Who We Are

Love

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Love heals, connects, and renews us. Love is not only an emotion and it is not relegated to romance. Love is the strongest force in the world and the foundation of all lasting and meaningful change throughout human history. Love not only connects us, but also helps us transcend the selfish and limiting views that characterize much of our lives. Love has the power to transform all the ills of our world. Love is also the root of compassion and empathy, without which we cannot have connection, community, or healthy systems and organizations. As activist and author Valarie Kaur says, “Love is a form of sweet labor — fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life-giving.” Love is the foundation that brings all the rest of these values to life.

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Community

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Humans are social creatures living in an increasingly isolating world. Loneliness is at an all-time high and it is leading to a massive mental health crisis. Many of us have lost the community structures that outdated social institutions provided, but we have not lost our need for connection. The Refuge at La Foret provides opportunities for intentional community. Here, you will find a deeper connection to yourself, your community, and the natural world. Here, you can be seen and loved for your truest self while building community and friendships that last a lifetime.

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Transformation

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Transformation is what makes us feel alive. All that does not grow, dies. We all need periodic moments to step away from whatever has become stale in our lives, organizations, and communities to rediscover what brings us to life. As the great Howard Thurman said, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 
Part of finding that aliveness and growth within yourself requires moving beyond your comfort zone and building your capacity for new things. We all have to face change and growth that pushes us beyond our comfort zone throughout our lives. The Refuge provides the opportunity to do this in a safe and supportive space.

 

Imagination

 

Imagination is an under-utilized skill, but it is essential for human flourishing. In today’s world when so much seems to be going wrong and getting worse, we need imagination to find hope and solutions for the future. Without imagination, we are stuck with the way we have always done things. The possibilities of the future are limited only by our imagination- so let’s dream bigger. “Dreaming is the chrysalis of hope” -Dr. Yuria Celidwen. It takes courage, confidence, and creativity to imagine a new way of being, and Refuge programs build all three.

 

Nature

 

Underpinning all of the values is natural design. Nature is always right. 

This is particularly important to retreats in the concept of rest. The natural world has a rhythm- there is growth and there is rest. All natural beings have seasons of activity and seasons of rest, and humans should be no exception. Without rest, our lives are one big to-do list. The time to pause, slow down, and remember that we are part of nature is invaluable. It allows us to approach our whole lives with more intentionality- to live on purpose. Rest has become counter-cultural in America today. In a productivity-driven society, opportunities for true rest are rarer and rarer, and so they are more and more valuable. Find rest in our 350+ acre pine tree sanctuary.
 

La Foret is located on unceded Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe territory. With the knowledge that this land was stolen before being stewarded by many different groups, we seek to honor all those who have loved and tended to this land before us by building respect for and reciprocal relationship with the land of La Foret.