On September 18-20th we will be back in Hudson Valley, NY for another Seasons Retreat! This weekend will support you if you are needing a pit stop in your leadership to reflect, connect with others, and regenerate.
Last month we had a wonderful Seasons of Leadership Retreat at The Watershed Center. We spent time reflecting on our journey in social change; communing through storytelling, ritual, delicious meals, and laughter; and we dug into the seasons and cycles framework to understand, prepare, and be more settled in our leadership. We know not everyone that applied was able to join us since spots were limited, so we are excited to announce the dates for our upcoming retreat.
On September 18-20th we will be back in Hudson Valley, NY for another Seasons Retreat! This weekend will support you if you are needing a pit stop in your leadership to reflect, connect with others, and regenerate. It includes deep personal reflection, group shares, practices to center and re-ground, and communing. If you are interested, you can find more information below or on our webpage.
Hope to see you there,
Fhatima and the Ayni Team
P.S. If you have any questions about the retreat you can reach us at [email protected]
The Seasons framework is an approach that draws inspiration from spiritual and indigenous traditions to help us understand the cyclical patterns of our leadership, organizational growth, and broader societal shifts. This framework uses the metaphor of seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall—to represent the four distinct stages of leadership cycles.
Every stage of this cyclical process serves a distinct purpose, and offers unique gifts and limitations that are instrumental in shaping our approach to leadership, organizational development, and movement strategies.
Over the weekend, we will be diving deeper into the frameworks by mapping the seasons within our leadership journeys. We will take time to emotionally process the season we are in, and learn strategies and techniques to deal with the anxiety, stress, frustration, and rollercoaster of emotions that we face while doing social change work. In particular, we will gain a new perspective on leadership Winters and learn techniques for how to go through them. We will take the time to slow down and reflect, to commune with each other and nature, and to be better prepared for the season we are in and our future leadership cycles.
Key Takeaways
Gain Clarity on Leadership Seasons: Understand the purpose, unique gifts, and challenges of each season in your leadership cycle.
Identify and Align with Your Current Season: Recognize the season you are in, map your leadership cycles.
Process the Season You are in: Learn strategies alongside others to deal with the rollercoaster of emotions that we face in the journey of social change.
Develop Winter Techniques: Learn practical approaches for navigating Leadership Winters.
Connect with others: Have a different level of conversation with others in social change who are applying the frameworks of seasons and cycles into their lives.
Logistics: for more logistical information (including lodging, pricing and COVID safety), please visit our webpage.
Living in Populist Times with Stuart McIntyre & James Hayes
Join us for a timely conversation on political realignment and the future of our movements.
With Trump’s 2024 victory, MAGA 2.0 on the rise, and Silicon Valley’s shift to the right, we’re living a deep political transformation. What does this mean for progressive organizing? Since 2008, trust in traditional institutions has unraveled, opening space for new forces across the spectrum. At Ayni, we believe understanding this shift is key to building stronger, more strategic movements.
Join James Hayes and Stuart McIntyre of Ohio Voice as they explore what this moment demands—and how we can respond with clarity, courage, and collective power.
📅 Date: May 6th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST 📍 Location: Online
Join us for a virtual workshop on Participatory Defense with Justine “Taz” Moore—cofounder of The National Council for Incarcerated Women and Girls and founder of Empowerment: Before, During, and After.
Taz brings powerful experience and insight into how communities can organize to influence legal outcomes and transform the criminal court system from the ground up. At Ayni, we see Participatory Defense as a vital tool for justice, healing, and collective power in the face of an oppressive criminal legal system.
📅 Date: May 15th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST 📍 Location: Online
This workshop is for anyone committed to building a more just and empowered future. Don’t miss it!
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