Avalon is a transformative rite-of-passage program for young women ages 16-19.
We prepare young girls and women for individuation from their families by offering real-life skills for emotional regulation, increased self-esteem, healthy relationship choices, and navigating depression and anxiety.
This is not your usual rite-of-passage experience.
No grueling hikes. No starving nights alone out in the woods.
We glamp. We snack. We play. We have candlelit dinners under the stars.
And we dive deep. We challenge our thinking. We feel the feels.
At Avalon, we provide a cozy and comfortable atmosphere so the girls can face where the real challenges are - inside of them. We create a safe container physically and emotionally so participants can reflect on themselves, learn new skills, screen-fast, and play! In a world where it’s easy to put on whatever mask is necessary to please the people around us, we initiate young girls into young women by helping them own who they really are - empowering them to take charge of their emotions, stop negative thoughts, and make decisions with grace and wisdom.
*We do not impose any particular spiritual, political, or ideological views on our participants, but instead focus on helping each girl connect with her own values, ethics, and truths. We empower our girls to stand confidently in their own authenticity, free from outside pressures or mainstream influence, to become critical thinkers and sovereign beings.
What Makes an Avalon retreat a “Rite-of-Passage?”
“Rite-of-passage” is a term used to name a transitional phase in ones life that is acknowledged and celebrated through ceremony and groupwork. In the context of Avalon, our retreats create a rite-of-passage for young girls into young women through the teaching of effective life-skills relating to emotional resiliency, mind-set shifting, physical embodiment, and self-care so we can send our girls off into the world with the inner-resources they need to face life’s challenges with grace.
Rite-of-Passage comes at a time when a young woman starts feeling more connected to her sense of self, her identity, and her place in the world and to be truly seen and heard during this time is hugely important in a young girls emotional development. Studies show that girls who go through a rite-of-passage experience with other young women grow into more confident, balanced, and grounded adults.
Through our group workshops and activities our participants will learn meditation, intuition development, emotional regulation, mind-set shifting, embodiment, grounding, and self-esteem building practices. We do this through group discussion, art therapy, dance, interactive workshops, healthy meals, time in nature, and campfire storytelling & singing. We close out each retreat with a fire-circle that acknowledges the unique essence of each participant, and we a facilitate a symbolic ceremony of collectively stepping each girl into her powerful young-woman-self.
At Avalon we believe life provides opportunities for us to make choices from love and empowerment instead of fear, insecurity, or approval-seeking. We believe that when external disruptions occur in life - in the form of loss, struggle with family members, relationship issues, or things just not working out the way we hoped - we have access to an unshakable place within ourselves where we can healthily feel and express emotions, or access clarity, peace, and direction in the midst of any difficulty. Our passion for this work comes from a desire to teach young women how to find refuge when things are hard emotionally in ways that are not escaping or self-destructive.
Meet our Team
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Chelsie Taylor
FOUNDER & LEAD RETREAT FACILITATOR
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Heather James
RETREAT CO-FACILITATOR
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Kelsey Bowman
RETREAT FOOD GURU
Reach out for a free discovery call or enter your info into the form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
avalonriteofpassage@gmail.com
(970) 404-2785 Paonia, Colorado