Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Western Spirit retreat?

A retreat is a spiritual term for a peaceful time taken for meditation, study, personal growth and inner reflection. At Western Spirit you will have the opportunity to do all of these things. Your retreat is a holistic journey of self-discovery through the combination of spiritual and personal growth workshops and exciting outdoor meditative activities in Sedona and the (optional) Grand Canyon. You will learn ways to heal, forgive, manifest, enrich, empower and transform your life, as well as be guided to discover your true Self of joy and love, and reach a higher level of spiritual consciousness.

How long is the retreat and when is arrival and departure?

Your four-day retreat begins with your arrival Thursday afternoon and departure the following Monday afternoon. Many guests find it beneficial to extend their stay for two weeks to enjoy Sedona even more.

What are the retreat rates and what is included?

The rate for an individual retreat is $2,395 pp. The rate for a couples/marriage retreat is $2,895 per couple. Your retreat experience includes all the enriching workshops and healing meditations, all the exciting outdoor activities, and Sedona visit, plus your comfortable lodging in a local inn. You may find during your research that the majority of Sedona retreats are quite expensive, as much as two times Western Spirit’s rates. Some guests ask how we can charge so little for these exciting and complete retreats. The answer is that we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit spiritual organization guided by Spirit to keep our prices reasonable so everyone can avail themselves of the retreats we offer, regardless of anyone’s financial situation. Learn more by going to Rates & Reservations.

How does a Western Spirit retreat differ from other retreats in the area?

A retreat at Western Spirit offers you the opportunity to CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Don’t be misled by “retreats” in the Sedona area that are just “concierge services”, which arrange for you to spend an hour in one place with a psychic, then an hour somewhere with a “healer”, and an hour for some spa services. A Western Spirit retreat is centered around spiritual and personal growth workshops that present you with practical ideas, tools and resources which empower you to learn, grow, forgive, heal, and improve your life. You will also spend meditative time connecting with nature by exploring Sedona and its sacred energy vortex spots. This retreat experience will enable you to be renewed, refreshed, transformed, and better equipped to make permanent and positive changes that will last a lifetime. The result is learning to love yourself completely and discovering the Divine Purpose of your life. Your Western Spirit retreat experience is inclusive of your comfortable local lodging, numerous workshops, and the outdoor activities and tours. Most other retreats in the area are NOT inclusive of lodging, or, if so, charge twice the price of Western Spirit. Also, our guests value the fact that their retreat is organized by spiritual guides with over 25 years of experience, who know the best places to visit and the best vendors to work with.

What are the advantages of booking my retreat with Western Spirit?

1. Western Spirit has been offering retreats worldwide to individuals and couples since 2001.
2. Western Spirit is a 501(c)(3) non-profit spiritual organization. Because we do not have a profit motive, we can offer you the lowest retreat rates in the Sedona area.
3. Our retreat experience is inclusive of your comfortable local lodging, empowering healing meditations and workshops, and outdoor activities and tours of Sedona. You don’t have to research and worry about finding your own appropriate lodging, or which credible vendors and healers to work with. Your weekend is worry-free and allows you to focus on the true purpose of your retreat.
4. Your guides, Marian and Garrett, have over 50 years of combined experience guiding people on their spiritual journey in Arizona. Marian Carol is a gifted spiritual teacher, counselor, humanist, intuitive healer, meditation leader, visionary and psychic. She teaches individuals and couples how to create and attract harmony, peace and love in their lives and relationships by showing us how to open up to Spirit’s light and love. She is known throughout the world for her peaceful and gentle nature, her playfulness and sense of humor. Marian and her husband Garrett have over 30 years of research and study into the higher consciousness, the perfecting of spiritual harmony, and the law of attraction and manifesting. She is featured in the book “The Top 101 Experts Who Help Us Improve Our Lives”.
5. Western Spirit takes only a small number of guests at a time. This allows you to receive a lot of pampering and personalized service, and time to share your individual journey, issues and challenges in the workshops.

May I book my own lodging accommodations?

Most retreat guests stay at the local inn we recommend because of the opportunity it provides to bond with your hosts and other guests. If you choose not to stay there, you are, of course, welcome to make your own lodging accommodations at a local motel or resort at your own cost. We will gladly provide you with a list of comfortable and affordable facilities, from the local Cottonwood Best Western to Sedona’s fabulous Enchantment Resort & Spa. You will still participate daily in Western Spirit’s empowering workshops, healing sessions, outdoor activities, and Sedona & (optional) Grand Canyon tours. The retreat rate stays the same. Please call or email us for specific details of this type of arrangement.

What does a typical week’s program look like?

You may review a typical week’s program by going to Sample Week’s Personal Retreat Program. Western Spirit is blessed with an abundance of workshops, outdoor activities, and natural beauty that we can share with our guests. Your spiritual retreat may include some of the activities shown, but not others (weather permitting), and they may vary by season. You have the opportunity to be active in the workshops and meditative and contemplative in nature. Some activities, such as yoga or tai chi classes, horseback riding, kayaking and the cowboy cookout/western show can be arranged especially for you upon request and at an extra charge.

What will my accommodations be like?

Western Spirit partners with several wonderful B&Bs and  inns in the Sedona area, nestled in the shadow of the beautiful red rocks area of Sedona.

Is Western Spirit located in Sedona?

Western Spirit is located near Sedona, among the foothills of sacred Mingus Mountain. Our workshop sessions are held at the Healing Arts/Yoga Center in nearby Cottonwood.  Your lodging will be located in Sedona, however. There actually are no retreat centers located right in Sedona; they are all on the outskirts. Sedona attracts about four million visitors each year, making it a very busy, crowded, and expensive tourist destination. Many people say the energy in the valley (where we are located) between masculine Sedona and feminine Mingus Mountain offers the perfect place for a harmonious balance of peace and tranquility (the Navajo people call it “hozho”). We will spend quite a bit of time, however, exploring the awesome red rock beauty of Sedona and its sacred energy vortex places.

Are your retreats religious or Christian in nature?

Western Spirit is non-religious and non-denominational. We have had retreat guests visit us from all over the world and from most faith and religious backgrounds, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Shieks, Hindus, Mormons, agnostics, and athiests. We welcome and value everyone from all spiritual paths and walks of life. Regardless of a person’s upbringing, faith, religious background, or current belief system, our workshops are applicable and effective because they operate on the universal principle that God is love and all humankind are connected and one. They are non-religious and have less to do with the outer world and more to do with the inner “Spirit” of each person.

When are the retreats available and how far ahead should I reserve my space?

Western Spirit is open and available year-round, usually offering retreats in Sedona, but sometimes also in Tuscany, Italy during Arizona’s hot summer months. We try our best to be here for you when you need us. To get the dates you want, it is advisable to make your reservation several weeks in advance. However, if you are being guided to come immediately, we can usually make arrangements to accommodate you. Telephone us at 602-540-5808 or Contact Us.

How many guests will be on retreat with me and who else will be there?

We are a small organization and only invite a small group of guests at a time, usually just four or five. This way we can offer you personalized and pampered service, with plenty of time to talk in the workshops. We believe it is all in Divine Order and whomever is meant to be here, will be here – and with whomever they are meant to be here with. “Spirit” takes care of it and it always works out perfectly!

What are the workshops like and how do I choose which ones I want?

Once you make your reservation, we will ask you to review our workshops’ list at Workshops and choose 7 or 8 that you are specifically interested in. We will meditate and then integrate them with our other guests’ choices and do our best to schedule them the weekend you are here. The workshops are designed to be very interactive and can include discussions, role-playing, music, meditation, and other creative activities. Our objective is to enable guests to feel secure, loved, and respected as they bond through introspective, thought-provoking, and self-challenging exercises.

What can I expect from my retreat and what do past guests say?

A Western Spirit spiritual retreat or couples retreat offers the opportunity to enrich your life in a unique, exciting and life-altering way. Our workshops are designed to guide people along paths of self-discovery, forgiveness, healing, and personal growth. As you ask questions about, and search for the meaning of your life, you come away from your retreat with a renewed sense of Self-esteem, a greater love and respect for yourself and others, and a closer connection to your inner Divine Spirit. You’ll experience intuitive healing, benefit from spiritual guidance, and enjoy exciting outdoor healing and meditative activities in sacred and beautiful Sedona and the (optional) awesome Grand Canyon. You will be guided to open your heart and reconnect with your authentic Self by joining in workshops that will enlighten, inspire and heal you.

We believe people act as guides, helpmates, and sparks of inspiration for one another. Therefore, our retreats are based on the fundamental truth that each of us has the answers within and we are all traveling on our own individual and unique spiritual journey (even when we are a “couple”). We are examples for each other and when we recognize the light of divinity in each of us, we have valuable lessons we can teach and learn. Through your retreat experience here, discover there is no separation of yourself from another. The energy of love is the same in all of us; therefore, we are all one in the universe. Love is our nature; we are love. You must reclaim your capacity for love and joy.

Learn to love yourself and not to worry about the opinion of others. It is important not to judge yourself. If you don’t judge yourself or allow others to judge you, you will see your true divinity. Your happiness comes from within, not from without; not from the reflection of what others think of you. What others think of you is not your concern. You will leave feeling more peaceful, loving, and centered. You will return to your “regular life” feeling more equipped to deal with daily challenges, more empowered to choose the “right answer” for yourself, and more able to freely access your newly discovered spiritual power.

To learn what past guests of Western Spirit have to say, please review the hundreds of testimonials throughout our website. If you wish an independent opinion, check out our many Google 5-star reviews or go to www.tripadvisor.com and do a search for Western Spirit Enrichment Center.

What will a couples’ retreat or marriage retreat do for my relationship?

Your main source of learning and healing yourself is your relationships. Through the joy and pain of interaction with other people – your spouse, partner, family, friends, coworkers, you progress on your spiritual path in order to learn about love from all sides. Through this process, you will discover there is no separation of yourself from another. The realization of your true spiritual nature is a powerful healing force in a relationship, and love is the ultimate healer. Relationships need nurturing and attention to survive. Learn how to detach from your fears and negative emotions in order to give love. By loving more freely and without fear, you can renew your relationship through loving actions. Realize that your happiness comes from within first, not from outside you. Forgive the past; it is over. Learn from it and let it go. Through understanding and love you can dissolve fear and anger, for the task of love is to understand and forgive. The more love you give, the more love is returned to you. It is not how much you give, but how much love you put into the giving that is important.

A true romantic relationship answers your need for connection, intimacy, adventure, magic and spirituality. But it is also a means of triggering your old “wounds”. You do your healing through relationships. The real purpose of an intimate relationship is not that it be a place where you can hide from your weaknesses, but rather where you can safely let them go. We all unconsciously seek those relationships that challenge us, mirror our most troublesome patterns, and offer us the opportunity to learn, grow, heal and be transformed. We seek out partnerships to experience aspects of ourselves that cannot be experienced when we are alone. This is what makes our relationships both exciting and difficult, adventurous and fearful.

In our couples/marriage retreat, you will embark on a journey of sorts, part of your individual and joint spiritual journey, where you will focus on your relationship with your partner, the underlying reality of your love, and the qualities that originally drew you together. You will take a meaningful look at yourself and your partner, and discover new ways to listen, communicate, forgive and heal. You’ll find ideas, tools and resources that will make your relationship better, happier and more satisfying. Change begins with YOU. Change yourself and you will change your relationship.

When it comes to the outdoor activities, do I have to be fit and “in shape”?

We have guests attend our retreats with all types of fitness levels and physical conditions. No, you don’t have to be “in shape” to participate in our outdoor activities. We have no 10 mile “forced marches” scheduled; therefore we have no expectations. You are invited to do as much or as little as you wish. You may choose to be challenged and move beyond your usual boundaries, and, if you do, we will be there to encourage, support and assist you. There will be opportunities throughout the retreat to walk, hike and/or climb as you meditate amidst the beauty of Sedona and the Grand Canyon. If you choose not to participate, you are invited to find a comfortable spot in the middle of the awesome beauty around you and sit and enjoy and meditate. Retreats are completely “non-competitive”!

What are your qualifications and experience with retreats?

Thousands of Western Spirit guests since 2001, seekers from all over the world, tell us repeatedly that these powerful workshops have changed their lives and left them with a newfound sense of gratitude and spiritual awareness! We have facilitated thousands of workshops over the years for small and large groups. MARIAN CAROL is a gifted spiritual teacher, counselor, humanist, intuitive healer, visionary and psychic. She teaches individuals and couples how to create and attract harmony, peace and love in their lives and relationships by showing us how to open up to Spirit’s light and love. She is known throughout the world for her peaceful and gentle nature, her playfulness and sense of humor. Marian and her husband Garrett have over 30 years of research and study into the higher consciousness, the perfecting of spiritual harmony, and the law of attraction and manifesting. She is featured in the book “The Top 101 Experts Who Help Us Improve Our Lives”. To learn more about Your Hosts.

How do I get to Western Spirit?

Guests fly into Phoenix (AZ) Sky Harbor airport. Our guests rent a car at the airport for ease of transportation in the Sedona and Cottonwood area.  Western Spirit/Sedona is located approximately 100 miles (1 1/2 – 2 hour drive) northwest of Phoenix in the high desert.

Is there cell phone and Internet service available?

Because your retreat is a time for quite meditation and reflection, a time to get away from the usual distractions and demands of everyday life, we encourage guests to not use their cell phones or computers during the week. However, we are very aware of the needs and requirements of staying in touch with family and business. Therefore, yes, cell phone service is available in our area and there is usually wifi Internet service available, also.

Do you offer private one-on-one healing sessions?

Yes, MARIAN CAROL is a gifted spiritual teacher, counselor, humanist, intuitive healer, visionary and psychic. You can schedule a one-on-one spiritual consultation or healing session with Marian now. Find out more on Spiritual Counseling.

What is your cancellation policy?

If you have to cancel for any reason and you request a refund in writing anytime beyond thirty (30) days before your original retreat arrival date, your deposit is fully refunded, except for a 10% handling charge. Thirty days or within thirty days of retreat arrival date, all deposits and payments are non-refundable and are credited towards a future reservation used within one year of purchase. There are absolutely no refunds made on gift certificates or special discounted rates, but deposits will be credited towards a future reservation used within one year of purchase. Western Spirit Enrichment Center is an IRS-approved 501c3 non-profit organization and all payments made to it are considered donations

OK, I’ve decided to come, I need a retreat. What do I do now?

Congratulations! You are giving yourself a wonderful gift. Please give us a call at 602-540-5808 or Contact Us. Once we receive your reservation deposit, we will send you a confirmation, additional guest information, and a guest questionnaire.