Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2020
Publication Title
The Qualitative Report
Volume
25
Issue
6
Pages
1579-1598
Abstract
In this autoethnography I narrate the story of my retreat experiences and spiritual practices at the Well Retreat Center over a span of two decades. The Well is both a geographical place in the Isle of Wright County in Virginia, and a metaphor for a spiritual journey into the inner Well of our being. I chronicle an amalgam of 35 retreats in one 24-hour retreat, narrating stories about: leaving home and settling in, dreaming and awakening, sunrise and sunset, walking in nature and walking the narrow path, discovering life behind a cracked door, and uncovering the mystery that lies at the bottom of a Well. I punctuate each story with questions for the reader to contemplate, inviting them to go deeper into their own inner Well, to contact and connect with the life-giving waters that nourish our growth, sustain our hope, and orient our lives toward loving compassion. Finally, I address issues of validity, limitations, and future research.
Original Publication Citation
Baesler, E. J. (2020). Journeying into the well: An autoethnography of 35 retreats across two decades. The Qualitative Report, 25(6), 1579-1598. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol25/iss6/10/
Repository Citation
Baesler, E. James, "Journeying Into the Well: An Autoethnography of 35 Retreats Across Two Decades" (2020). Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications. 45.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/communication_fac_pubs/45
Comments
Published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.