The Art of Relating:
Pathways to Expression
A heart-centered retreat for women.
Breathe – Play – Connect – Remember – Paint
– Cultivating embodied, unbreakable relationships –
Friday, July 17 to Sunday, July 19, 2026
(I encourage a gentle entry and exit on the edges of this retreat container)
Wiawaka Center for Women
Lake George, NY
Gift yourself—or a woman you love—a restorative, life-changing weekend on Lake George.
This is not a traditional painting retreat.
And yes—you will paint.
This is a weekend designed as a pause.
A step out of the noise and the constant doing.
A chance to slow down enough to listen—to yourself and to what’s quietly asking for your attention.
Held at the historic Wiawaka Center for Women, surrounded by lake, land, and sisterhood, this retreat offers a deeply experiential space to support your relationships—from the inside out.
No artistic experience is required.
Only a willingness to show up honestly and stay curious.
What Unfolds Over the Weekend:
This retreat weaves together creativity, reflection, movement, and meaningful connection—so insight becomes embodied, not just understood.
You’ll experience:
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Guided art sessions that illuminate your personal path toward deeper relational clarity and expression
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Inquiry and shared conversation that gently reveal how expectations—yours and others’—have shaped how seen, valued, and free you feel in relationship
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Movement and embodied practices that help loosen old patterns held in the body
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Heart-centered dialogue that reconnects you with your voice, needs, and inner authority
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Nourishing meals, evening firelight, and spacious free time to swim, kayak, hike, rest, or simply be
The rhythm is intentional: depth balanced with ease.
This is retreat—not performance—so you return home resourced, grounded, and clear.
What You’ll Leave With:
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A powerful painting—not decoration, but a living artifact of your inner work
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A renewed capacity to see options and possibilities that once felt out of reach
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A circle of women forged through honesty, courage, and mutual support
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Greater fluency in relationship—with yourself, your work, and those you love
Your painting becomes both a healing tool and a visual reminder of how you choose to show up in relationship: present, expressed, and valued.
An Important Bonus (and part of the magic)
The work begins before we arrive.
Upon registration, you’ll receive a short reflective survey that allows me to tailor the weekend to the real relational themes alive in this group—so our time together feels focused, relevant, and alive from the very first brushstroke.
Through aligned community, Intentional Creativity®, inquiry, and movement, you’ll be met exactly where you are.
What’s included:
- Shared lodging in Mayflower & Rose Cottages (lake views, historic charm)
- All meals including lunch on our final day
- Morning movement, evening bonfire
- All art materials
- Full retreat programming
(Payment plans are available – just email me and we’ll arrange what feels supportive)
If you feel the quiet “yes” in your body –
the sense that this is your season to step in –
You’re in the right place.
With love and clear intention,
Joëlle
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I register?
Registration is simple and handled through our online ticketing platform.
Just click the button above to reserve your place.
Because this is an intimate retreat, advance registration is required.
Once the circle is full, registration will close.
To ensure your spot, we recommend registering as soon as you feel your yes.
All-Inclusive Tuition includes:
• Lodging
• All meals (including lunch on the final day)
• Morning movement
• Evening bonfire
• All art materials
• Full retreat programming
When does it start? What's the agenda?
The retreat begins Friday, July 17 and concludes after lunch on Sunday, July 19.
The structure below offers a clear rhythm for our time together. While the bones remain steady, the exact flow may gently adapt based on what’s alive in the group—this responsiveness is part of what makes the experience so meaningful.
This is an example only, and may change during the retreat based on what is emerging.
Day 1 — Intention
Friday, July 17
3:00 pm — Arrival & check-in
5:00 pm — Opening session
6:00 pm — Dinner
7:00–9:30 pm — Evening session
Day 2 — Illumination
Saturday, July 18
6:45 am — Optional morning movement on the dock
8:00 am — Breakfast
9:15 am–12:00 pm — Morning session
12:00 pm — Lunch
1:15–4:00 pm — Afternoon session
4:00–6:00 pm — Free time (rest, reflect, connect, enjoy the lake)
6:00 pm — Dinner
7:00–9:30 pm — Evening session
Day 3 — Attention
Sunday, July 19
6:45 am — Optional morning movement on the dock
8:00 am — Breakfast
9:15 am–12:00 pm — Morning & closing session
12:00 pm — Lunch and farewells
Do I need to be an artist to participate?
No artistic experience is needed—at all.
The creative process we use is designed for everyone.
All that’s required is a willingness to play, explore, and stay curious.
The painting you take home isn’t about skill or technique.
It becomes evidence of the inner work you did—and a living reminder of how you choose to express yourself in relationship moving forward.
Something came up - what is the refund policy?
We understand that life happens, and sometimes plans need to change.
Tickets are fully refundable through June 2, 2026 (45 days prior to the retreat).
All refund requests must be submitted in writing via email by that date.
Because the retreat involves non-refundable lodging and materials, refunds cannot be issued after June 2, 2026.
Thank you for understanding and for honoring the care required to hold this container well.
When's the last day to register?
Registration is open until Friday, July 11, or until the retreat reaches capacity—whichever comes first.
Because this is an intimate retreat, space is limited and registration may close once the circle is complete.
All-Inclusive Tuition is $850.
Bring a Sister Tuition is $1,600 ($800 per person).
We recommend registering as soon as you feel your yes, to ensure availability.
Who is leading the Retreat?
Joëlle Lydon is the author of Unbreakable Us: Removing the Barriers to Love, and a dedicated Heart Coach empowering those who strive for excellence. A trusted guide in the untangling of relationships, she mentors clients as they examine and reforge past patterns, moving them from self-defeating cycles into pathways for personal growth and healing.
Joëlle developed The Seven Sacred Steps, a unique and comprehensive methodology for change combining her expertise in education, psychology, and Transformational Coaching, with a decade of meticulous personal and scientific research. The Steps include trainings, exercises and concrete tools that support an individual’s path towards the relationships that support personal fulfillment.
Joëlle understands firsthand the frustration of navigating mismatched partnerships and the limitations of traditional therapy. So, she pioneered a holistic approach, addressing both internal and external factors that guide individuals to upgrade their relationship paradigms, while taking purposeful steps toward fulfilling connections.
With countless clients happily partnered as a testament to her methods, and a thriving marriage that reminds her to stay in the process(!) Joëlle empowers other high achievers to elevate their relationship experiences.
Through her year-long programs, transformative retreats, captivating keynotes, and engaging workshops, Joëlle facilities profound shift in perception and behavior, empowering her clients to cultivate authentic, harmonious and long-lasting relationships.
As a respected author and thought leader in the field, Joëlle’s innovative work has received acclaim and recognition, earning features in esteemed publications and media outlets.
Wiawaka on Lake George Photos
Roxanne DeHamel
Art of Relating Participant
By attending “The Art of Relating” I learned that messiness is an essential element of life and to embrace it all. Joëlle’s energy and expertise invited everyone to dive into new and essential territory.
Holly Wilkinson
ART of relating participant
Before working with Joëlle, I struggled with fear, insecurities and boundaries, and I learned to embrace discomfort, go through it. From now on, I will create boundaries with the toxic people in my life. Joëlle also helped me value my artistic abilities a bit more, and let me to understand I have my own unique vision and voice. Feeling very empowered!