Transform your life with retreat weekend

Unlike the butterfly, who transforms itself from a caterpillar through a series of orderly and distinct steps, we humans have many choices for transformation. For spiritual transformation there is prayer, meditation and chanting. Alone or collectively they can prove to be powerful. For healing wounds of the past, psychotherapy can bring about transformation through introspection. For physical transformation one can implement change by eating lots of veggies, and participating in exercises such as lifting free-weights or yoga.

Simply transforming a gloomy mood can be a project of self-love. Enter a more blissful state by listening to your favorite brand of music, talking to supportive friends, or watching comical YouTube videos like "Baby Panda Sneezes."

Another form of purposeful transformation is a retreat, a time to get away. When it comes to retreats, the choices are plentiful. There are corporate retreats, marriage and couple retreats, silent retreats, and nature-lover retreats. They can be held at an ashram, on a cruise ship or with celebrities. Or even better: there's one right here in Westlake that's coming up soon, and won't cost nearly as much as a cruise retreat. 

The Reverend Paulette Pipe, a "celebrity" in the Unity movement, is coming to Unity Spiritual Center of Westlake. She will be one half of a retreat team, along with Reverend Jacquie Lenati, leading a weekend of transformation. Friday, April 22, at 7 p.m., Jacquie will lead a performance art experience that reflects on the spiritual community. On Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Rev. Pipe will lead us in a retreat experience to rejuvenate body, mind and soul. Rev. Pipe is well known as hostess of "Touching the Stillness," Unity's inspiring online radio program. She is senior minister of Touching the Stillness Ministries, a prayer and meditation ministry that inspires bold and courageous prayer power. 

If your prayer time has been neglected, join this retreat to revive it! Be ready to refresh, renew and recharge as you banish all kinds of blahs, blues and negativity from your life. This life-altering weekend, presented by the Unity Churches of Northern Ohio, will be held at Unity Spiritual Center, 23855 Detroit Road in Westlake. Advance registration is $20 for Friday night, $30 for Saturday and $40 for both days. Call 440-835-0400 or visit unityspiritualcenter.com for more information or to register. All are welcome!