Nurturing the Poet & Prophet Within

Join Poets & Prophets at The Meetinghouse for Nurturing the Poet & Prophet Within!

Saturday, October 25, 2025

9:30 am – 4:30 pm

As leaders, we are called to serve within this time of deep, disruptive change, across the social, environmental, and economic divides that we face. You may be feeling the need to respond, but unsure of how to begin. Start your journey with us as we take a day apart to develop as leaders – as the poet-prophets – that we want to be in the world.

Spend a day reconnecting with yourself, community, and the natural world. Begin with reflection on The Leader as Poet & Prophet, pause for lunch at The Market, and continue with a restorative Forest Bathing session. The day closes with chanting and practice in Sanskrit Wisdom and Chanting, leaving you refreshed, inspired, and grounded in new ways of leading and living.

Each workshop can be purchased individually, or buy all three for a discount.

Schedule Details:

9:30 am – Gathering with Coffee, 2nd Floor Shields Hall Gallery

10:00 am – Poets & Prophets: The Leader as Poet & Prophet, Shields Hall. Cost: $25

Led by Dr. Deborah Rundlett

You’ve felt the call to respond to the disruptive challenges of our times—yet the question remains: how? This workshop invites you to nurture the Poet and Prophet within your leadership.

• The Poet gives voice to what our communities are yearning for.
• The Prophet calls us to courageous action.

Together, Poet and Prophet empower us to lead change that brings life—to our communities, our organizations, and ourselves.

Find your voice. Lead with vision. Live with courage. Step into the call: You are both Poet and Prophet!

12:00 pm – Lunch. Treat yourself to Lunch in the The Market.

1:00 pm – Poets & Prophets: Forest Bathing, Side Yard. Cost: $25

Led by Heather Cochrane, Masters of Environmental Studies, Certified Forest Therapy Guide

Join us for a restorative forest bathing session and let nature help you unwind. In this peaceful outdoor experience, you’ll:

• Slow down and reconnect with the natural world through guided mindfulness practices.
• Experience the proven benefits of “forest bathing,” from reduced stress to greater clarity.
• Enjoy a sense of community while soaking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the forest.

Discover how a gentle walk in the woods can refresh both mind and body. This session is held outdoors, so please dress for the weather. (Watch this short Forest Bathing video to learn more before you come!)

2:30 pm – Afternoon Break

3:00 pm – Poets & Prophets: Sanskrit Wisdom and Chanting, Wellness Center. Cost: $40

Led by Kate Loewengart, RYT 200 Hour & Mindfulness Instructor, Wellness Resident at The Meetinghouse

The poetry of Sanskrit wisdom and the prophetic nature of ancient chants have the power to bring us together more deeply as yogis and those hoping to make change in the world. Sanskrit is a language that teaches us that while words have meaning, it is the physical experience of those words — their vibration — that allow for connection and integration. Kirtan, or community chanting, offers a path to experience this vibration through bhakti (BHAK-tee), the yoga of devotion; jnana (gyah-nah), the yoga of wisdom; and mantra, the yoga of sound. Designed for anyone curious about mantras and chanting or those with experience ready to practice in community, this workshop will include a discussion of meaning, an exploration into the significance of chanting for both the personal and communal, group chanting, and a closing restorative practice that savors the energy we create through sound. Each yogi will leave with a deeper understanding of kirtan as a practice, a chant or mantra that speaks to them, and a mala to continue practice at home or in community.