Creating Sacred Space Virtually

The Retreat Center Collaboration is a diverse community of retreat centers. For many centers, there’s a sacred element in the work of preparing and holding space for retreat, a sacred way of gathering and being together, and a sacred connection with the land itself.

Although expressed differently among our respective religious, secular, and spiritual traditions, these meaningful connections within the spaces we share are at the heart of retreat. One of the RCC’s core values has been expressed as the power of place.

Creating sacred space in virtual settings is a shift for many centers, an opportunity to bring our strengths to new audiences in new ways.

To support this work, the Fetzer Institute is sharing some new research.

Fetzer has hosted a series of conversations to explore Creating Sacred Space Virtually and learn new strategies from experienced facilitators. In their report, which summarizes a series of 90-minute conversations with 40+ leaders in recent months, the Fetzer Institute identified five broad themes among the best practices shared by participants.

In the video above, Michelle Scheidt and Xiaoan Li offer some best practices emerging from these gatherings, and invite the group to share ideas and learn from each other.


1. Connect through physical spaces

  • Walking meetings--share where you are

  • Explore ways to integrate the physical space you’re in with the virtual space you’re sharing

  • Step outside

  • Remember the facilitator’s physical location is important

  • Invite people to share their geographical location

2. Bring in the real

  • Engage the senses

  • Offer ways to extend gathering experiences

  • Bring artifacts

  • Share lunch/tea

  • Involve family and community

3. Attend to details before and after the virtual gathering

  • Communicate clearly before and after the meeting

  • Do some context setting early on

  • Meditation

  • Intention setting

  • Building trust

  • Snack boxes/gifts shared together, or mailed out in advance

4. Hold space

  • Removing barriers

  • Move away from just squares online

  • Sacred rituals, opening in contemplative practice

  • Be aware of group size and time

  • Virtual time isn’t the same as physically together time

  • Facilitator steps in as the first to be vulnerable

  • Touchstones

5. Invite creative engagement opportunities

  • Tech wizard--maximize what your tech platform can offer

  • Energy check-ins (these help the facilitator and are an engagement strategy)

  • Embodied practices

  • Turn camera on or off for different activities

  • Sign language signals - develop a new shared visual language with your community

  • Small groups matter


Facilitators:

Xiaoan Li - Fetzer Institute

Michelle Scheidt - Fetzer Institute, RCC Steering Committee

Jean Richardson - Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center, RCC Steering Committee

Justine Johnson - Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center, RCC

Diana Scearce - RCC

More notes, visuals, and an audio recording of this session are available at the link below.

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