Art of Thriving Purpose Retreat
When: Tue, Sep 29 - Fri, Oct 2, 2026
People who seek meaning beyond themselves are healthier, happier, and live longer. So, it’s vital to our well-being that we maintain a strong sense of purpose. For some people, life purpose is an aspirational concept or has a spiritual dimension. For others, it’s a more secular notion, a need to be valued as a member of a family or group. Not everyone feels the need for a written purpose but we all need to be needed. Mattering matters.
As we grow through the phases of our life, experiencing various levels of psychological, emotional and, ultimately, spiritual growth, we may come to think more deeply about our life purpose and find ourselves yearning for deeper levels of meaning and connection. At some phase of our lives, we might feel stuck, going nowhere, drifting without direction, wondering “what is the point of it all?”
If you are:
wondering where am I headed…,
desire time to think about the next chapter of your life…,
concerned about the current chapter of life and what’s the point?,
in a transition (job, career, family, etc.) and are trying to understand what is next, is there a next…,
this retreat may help you uncover a pathway for letting go and creating a new direction alongside others seeking similar clarity.
When and Where:
Tue Sep 29, 2026 - 6:30 pm to Fri Oct 2, 2026 - 11:30 am
The beautiful Siena Retreat Center, 5637 Erie St, Racine, Wisconsin 53402
Registration:
Your registration includes intentionally guided sessions, wellness options, all meals & a peaceful private room to resonate, rest, and revive. There is time for reflection and ability to create the flow for discovering what might be next.
What’s Included - Residential:
Private guest room with bath
Guided sessions, handouts, book, purpose card deck
All Meals (Wed & Thu breakfast, lunch, dinner, Fri breakfast); snacks and cafeteria beverage center. Tuesday evening dinner add-on possible.
Wellness Sessions(encouraged): Soundbath, Yoga w/o mats, Labyrinth
Access to Retreat spaces reading nooks, outdoor spaces, beach space, art room, wifi, etc.
What’s Included - Commuter:
Guided sessions, handouts, book, purpose card deck
All Meals (Wed & Thu breakfast, lunch, dinner, Fri breakfast); snacks and cafeteria beverage center. Tue evening dinner add-on by arrangement.
Wellness Sessions(encouraged): Soundbath, Yoga w/o mats, Labyrinth
Access to Retreat spaces reading nooks, outdoor spaces, beach space, art room, wifi, etc.
What’s Not Included:
Travel to and from the retreat site is your responsibility and not included in this cost. Soda not available in beverage center. Bring own and community use refrigerator.
Retreat outcomes:
Gain clarity (or beginning clarity) on your purpose and values.
Understand what change and transition in your life looks like.
Define what a thriving life looks like for you.
Discover what your life story tells you about your present and future life.
Explore letting go of what no longer serves you.
Check-in: Sep 29 after 4 pm residential; 6 pm commuter Program begins: 6:30 pm for everyone
Check-out: Fri, Oct 2 after 11:30 am program end
Residential Registration Highly Recommended for Best Experience: To get the most benefit being on retreat, the overnight stays at the Siena Retreat Center affords you the opportunity to focus, take time for reflection, benefit from connecting with others on a similar journey, and getting away. A few commuter only slots are available.
Add-on Tue Sep 29 5:30 dinner - request due Sep 22 - email arrangements@sienaretreatcenter.org - Subject Line: Purpose Retreat
Marilyn Bugenhagen, founder of Resonate and Thrive, has spent her career walking alongside people with a single conviction: that building a just, caring, and thriving world begins with the courageous work of knowing yourself and choosing to act. Rooted in love, peace, and the belief that ordinary people can take on extraordinary causes, she cultivates what she calls a healthy disregard for the impossible — especially in those navigating their careers and life transitions. Grounded in contemplative practice and she is called to be committed to truth and compelled to justice, she is the architect of the River of Life retreat program often held at the Siena Retreat Center.
David Bennett, a leadership coach and facilitator, knows something about the courage it takes to change direction. Fifteen years ago, he walked away from a successful corporate career to follow a deeper calling — to accompany people through the terrain of their own growth and change. Grounded in adult development theory and the psychology of what makes people truly thrive, he is drawn to the questions that surface in life's transitions: Who am I becoming? What truly matters? What am I here to do? With a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and a decade and a half of walking alongside leaders navigating complexity, David brings both intellectual rigor and genuine warmth to the work of helping people find — and follow — their own way forward.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
1.1 Participant Cancellation
Deposit in non-refundable except where organizer cancels the event.
Cancellations made more than 60 days before the Retreat start date: Organizer will refund amounts paid minus $100 Deposit in full fee and any non-recoverable vendor fees.
Cancellations made between 30 days before the event: refund of 50% of amounts paid minus $100 Deposit in full fee and non-recoverable vendor fees.
Cancellations made less than 30 days before the event: no refunds (unless Organizer cancels the event).
1.2 Transfer of Registration
Participant may transfer their registration to another person if Organizer is notified in writing at least 21 days before event start date and the transferee signs this Agreement.
1.3 Organizer Cancellation
If Organizer cancels the event for any reason, participants receive a full refund of amounts paid (excluding optional travel costs paid by Participant). Organizer is not responsible for reimbursing travel, lost wages, or other incidental costs.