Group Retreat — Sitting Together, Listening Together

Not everyone needs advice. Sometimes, what we need most is someone who simply sits beside us — quietly, but fully present. At emmausvillage, our group retreat isn’t about talking. It’s about journeying into silence together, so each person can be themselves and feel, deeply, that they are not alone.

🧭 Purpose of the Group Retreat

• To create space for each person to listen — to themselves and to one another
• To help seniors release invisible pressures from old expectations
• To reconnect with values that once guided their lives but may have been forgotten
• To nurture community bonds — not through words, but through presence

🧘‍♀️ A Gentle Day of Shared Stillness

Morning
🌤 Gentle warm-up: deep breathing, stretching, walking in the garden
📖 Group journaling: each person shares one thought they’re reflecting on

Midday
🍵 Silent tea: enjoying tea together in a space without words
🪞 Small group discussion: “What do I want to keep in my life?”

Afternoon
🎨 Creative expression: painting, poetry, or writing a letter to oneself
🌳 Outdoor prayer: sitting beneath the trees, reading Scripture, and meditating

Evening
🕯 Closing reflections: each person chooses one intention for the week ahead
💬 Final sharing circle: “How did it feel to be truly listened to?”

✨ Values That Emerge

• Presence is the greatest gift we can offer one another
• No one is ever too old to begin something gentle and new
• Healing happens quietly when we pause together
• A group retreat doesn’t require many words — only true presence

📆 Gentle Group Commitments After the Retreat

• One silent tea gathering each week
• One kind act per person for someone in the community
• A shared “quiet corner” where anyone can go to reflect
• A group journal titled “Things Worth Remembering” — one line per person each week

A group retreat is not an activity — it’s a state of being.
When we pause together, listen deeply, and simply show up, the community becomes a place of healing.
And often, the most profound things arise from shared silence.