Useful Gatherings Retreats
Women's Retreats in WNY and beyond with Useful Gatherings
Useful Gatherings with Irene Kulbacki brings women together in a retreat style format that combines a group learning environment with moments of pause to create self-awareness, in an environment that is safe and with individuals who share common experiences. This format empowers women to critically think, brainstorm, and problem solve to make positive changes in their lives and in the world.
If you choose my services, I will work in partnership with you to create a program and schedule that meets the specific needs of your population of women and aligns with your group or corporation’s mission statement and core values. I will come to your location of choice or I can assist you with sourcing out a location in your area. My support team is qualified and will work to compliment and support the chosen program. In addition, as facilitator, my energy and ability to empathize with your group will foster a renewed sense of agency, gratitude, and hope. Most importantly women leave with social connections and a knowing that they are not alone, hence strengthening the overall well-being of those who attend and your community.
The word “retreat” is often used to denote a military retraction or moving away from a dangerous situation. According to the website Catholic Retreats, the word retreat has been used in a spiritual sense since the late 1400’s when Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the patron saint of retreats, was “touched by grace and decided to focus on growing closer to God, rather than continuing to work on become a valiant warrior.”
While many of today’s aging women are not literally in a military battle, the amount of stress that they incur on a day-to-day basis can leave them feeling like warriors out to battle, with their sympathetic nervous systems in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze. Although it would be nice for them to disappear indefinitely on a deserted island or in the mountains to stimulate their parasympathetic nervous system and achieve a state of rest, it is not a realistic possibility.
However, short term retreats that last one to three days give women the opportunity to de-stress, nourish the soul, connect with nature, develop healthy habits, improve life skills, and find a like-minded community.