Reflect, Renew And Regenerate: Midlife

Midlife can be a challenging and confusing period. It is a stark reminder of the passage of time and our growing age. It maybe overloaded with multiple stressors between children, spouse, parents, career, or lack/loss thereof. We may feel the angst of what we have accomplished, or question what it is all about. Since the dawn of life, humans have looked to the skies and wondered: why am I here? what is my purpose? Around midlife, the question often begins to loom large. Midlife is also an opportunity for transformation. We have the chance to look to the past and to the future, and make new choices. It can be a time for re-evaluation towards self-growth and self-realization. A time to make a difference not only in our own life but also those of others. ​ Join us for a weekend to pause, ponder, heal, and repurpose your life towards your deepest intentions. Immerse yourself in the world of creativity to unlock your inner power, express your vision for the next phase of life with increased clarity and purpose, and follow your pathway to a new future. Symbolized by your own painting, you will walk away refreshed, renewed and feeling supported to embrace your transforming self with gusto. ​See Reflect, Renew and Regenerate: Midlife web page on Essinova for more information. Due to its intimate nature and home setting, this private event is limited to 10-12 participants, by invitation only. Retreat led by: BeiBei Song Executive educator, innovation coach, speaker, author, creative catalyst and fusionist. Dancing phoenix.​ BeiBei Song is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Essinova, a forward-thinking interdisciplinary academy applying art and cognitive science to human development, leadership and innovation. She is also an executive educator and coach at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, with 20+ years of prior corporate and entrepreneurial experience in technology, healthcare, sustainability, financial services, legal, creative and sports sectors. A native of China, she has lived and worked in the U.S., Europe and Asia. A common thread in these diverse experiences is her pioneering spirit and willingness to reinvent herself. She now brings her learnings to the transformation journeys of other individuals and organizations. BeiBei Song is a popular speaker on creativity and innovation, and a guest editor of MDPI, a multidisciplinary scholarly journal where she led a special issue on "Business, Open Innovation and Art". In 2016 she was honored as a Mandarin Leader, an award recognizing excellence in North America's Chinese community, highlighting exceptionally creative or philanthropic leaders. BeiBei has an M.B.A. degree from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Economics from University of International Business & Economics in Beijing. She is an Argentine tango dancer, among other artistic dabblings. Ryan Rigoli Leadership & life coach, brand consultant, pianist, monk As a leadership and life coach, Ryan Rigoli helps business leaders, entrepreneurs and truth seekers access their intuitive guidance and follow their soul’s purpose, at work and beyond. Over time, and with consistent practice, guidance, and self-acceptance, his clients often report feeling more like themselves across many aspects of their lives and experiencing a greater joy while being in service to their families, businesses, communities, and to themselves. Ryan has spoken at the Stanford Business School, Wisdom 2.0 conference, and other venues on the topic of our deeper purpose and the impact our unique presence and gifts can have on those around us. Prior to his work as a coach, Ryan was a Sr. Director of Marketing at Yahoo! where he launched a number of new innovations into the market. He received a B.S. in Earth Systems at Stanford University, was certified as an Integral Coach at the New Ventures West Integral Coaching Program in San Francisco, and received a certification as a True Purpose™ Coach at the True Purpose Institute. He is also a Professed Monk in the Spirit of Peace Monastic Community, an assistant meditation teacher at the Foundation for Spiritual Development in San Rafael, CA, and an improvisational classical pianist. Ryan uses his business, spiritual, and creative backgrounds to support people in living with greater purpose, presence, and peace. Belinda Chlouber Artist, designer, climate activist, teacher. Belinda Chlouber explores human potential and positive transformation through her artwork. A recipient of numerous scholarships, awards and honors, she exhibits her work nationally and internationally, and curates exhibitions at The Peninsula Museum of Art while also serving on their board of directors. She teaches vision-based art workshops, and has trained with Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader. Born in Stillwater, Oklahoma and having lived on the Navaho and Hopi reservations in her early years, Belinda has a deep appreciation for native American cultures, which influenced her as an artist and her view of the world. Through a strong connection to nature, she explores our understanding of how humans interact with their natural surroundings. During the most recent decade, Belinda's work has been inspired by climate legacy, family legacy as well as silence & sound, a research interest she developed while coping with hearing loss. Constantly seeking to understand and communicate the different ways we change and grow throughout our lives, Belinda urges her students to search deeply and honestly through art exploration, in a thoughtful, contemplative working process. Belinda received her BFA from Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri, and then continued her studies at Parsons School of Design in New York. She now lives in San Mateo, California with her husband Darin Donovan and two daughters, Ava and Nicole. Nadine Kano Software internationalization expert, technology storyteller, communication consultant, culinary chef When Nadine Kano took her sabbatical from Microsoft in 2008, where she had worked for nearly 20 years in a variety of technical and business roles, she wanted to live in Paris for three months. But she also wanted to have a “learning experience.” So she came up with the crazy idea of going to culinary school and enrolled in the famous French culinary institution Le Cordon Bleu. She fell in love with cooking in general and pastry in particular. She graduated first in her superior pastry class in 2011. Being a chef is now Nadine’s favorite hobby. She has taught classes in Seattle, regularly guest chefs at SGI-USA Florida Nature and Culture Center near Fort Lauderdale, and occasionally caters events. The rest of the time she’s managing partner of her own consulting firm, specializing in technical communications and storytelling. Besides her proud culinary degree Nadine also holds a BSE in Computer Science from Princeton University, where she served on its Computer Science Department Advisory Council for 12 years; and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Price (inclusive of lunches, Saturday dinner, art supplies, dessert-making class, snacks and beverages): Early Bird (on or before April 7, 2019): $295 General (on or before April 21, 2019): $395 ​Late Bird (after April 22, 2019): $495 This event is the third of Essinova's Spring 2019 Artful Life trilogy, following: Togetherness, New and Improved: A unique Valentine's with couple's improv art-making WHO AM I ? Self-discovery & Art::: retreat, workshop and showcase Visit the links above for photos and participant testimonials. FAQs: What can I bring to the event? Open mind, open heart, willingness to be vulnerable, compassion for yourself, empathy for fellow participants, respect for the hosting home and pledge of confidentiality so that the retreat can be a safe and trusty environment for everyone. Wear comfortable clothing in case you feel like jumping up, lying down or stretching out. On Sunday you will be painting. You won’t be covered with paint but don’t wear anything you don’t want to get accidental spots on! Alternatively, feel free to bring a work apron or an old jacket as protective outer layer. Is it a residential retreat? i.e. Am I staying there overnight? No, you can go home or back to your hotel Saturday night and return Sunday morning. Can I skip Saturday dinner? Saturday evening is an integral part of the event, with catered dinner followed by dessert-making class led by Nadine our Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef. We strongly recommend that you share this meal with us, as this more casual portion of the retreat will be fun, relaxing and a great bonding experience. If you must depart earlier, we will respect your wish, however costs for dinner and dessert-making cannot be waived. Can you accommodate special dietary requirements? We will be ordering quality, health-friendly food by California standards. Please let us know if you have special dietary needs and we will do our best to accommodate. What's the refund policy? Due to the small and intimate size of the group, registrations are generally not refundable. However we understand emergency circumstances may occur, and will consider refund requests on case-by-case basis. Who can I contact with other questions? Monica Poss, [hidden], [hidden] “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has been through to achieve that beauty” - Maya Angelou More Info below.