DANCING THE MESS OF RELATIONSHIP
AN ART-MONASTIC EXPERIMENT IN RELATIONAL MEDITATION
WildHeart: Center for Performance and Embodiment Practice [1.5 hours from NYC]
Friday April 3 - Sunday April 12, 2026
Application Deadline: November 15th
$450-850
Our intention for this 9-day program is to practice meditation on the relational field. Where a traditional meditation retreat might have practitioners focusing on their breath, or sensations throughout their body, this meditation practice will have us focusing on what is coming up between us in relationship moment-to-moment, the ever-unfolding dance between self and other. Unlike other retreats which focus on relational practices (such as Circling or Group Relations) this program will oscillate between verbal relational processes, most often Circling, and nonverbal relational processes, most centrally Contact Improv and Meditation.
Through meditation, expressive movement, language, touch and dance we will investigate what arises between us: attractions and resistances, patterns and polarities, tendernesses and ruptures, silences and chaos. As we dance, as we work and play, and as we eat and cook together, as we care for ourselves and each other, our attention will keep returning to our bodies and hearts as they move through the collective field of relationships, group roles and polarities.
From a dharma lens we do this for the sake of liberation, seeing the relational field not as fixed reality but as a conditioned weave of sensations, perceptions, and reactions—fluid, empty, and open to be played with and within. From an artistic lens we do this for the sake of aesthetics: refining and cultivating our sensibilities so that we may co-create experiences with greater precision, beauty, and expressive range. From a therapeutic lens we do this for the sake of transformation, seeing the group as a mirror in which recurring patterns, polarities, and parts of the self can be recognized, explored, and reimagined through sustained interaction.
We will follow a highly structured daily schedule that will change somewhat from day to day, and allow blocks of time for rest or free time. We will have a consistent opening and closing of our days. Mornings will start around 7am with an hour long meditation that leads into Contemplative Dance Practice, followed by breakfast. The day will end with a shared meal and a collective evening activity or conversation. The bulk of the day will be spent in relational mindful practice including (but not entirely limited to) meditation, Contact Improvisation, and Circling. These core practices will be bolstered and complemented by exercises inspired by Process Oriented Psychology, IFS, Butoh, Group Relations, and Psychodrama. For at least one, possibly two, days of the retreat, we will open our community of practice up to the larger community of Wild Hearts and their neighbors for an open practice to share our learnings with them. We may have some silent hours or a silent day.
Through meditation, expressive movement, language, touch and dance we will investigate what arises between us: attractions and resistances, patterns and polarities, tendernesses and ruptures, silences and chaos. As we dance, as we work and play, and as we eat and cook together, as we care for ourselves and each other, our attention will keep returning to our bodies and hearts as they move through the collective field of relationships, group roles and polarities.
From a dharma lens we do this for the sake of liberation, seeing the relational field not as fixed reality but as a conditioned weave of sensations, perceptions, and reactions—fluid, empty, and open to be played with and within. From an artistic lens we do this for the sake of aesthetics: refining and cultivating our sensibilities so that we may co-create experiences with greater precision, beauty, and expressive range. From a therapeutic lens we do this for the sake of transformation, seeing the group as a mirror in which recurring patterns, polarities, and parts of the self can be recognized, explored, and reimagined through sustained interaction.
We will follow a highly structured daily schedule that will change somewhat from day to day, and allow blocks of time for rest or free time. We will have a consistent opening and closing of our days. Mornings will start around 7am with an hour long meditation that leads into Contemplative Dance Practice, followed by breakfast. The day will end with a shared meal and a collective evening activity or conversation. The bulk of the day will be spent in relational mindful practice including (but not entirely limited to) meditation, Contact Improvisation, and Circling. These core practices will be bolstered and complemented by exercises inspired by Process Oriented Psychology, IFS, Butoh, Group Relations, and Psychodrama. For at least one, possibly two, days of the retreat, we will open our community of practice up to the larger community of Wild Hearts and their neighbors for an open practice to share our learnings with them. We may have some silent hours or a silent day.
ART-MONASTIC EXPERIMENTS
Dancing the Mess of Relationships is one of several programs that the Deep Play Institute that Fall under the umbrella of Art Monastic Experiments: long-form co-living retreats focused on integrating the artistic & psychosomatic with the contemplative & communal. Below is our vision of these retreats.
We are guided by the call of the monk or mystic. We meditate, we pray, we play, we transcend dualisms, we seek not to fix or resolve the mundane or profound torments of life, we hope to transcend dualisms and illusions, and hope to bask in the unresolvable divine mystery.
We are guided by the call of the artist or therapist. We cry, we scream, we care for the earth and each other, we dive deep into the psyche’s murky waters with therapeutic spells, we play with the diverse manifold of existence (the grotesque, the mundane, the dancing light on the maple leaf, the dissonant clanks of glasses as we clean) and we fashion this into art, poetry, dance and music.
We believe in the alchemy of aestheticization and wild, unexplained expression, of editing and precision and brilliance, as a beloved sibling to contemplative practice which orients life around the sacred as divine love, distance or attunement. We do not want one without the other - and this is part of what draws us to build something different from existing monasteries and artist communities.
They are experiments, because each iteration involves us auditioning structures. Our communal monastic experiments are not faithful to any particular monastic religious or artistic tradition. We love the devotion and collectivity of various spiritual communities, we love the early mornings and days spent in service to ourselves and each other and the ceaseless welcoming of spirit, but we feel the need combine these spiritual practices with the soulful practices of the artist and therapist, in an effort to integrate the gifts of each archetype. to draw more emergently and holistically from a wide array of practices to nourish this devotion. Each Art-Monastic Experiment is an outgrowth of our years of research into contemplative-artistic-therapeutic practices; a fantasy of how some of these practices could be combined to create a gorgeous flow of morning, to afternoon, to night; from tending, to expressing, to yielding, to trying, to floating, to toiling, to resting.
We are guided by the call of the monk or mystic. We meditate, we pray, we play, we transcend dualisms, we seek not to fix or resolve the mundane or profound torments of life, we hope to transcend dualisms and illusions, and hope to bask in the unresolvable divine mystery.
We are guided by the call of the artist or therapist. We cry, we scream, we care for the earth and each other, we dive deep into the psyche’s murky waters with therapeutic spells, we play with the diverse manifold of existence (the grotesque, the mundane, the dancing light on the maple leaf, the dissonant clanks of glasses as we clean) and we fashion this into art, poetry, dance and music.
We believe in the alchemy of aestheticization and wild, unexplained expression, of editing and precision and brilliance, as a beloved sibling to contemplative practice which orients life around the sacred as divine love, distance or attunement. We do not want one without the other - and this is part of what draws us to build something different from existing monasteries and artist communities.
They are experiments, because each iteration involves us auditioning structures. Our communal monastic experiments are not faithful to any particular monastic religious or artistic tradition. We love the devotion and collectivity of various spiritual communities, we love the early mornings and days spent in service to ourselves and each other and the ceaseless welcoming of spirit, but we feel the need combine these spiritual practices with the soulful practices of the artist and therapist, in an effort to integrate the gifts of each archetype. to draw more emergently and holistically from a wide array of practices to nourish this devotion. Each Art-Monastic Experiment is an outgrowth of our years of research into contemplative-artistic-therapeutic practices; a fantasy of how some of these practices could be combined to create a gorgeous flow of morning, to afternoon, to night; from tending, to expressing, to yielding, to trying, to floating, to toiling, to resting.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
- Those drawn to long-form, immersive communal practice and can commit to the full duration
- Practitioners or invested explorers of contemplative practice, somatic psychotherapy, or embodied art
- Those who can tolerate — and practice — sustained relational intensity and authenticity, and who are able to understand and consent to the potentiality of emotional fallout that may occur
- People with supports in place for aftercare (friends, therapist, community)
- People comfortable with giving and receiving non-sexual physical contact
- Folks comfortable knowing their boundaries, expressing a “no” within dynamic and intense relational contexts
SAMPLE SCHEDULE FOR 1 DAY OF THE RETREAT
7:00 Wakeup Bell
7:30 Meditation
8:30 Contemplative Dance Practice (30 mins solo movement, 30 mins CI)*
9:30am Breakfast
10:30am Daily House Tasks / Chores
11:00am CI and/or Circling*
1:00pm Lunch
2:00pm Rest / Free Time
3:00pm CI and/or Circling
5:00pm Meditation*
6:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Evening Activity
10:00pm Evening Bell
* some of us will leave early to help prepare the next meal
7:30 Meditation
8:30 Contemplative Dance Practice (30 mins solo movement, 30 mins CI)*
9:30am Breakfast
10:30am Daily House Tasks / Chores
11:00am CI and/or Circling*
1:00pm Lunch
2:00pm Rest / Free Time
3:00pm CI and/or Circling
5:00pm Meditation*
6:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Evening Activity
10:00pm Evening Bell
* some of us will leave early to help prepare the next meal
APPLICATION PROCESS & PREREQUISITES
Our application process is designed to select participants who are well-suited to this specific container. As with many intensive retreats, the immersive environment may bring up strong emotions, relational challenges, and states of mind outside of one's norms and habits. We ask that participants bring relevant skills, experiences, or prior practice that allow the group to engage from a shared foundation, ensuring that everyone can participate safely and fully in our practices.
Pre-Requisites*
*These pre-requisites are intended as guidelines, not rigid barriers. Applicants with alternative experiences that demonstrate equivalent preparation and depth are encouraged to apply.
**We draw from several schools of meditation. While we will suggest practices such as Open Awareness or Metta to support relational presence, our approach is intentionally experimental. Participants are welcome to bring and integrate other styles of meditation they find supportive of relational awareness.
Pre-Requisites*
- Individual Reflexive Practice: Participants have maintained a consistent reflexive practice for at least two years: some kind of ongoing attitude of self-reflection that weaves into the fabric of daily or weekly life. Examples include therapy, journaling, or meditation.
- Meditation: Participants have some experience with prolonged meditation, and are open to participating in silent, hour-long meditations multiple times a day. These can be seated, standing, or laying meditations**.
- Relational Attunement: Participants have at least two years of applied experience with relational attunement practices. Examples include Group Relations, relationally focused therapy, Circling, Authentic Relating, Process Group Therapy, Processwork, and Nonviolent Communication. Formal training is great if you have it, but what matters most is not occasional workshops, but a lived aptitude for relational attunement (and its related principles) that extends into one’s relationships with friends, family, and community.
- Somatics / Movement Practice: Participants have the equivalent of at least one weekend of movement based / somatic practice, such as Contact Improv, Butoh, Open Floor, Biodanza, Tuning Scores. Formal training is not required, but meaningful familiarity with translating emotion, psyche, expression, and impulse into movement is important. This is not meant for those entirely new to movement based practices.
*These pre-requisites are intended as guidelines, not rigid barriers. Applicants with alternative experiences that demonstrate equivalent preparation and depth are encouraged to apply.
**We draw from several schools of meditation. While we will suggest practices such as Open Awareness or Metta to support relational presence, our approach is intentionally experimental. Participants are welcome to bring and integrate other styles of meditation they find supportive of relational awareness.
VENUE
This experiment will be hosted at WildHeart: Center for Performance and Embodiment Practice a land-based culture hub incubating new performances cultivating deep community hosting transformational events in the Hudson Valley. Nestled in forests and fields, Wild Heart has a vision of a world with more “performances created as an expression of deep integrity, nourished by embodiment practice, while living close to the earth." Our residency will be in collaboration with the WildHeart community, and we may cross pollinate our practices with the larger community.
Our retreat will be based in The Guest House, a private residence on site reserved in its entirety for our group that will serve as our center for sleeping, shared meals, and several of our collective practices. In addition, we’ll have access to the studios elsewhere at Wild Heart for movement practices, and time in these spaces will be arranged in conversation with the resident community. By sharing the studios with the broader network at Wild Heart, we are able to keep our costs low. The downside being: we won't have guaranteed dance studio access for a certain amount of time each day. Our contact improv practice will ebb and flow accordingly, while non-dance based relational practice can happen anytime.
Our retreat will be based in The Guest House, a private residence on site reserved in its entirety for our group that will serve as our center for sleeping, shared meals, and several of our collective practices. In addition, we’ll have access to the studios elsewhere at Wild Heart for movement practices, and time in these spaces will be arranged in conversation with the resident community. By sharing the studios with the broader network at Wild Heart, we are able to keep our costs low. The downside being: we won't have guaranteed dance studio access for a certain amount of time each day. Our contact improv practice will ebb and flow accordingly, while non-dance based relational practice can happen anytime.
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
WildHeart is conveniently located only 1.5 hours drive from New York City, and there is ample parking at the property for those able to drive. Alternatively, there is easy access from NYC via train to Poughkeepsie, NY (20 minutes from WildHeart) or via bus to Newburgh, NY (15 minutes from WildHeart). Participants can easily find ride sharing or taxi services from these stations to the venue.
Please plan to arrive on Friday April 3rd between 3-6pm, and to depart on Sunday April 12th anytime after 3pm.
Please plan to arrive on Friday April 3rd between 3-6pm, and to depart on Sunday April 12th anytime after 3pm.
PRICING & ACCOMMODATIONS
The base cost of attending our retreat is a sliding scale income-based tuition with 3 tiers: $400, $500, and $600. Please try to reasonably and honestly select the price that reflects your economic situation. If you are unable to find a price that is suitable for you, please get in touch [[email protected]]. We are committed to covering our basic costs, while also making this possible for everyone who wants it.
Tuition includes all meals, and housing is priced separately, see below. Before the retreat, we will collect each participant’s dietary needs in order to plan simple, nourishing meals. Meal preparation will be a shared, communal activity: participants will rotate roles such as chef, sous chef, and dishwasher.
Housing accommodations are priced separately:
*Please note that April in the Hudson Valley can be quite cold and wet. Participants choosing camping are responsible for providing their own gear suitable for these conditions.
Tuition includes all meals, and housing is priced separately, see below. Before the retreat, we will collect each participant’s dietary needs in order to plan simple, nourishing meals. Meal preparation will be a shared, communal activity: participants will rotate roles such as chef, sous chef, and dishwasher.
Housing accommodations are priced separately:
- $50 Camping*
- $150 Dorm Room: 5 beds per room (twin bed)
- $250 Double Room: 2 beds per room (full, queen or king bed)
*Please note that April in the Hudson Valley can be quite cold and wet. Participants choosing camping are responsible for providing their own gear suitable for these conditions.
SIZE OF OUR GROUP
Our group will have anywhere from 5-15 participants, and 2 facilitators (Aaron and Netta) who will be sharing in the daily tasks, rituals and chores of our group.
SICKNESS / COVID POLICY
If any participant has symptoms of covid (i.e. cold symptoms), we ask you to please take a Covid test and if you test positive and still have fever you cannot attend the workshop. If this happens when you are already at the workshop, we ask that you either isolate in a tent, or sadly, head home at that point. If you test negative, or if you test positive and 1) Your symptoms are getting better overall, and 2) You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication) for 3 days, then you may attend wearing a mask and opting out of touch based activities. For everyone else, masks are optional. We may update these policies in accordance with evolving public health guidance.
A close-quarters intensive like this one carries a certain amount of risk for all of us and our capacity to isolate will be limited, please consider this when making your plans to attend.
A close-quarters intensive like this one carries a certain amount of risk for all of us and our capacity to isolate will be limited, please consider this when making your plans to attend.
CANCELLATION POLICY
If we are able to fill your spot with a participant on the waitlist, refunds are available up to 30 days before the event. After this time we are unable to provide a refund. Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis.
FACILITATORS BIOS
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Aaron Finbloom is a philosopher, artist, therapist, and educator whose work aims to expand transformative inquiry through relational games, role play, performance art, and conversation scores. He co-founded The School of Making Thinking (SMT) and is the founder and director of The Deep Play Institute (DPI). His projects have been featured internationally at venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Gallery 151 in New York, Maschinenhaus Kulturbrauerei in Berlin, UNAM in Mexico City, Performance Works Northwest in Portland, and MainLine Theatre in Montreal. Trained in Circling, Psychodrama, Buddhist Meditation, and Processwork, Aaron holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Concordia University in Montreal and teaches philosophy at the City College of New York.
Aaron has been practicing Contact Improvisation since 2010, studying with teachers at Earthdance, as well as in Montreal, New York City, and Seattle. He has extensive experience facilitating expressive movement workshops integrating methods from Butoh, Processwork, and Psychodrama. Aaron has practiced Circling since 2016, training with Circling Montreal and The Connection Institute, and has facilitated Circling through The Deep Play Institute for over five years. |
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Netta (they/she) is a therapist and artist based in Philadelphia, and Assistant Director at the Deep Play Institute, where they lead retreats and workshops at the intersection of relational, meditative, and creative practice. As a therapist, Netta specializes in Somatic Internal Family Systems with individuals and Relational Psychodynamic work with dyads and groups. They hold an MSW from Bryn Mawr, Level 2 training in IFS, and an MFA in Visual Art from Tyler School of Art. Their background also includes training in Tavistock Group Relations, Psychodrama, and psychedelic-assisted modalities.
Netta has practiced Contact Improvisation since 2016, studying with teachers including Jungwoong Kim, Merián Soto, and Anne Cooper Albright. Their facilitation of Circling is informed by years of practice under various teachers, some trained at MAPLE (the Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth), as well as intensives with Earthdance and Lyric. Netta brings a Tavistock-informed sensitivity to group process into their Circling facilitation, which they have offered for years through Deep Play Institute programs, including a long-running monthly group in Philadelphia called PHANG. |