Abundia

Hello friends of Junonia!

I’m Megan, from Abundia, a community for women of size. Once a year, we have a weekend retreat in northern Illinous, and our friends at Junonia have graciously allowed us to extend the invitation to you!

The Abundia Retreat is just a month away, the weekend of November 2-4, 2012. Abundia is a weekend getaway, designed to give large women the community and resources they need to enrich their lives. Abundia embraces Health At Every Size^® and body-acceptance principles that encourage plus-size women to live their best lives—in the bodies they have right now: http://www.abundia.org/.

The first Abundia retreat was held in 1994, and the event has changed and evolved over the years. In 2012, Abundia is being “rebooted” with a new board of directors and a new schedule of events. This year’s featured speaker is Golda Poretsky of Body Love Wellness: http://www.bodylovewellness.com/. Golda will present a 3-part workshop on Body Image, a HAES 101 session, and a unique “goddess”-focused guided meditation. Other sessions include: curvy yoga, self-affirming art workshops, a silent auction, music and singing, group dinners, private swims, water aerobics, and other formal and informal group activities.

The retreat is held at the Illinois Beach Resort, located on Lake Michigan in Zion, Illinois: http://www.ilresorts.com/. The hotel is located in a relaxed, beach setting; and many rooms have views of Lake Michigan. The hotel has a very large and newly renovated indoor swimming pool. Abundia has scheduled several private pool times for our group only, as well as a water aerobics class. For many women, the Abundia retreat is a unique opportunity to get into a (Junonia!) swimsuit and into the pool in a safe and fun atmosphere.

The retreat registration fee is $150; plus the room cost, which is $81 per night. Abundia offers a sliding scale for the registration fee, as well as financial assistance from the Empowerment Fund, so we can welcome as many women as possible to the retreat. Register here: http://abundia.org/Pages/Retreat/registration.html

We know that attending an event like this for the first time can be daunting. Many of us remember exactly how that feels! Abundia is an opportunity to meet, learn, and bond with other fat women who are all sizes of large and in various stages on their self-acceptance journeys. Check out our FAQ for answers to your questions about the retreat http://www.abundia.org/frequently-asked-questions-about-abundia/, or feel free to contact me, megan@abundia.org and I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions or discuss your concerns.

For more information, check out our website and like us on Facebook! We would love to have you join us for a weekend of fat-postive community and fun! Register today! http://abundia.org/Pages/Retreat/registration.html

Best!

Megan

megan@abundia.org