The remodeling of the Lakebay facility, home base for Soltura workshops, shook things up at the beginning of the year. We hit the road offering two workshops in Texas and one in Saskatchewan, Canada. In both locations we were welcomed by supporters who have already participated in workshops and who joined in to help cook, drive or facilitate the workshops...and we could not have done it without you!

The month of May saw the birth of Spirit Wave, a new workshop for women who have completed the Wizard of Oz trilogy. Eleven women continued their journey in the new workshop offered on Vashon Island here in Washington and another group participated in August.

The remodel of Lakebay progressed throughout the year and is now  nearing completion. Walls have been removed to create an open floor plan that connects everything with sweeping views of the waterfront...from the front entrance to the living room, through the family room and into the kitchen. This has made a tremendous difference in how  participants gather and socialize during workshops. The atmosphere is peaceful and natural with a seamless transition from the interior to the outdoors. One participant said it best as she gazed out the window, "this is the first time I've felt at home."

Perhaps the most exciting thing is the growing interest in the workshops. Part I workshops consistently included 8-12 participants and we even had to add a Caught in a Twister workshop in November to accommodate the number of women enrolling. A big thank you to everyone who has helped spread the word! 

One additional development is the facilitators are now conducting monthly conference calls for three months following each Part 1 workshop. These teleconferences help participants continue to process their workshop journey, share their experiences as new tools  are applied in real life situations, and, perhaps most important, provide support while staying connected with each other.

It has been a wonderful year. A special thank you to everyone who helped facilitate and contributed their time and energy in other ways.

This holiday season, honor someone special in your life by donating a gift to Soltura in their name and, in the process, help to change lives! When we receive your donation, we will send a special card to the person(s) you want to honor with a personal message from you informing them of the gift!

We think it is important that you know how your donation will be used...so we let you decide! It can be applied to the Pay It Forward Scholarship Fund to help others realize their dream of personal growth through a Soltura workshop, or choose the Keep the Dream Alive fund used to develop new workshops and help Soltura grow in other ways. Two additional funds have also been established this year in memory of the personal heroes of the co-founders. Alix Baldwin Buckley  set up the Julie Jo Baldwin Memorial Fund in memory of her sister and Carole Rosenberg established the David Rosenberg Memorial Fund in memory of her father.

By now, all of you should have received a card in the mail explaining how to support Soltura by giving a gift this holiday season. Simply complete the donor card included in your packet and tell us who you want to honor and how you want your gift to be used...and we will do the rest!  If you have moved or did not receive a card for some reason, please contact us with your correct address at info@Soltura.net or (253) 857-3444.

We are confident that 2010 will  be another period of growth for Soltura, presenting opportunities for the expansion of workshop offerings and exploration of new marketing avenues.

 
A new development in the works for next year is regional one-day workshops. These events will be held in areas where there are a cluster of former workshop participants who can help us spread the word and assist with facilitation. The coed workshops will be an experiential introduction to personal growth for individuals who are curious about the process but want more information before committing to participation in one of the Soltura workshop trilogies. These events will also allow us to reconnect with our Soltura brothers and sisters in different regions of the country...and Canada!

During 2009 we initiated relationships with a number of healing organizations working with families and young people. Representatives of these organizations attended workshops to find out for themselves how the Soltura experience may benefit their clients. For example, a therapeutic program working with families who have a child struggling with emotional or behavioral issues is interested in recommending the workshops to the parents for their personal development. In return, Soltura will help spread the word about that program to families we encounter who may be in need of their services. These connections are a win-win for everyone as they help more people learn about Soltura and we make more resources known to our community.

One of the men currently on his journey through the Knight in Rusty Armor trilogy has requested permission to write his graduate thesis on Soltura. While we are still in the discussion phase of his proposal, this would be an opportunity to collect information and follow-up data on the impact the Soltura workshops are having on participants.

These are just a few of the things we have up our sleeve for next year. We will be notifying you soon about when your next workshop is scheduled.

Starting with the Caught in a Twister workshop held in September 2009, we started posting a photo album of each workshop on our Facebook page. Starting with the September workshops, you can click on the photo displayed to see the full photo album.