuss options!

WELCOME STATEMENT: You are welcome here no matter where you find yourself on your faith journey. Our faith journeys all look different and are shaped by our experiences. We acknowledge God is present with us.

Upon receipt of payment, you'll receive an official welcome email with all the information you'll need for Illuminating Advent.

Retreat space is limited to 15 participants to register soon to avoid disappointment!