October 7 – 11, 2026

Charleston, SC

In the midst of our fast-moving, overstimulated world, stillness can feel counter intuitive. Yet it is within this stillness that we discover new ways of seeing, hearing, and understanding both ourselves and others. Just as music arises in the spaces between the notes, so too does a sacred truth.

Moving Into Stillness: Trauma and Addiction Explored.  This year’s theme invites us to pause together as a community of healers, seekers, and survivors, in hopes of discovering a deeper and more compassionate understanding of trauma, addiction, and the human condition.

As we gather, may stillness become our teacher. May it soften our judgments, open our hearts, and expand our understanding of the relationship between trauma and  addiction—and how the process of healing becomes possible. May our collective stillness deepen both our personal journeys and our professional callings, allowing us to more effectively serve those entrusted to our care.

“We use all kinds of ways to escape- all addictions stem from the moment we meet our edge and we just can’t stand it. We feel we have to soften it, pad it with something and we become addicted to whatever seems to ease the pain.” – Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart

Ask not, “Why the addiction?” But rather, “Why the pain?” – Dr. Gabor Mate , In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Close Encounters with Addiction