Family & Relationships
Must Be 18+
Self-Discovery
Better Relationships
Relieve Stress
Self-CareDemystify Death and Dying
Everyone will eventually die, including you. Being prepared can take the mystery and fear out of the process.
With more than 30 years of combined experience in nursing and hospice, social media influencers Penny Smith and Julie McFadden understand the importance of normalizing and preparing—physically and mentally—for death and dying. They’ve curated this experiential retreat of storytelling, discussion, journaling, creative exercises, Q&A, and group sharing to help you better understand the death and dying process, and how to support someone who is dying. Together, explore
- Normal grieving and the grief response
- Techniques for caregiving
- Written advance directives
- Hospice end-of-life philosophy
- Grief support through connection and community.
You’ll take home the Five Wishes Advanced Planning booklet and the knowledge of what to do for yourself and others before, during, and after death—and step back into the world with unshakeable confidence for what lies ahead.
Open to everyone.
Presenters
Julie McFadden, BSN, RN, has been a nurse for 15 years with experience in ICU and now Hospice/Palliative Care. She has been featured in Newsweek, USA today, The Atlantic, The Business Insider, Medscape, People, Buzz feed, and several other articles worldwide. …
Penny Smith, BSN, RN, CHPN, is a nationally certified hospice and palliative care registered nurse. She has been a hospice nurse for 17+ years and worked in a variety of care settings and roles within hospice including inpatient, home case management, education, quality and regulatory. She currently works as a hospice quality manager for an organization in Washington state, operating three home hospice locations and an inpatient care center.
…
Rooms & Pricing
Private Hotel Room
All options include daily vegetarian meals from dinner on the night of check-in through lunch on the day of checkout. (Rates below are per person.)
- King bed or two full beds
- Flat Screen TV
- Refrigerator
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily Delicious Vegetarian Meals
- Complimentary Tea/Coffee & Fresh Fruit
- Daily Yoga & Meditation Classes
- Access to Gym & Steam Rooms
Shared Hotel Room (2 People)
- King bed or two full beds
- Flat Screen TV
- Refrigerator
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily Delicious Vegetarian Meals
- Complimentary Tea/Coffee & Fresh Fruit
- Daily Yoga & Meditation Classes
- Access to Gym & Steam Rooms
Private Retreat Room
- Twin beds
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily Delicious Vegetarian Meals
- Complimentary Tea/Coffee & Fresh Fruit
- Daily Yoga & Meditation Classes
- Access to Gym & Steam Rooms
Shared Retreat Room (2 People)
- Twin beds
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily Delicious Vegetarian Meals
- Complimentary Tea/Coffee & Fresh Fruit
- Daily Yoga & Meditation Classes
- Access to Gym & Steam Rooms
Shared Retreat Room (3 People)
- Twin beds
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-fi
- Daily Delicious Vegetarian Meals
- Complimentary Tea/Coffee & Fresh Fruit
- Daily Yoga & Meditation Classes
- Access to Gym & Steam Rooms
Schedule
Changing Our Views on the End of Life
September 15–17, 2023
Subject to change.
Friday 7:30–9:00 pm
Saturday 9:30 am–12:30 pm and 2:00–4:00 pm
Sunday 9:30 –11:30 am Room checkout is 11:00 am; luggage may be held at Reception.
General Information
All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST) unless otherwise noted.
Arrival Day
4:00 pm Check-in begins; Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, but if you arrive early we will hold your luggage at Reception.
6:00–7:00 pm Dinner
7:00–7:20 pm Guest Orientation Session (Venue: Dining Hall)
Actual schedules and venues may vary; please confirm with Front Desk upon check-in.
Apart from the activities in your program schedule, we offer the following optional complementary activities. (Please join only if your program schedule permits.)
- 9:45–10:45 am Yoga | Thu–Sun
- 11:00 am–12:00 pm Mind & Meditation | Thu–Sun
- 1:30–2:15 pm Guided Hike | Assemble at Shankara Reception | Sat
- 2:30–3:45 pm Ayurveda Cooking Class* | Tulsi Kitchen
Thu: Sweet Treats • Sat: Chef’s Seasonal Recipe - 4:15–5:15 pm Yoga | Wed–Sat
- 5:30–6:00 pm Guided Meditation | Wed–Sat
- 7:30–8:15 pm Meditative Chants/Kirtan | Wed–Sat
Saturday kirtan is outdoor by the bonfire; weather permitting.
*Included with Wellness Escapes and R&R; Other participants: $35.00/per person
Clay Studio
- 11:00 am–7:00 pm Friday & Saturday
Hand Building $55 | 1 hour
Hours
Wednesday 2:00–8:00 pm
Thursday–Saturday 9:00 am–6:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am–2:00 pm
We encourage you to also make reservations for consultations, therapies, and treatments at our award-winning Shankara Ayurveda Wellness at least two weeks prior to your arrival date to ensure availability. Please call 828.264.8382 for details. Additional cost.
On-Campus Program FAQs
For room reservations, Ayurveda Wellness Retreats, and Art of Living Retreat Center (AOLRC) signature retreats, we have the following cancellation policy:
- Refunds are available (less a $50 processing fee) up to 15 days before your program or stay.
- Nonrefundable credit toward a future AOLRC program or stay (less a $50 processing fee) is available if you give notice between 14 and one day(s) before your program or stay. Credit may be applied to any AOLRC program or stay for one year following date of issue.
- No credit or refund is available if you cancel on the arrival day, if you do not show up, or if you leave an event early for any reason. No refund will be available if you attend a program and are dissatisfied with its presentation or content.
AOLRC reserves the right to cancel a program at any time. If AOLRC cancels a program, you will receive a full refund. Some programs may have special cancellation policies; see individual workshop descriptions. For all other retreats, please be sure to check the registration page specific to that retreat.
Unless otherwise indicated, our programs are open to participants 18 years of age and older.
To encourage a healthy environment we ask that guests not consume alcohol or meat in our public spaces, however, guests may enjoy these items in their rooms.
Our property is always smoke-free.
Yes, we ask that guests with food allergies simply inform us so we can communicate those needs to our chef. Typically, we label potential allergens such as gluten, dairy, and nuts.
We do have lodging and event venues that are ADA-compliant. Due to the topography of our mountain campus, some are easier to access than others, so please speak to Guest Services (800.392.6870) prior to registering to ensure we can best accommodate your needs. We also have shuttles that run frequently throughout the campus.
Location
Boone, NC 28607
800.392.6870
Discover deep rest and rejuvenation on our tranquil mountaintop campus set amidst 380 acres of pristine forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina.
