Much of our suffering arises not simply from what happens to us, but from our resistance to what is. We instinctively divide life into success and failure, joy and grief, certainty and mystery, holding tightly to what we prefer while pushing away what we don’t. Yet the deepest truths of being human rarely fit into either/or. They ask us to make room for the both/and.

Receiving Reality is a one-day contemplative retreat that explores how to receive the fullness of life. Through guided meditation, embodiment practices, reflective listening, and honest conversation, we will develop a practical framework for navigating life’s paradoxes and unexpected gifts. You will learn to recognize resistance, quiet the protective activity of the sense of self, and cultivate a state of resonance from which reality can be more fully received.

The retreat is facilitated by Dr. Jennifer Clark. A stretching and myofascial release will be led by Catherine Pryor Miller.

Jennifer Clark, MD, is the author of Suffer., a reflection on nearly twenty years of practice as a Hospice and Palliative Medicine physician.  Across the globe, from the bedside to the boardroom and beyond, Dr. Clark has served to heal, educate, and innovate toward the relief of suffering and promotion of well-being. She is passionate about her volunteer work as the medical liaison at Clarehouse. As an independent consultant, Dr. Clark also provides consultative services for individuals, organizations, and communities seeking to create cultures and environments of flourishing. As seen in her 2019 TEDx event at the University of Tulsa, Dr. Clark uses these experiences to directly challenge our society’s definition of health.

Catherine Pryor Miller is a Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist and Roll Model Method® Practitioner with 30 years of yoga practice. Informed by anatomy and biomechanics, her myofascial release sessions blend breathwork with therapy ball techniques to ease tension the body has been holding, sometimes for years. Her background in hospital chaplaincy, spiritual direction, and retreat leading, along with her own experience navigating pain and health challenges, shapes the calm, grounding presence she brings to those who care for others. In this session, you will notice where your body is bracing against what is and learn to soften and let go.