Events of Special Interest

Calendar

Leadership for the New Commons

Spirit of Legacy

Concerts and Films

Personal Retreats
 

Contact Us

Administration:
360.341.1884
info@
whidbeyinstitute.org

Guest Services:
360.341.3404
chinook@
whidbeyinstitute.org

Programs

Personal Retreats

We invite you to come to the Chinook lands for a time of personal renewal, study and planning, to spend a day or longer away from your usual home and work patterns and to enjoy time by yourself and in the natural world.

The Whidbey Institute at Chinook is an educational non-profit organization and retreat center which is environmentally-grounded, spiritually-sourced, and committed to the common good. Our local, bioregional, and international work is based on Whidbey Island, one hour north of Seattle in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. The Whidbey Institute serves people who care about what is happening in our society and world, desire to engage the personal and social challenges before us, and seek to strengthen their commitment to the common good.

For nearly forty years, this work has been grounded in the beauty and power of a single place: the land, trails, and buildings of a forest sanctuary called Chinook. Each year, hundreds of people visit our late 19th century Finnish farmstead, an ideal location for personal retreats, professional meetings and conferences, and group celebrations.

~ First Monday, Supported Personal Retreats
Take a day for yourself for rest and renewal, away from the distractions of your busy life. On the first Monday of each month, we offer special resource people who are available to enhance your time. From 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, you have a room of your own, our beautiful grounds, option for private spiritual direction, art supplies, and nothing you “have” to do. $45 for the day includes lunch, and the possibility of staying overnight Sunday and/or Monday for an additional offering. Be sure to register early!

See our Calendar for monthly themes.

~ Personal Retreats at Chinook offer a time and a place to rest, reflect and restore. Please call for availability.

Personal Retreats
A time….a place…..apart
To rest, reflect and restore.

Rates: As part of our mission to reclaim the wholeness of life, we encourage you to come to the land for solitude and renewal by offering our facilities for whatever fee "gives you joy". Our regular guest rate is $75 in Granny's and the Farmhouse, $65 for a cabin ($100 for a couple in Bagend) and $20 for meadow camping. However, for personal retreats, we suspend our normal fees so those with limited means have access, hoping that some will offer more to help us maintain a generous practice. A credit card is required to hold a reservation. You will be given an envelope upon check-in for your offering or to specify an amount to be charged.

Reservations: Reservations may be made up to 30 days before your arrival on a space-available basis. You may stay up to 3 days, longer by special request. To make a reservation: please call Chinook 360-341-3404 with your credit card number and requested dates.

Supported Personal Retreats: On the first Monday of the month, special resource people are available to enhance your time here. A creative artist, a trained spiritual director (non-denominational), and a naturalist will offer optional program opportunities during the day. Lunch will be provided as well. A $45 fee will be charged in addition to the room offering. You may come just for the day, or stay overnight Sunday and/or Monday. Request details when you make your reservation.

Meals: Kitchens are available to store and cook meals as needed. Restaurants and grocery stores are nearby. Onsite chef prepared meals are available for group retreats only.

Features
Supportive Resources

Sanctuary A beautiful sacred space is available 24 hrs a day for deep listening, meditation and prayer. Open to all traditions, the Sanctuary creates a sense of haven, trust and peace.

The Labyrinth is nestled in a meadow at the heart of the Sacred Ridge. The Labyrinth is available for you to walk anytime. See Labyrinth brochure for further information

Trails 70 acres of forest, wetlands, meadow and trails invite you to explore and savor the deep heart of nature. A trail map is available to guide your rambles.

Library Our Bio-Regional room offers the borrower a varied selection of spiritual and environmental writing.

Accommodations
All Linens are provided

Granny's lies withineasy walking distance to the heart of Chinook. It has five bedrooms which provide sleeping space for eight guests downstairs and four guests upstairs. There is a shared bathroom on each floor and a full kitchen.

Our four rustic cabins nestle deep in the forest away from the meeting spaces. Each provides solitude and peace. These are especially treasured by writers seeking respite from city noise and distraction.



Bagend offers a wood burning stove and two single beds.

 

 

Heron and Hermitage each have a cozy double bed.

Mushroom is just the right size for a single bed. The bathhouse, a short distance away, provides bathroom, shower, kitchen, and laundry facilities for both cabin guests and campers.


Camping

photos by Mary Jakubiak

Please, no animals