Shalom Mountain

Last weekend, I was at Shalom Mountain for the third session of Shalom Retreat Leadership Training, where I learn more of the secrets of leading a Shalom Retreat. I've been talking about "The Mountain", as it is called, for a couple of years, so I thought I'd try to show a bit of it.

Never having done much with pictures - in fact, having a real block against them - I decided to try taking some of the trip, which is 6 hours from the DC area to the Catskills.

The drive is long, but when I get to Pennsylvania, the scenary repays me for some of the tediousness of the road. There are lots of small lakes along the route, along with bridges, quaint little towns, and lots of trees.

Finally, the magical house where it all takes place. This has been the site of Shalom workshops and retreats for 30 years. You can read about the history of it at shalommountain.com.

Inside, it is homey and friendly. Hugs are plentiful, long, and deep wherever you happen to bump into someone.

The atmosphere is loving, casual, and you feel at home easily. But the work is serious. Much of the philosophy is Jungian, but we do readings from many authors, from Ken Wilber to Starhawk. Types of workshops range from individual/family/couple/young people to sexuality/gay/lesbian/spirituality/Body Sacred. The leadership training I am in is for the "Shalom Retreat", the basic core workshop of Shalom that focuses on moving individuals through their blocks so they can live a fuller and more loving life.

I have one more weekend of training before this phase is over.

I will write about what I learned last weekend in a separate post. Hope you enjoyed this.

Comment posted by Roger Telschow
at 5/23/2006 10:08:00 PM
You did a nice job capturing some of the 'magic' that is Shalom Mountain, Gene. Thanks for the posting!