Flowing Waters Retreat

The purpose of Flowing Waters Retreat Center is to provide a tranquil place for rest, renewal, education and healing. The land invites visitors and overnight guests who desire to live in balance with the local ecosystems. The water flows in two directions throughout the year on the landscape and underneath the surface into both the Pikes Creek and Raspberry River watersheds.

The former Belanger Settlement One-room School House, the rustic-quaint farmhouse and other small cabins are available on this land at Soper Rd. The school house was dedicated for education and used for community gatherings in the Bayfield Township and will continue to be a gathering place for education and community use that serves to connect people with other people and people with the natural eco-systems.

Flowing Water's Retreat Center

Provide a quiet and tranquil place for reflection, vision quest, meditation, and quiet simple vacations; all spiritual traditions are welcome and those who seek wisdom from earth teachings.
Offer low impact gatherings for people to celebrate, to honor and to learn from the earth and to learn to enter peaceful states and live in peace on this earth.
Provide care-taking and stewardship of the land, the trees, the waters, the plants, the habitat for all species of animals and creatures that use this place as home. When one listens to the land and its creatures, it will, through connection, communicate ways of living in harmony and in ways that provide for all creatures space for their life ways. It is in and through participation in this listening process that humans re-connect and live within the eco-system. All are invited to walk and sit on the landscape to 'listen' deeply and often prior to taking any care-taking or stewardship actions.
Provide space for healing of people and for healing ceremonies for the earth.
Provide educational spaces for sustainable farming, gardening and raising of organic foods that include apples, berries and vegetables.
Provide educational spaces for ecological understanding, spiritual reflection and renewal.
Provide space for collecting of materials used in sacred ceremony.

Provide space for quiet vacations, use of hiking trails, sitting alongside ponds or watching the clear star-filled skies.:

Re-connection
The Farm –Sacred Space Welcome to The Farm ... It’s a place to heal and feel... Quietness is remembered...- Listen to the raven, flowers and trees..- They have much wisdom to share ~ Follow the bird’s song..--> Take a walk on Labyrinth to awaken your soul... Hike in the woods and fields among the Apple Trees... Listen to yourself one step at a time...- The stars are bright and paths are a light with the moonbeams...- The moon is fine in the shine of ridge just past the barn... Enjoy your space... Find grace and beauty and love...- Be good to nature and leave no trace, only your footprints and thoughts... Pick up~ clean up~ recycle, refresh and clear the mind and emotions... Welcome to The Farm and become that change that Gandhi spoke of…--> Enjoy the adventure. One breath, one step, one thought and one action at a time, Create your story….in this space, at this place..... Some people suffer from dis-connection and imbalances as a result of our over-active and over filled lives. Stay a week or long weekend and re-establish connectedness as well as restore balance.

Workshop Facilitation

Participants will spend significant time on the beautiful grounds of the retreat center. There will be a balance of teachings, demonstrations, and practice. Time will be provided for individual reflection time. The practices are easy to learn, and participants with all levels of physical mobility can benefit. Sharing circles will be used to deepen the learning by gaining from every one’s experiences.

Workshop Leader

Craig Mealman, Ed.D., CMT, an adult educator with over 35 years experience, professor, massage therapist, Yoga student and practitioner and eco-spiritualist facilitates learning in a variety of settings, including graduate courses, personal growth retreats and residential learning. He honors and is grateful for his interactions with all dimensions of the web of life. He values multiple ways of knowing, varied learning styles, experiential and collaborative learning while integrating mind, body, emotions, and spirit through heart centered teaching processes. His most important teachers include the spirit that dwells in all life in the natural world. He also has studied at Tom Brown’s Tracking and Nature School, Teaching Drum Outdoor School and the Shavano Institute.