Awakening Joy 2026
A Women’s Retreat
June 12-15, 2026
Midcoast Maine
Four Days to Breathe, Rest, and Come Alive Again
If you are the woman who has been holding it all together and is finally ready to be held herself, ready to slow down and immerse in beauty and a touch of luxury, then this retreat is for you. Maybe your nervous system is frayed. You feel the strain in your body, the distance from your own truth. If you’re longing for rest, beauty, stillness, and deep nourishment in the company of kindred women, you’re in the right place. Everything is ready for you. Just bring yourself. You will return home restored and full of life.
You are warmly invited to join us for four days and three nights of Awakening Joy, a women’s retreat on the beautiful shore of Penobscot Bay in Searsport, Maine. Step out of the noise of everyday life. Give yourself the gift of slowing down, attuning to nature, connecting to the beauty around you and the quiet within you. Relax and let it all be.
Picture yourself in a sanctuary for body, mind and soul where slow breaths and long exhales come naturally. Feel that sigh of relief. Allow the rhythm of nature to move through you. Hear the sounds of the water washing in and swishing back over the pebbles and out to sea. Smell the salt mist lingering in the air. Relax on the porch watching an eagle soar as the sun melts into vibrant hues or a soft pastel cotton candy sky.
Come be in the presence of your sacred self and sisterhood. You will deeply rest and nourish your nervous system. You will feel lighter and calmer with time to pause, reflect and revive your energy. You will return home with ease, clarity and a plan to continue to cultivate a calm center, wonder, inner peace, and a heart full of joy.
You deserve this, no guilt required. Time for pause and renewal, making space for what is ready to move through you. Share in joy and laughter, be held in your grief. It’s all welcome here. Brighten your light so that you have more happiness, love, and joy for yourself and others. Give yourself this gift of rejuvenation as the sweet days of early summer begin to appear.
No need to grocery shop, cook or clean up after meals. Delicious and nutritious meals will be prepared for you, with your personal preferences and requirements in mind.
(Please note that the kitchen is not celiac-certified.)
The Setting
We will enjoy a serene oceanfront fifteen-acre property at Limina Renewal Center on the shores of Penobscot Bay. Step out the door, walk across the grass and onto the beach for a dip, smell the sea, or walk along a trail and breathe in the earth and find the flowers blooming.
What’s Included
Everything you need for deep restoration:
- All meals and snacks
- Accommodations
- Self care practices: quiet mornings, meditation, journal prompts, qigong, yoga nidra, and gentle yoga
- Optional walk on the Belfast Rail Trail
- Dips in the cool waters
- Free time to rest, read, walk the trails, relax, and connect in community
- All taxes and fees, and group tip for Limina staff
- Community and connection, hugs, and lots of love
- Optional Pre Retreat online meetup
The days here are unhurried. Space is built in for rest, wandering, and simply doing nothing at all.
What’s Not Included
Transportation to and from the retreat center and to nearby Belfast for our walking adventure.
Cash for personal shopping in town or any additional gratuities.
Is this for me?
If you’re ready to pause, breathe deeply, and reconnect with yourself, nature, and an intimate group of women, just say Yes!
Envision a slow walk through the woods, the scent of spring in the air, splashes of blue violets at your feet. Picture yourself relaxing by the seashore, finding silence in the labyrinth, hearing the rhythm of the waves, the pure joy of dipping into the cool waters.
You are worthy of profound rest and rejuvenation! Ground yourself, walk gently on this earth, feel the kiss of nature, warmth of the sun, and hugs of new and old friends. This retreat is made for women who are ready to come home to themselves. You will be held in sacred space and surrounded by beauty. Come. Be reminded of who you are. Create space and hear the whisperings of your soul.
No Experience with qigong or yoga necessary. All Women Welcome!
Just bring an open heart. Qigong is a meditation in motion, a gentle weaving of breath and body, working with your body’s own vital energy. It rebalances the nervous system and leaves you feeling present and alive. These gentle, nourishing practices will meet you exactly where you are.
What will you leave with?
You will return home with more energy, clarity of mind, and a full heart. You will have a simple Spring qigong practice and a short tonglen compassion meditation to keep you inspired and feeling wonderfully alive. Return home feeling present, reconnected to your inner knowing and ready to meet others in kindness. Grateful for your life.
Who is this not for?
If what you need right now is a packed schedule, city energy, nightlife, or time to scroll and catch up on work, this is not your retreat.
This will be an alcohol free retreat.
Health
* You’ll want to be in relatively good health, as we’ll walk, explore Belfast on foot, and practice qigong.
Cancellation Policy
Please note there are no refunds after payment is received. If there is any chance you may need to cancel, we recommend purchasing trip insurance.
Come join us. Salt air & sea await.
You have been the steady one, the strong one, the one who holds it all together. What if, for four days, someone held you? If you are ready to feel alive, present, and vibrant, this retreat was made for you. If your heart is saying yes, we’d love to have you join us. I’m looking forward to welcoming you with open arms!
Accommodations & Pricing – All prices are per person.
Beautiful rooms now available.
Heron Room – Wake up to the Ocean on two sides. Spectacular 2nd floor brand new private room, queen bed. Shared bath with Cove Room. $2,139.00
Bay Room – A generous beautiful room to share with a friend or meet a new one. Sweeping ocean and meadow views, large shared room on the 2nd floor, two queen beds. Shares two full baths in the hall (walk-in showers, one with a separate luxury tub). Per person $1,779.00
Bay Room 1 is mine
Bay Room 2 is mine
Skye – The most spacious and private room with views that will take your breath away. 2nd floor, luxury private room, king bed, couch, en-suite bathroom, sweeping ocean views! $2,239.00
The Skye Room, please
Lupine Room – Quiet, comfortable and peaceful with meadow light. 1st floor, King bed, meadow view, shared bath.
$1,959.00
Lupine is mine please
Cove Room – Just built and newly available. Ocean view 2nd floor, two queen beds, shared bath with Heron. $1,700 per person
Cove Room 1 for me
Cove Room 2 for me
Maple – Private room, queen bed, ocean views. Sold
Eagle – Cozy private room, full bed, meadow view. Sold
Rainbow – Private room, queen bed, garden and meadow view. Sold
Harbor Room – Large shared room, two queen beds, private deck, full ocean views. Sold
Spruce – Private room, queen bed, ocean views. Sold
Questions? I’d love to hear from you. e-mail Susan
Kind Words
“Magical, Moving & a Blast”
Retreat weekend was once again magical, moving and a blast! Susan Stibler brought us together in a spectacular environment to escape the noise – giving me an opportunity to better listen to my heart. THANK YOU is an understatement. The space Susan creates is safe, easeful, and all the things – gentle and loving with just enough challenges. The cold dips, meditation, movement, food, sauna, laughs, guidance, vulnerability, beauty, sharing, sound bath, sailing, gifts, Love, quiet and questioning (and more) all hit differently this time. Thank you to my sister Kelly for being on this beautiful ride together.
Beth Mahoney
About Susan
Hi, I’m here to lift you up and support you in your self-care journey. This retreat offers time for self-study and reflection, remembering who you truly are (Svadhyaya). My passion is gathering women together to live in nature’s beauty, warm community, and the shared light, love, and laughter that nourishes us all.
You’ll find me playing in fields, forests, and ocean, cold water dipping, swimming, walking, paddle boarding, practicing yoga and qigong, and tending my garden. I share my love freely with family, my dog Shanti, friends, and community.
My deepest joy is helping you find inner peace, harmony, and balance with a calm mind, living in tune with your true nature in mind, body, and spirit. I bring twenty-six years of experience as a psychotherapist, leading women’s groups, retreats, and continuing education for colleagues, including CEUs for yoga teachers and yoga therapists. Some of my greatest teachers have been my clients, students, and colleagues along the way.
Susan Stibler, LICSW, LCSW, E-RYT 500, YACEP Provider, NASW CEU Provider
Namaste,
Susan
May you grow still enough to hear the trickling of water seeping into the ground, so that your soul may be softened and healed, and guided in its flow. May you grow still enough to hear the splintering of starlight in the winter sky and the roar at the earth’s fiery core.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
Penobscot Bay shorefront