Retreats and Programs that Open the Heart
Community Events
Discover gatherings, retreats, and programs that invite you deeper into the Practice of Presence. These events connect with various aspects of the resources we provide—Choosing Presence, the Practicing Presence app, and the Awakening to Presence online course—helping you bring awareness, peace, and connection into your daily life.
We are glad to share event information as a resource for our community. Some of the events listed below are hosted by outside organizations or individuals. Unless otherwise noted, Choosing Presence is not responsible for the content, leadership, or outcomes of these events. For details about a specific event, please reach out directly to the listed contacts. If you have questions or would like to submit an event for consideration, you can do so here.
CHOOSING PRESENCE | Awakening to God's Peace and Presence
Join us January 23–25, 2026, at the Carmelite Spiritual Center for Choosing Presence: Awakening to God’s Peace and Presence. This men’s retreat offers guided practices, teachings, councils, nature time, and sacred ritual to help men slow down and reconnect with Divine Presence. Open to all men; registration required.
Awaken 2025: 🔥Igniting the Fire or Our Sacred Masculine
Step into deeper presence this November at Awaken 2025: Igniting the Fire of Our Sacred Masculine. Held at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, VA from November 6–9, this immersive gathering invites men to cultivate grounded, compassionate masculine presence amid nature. Guided by Illuman’s mission, participants will embody courage, curiosity, trust, and belonging through soulful connection with self, others, and the wild.
The Wild God: Five-Day Exploration of the Masculine Spiritual Journey
The Wild God: Five-Day Exploration of the Masculine Spiritual Journey immerses men in sacred space, soulful brotherhood, and encounters with the Wild God within. Led by Jim Taylor and Marc Oehler, this October retreat unfolds in the quiet of Warwick Conference Center and the wilderness of Camp Johnsonburg. Step away from the noise, remember who you are, and return renewed and whole.