Our program year began early in the Spring with a team training event that welcomed more than 30 TWC graduates, mentors, facilitators, trainees, and supporters of heart healing work back to our original home in Brattleboro, Vermont. Throughout an intensive three and a half days, facilitated by our friends from The Journey, our group learned tools and techniques to help themselves and others elicit and access deeper emotions - an essential part of TWC's healing retreat process. A BIG thank you to Annette Nolan for investing her time and expertise with us. It is important to note that combining healing modalities, such as The Journey, with those of other practitioners is something that TWC was founded upon, and we are proud that this practice continues.
Our retreat season began in May, with 62 graduates and families, facilitators, staff, and board members gathering for our Annual Reunion held at what was previously a Boy Scout camp in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. Along with reconnection, and comradery, our reunion provided TWC an opportunity to share new HeartMath tools and techniques with our group as we fold HeartMath into our retreat programming. HeartMath techniques empower people to self-regulate their emotions and behaviors, reduce stress, increase resilience, and unlock their natural intuitive guidance for making more effective life choices. HeartMath techniques enable people to break through to higher levels of personal balance, creativity, insight, and health - something we believe we ALL deserve in life.
TWC was proud to have been sponsored by a grant from HeartMath to become HeartMath Coaches, as well as Certified and Licensed HeartMath Trainers. Another example of a strong partnership and combining healing modalities to serve others. Thank you, HeartMath, especially Katherine Floriano, Brian Kabaker, and Rollin McCraty for making this possible.
Our 2019 retreat season also saw TWC once again offer all three of our residential program offerings, male veteran, female veteran, and military spouse retreats, for our fourth consecutive year.
Although each retreat has a group dynamic all their own, each session had the commonalities - throughout each week, and with the use of expressive arts, a mindful presence, and shared experiences, a light began to emerge and shine a little brighter from within each participant, who in their own way, found the courage to say three difficult words - "I need help." That is what brought each of our participants to The Warrior Connection. This is the reason that TWC exists to serve our military men and women and their families, who are suffering or struggling with things like PTSD, MST, depression, or anxiety.
As each retreat progressed, our participants traveled more in-depth into the retreat process, most finding a new sense of self, acceptance, belonging, and renewed purpose in life. Moreover, our participants found the courage to move toward their now brighter futures for not only themselves but also for their families. Throughout the week of each retreat, from laughter to tears, and every emotion in between, the bond and trust within each group grew, searing their sacred experience into their hearts, minds, and souls, hopefully, something they will always treasure.
To read more inspiring stories about TWC retreat groups, or to hear from individual TWC graduates, follow this link to our testimonials page.
To all of our new graduates from 2019 and their families, alumni, facilitators, staff, volunteers, board members, and of course our donors and supporters, thank you for all your help in 2019. With your continued support, we look forward to another amazing year, filled with opportunities, healing for those we serve, and a greater impact in our communities.
If you would like to get involved with TWC in a deeper way in 2020 or have questions about our work generally, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact our Executive Director, Aaron Phillips at aaron@warriorconnection.org.
Did you see our Partnership Highlights from 2019? If not, click here:
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