Transitions Retreats
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Transitions and New Beginnings Retreats Dates and locations When change happens, it can be life-altering. It can disorient and alter our relationships with ourselves or others in unexpected ways. We need time away to process the change. If you wish for a place to get away to reflect for a few days, along with people understand transitions and can support you, we invite you to join a "Transitons and New Beginnings" retreat. This retreat will help you explore ways to move gracefully through your transition, let go of the past and explore new beginnings by means of meaningful conversations, gentle restorative movement, intuitive art (no talent needed!), rest and more. Registration Registration for both these retreats will open in 2026. Contact us if interested. OR to sign up for emails for all future Transitions retreats and events, go to our Topic Sign up page and check the box for "TOPIC: Transitions / Grief." Interested in hosting? If you'd like us to lead a Transitions event for a group or an organization, please contact us. These events can be from 6 hours to 20 hours long (programming time) spread over 1 to 4 days. |
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Your facilitators Sandy Salvo and Barb Bickford offer transitions retreats out of their own experience of major life transitions and loss. Both are experienced facilitators of meetings and retreats. Sandy Salvo is a Qigong instructor, mindfulness meditation teacher, retreat planner and facilitative leadership consultant in Middleton, Wisconsin. Barb is a meeting planner, facilitator, and educator in the east metro area of Minnesota. |
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I became aware of the need
to approach transitions with calm, openness, non-judgement and the support of good people.
I returned home with much more patience and insight during a process of change.
My heart opened to the walks shared by others,
Our experiences resonated even though the specifics differed.
I was looking for greater fulfillment in my work life, with time to reflect and to open my mind to new possibilities.
Each session built on the others, allowing me to explore ideas more deeply.
I realized that it's OK to play and not to worry about perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who is this retreat for?
A. Anyone in transition who is open to reflecting about it, sharing their journey with others, and listening to the intuition that is arising from within them. What is the transition providing for you and what could your next step be?
Yes, of course! People of any faith tradition – or none – are welcome to continue or begin their search for spiritual growth, self-knowledge, and inner peace at both locations.
Retreats at St. Anthony's Spirituality Center: In the Franciscan tradition of reverence for all, St. Anthony's strives to provide an environment of hospitality to all who come seeking to deepen their spirituality and awaken everyday encounters with the Divine. A Catholic church very near to the retreat center welcomes you to join them for mass, if you like. We'll schedule a morning reflection time at St. Anthony's at the same time as mass. You can go to one or the other or neither, as you wish.
A. Rooms at St. Anthony’s are furnished simply, in the Franciscan tradition. Some rooms include a sink and mirror, and some rooms – referred to as "suites" – include a full bathroom. Suites are limited and are assigned on a first come / first served basis. Suites may not be available during very busy times. Both single and double rooms are available. See the rooms by scrolling down this web page. Guest rooms are on the second floor and there is an elevator to access them. If you have questions about accommodations, please call St. Anthony's Spirituality Center at 715-443-2236.
Q. Who should I make out the check to?
If you'd like be notified about other Transitions events, go to our Topic Sign up page
and check the box for "TOPIC: Transitions / Grief."
I want to thank both of you, Sandy and Barb, for the opportunity to participate in your Transitions workshop in March 2023. I really wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew it would be top shelf with you both creating and facilitating it.
I also wasn’t totally sure what my transition was, but I definitely felt stuck, still grieving the loss of my husband and having writers block for writing a book intended to honor him and help others. My unfinished book manuscript had been untouched for months.
Your workshop got me unstuck and moving forward. It was the combination of physical movement, your insightful questions, talking sincerely with others, painting just for fun, and the different experiences inside and outside of the group that helped me identify what I had been struggling with.
I left with a game plan and I want you to know that I have written every day since the workshop and I can see the end in sight for submitting my book to a publisher. It would not have happened without my weekend with you and our group. Thank you sincerely!
---Kathleen A. Paris
Kathleen's book, "Gentle Comforts: For Women Grieving the Loss of a Beloved Life Companion," came out a year after she attended our retreat.
If you recall, I was contemplating leaving my career as an architect and trying to figure out my next career.
The art exercises that you had us do really had an impact on my thought process. I discovered that it was ok to get messy and explore ideas and options I normally wouldn’t have.
I can confidently say that the retreat helped me settle into a phase of open exploration without being afraid. Shortly after the retreat, I began working on the book I had always talked about writing.
I have a completed manuscript almost ready to go to my editor and am hopeful that by May of 2025 I will be a published author. I also currently have a children’s book that we are editing and getting an illustrator onboard and hope to have that published by spring of 2025.
I wanted you to know that your retreat, for me, was eye opening and did make an impact and for that I am grateful. Thank you!
---Bob Vajgrt
Your next steps could be anything from clearing off your desk to submitting your retirement paperwork!
The biggest thing I get out of these retreats is individuals sharing who they are.
-- Vicki, after attending for the third time
Photos from past Transitions and New Beginnings retreats at St. Anthony's Spirituality Center
If you'd like be notified about future Transitions events, go to our Topic Sign up page
and check the box for "TOPIC: Transitions / Grief."
