Spring Emergence Retreat: Preparing the Heart for Sacred Sacrifice
May 13-18, 2026 | Edmonton, Alberta
As the blessed days of Dhul Hijjah approach, this retreat prepares your heart for the profound themes of sacrifice and devoted service. For those who serve others daily, this is a sanctuary to explore: What does sacred sacrifice mean in your life of caregiving? How can the spirit of Ibrahim (AS) inform and deepen your commitment to service? We prepare you to enter the holiest days with intention, clarity, and a renewed understanding of selfless giving.
The Cost of Sacred Service
You give constantly in your role as a caregiver, first responder, or spiritual leader. Your sacrifice is a daily offering, often made at the expense of your own spiritual and emotional reserves.
The exhaustion that comes from selfless giving. The quiet questioning of whether you can sustain this level of offering. The longing to give from a place of true abundance, not depletion. These are not signs of weakness. They are signs you are ready to explore the deeper meaning of sacred sacrifice as you approach the days of Dhul Hijjah.
This retreat is your sacred preparation. A container to examine your relationship with sacrifice and cultivate the profound trust (tawakkul) needed to serve sustainably from the heart of the Ibrahimic tradition.
The Spring Sanctuary: Preparing for Sacred Surrender
The "Spring Emergence" retreat is founded on the principle of spiritual preparation. As the days of Dhul Hijjah approach, we turn to the ultimate example of surrender: the story of Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS). Their story is not one of loss, but of transformative love and absolute trust (tawakkul) in divine wisdom.
We focus on intention and examination. What are you truly being called to offer? Through contemplative dialogue and somatic practices, we help you discern the difference between weary depletion and sacred, sustainable sacrifice. This process cultivates the inner clarity to approach your service and the coming holy days from a place of conscious choice and spiritual abundance.
Held in the fertile days of late spring, this retreat provides the structured container for this deep preparation. We create a held space to explore your relationship with giving, using guided reflection and healing practices to renew the wellspring of compassion from which you serve.
This is about aligning your daily sacrifices with a higher intention. It is about learning to offer your gifts, not from a place of exhaustion, but from a heart grounded in the same profound trust that defines the Ibrahimic path, enabling you to serve with renewed meaning and resilience.
"This retreat is the sacred preparation that allows caregivers to examine their sacrifice through the lens of faith, cultivate deep trust (tawakkul), and approach Dhul Hijjah, and their service, with clarity, abundance, and purpose."
A Synthesis of Spiritual Wisdom and Holistic Healing Practice
This is a professional development intervention, a modern Itikaf (spiritual seclusion) designed specifically for caregiving professionals preparing for Dhul Hijjah.
What Makes This Retreat Different
While many programs address general stress, the Spring Emergence Retreat focuses on the spiritual heart of caregiving: the meaning of sacrifice. We prepare you for the holy days of Dhul Hijjah by exploring the profound lessons of Ibrahim (AS). Our methodology weaves this sacred narrative with somatic healing, creating a culturally competent container to examine your service, renew your intention, and cultivate the trust (tawakkul) needed for sustainable giving.
Sacred Intention & Discernment
Grounding in the spiritual principles of Surrender, Trust, and Sacred Love drawn from the story of Ibrahim (AS). Includes reflective dialogue, Dhikr, and practices to clarify your intention (niyyah) for service and sacrifice as Dhul Hijjah approaches.
Clarify your sacred offering. Prepare your heart with intention.
Renewing the Wellspring
Utilizing gentle, integrative healing practices to regulate the nervous system and release the somatic weight of constant giving. This process helps renew your physical and emotional energy, creating a foundation of abundance from which to offer sustainable sacrifice.
Release the weight of giving. Renew your capacity to serve.
Embodied Trust (Tawakkul)
A specialized 3 hour Equine Gestalt Coaching session facilitated in partnership with Equine Reflections. Horses mirror our internal states, offering profound non verbal insight into the dynamics of surrender, trust, and the barriers to receiving support.
Explore surrender beyond words. Cultivate embodied trust.
Structured Sacred Rhythm
A sacred rhythm of silence, reflection, and guided practice designed for deep preparation. Five days of intentional seclusion to internalize the lessons of Ibrahimic surrender and weave them into a sustainable practice for the coming holy days and beyond.
Internalize sacred surrender. Weave trust into daily practice.
Designed for Those Who Serve
This retreat is specifically structured for professionals in high-stress caregiving roles
Military & Hospital Chaplains
Providing spiritual care in crisis, trauma, and end-of-life situations
First Responders
Police, fire, paramedics carrying the weight of emergency response
Healthcare Professionals
Nurses, doctors, therapists bearing witness to suffering daily
Clergy & Spiritual Leaders
Ministers, priests, imams holding sacred space for their communities
Non-Profit Leaders
Social workers, advocates, and humanitarian workers
Educators & Counselors
Those supporting vulnerable populations through trauma and transition
The 5-Day Sanctuary Experience
A comprehensive professional development investment in your resilience
Your Personalized Retreat Includes:
Pre-Retreat Intention Setting
A 75-minute consultation to customize the retreat around your specific needs, stressors, and professional context
5 Days of Fully-Facilitated Retreat
Daily spiritual practice, mind-body integration sessions, spiritual dialogue, and structured reflection time
Private Sanctuary & Accommodation
A quiet, dedicated space for your seclusion, rest, and restoration in Edmonton, Alberta
Specialized Equine Gestalt Session
3-hour experiential coaching session facilitated in partnership with Equine Reflections
Post-Retreat Integration Plan
Personalized practice plan and curated resource package to ensure benefits continue long after you return home
Professional Development Investment
$1,960 CAD
This is a targeted professional intervention and prices can vary due to individual needs. It is an investment in your resilience is an investment in your mission and those you serve.
Build Your Own Retreat
Design a retreat that fits your needs and budget. Choose your duration (3-5 days) and add optional experiences to create your perfect sanctuary experience.
Retreat Duration
Select 3-5 days for your retreat experience.
Core Retreat Components
These essential elements are included in every retreat.
Optional Add-Ons
Enhance your retreat with these healing modalities and nourishments.
Your Retreat Summary
Total Investment
$0 CAD
Your 2026 Sanctuary Dates
Each retreat carries a unique seasonal theme. Find the one that calls to you.
Winter Immersion
February 11-16, 2026
Sacred preparation in the final days before Ramadan
Explore This Retreat →Spring Renewal
April 1-6, 2026
Grounding Ramadan's spiritual ascent into daily resilience
Explore This Retreat →Spring Emergence
May 13-18, 2026
Preparing our hearts for Dhul Hijjah's themes of sacrifice & service
You Are HereSummer Light
July 1-6, 2026
Embracing Dhul Hijjah's lessons in sacred surrender
Explore This Retreat →Autumn Reflection
September 2-7, 2026
Reflecting on the Prophet's ﷺ example of compassionate service
Explore This Retreat →Autumn Harvest
September 30-October 5, 2026
Harvesting prophetic wisdom ﷺ for our caregiving journey
Explore This Retreat →Questions You May Hold
Clarity for your journey to sacred pause and renewal.
The retreat takes place in a private, serene sanctuary in Edmonton, Alberta. Accommodations are provided in a dedicated local zawiyah space or carefully selected Airbnb, ensuring a quiet environment conducive to spiritual seclusion. Your space includes a private room for rest, prayer, and contemplation.
This is designed as a true itikaf (spiritual seclusion) experience. We request no phones, internet, or external connections except for emergencies. This digital detox allows for deep immersion in your spiritual practice and relationship with Allah. Emergency contact information will be provided.
After your initial consultation, each day begins with morning practices, followed by personal reading and reflection. Your teacher will join for afternoon al-wird (dhikr) and check-in (2-3 hours total). Evenings include integration practices and night-time dhikr. You'll have solitude overnight until the next evening session, with groceries or additional needs provided as required.
Yes, fasting is welcome and can be integrated into your retreat experience. You may also attend with a spouse, friend, or sibling—the space accommodates companions. The investment remains the same per person, as each receives personalized guidance and the retreat's full benefits.
The retreat focus is on spiritual seclusion and resilience building. Healing sessions are generally recommended after the retreat to support integration. However, we offer post-retreat check-ins to help anchor your insights and can arrange healing sessions afterward if needed.
Simple, nourishing provisions are provided (e.g., tea, basic staples). We encourage minimal sugar and light eating to support clarity and spiritual presence. Specific dietary needs can be accommodated—please discuss during your consultation.
Absolutely. This retreat meets you where you are. The practices are gently introduced and focus on universal spiritual principles—Compassion, Mercy, Peace—that resonate across traditions. Many caregivers arrive with little prior experience and find profound connection.
You'll receive a personalized Post-Retreat Integration Plan with practices and resources. Optional check-ins are available, and healing sessions can be scheduled to support your transition back to service. The goal is sustainable resilience that continues long after you return home.
Yes, we can arrange flexible payment plans. Please contact us directly at info@sufisoulgarden.com to discuss a schedule that works for you. All payment plans must be finalized at least 30 days prior to the retreat start date.
To honour the detailed planning and limited space for this sacred container, we have a compassionate credit-based policy:
- Deposits are non-refundable but fully transferable as service credit valid for 12 months.
- Remaining payments can be converted to credit up to 30 days before the retreat.
- Within 30 days, all payments are committed, except in cases of genuine emergency.
- Service credit can be used for any Sufi Soul Garden offering within one year.
The "Life Happens" Clause: We understand that genuine emergencies—health crises, family needs, or unexpected life events—occur. We approach every situation with sincerity and compassion, working with you in good faith to find a fair solution, which may include extending deadlines or offering partial credit.
For full details, please see our Terms & Conditions.
Cultivate the Trust That Sustains True Sacrifice
The story of Ibrahim (AS) teaches us that the most profound offerings stem not from depletion, but from unwavering trust. This retreat is your sacred preparation to align your service with that higher wisdom.
The Spring Emergence Retreat is your sacred preparation. A professional development investment to examine your sacrifice, cultivate deep trust (tawakkul), and approach Dhul Hijjah, and your calling, with clarity, abundance, and purpose.

