Retreats for Presence, Connection, and Renewal

What to Expect

Awaken Engage retreats offer a supportive container to step out of daily routines and reconnect with what matters most. These immersive experiences are designed to support deep rest, self-inquiry, and meaningful connection through mindfulness, somatic awareness, and creative practice. At each retreat, retreatants are challenged to lean into the following:

We are not learning how to get anything.

We are not learning how to get rid of anything.

We are learning how to be with everything.

Just as it is.

Just as we are.

Intentionally paced, the retreats allow space for both guided exploration and personal integration.

Retreats may include:

Mindfulness and awareness practices
Yoga Nidra and guided rest
Group reflection and inquiry
Somatic and embodied practices
Music, sound, or handpan experiences
Time in nature and silence

What Participants Are Saying

Spaces for Reflection, Connection, and Renewal

Who These Retreats Are For

These retreats are for individuals who feel called to slow down, reconnect, and explore their inner landscape in a grounded and supportive environment.

Retreats may be a good fit if you:

Feel the need for rest, clarity, or renewal
Want to deepen mindfulness or self-awareness
Are navigating transition or change
Appreciate a balance of structure and spaciousness
Value a gentle, non-performative group environment

Choose Your Retreat Experience

Integrated Life Retreat™

September 25-27

Date:

The annual fall Integrated Life Retreat will be September 25-27

Location:

St. Gertrude's Retreat Center in North Central Idaho

What to Expect:

Expect to experience deep rest, relief, and an increased ability to fully Live life — or, be lived by

Life. Our time together weaves in and out of structured group experiences including yoga nidra

sessions, micro-mindfulness group sessions, discussion, reflection, and dyads. There are also

times for you to use the space and time however you would like. There are hiking paths,

meadows, grottos, and the Spirit Center itself has a number of places for meditation, artwork,

crafts, etc.

Reserve Your Spot (cost and payment details):

$500 and this covers room, food, and all the sessions. You can pay by cash, credit card, check, or Venmo. (note: processing fee applies to credit card payments). Non-refundable deposit of $250 due by August 15, 2026. Please reach out via email to awakenengage@gmail.com if you are interested. If you have not attended a retreat with me before, we will schedule a short conversation to make sure the retreat is the right fit for you.

Questions:

Contact me at awakenengage@gmail.com

What Participants Are Saying

"I feel more connected to goodness and love and joy in my spirituality and in my body than ever before in my life."

"An amazing new understanding of my heartfelt desire, an extremely useful and beautiful intention that really captures my truth, some beautiful new relationships, and just a ton of freedom and joy and love."

"I learned some profound lessons by being in relation with the people in the retreat. I was able to notice the difference between when I trust being myself versus when I try to create some sort of outcome."

"Different energy existed. Sitting in the freedom of letting go of some pieces in my life I had so desperately held on to. The retreat allowed those layers to show up. It was safe for them to show up and have me look at them."

"I'm not really doing it justice, Dave. I felt so happy all weekend; it very much brought me back to life."

Rest and Resilience Micro Retreat™

What is this retreat about?

At these 24-hour micro-retreats, we engage in seated mindfulness meditations, group processing time, and yoga nidra mindfulness mediations (lying on the floor and doing nothing ;-)). Expect to come away from this experience feeling rested, renewed, and more equipped to be with life as it is as you are. Many participants also leave with a deeper connection to themselves, greater awareness of their inner resources, and a renewed capacity to meet life with presence and resilience.

Who is it for?

Those looking to re-connect to their inner wholeness and experience deep rest and connection with a small group of fellow sojourners.

Where is it located?

We meet and spend the night at the “Highland Valley Retreat Center” nestled in the Boise Foothills just off of Warm Springs. The center is a wonderful residence (owned by PJ Steven - our host) with thoughtful and comfortable spaces for our group time, yoga nidra, gentle movement, and eating together.

When is it?

TBD: These are usually in November and March.

What is included?

Lodging for Friday night (Private room)
Friday Dinner
Saturday Breakfast
Saturday Lunch
Snacks, coffee, tea, etc.
All group and yoga nidra sessions
Recordings of yoga nidra sessions (when applicable)

Topic:

TBD

What else?

Space is limited to 6-8 people

Cost: $200

What Participants Are Saying

"My busy life and fatigued soul needed a place to slow down. This retreat was my container to drop deeper into my relationship with myself. Clear guidance and experience of the group leader led to joy, connection, and deeply felt experiences within the group. I plan to make this a yearly event of essential self-care."

"I have found myself being more conscious of my breath in the time since. I feel like I am handling situations that used to be very stressful with much more patience and grace."

"This retreat will help you slow down and become more connected with yourself, and by extension, everything around you. It will help you learn the language that your body is speaking, and how to help give it what it needs to thrive."

Retreat Structure

Each retreat is thoughtfully structured to support safety, depth, and integration. Group sizes are intentionally limited to maintain a sense of presence and connection.

Small group setting
Guided sessions balanced with free time
Emphasis on presence rather than productivity
Opportunities for reflection and rest

Meet Your Facilitator

David Robert Jones, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor • Certified Mindfulness Teacher • Retreat Facilitator • Educator • Musician

For more than two decades, I have explored the intersection of psychology, mindfulness, contemplative practice, creativity, and human connection. My work has included counseling individuals and couples, teaching university students, facilitating retreats, leading mindfulness groups, and creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and engage more fully with life.

My own journey through traumatic brain injury and chronic pain deepened my understanding of healing, resilience, and the importance of compassionate presence. These experiences continue to shape the way I approach retreat facilitation today.

Whether through guided reflection, mindfulness, yoga nidra, group dialogue, music, movement, or deep rest, my intention is simple: to create a safe and supportive environment where people can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and engage more fully with their lives.

Participants often describe these retreats as both grounded and transformative—offering practical tools for everyday life while creating space for meaningful insight, connection, and renewal.

Participant Reflections

"THANKS, DAVID! You are a wonderful facilitator and guide. You are a huge component of the benefits I experienced!"

— Rest & Resilience Retreat Participant

"Our group was warm and comfortable. I loved the connections and, of course, the wise and loving presence of you, dear David. Your gifted teaching and open sharing made it easy to absorb the information."

— Integrated Life Retreat Participant

"I am very grateful for the energy and encouragement that you had for each of us. The kindness and patience was so authentic that it put me at such ease that I was able to really resonate with the message and techniques."

— Rest & Resilience Retreat Participant

Curious About a Retreat?

Sometimes the best way to know whether a retreat is right for you is simply to have a conversation.

If you're wondering whether one of these experiences might be a good fit, I'd be happy to connect. Reach out, share a little about what you're looking for, and we'll explore together whether this feels like the right next step.

Email me at awakenengage@gmail.com.

Retreats and Ongoing Support

For some participants, retreats complement ongoing counseling or personal growth work. While retreats offer meaningful insight and connection, they are not a substitute for therapy.

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