Through guided writing rituals, contemplative practices, and soul-deep connection, you'll: 

• Loosen the grip of perfection and let your authentic voice rise
• Unearth the sacred stories buried in your everyday life
• Polish your free writes into poems that shimmer with truth
• Share your words in a circle of fierce tenderness and trust
• Weave a rich basket of writing to carry forward
• Remember that your ordinary life is enough to begin

 What Makes This Retreat Special? 

"Writing as a spiritual practice honors our stories as holy and mysterious; sometimes beautiful, sometimes terrible. It is in the telling that they open us to a vast new inner landscape." — Mirabai Starr

This retreat is designed for both aspiring and seasoned writers who wish to explore the mysteries of the inner life through words while remaining grounded in the body, anchored in the sacred, and held in beloved community.

 You'll Experience: 

• Daily writing rituals guided by Mirabai's deep wisdom, drawing from the mystics across traditions
• Sharing circles where your voice is witnessed and honored
• Morning movement and sacred  song with Willow Brook to free your creative flow and open your sacred body
• Contemplative practices to nourish your spirit
• Time to polish your free writes into poems that carry your mystical authority
• The magic of Taos as creative sanctuary
• Nourishing meals prepared with beauty and care

Whether you feel blocked or just long to go deeper, you'll find the tools, community, and inspiration you need to reawaken your creative spirit and write your truth.

 Who This Is For: 

• Creatives who feel silenced by inner critics or perfectionism

• Anyone longing to reclaim writing as a sacred, embodied act

• Those wanting to harvest their everyday life for deep material

• Seekers who want writing to feel like prayer, ritual, and revelation

• Writers navigating grief, transitions, or spiritual opening

• Poets and writers drawn to the mystics and their transformative wisdom

 Mirabai Starr 

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and interspiritual teacher. Drawing from 20 years of teaching Philosophy and World Religions and a lifetime of practice, Mirabai shares her wisdom worldwide on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss.

Her most recent book, Ordinary Mysticism, has been praised by Anne Lamott as "a gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful and aware of the holiness of daily life."

 The Wild Heart Team 

 Willow Brook 

Willow's morning movement ignites devotion for the body as a sacred vessel of life through rhythmic movement, connected breath, chanting and meditation.

She weaves chants and sacred song from many traditions into our retreat space, offering a deeply devotional and inclusive experience. Co-founder of Wild Heart, she brings a background in interspiritual education, embodiment, and creative ritual. With love and grounded presence, she helps participants reconnect with their voice and body as vehicles for healing and joy.

"Willow is indeed a tree of strength and grace. She has a way of creating order without hindering flow and spontaneity. She was a leader, and she was also a sister, allowing herself to see and be seen. Most of all, as I watched her beaming face leading us in song, unselfconscious and full of love, my own childlike joy in music-making was given back to me."

— Christa W.

"Willow's longing and devotion is healing and connecting to the power of the songs."

— Karen M.

With support from Monika Denise Burkholder and Manny Fassihi

Monika Denise Burkholder is a medicine woman of the soul—an art therapist, trauma therapist, somatic practitioner, grief tender and songcatcher. Monika Denise has tended the community for Wild Heart since its inception and supports Wild Heart events including in-person writing retreats. Monika Denise organically offers her presence and intuition for emotional support and compassionate witness throughout the retreat as writing sometimes stirs up deep layers. 

Manny Fassihi is a researcher, musician, and founder of Multitudes, a conversation card game designed to spark deeper connection through thoughtful, playful prompts. By day, he works as a UX researcher exploring how people make meaning, navigate uncertainty, and relate to systems and each other. By night (and often overlapping), he makes music and builds participatory experiences that blend art, reflection, and community.

 Our Retreat Sanctuary 

We'll gather at Hyperslow Retreat Center in Taos, NM, cradled in the high desert mountains on the edge of the Kit Carson Forest. The building is well aged and full of history. The lovingly restored Historic San Geronimo Lodge features:

• Chile pepper-shaped swimming pool
• Walking labyrinth
• Restorative sauna
• Outdoor fire pit
• Tranquil grounds for reflection
• Homemade meals prepared with love