Does it feel like pain has taken over your life? You are more than what hurts — and you can reclaim your life from chronic pain. Join Dr. Katie Petersen for When Pain Stays — a compassionate, neuroscience-based retreat that meets you where you are and offers a path to sustainable recovery from chronic pain.

Chronic pain doesn’t just affect your body — it shapes your thoughts, your days, and even your sense of self. This retreat is an invitation to shift that narrative. It’s not about ‘fixing’ you, but about helping you understand pain differently, relate to it more kindly, and build tools that support healing, resilience, and more ease in everyday life.

What You’ll Experience:

• A clear, accessible exploration of how pain works in the brain, body, and nervous system
• Guided practices: gentle movement, breathwork, meditation, somatic awareness, journaling, etc.
• Nervous system regulation techniques to calm over-activation and reduce reactivity
• Lifestyle strategies to support energy, restful sleep, stress relief, and renewal
• Dedicated space to rest, reflect, and nourish yourself in a supportive community
• A personalized ‘Holistic Pain Management Plan’ to guide your work moving forward — practical tools, strategies, and insights you can bring home and integrate into your life

Who This Is For:

This retreat is for you if you:

• Live with chronic or persistent pain and feel stuck
• Long to connect with others who truly understand what it’s like to live with persistent pain
• Are curious about how mind, body, and life context interweave to shape your pain experience
• Want an empowering, embodied approach that goes beyond surface-level relief
• Are ready to reclaim your life from chronic pain

This retreat may not be for you if:

• You’re seeking a quick fix or medical treatment for pain
• You’re not open to self-reflection, movement, or mindfulness-based practices
• You’re currently in an acute medical crisis or experiencing severe mental health symptoms that require individualized care
• You’re uncomfortable participating in group discussions or experiential practices
• You prefer a purely clinical or diagnostic approach rather than a holistic, mind-body framework

Highlights & Benefits

• Daily embodied practices blending movement, meditation, and rest
• Education and gentle inquiry to deepen understanding and awareness
• Quiet time, nature walks, reflective journaling, community circles
• 3 Balanced vegetarian meals per day provided by the Himalayan Institute
• Space to slow down, reset, and reconnect with your inner wisdom
• Retreat setting on the Himalayan Institute’s peaceful 400-acre grounds

Come not as someone who must be ‘fixed,’ but as a whole human with the innate capacity to evolve, adapt, and heal. This is your time to rest, to learn, and to reclaim your life — even when pain stays.

Accessibility Note:

Please note that the retreat space for this program is not handicap accessible and requires the use of stairs to access. If you have questions about accessibility or mobility needs, please contact the Himalayan Institute before registering to discuss available options.