Trauma affects everyone. Trauma is the body's natural response to a perceived threat. Unfortunately, the body's response to trauma can have a negative effect over time. Gabor Mate, a renowned specialist on the topics of trauma, addiction, stress, and childhood development, described trauma as something that happens within you and not what happened to you. Traumatic events can include experiences such as the loss of a loved one, a misunderstanding at work, family dynamics, the demands of being a caregiver, a victim of crime, or other adverse childhood experiences.
Unresolved trauma can be stored in the body and contribute to multiple ailments such as high blood pressure, anxiety, cancer, inflammation, depression, aches and pains, anger, headaches, ulcers, and poor digestion.
During this retreat Danna and LeeAnn will help you explore how the events that happened to you or your loved ones could be affecting your overall wellness. By the end of this retreat you will be able to recognize signs of distress within your body, identify what your body is communicating, and choose the appropriate tool that coincides with your body’s needs.
April 24-27, 2025
This retreat is for you if…
You are open to exploring your thoughts and feelings through journaling or group discussions
You are an individual struggling with a life altering event
You are an individual living or supporting someone struggling with a life altering event
You are seeking tools to better understand the human behaviors associated with trauma and its aftermath
You are open to utilizing nature, self-empowerment, and nutrition as tools for moving beyond the effects of trauma
You are able to show empathy and support for others
You are able to maintain the confidentiality of other group members
You are feeling lost, anxious, or overwhelmed by your current circumstances
You are ready to gain clarity and develop a manageable plan to live in a world where you are excited and ready to put your best self forward
This retreat will NOT provide…
Care for individuals who are suicidal
One-on-one therapy from a psychologist or psychiatrist
Psychiatric care
Addiction counseling
every retreat sponsored by awaken is developed and guided by the following three foundational pillars:
NATURE: Within nature, your body is able to find patterns and rhythm that allow for a sense of calm and clarity. In nature we can practice being present and mindful which allow us to increase focus and reduce the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. Grounding is a practice where an individual has a physical connection to the earth through activities like touching a tree, walking barefoot outside, smelling plants, and wading or swimming in water. Research suggests that grounding can help individuals with trauma by decreasing cortisol levels. During group sessions and afternoon activities, you will have time to practice grounding and learn techniques to be utilized in your daily practices.
NUTRITION: Good nutrition is vital to maintaining a positive mood and increasing cognitive function. Individuals may benefit from looking at their nutritional habits through a trauma informed lens. Past trauma can affect your nervous system by remaining in survival mode. Your relationship with food can be connected to past traumatic experiences well into adulthood. By looking at why we eat, what we truly enjoy, and what has influence over our relationship with food, we can begin to connect to internal body cues like hunger, fullness, and satisfaction. During group sessions we will help you identify and describe your individual relationship to food by addressing your internal body cues.
SELF-EMPOWERMENT: Through self-empowerment, you can begin to recognize unhealthy patterns caused by trauma. Patterns could include wanting to always please others, overextending yourself, putting yourself last, trying to keep the peace, seeking predictive outcomes, displaying addictive characteristics, and conveying low self-esteem. Once these patterns are identified, you can begin to set healthy boundaries, create time for self-care, and recognize your self-worth. Self-empowerment is vital in order to make positive decisions and to take action for yourself when it is needed. Self-empowerment is significantly correlated with your overall well being both for mind and body. Our group time will help you recognize your patterns and provide strategies to utilize daily.
What an amazing space to sit in front of the fire and relax!
lodging
Understanding the Lasting Effects of Trauma Retreat will be hosted at the World Famous Minnesuing Acres Resort nestled in the serene backdrop of the Northwoods. This private hidden gem borders the shores of Lake Minnesuing. What was once a private family vacation home is now available for small intimate gatherings.
To add to your comfort and privacy, participants of the Understanding the Lasting Effects of Trauma Retreat will be the only guests on the entire massive 200 acre lake front property.
The following amenities will be provided throughout your stay:
Kayaks and Paddle Boards that can be used in the lake
Two indoor swimming pools, sauna, indoor hot tub, and outdoor hot tub
Workout center
One lane bowling alley
Nine hole executive golf course
Pool table
Shuffleboard
Foosball
Dartboard
Wood burning fireplace in the main lodge and screen house
Outdoor fire pit
Mountain bikes for use on groomed trails
Hiking trails
Tennis court/Pickleball court
Basketball court
All Rooms Feature:
Private Bathroom with Shower
Desk and Seating Area
King or Queen Size Bed
Deluxe Linens
Premiere Bathroom Amenities
High-Speed Internet
Individually Controlled Thermostats
Blow Dryer, Iron and Ironing Board
Keurig Coffee Maker and Bottled Water
Our itinerary and activities have been carefully curated to provide our participants with the most meaningful and transformative experience possible, but should you choose to skip an activity you are more than welcome to do so. This week is all about you and your personal empowerment. We do encourage you leave phones and other devices in your rooms during the day to enhance your experience with us.
itinerary
Thursday:
3:00-4:00: Check In
4:00-5:00: Tour of the Grounds
6:00: Dinner
7:15-7:45: Welcome Group
Free Time
Friday:
7:30-8:00: Morning Stretch
8:00-9:00: Breakfast
9:30-11:30: Group
12:00-1:00: Lunch
1:00-3:00: Free Time
3:00-4:00: Afternoon Activity
(Forest Bathing/Ornitherapy/Hiking)
5:00-6:00: Dinner
Free Time
Saturday:
7:30-8:00: Morning Stretch:
8:00-9:00: Breakfast
9:30-11:30: Group
12:00-1:00: Lunch
1:00-3:00: Free Time
3:00-4:00: Afternoon Activity (Somatic Practices)
5:00-6:00: Dinner
Free Time
Sunday:
7:30-8:00: Morning Stretch
8:00-9:00: Breakfast
9:00-10:00: Group
10:00-11:00: Checkout
Cuisine
All meals, hor d’oeuvres, and snacks will be skillfully prepared by the in-house chef. Every meal will be flavorful, healthy, and carefully planned to nourish your body and mind during this life changing event.
Past guests have raved about the quality of the food.
What is Included with Base Room Fee:
Daily Meditation
En-Suite Room (private bathroom within your room)
Daily Group time with Danna and Leeann
Folders filled with retreat information/material
Daily Breathwork
Somatic Practices
All amenities listed above (ex- swimming pools, hot tub, sauna, golf, tennis, etc)
Forest Bathing/Ornitherapy
Meals/snacks/beverages
Awaken gift
Parking
Pre-retreat meet and greet
Post-retreat follow-up video
What is Available for an Additional Fee:
Shuttle from Duluth Airport
$85.00 each way
Therapeutic Massage: Pay directly to therapist
$80 for 45 min
$100 for 60 min
$140 for 90 min
Reiki and Integrated Healing: Pay directly to therapist
$99 for 55 minutes — includes a short automatic writing after the retreat
Retreat Swag
what is not included:
Travel Insurance
Alcholic Beverages
meet your retreat leaders!
Danna and LeeAnn have years of experience running groups, trainings, and retreats. You will eat delicious, home cooked food, laugh at their constant ‘sisterly antics’, smile at the breathtaking views, and leave feeling accepted, understood, refreshed, and glowing. You will not want to miss this retreat!
DANNA LIVINGSTON-MATHERLY
Danna is certified in meditation, motivational interviewing, and MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) for both youth and adults. She is also certified as a breath coach, which will allow her to share techniques that will assist you with utilization of what breath technique will work best with what your body is telling you. In her past role as a parole officer as well as a mental health provider, she found herself assisting others on working through trauma on a daily basis. Crime not only affects the victims it can also have a lasting effect on those close to the victim. From there she transitioned to a college to teach Criminal Justice.
One of her professional roles is to teach college level health and wellness for students entering high stress jobs in criminal justice, specifically law enforcement. When two recently graduated students were hired on as police officers, only to be killed in action a short time later, it sent a wave of panic and fear through the training school. Having the ability to meet the student where they were at was not only important but crucial as they each struggled with trauma differently. Danna has a Master’s of Science in Education and Instruction. Along with serving on several community boards, she has lectured internationally on officer/community safety and positive change.
She is a mother of five amazing girls, a wife, a daughter to two aging parents, and an educator. She knows first hand how easy it is to over-extend herself and deplete her energy. By setting reasonable boundaries and working to integrate the three pillars of Awaken, she is able to continue building balance in her life.
Danna enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and simple, country living.
LEEANN WIESE
Lee Ann is a leader in the field of special education and has years of experience in changing undesired behaviors based on behaviorist theories. She is well versed in Cognitive Learning Theory and believes that behavior is influenced by both internal and external factors. In her role as a PhD candidate, she mentors and coaches future and current special education teachers. LeeAnn has presented material on setting and reaching obtainable goals, is immersed in current behavior research, and is a leader in trauma sensitive instruction. She is a Nationally Board Certified teacher and has recently left her position as a University Instructor to return to her roots in the K-12 system as the Director of Special Education and Student Services.
Lee Ann clearly understands the importance of creating balance in life. While attending graduate school, she raised her children, helped her husband run an organic beef farm, worked full time, assisted her aging parents, and started Awaken.
Lee Ann is a mother of two amazing young men, lives on a farm, and loves spending time training her horses. She is passionate about cooking with organically, locally grown food, using all available ingredients provided in nature, and reconnecting with her spirit through the outdoors.
awaken support staff
Kerry Kowalik
Kerry Kowalik is a mother, wife, and health and wellness connoisseur. Currently a yoga instructor and trauma-informed somatic coach. As a somatic coach, she believes transformational healing is 80% body-based work and 20% mindset work. Acknowledging the body as a source of wisdom and intelligence can lead to sustainable and profound transformation and healing. Kerry has led dozens of individuals through movement, breath, and mindfulness to a place of awareness, curiosity, compassion, and acceptance. Kerry is always learning and leading by example. She is the embodiment of her work.
It is important to take time out of our busy lives and decompress. Kerry gives us a wonderful opportunity to do just that through her somatic practice. Connecting back into our bodies and utilizing our breath work can help nourish our bodies and release pent-up tension. Somatic practices encompass a series of movement forms that can be drawn together through their shared focus on body awareness through reflection on movement habits, opening up movement capacity, and developing self-directed or personal movement styles.
Olga (Lola) Fransway
Olga Fransway is a licensed massage therapist and the owner of Lelya Rejuvenation & Relaxation LLC.
She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Massage Therapy diploma (600+ hours of massage training) from Lake Superior Community College. She is trained in relaxation (Swedish) massage, deep-tissue massage, lymphatic facilitation, prenatal and infant massage, as well hydrotherapy. She also completed specialized training in hot stone massage and facial massage (GLO Method). She is a certified Face Yoga Expert trainer.
She became a massage therapist because she believes in the healing power and the therapeutic benefits of touch, but her passion is in helping women stay healthy, youthful, and happy. Women often neglect their needs because they take care of people around them. I created Lelya R & R to take care of the caretakers. Massage therapy is a wonderful natural way of self-care, relaxation, and pain management.
Summer Jones
Summer Jones has been a holistic healer since 2010. Her passion for healing causes her to constantly create and/or learn new ways to help people heal.
What makes her unique is she uses a multitude of tools and modalities to find underlying issues that are the source(s) of the problem. She then works to release and heal that underlying issue. The tools she uses are dependent on what is best for each client. Currently, she has about 20 different tools and modalities she uses regularly but during a typical session, 3-7 are often used.
Trapped emotions and emotional trauma often play a huge role in what is happening physically and mentally to a person. These energies if not dealt with can accumulate from our current life, but past life trauma can also play a role. These accumulating energies can be reduced with counseling, self-healing, or a session with Summer or another healer. The client's mindset, and willingness to heal and make changes play a large role in the success of a session.
Popular tools and modalities used by Summer:
Emotion Code/Body Code, 1000 Positive/Negative Beliefs, Kinesiology list, Entity Removal, Offensive Energy Removal, automatic writing, Inna Segal’s books
Energy Work: Usui Holy Fire Reiki, Shamballa MDH, Quantum Touch, Pendulum Healing
Metaphysical hypnosis (often booked as a separate healing session due to additional time, expense, and preparation needed): Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (Delores Cannon QHHT), Beyond Quantum Healing (BQH)
Retreat sessions are structured with the first half of the session guided by using Integrated Healing tools where we find/heal underlying issues of what the client wants to work on, and the last part of the session will be for Reiki and other energy work. There is flexibility to tailor a session to fit your preferences such as if you want to do only Reiki/energy work or only focus on Integrated Healing by finding underlying issues.
Being the best you is a life long journey!
courtesy of Three Irish Girls photography