A daylong retreat in Savannah
Self-Energy: a mini-retreat
Saturday, January 9, 2027 · 8:00 am – 5:30 pm
St. Anna Chapel, Episcopal Diocese of Georgia · Washington & Waters Avenues, Savannah
A day to come home to your Self
Beneath the parts of us that plan, protect, worry, and perform, there is a radiant, loving presence that has never been damaged and never goes anywhere. In Internal Family Systems it's called the Self, and its qualities are called Self-Energy. This day is about making room for more of it, and letting it flow deeper inside.
We'll spend the day in a beautiful old chapel, moving through practices that open the heart from different directions: authentic connection with other people, conscious dance, drawing and journaling with a part of you that's been carrying a burden, breathwork, and sound. Each practice is an invitation, never a requirement.
You don't need any experience with IFS, therapy, meditation, or dance. You need a body, a willingness to drop deeper into the heart, and a day.
The shape of the day
The day is built as one long arc, each movement leading into the next. Times are approximate; we'll follow the room.
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Open your heart — arriving
Coffee, tea, a circle of humans, and a heart-led round of introductions. Then a short, plain-language introduction to Self-Energy and Internal Family Systems: what Self is, why our parts can trust it, and three images for relating to Self-energy: the sun behind the clouds, the conductor of an orchestra, the wind in our sails.
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Say it with your heart — connection practices
Simple, guided partner and small-group practices for deep connection. You'll practice presence, noticing the stories your parts carry about yourself and others, and speaking from the heart instead of from the head. Gentle, structured, and surprisingly moving.
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Break
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Move with your heart — conscious dance
Ninety minutes of heart-led, free movement to a live DJ set by José Ray. No steps to learn and no one watching. Five simple guidelines hold the space: welcome everything, notice your parts and their judgments, let the music move you, when in doubt be still, and honor yourself and others.
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Lunch
Catered, served in the chapel.
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Connect with your heart — parts work through drawing
We'll go deeper into Self-Energy, then into a guided meditation on its qualities, noticing where something in you tightens or resists. From there, a drawing and journaling exercise gives that part a voice, an image, and a path toward release. Materials are provided; no drawing skill needed. We close with a meditation that sends warmth back to the part you worked with.
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Break
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Breathe through your heart — holotropic-style breathwork
An extended, guided breathwork journey with a special guest facilitator and live DJ set by José and Justin. This style of breathwork can lead to non-ordinary states of consciousness; you'll be shown how to modulate it, open up to Self-energy, and you're always free to simply rest and breathe normally.
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The sound of your heart — sound healing
A sound bath with Chrissy Joy of The Flow of Light, to let the wisdom of the day integrate into the body, heart, and mind.
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A bow of the heart — closing the circle
Back to the circle of chairs for a final round of sharing, and a bow to yourself and to each other.
Who's holding the day
Justin Wilford, PhD
Lead facilitator
Internal Family Systems practitioner, group facilitator, DJ, and writer based in Savannah. Justin is Level 2 trained in Internal Family Systems, leads the Self-Energy Circle practice community, and has facilitated retreats and daylong gatherings for several years. He'll guide the connection practices, the parts-work, and the breathwork.
José Ray
Artist & DJ
A Savannah-based DJ, painter, and muralist whose lush, wave-like floral landscapes hang in galleries and cover public walls around the city, José is also Justin's longtime collaborator in conscious dance. He'll lead the dance and build the live soundscape that carries the afternoon breathwork. joseray.com
Chrissy Joy
Sound healer
Founder of The Flow of Light, a Savannah healing practice weaving together yoga, Thai bodywork, Reiki, and sound. Chrissy will bring the day toward its close with a sound bath, letting everything that has opened settle back into the body, heart, and mind.
The details
When
Saturday, January 9, 2027, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm. Please arrive by 7:45 so we can begin together at 8.
Where
St. Anna Chapel at the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, at the corner of Washington Avenue and Waters Avenue, Savannah. The entrance is on Washington Avenue. If you navigate to the diocese's street address you'll arrive at the wrong side of the building, so aim for the corner instead. Map below.
Cost
$250, including a catered lunch, coffee, tea, and water throughout the day. Space is limited.
What to bring
Clothes you can move and lie down in, layers for a chapel that may run cool, a water bottle, and a journal if you keep one. Yoga mats, blankets, headphones, and drawing materials are provided.
Reserve your place
Registration and payment are handled securely through Stripe. You'll receive a confirmation by email right away, and a note from me the week before the retreat with everything you need to know.
Questions first? Send me a message or email justin@justinwilford.com.
Good to know
I've never done IFS, breathwork, or dance. Is this for me?
Yes. Everything is guided step by step and assumes no background. Many people who come to a day like this have never done anything like it.
What if a practice feels like too much?
You're your own first priority all day. Sit out, step outside, lie down, or come find one of us. You can rejoin any time, and no one will ask you to explain.
Is this therapy?
No. It's an educational and experiential day of practice. If you're currently in a period of acute crisis or are working through significant trauma, please reach out first so we can talk about whether this is the right container for you right now.
Can I come for part of the day?
The day is designed as a single arc and works best when you're there for all of it, so registration is for the full day.
Getting there
St. Anna Chapel sits on the grounds of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia in midtown Savannah, at the corner of Washington and Waters. Enter from Washington Avenue.
Street parking is available on Washington Avenue and the surrounding blocks.