Wisdom School: Sacred Movements as Medicine for Ourselves, Each Other, and the World

Sacred gestures and movements have been a part of every sacred tradition. They are considered a means by which ancient Wisdom is preserved and passed down to future generations. Through their embodied symbolic language beyond our thinking mind, a deeper perception arises. This perception is anchored in our inner center, in our hearts. In this Wisdom School we will be working primarily with different kinds of sacred gestures and Movements from the Gurdjieff tradition. There are many types of Movements such as ritual, prayers, dervish dances, mathematical patterns, etc. The objective of them all is that they help us perceive with more of our integrated being and that they are prayers. Gurdjieff saw them as medicine. As we engage these sacred movements with presence, attention, and receptivity, we experience the medicine they offer in widening circles personally and collectively.

Join us on the beautiful grounds of Mercy Center Burlingame where we will engage a daily rhythm and practices specific to a ‘Wisdom way of knowing’; an integral way of knowing that engages and harmonizes the three intelligence centers: thinking, feeling, and moving (body). The Movements will be our teacher within a balance known in the Benedictine tradition as ‘ora et labora’ (prayer and work). We will work and pray on the Movements floor, as well as through centering prayer or silent meditation, guided meditations, chanting, and sharing observations. Although this is not a completely silent retreat, silence will be the container.

Familiarity with the Wisdom lineage of Cynthia Bourgeault or the Gurdjieff Work is required. Some experience in Gurdjieff Movements is preferred but not essential.

Filling out the following form is required with your registration to ensure that this retreat is a good fit for you. If you have any questions please reach out to Heather (heather@heatherruce.com).

Schedule (subject to change)

First Evening
7:00 pm Opening session, Great Silence from end of session up to morning teaching

Daily
6:20 am Optional Yoga
7:00 am Guided Meditation
7:30 am Silent Breakfast
9:00 am Movements
11:15 am Break
11:30 am Centering Prayer or Silent Meditation & Chanting
12:00 pm Lunch (talking optional) followed by Private Reflection
2:30 pm  Movements
4:45 pm Break
5:00 pm Centering Prayer or Silent Meditation & Chanting
5:30 pm Dinner (talking optional)
7:00 pm  Sharing Observations from the day, Centering Prayer or Silent Meditation & Chanting
8:30 pm Private reflection/Rest in the Great Silence

Final Day
6:20 am Optional Yoga
7:00 am Guided Meditation
7:30 am Silent Breakfast
9:00 am Movements
11:00 am Break
11:15 am Closing Circle
12:00 pm Lunch for those who wish to stay

About the Leader

Heather Ruce, is a Wisdom Spiritual Director who offers Wisdom Practice Circles, Retreats, and Wisdom Schools focused on the expansive Christian Wisdom Tradition. She works within the lineage of Wisdom Teacher Cynthia Bourgeault whom she has been a student of for over a decade. Heather weaves her Masters in Marital & Family Therapy and training in Somatic Experiencing, Organic Intelligence & Spiritual Direction into her teaching and guidance in various Wisdom practices, all in service of waking up and putting on the Mind of Christ. Find out more at heatherruce.com.

About the Team

Susan J. Latimer, MDiv. is a musician, Episcopal priest, and dedicated student of the Christian Wisdom Tradition. A lifelong singer, she studied music at Yale, in Vienna, and at USC before discerning a call to priesthood, leading to her ordination in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta in 1992. Deeply rooted in contemplative spirituality, she has spent decades guiding individuals and communities in spiritual formation, Benedictine practices, and embodied wisdom work. Since 2015, she has been a student of Cynthia Bourgeault’s teachings, offering retreats and group work through WisdomWaypoints. A composer of Wisdom chants, she also leads weekly online chant gatherings and has contributed musically to multiple Wisdom schools. She finds great joy in sharing the transformative power of this lineage with others.

Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director whose offerings include Centering Prayer and other contemplative practices of the Christian Wisdom tradition. These practices encourage us to lean into the Love that is constantly being offered within a relational web of Sacred Unity. As a scientist she sees in the physical world an expression of that love. She is the author of The Cosmic Web: Hope For Our World Through Spirituality and Science, with foreword by Cynthia Bourgeault.  You can find out more about her at joyfulfillment.com.