Mindfulness on the Mountain - From Earth to Heaven: Rooting the Body and Raising the Spirit Weekend Retreat
Mindfulness on the Mountain - From Earth to Heaven: Rooting the Body and Raising the Spirit Weekend Retreat
770 St. Mary's Lane Sewanee, TN 37375
Up to 50 in group
Aug 21 - 23, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- Establishing a stable, relaxed root through stance training and foundational Tai Chi principles
- Lifting out of anxiety and depression through what the Tai Chi masters call "Raising the Spirit"
- The role of the waist as the commander of movement — linking lower and upper body with fluid power
- Seated meditation practices to quiet the mind and deepen somatic awareness
- Gentle two-person drills to cultivate listening energy, sensitivity, and spirited connection
- Methods for integrating rooting and raising the spirit into solo practice and daily life
About this Retreat
Ryan Black has always had a deep passion for martial arts and their relationship to contemplative practice. As a young man in his twenties, he was stationed in Japan where he served as a Deep-Sea Salvage and Recue Diver in the U.S. Navy for many years. While there he immersed himself in Kendo (Traditional Japanese sword fencing) and Zen practice. Before moving back to the United States, he was the first foreigner in Southern Japan to reach Master-level in Kendo.
In his desire to advance on his contemplative/martial arts path, Ryan spent over a decade training in the original martial art of Tai Chi (t'ai chi ch'üan) under Grandmaster Yang, Jwing-Ming of YMAA in Boston. Ryan also received his formal training in mindfulness facilitation through Vanderbilt’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine where he has served as a teacher for Osher’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program.
Founder and Master Instructor of Nashville Tai Chi and Wellness, Ryan has been teaching both group and private lessons in Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation in the Nashville area since 2017. He regularly does Tai Chi demonstrations and workshops for the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville (CAAN).
The Rev. Gordon Peerman, DMin, is an Episcopal priest and leader of many retreats at St. Mary’s Sewanee. He has been engaged with contemplative practices, including Centering Prayer, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and Qi Gong since 1975. He has taught Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at Vanderbilt and St. Thomas Health Services, as well as classes in Buddhist Christian Dialogue at Vanderbilt Divinity School. The author of several books including Blessed Relief and The Body Knows the Way, when he is not teaching he makes his home in Nashville.
Details of this retreat
From Earth to Heaven: Rooting the Body and Raising the Spirit
Check in begins at 3pm central. Program concludes by 11am on the last day.
Cultivate deep stability, inner clarity, and an uplifted spirit in this immersive tai chi and meditation retreat. From Earth to Heaven is a contemplative journey through the body’s energetic architecture—beginning with the root, refining movement through the waist, and culminating in gentle two-person practices that awaken connection and elevate the spirit.
Designed for sincere beginners and continuing practitioners alike, this retreat weaves precise skill development with seated meditation throughout the day. You will learn not only how to move, but how to inhabit your movement—rooted below, open above, and unified within.
Through guided instruction, mindful repetition, and quiet sitting, you will leave with a felt understanding of structure, softness, and presence—grounded in the earth, yet rising toward heaven.
Skills and Concepts We Will Explore:
• How to establish a stable, relaxed root through stance training and foundational tai chi principles
• Lifting out of anxiety and depression by what the tai chi masters call, “Raising the Spirit”
• The role of the waist as the commander of movement—linking lower and upper body with fluid power
• Seated meditation practices to quiet the mind and deepen somatic awareness
• Gentle two-person drills to cultivate listening energy, sensitivity, and spirited connection
• Methods for integrating rooting and raising the spirit into your solo practice and daily life
Participants should be comfortable engaging in respectful, light two-person exercises involving touch during the afternoon session.
Come prepared to stand firmly, move softly, sit quietly—and discover the pathway from Earth to Heaven within your own body.
Check in begins at 3pm central. Program concludes by 11am on the last day.
Cultivate deep stability, inner clarity, and an uplifted spirit in this immersive tai chi and meditation retreat. From Earth to Heaven is a contemplative journey through the body’s energetic architecture—beginning with the root, refining movement through the waist, and culminating in gentle two-person practices that awaken connection and elevate the spirit.
Designed for sincere beginners and continuing practitioners alike, this retreat weaves precise skill development with seated meditation throughout the day. You will learn not only how to move, but how to inhabit your movement—rooted below, open above, and unified within.
Through guided instruction, mindful repetition, and quiet sitting, you will leave with a felt understanding of structure, softness, and presence—grounded in the earth, yet rising toward heaven.
Skills and Concepts We Will Explore:
• How to establish a stable, relaxed root through stance training and foundational tai chi principles
• Lifting out of anxiety and depression by what the tai chi masters call, “Raising the Spirit”
• The role of the waist as the commander of movement—linking lower and upper body with fluid power
• Seated meditation practices to quiet the mind and deepen somatic awareness
• Gentle two-person drills to cultivate listening energy, sensitivity, and spirited connection
• Methods for integrating rooting and raising the spirit into your solo practice and daily life
Participants should be comfortable engaging in respectful, light two-person exercises involving touch during the afternoon session.
Come prepared to stand firmly, move softly, sit quietly—and discover the pathway from Earth to Heaven within your own body.
Schedule
- dinner at 6pm Friday & Saturday
- 8am breakfast Saturday & Sunday
- 12pm lunch Saturday
- program instruction Friday night until 8pm, all day Saturday, Sunday morning
- breaks during the day Saturday
- concludes Sunday before lunch
- 8am breakfast Saturday & Sunday
- 12pm lunch Saturday
- program instruction Friday night until 8pm, all day Saturday, Sunday morning
- breaks during the day Saturday
- concludes Sunday before lunch
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
St. Mary's Sewanee, 770 St. Mary's Lane Sewanee, TN 37375
Directions
Nashville BNA, Huntsville, Chattanooga airports
Directions to St. Mary’s Sewanee:
*From Nashville or Chattanooga, take I-24 to Exit 134 toward Sewanee/Monteagle.
*At the top of the ramp, turn left onto Highway 41A toward Sewanee/University of the South.
*Continue on Highway 41A for 5.5 miles.
*Turn left onto Highway 56/Sherwood Road for .6 miles.
*Turn right onto St. Mary’s Lane for 0.7 miles.
*Follow the signs marked “Guest Registration”.
Directions to St. Mary’s Sewanee:
*From Nashville or Chattanooga, take I-24 to Exit 134 toward Sewanee/Monteagle.
*At the top of the ramp, turn left onto Highway 41A toward Sewanee/University of the South.
*Continue on Highway 41A for 5.5 miles.
*Turn left onto Highway 56/Sherwood Road for .6 miles.
*Turn right onto St. Mary’s Lane for 0.7 miles.
*Follow the signs marked “Guest Registration”.
Accommodation
Anna House - motel style rooms, 2 twin beds, private bathroom, heat & ac St. Mary's Hall - dorm style rooms, twin beds, shared bathrooms, heat, cooled with box fans
Anna House Motel Style Room
2 twin beds in each room, private bathroom, sitting area, air conditioning and heat. Please, indicate if a first floor room is requested. There are no elevators to second floor rooms.
St. Mary's Hall Dorm Style Room
Private room, 2 twin beds in each room, shared bathrooms separated by gender use, cooled with box fans in summer, heated in winterPlease, indicate if a first floor room is requested. There are no elevators to second floor rooms.
St. Mary's Hall Dorm Style Triple Room
Private room, 3 twin beds in each room, shared bathrooms separated by gender use, cooled with box fans in summer, heated in winterPlease, indicate if a first floor room is requested. There are no elevators to second floor rooms.
Commuter
Includes meals, program fees and materials (lodging not included).
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Located on the South Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee overlooking New Hope Bluff - hiking trail, outdoor labyrinth, meditation garden, campfire, hammock swings, rocking chairs
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
We believe that nourishing the body is inseparable from nourishing the soul.
Our kitchen team prepares every meal with intention, care, and love - meeting the needs of most any dietary need.
What's Included
- - 2 night retreat, Friday-Sunday
- - dinner Friday at 6pm central
- - breakfast/lunch/dinner Saturday
- - breakfast Sunday
- - lodging, meals, program all inclusive
What's Not Included
- - transportation
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