What’s Going On? Finding Your Center in Turbulent Times

Co-Facilitated by John Ruskell, Founder of the Awareness Institute

Saturday, March 1, 2025

​The world is changing - of that there is no doubt. Snow on Florida beaches, fires in urban LA, and an abrupt shift in how our nation is governed are just a few of the wake up calls of 2025 thus far. If, as many wisdom traditions and teachers have said, life is a dream, how can we look with compassion and clarity at both ourselves and the world? How can we gauge right action and navigate our changing landscape?

Tectonic shifts like these invite openness and willingness to look deeper at what’s happening around us, and what we experience within. The shifts can also trigger stress and anxiety that block the openness we seek, so it is up to us to learn to soothe the nervous system while not shying away from either challenging realities or internal resistance. Life is inviting us to open up, to grow up, and to show up in ways that best align with who and what we are.

We hope you’ll join us for this special retreat, where we’ll explore how the apparent chaos in the world - which may also be reflected in your own life - is both fueled by and compelling us toward a transformational breakthrough. This will be an informative, experiential and supportive way to get a fresh perspective on what really is going within and around you.

This abbreviated workshop is a new Awareness Institute offering, co-led by the founder of the institute, John Ruskell, and designed to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. The workshop is designed to ensure that the journey of self-transformation doesn’t end when we return home, introducing tools like breathwork to ground ourselves, ancient movement practices to open up our creative energy, and a new understanding of how to truly show up for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Now more than ever is the time to give yourself this gift.

The retreat will include:

  • Connected one-on-one and group sharing

  • The symbolic language of astrology, applied to both our personal and collective experience

  • The healing power of music, dance, unstructured movement, and breathwork

We're looking forward to what promises to be a lively, energizing experience of connection and self-awareness.

Location:

This is an in-person workshop in the Sacramento, California area.

Schedule:

Saturday, March 1, 2025: 10:00 am - 7:30 pm (lunch and snack provided)

Pricing:

$150 Student Level (for anyone aged 21-25)

$200 Workshop Level (covers cost of workshop tuition)

$250 Sponsorship Level (covers workshop cost + scholarship assistance for students)

ENROLL

Please fill out and submit the enrollment form and then pay for your workshop below. Your spot in the retreat is not guaranteed until payment has been received. Payments are non-refundable, though may under certain circumstances be transferable to the next scheduled retreat or workshop, minus an administrative fee of at least 10%.

SUBMIT ENROLLMENT FORM:

PAY TUITION:

“What a glorious way to spend a weekend. I felt loved and understood and ushered gently into new understanding of my life choices.” -Jane

FAQ’s

  • Each workshop is different, so we encourage you to come in with an open mind. Our workshops are experiential, which means that we provide a platform where organic reactions and responses can arise, so you see yourself more clearly. We will be going beyond a conceptual discourse into an experience where ideas are blended with feeling and emotion, providing a more holistic experience. The workshop uses a variety of modalities: one-on-one and group sharing, movement, breathing, music, release work, etc. Strong emotions may surface and that could look like crying, anger, grief, etc. People will be coming to the workshop who are ready to change old patterns and begin trusting in the flow of life. This requires an objective look at why and how we shut down. For many of us, coping has become so normalized, that we don’t see it until we’re in this kind of workshop setting.

  • Although workshop registration payments are non-refundable, under certain circumstances the funds may be transferable to the next scheduled retreat or workshop, minus an administrative fee of at least 10%.

  • If you have any questions, please contact us at info@awarenessinstitute.org.