Before You Come

A wonderful group is forming. We look forward to welcoming you and doing profound work together. This sheet covers everything practical for the one-day workshop, the four-day retreat and the practitioner training modules. Where they differ, it says so.

Dates are not printed here on purpose. A printed sheet outlives the date on it, and a wrong date sends someone to the airport on the wrong day. The current dates for every program are always at patjackman.com/prepare.

When to arrive

We start promptly, so please give yourself enough time to arrive, park and settle before then.

If you are staying with us: we ask that everyone remain on the property for the whole of the four days. There is no evening meal on the last day, so plan your travel with that in mind.

What to bring

First and foremost, bring your willingness. After that:

• A reusable water bottle
• Comfortable, loose-fitting clothes you can move and lie down in
• A journal and pen, if you write
• A photograph of yourself as a child — not necessarily your best one
• A photograph of your parents
• Any medication you take, and a note of it for Pat
• Toiletries Staying over
• Indoor shoes or slippers Staying over
• Layers and a jacket — it gets cold here in the evening and early morning Staying over

What to expect

Come prepared for a full day, every day. Comfortable and loose-fitting clothing will be your best bet. Make-up is unnecessary, and likely to come off, so that is your choice.

The shape of the day is always subject to change. Every group is different, and we work with whoever shows up and with what serves the most people. That said, it usually runs something like this:

1. Morning circle. Often a guided meditation or an exercise, followed by a sharing circle.
2. Exercises and table sessions. The hands-on work.
3. Lunch, and a break. Lunch is the main meal of the day.
4. Afternoon. More exercises or table sessions.
5. Dinner. Usually soup and salad, after the afternoon session. Staying over

How to prepare

The best thing you can do is check in with your willingness. The faster and more vulnerable you are, the more you will get out of the experience.

As it gets closer, you may notice your body starting to show you that it knows what is coming. That is normal. This work can be big. Tune in and notice it. Get curious. Welcome it. And if you feel no different at all, that is fine and welcome too — everyone's experience is different.

We often find ourselves looking for big shifts in this work, or watching someone else have one and deciding they are getting more out of it than we are. It does not work that way. Bodies heal on many levels and in many ways, some obvious, some quiet. If you can, resist the urge to compare your experience with whoever is sitting next to you. Every way of healing is valid. Our job is to honour our own truth and follow our own path, as best we can, listening to our own body's wisdom.

Where you will stay Staying over

Accommodation is shared. We know it can feel uncomfortable to live with strangers — it is also part of the magic of it. Come with an open mind. It always works out. We get to know each other well in a hurry.

Meals

If you have allergies, please tell us on your registration form. There is always a vegetarian option and we do not serve much meat, though occasionally there is some. We do our best to accommodate, but we cannot cater to every preference.

One honest note from experience: people who describe themselves as very strict about food on paper often eat differently once they are here. This work seems to bring on a voracious appetite. If you have restrictions you need to hold to, bring food to supplement what we provide.

Clothing

Loose and comfortable works well. If you are staying with us, the temperature drops a lot in the evening and early morning — bring layers and a jacket.

Getting here

Sebastopol is in Sonoma County, about an hour and a quarter north of San Francisco.

• Charles M. Schulz — Sonoma County (STS) in Santa Rosa is the closest, though it can be the more expensive option.
• San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) both have shuttles to Santa Rosa; from there it is a short ride to Sebastopol.

Retreats sometimes run in other places. If yours does, the address will come with your confirmation.

Questions and concerns

Please do reach out about anything at all — what is going on for you, anything physical that pressure should account for, travel, food, payment, or a worry you cannot quite name yet.

Pat Jackman
+1 707 478 4383  ·  patjackman1@gmail.com

Kamala Crompton
+1 707 478 0290  ·  kamala.crompton@gmail.com

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We look forward to sharing space with you.