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Dark Before The Dawn

A Wellness Retreat For Black Community

 September 16th - September 19th 2022 at Zajac Ranch, Mission, BC

(Unceded S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō) & Kwantlen territory).

Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: About

Creating Healthy Community

​​Dark Before The Dawn aims to create a safe, inclusive environment for Black healing through a multifaceted approach. This approach includes holistic, cultural, and integrative wellness practices and modalities.

Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: About
Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: List

Guiding Principles of
Dark Before The Dawn

What Do We Value?

Community + Connection

Our goal is to provide supportive and nourishing environment to build nurturing and affirming relationships. We seek to create a space where people can imagine and actively create a life of joy, dignity, peacefulness, and love.

Inclusiveness

To cultivate inclusion in our communities through awareness, understanding, compassion, and grace. We actively work towards increased access and inclusion. We choose our words wisely, and there is zero-tolerance for discrimination, harassment, or violence in the space.

Intergenerational Healing

Our goal is to provide youth, elders, and everyone in between opportunities to connect and partake in fun and engaging activities, storytelling, conversations, and community care, in order to rebuild, grow, strengthen our community, and pass along wisdom.

Self-Determination + Self-Actualization

We wish to provide opportunities for self-determination through ancestral and cultural connections, and holistic wellness practices. We support the process of self-actualization by providing an environment where one's physiological, safety, belonging, and self-esteem needs can be prioritized.

About This Retreat

Everything you need to know about Dark Before the Dawn 2022

Attendee Guide

Shuttle times, daily schedule, what to pack and everything else you need to know about the retreat. Password was emailed to all registered attendees.

Accessibility

The retreat is located at Zajac Ranch, a summer camp for children living with disabilities and medical conditions. Discover more about the facility.

COVID-19 Protocol + Community Agreements

We are committed to your wellness. Learn more about how we are keeping the space safe.

Support & Donate

The Dark Before the Dawn Retreat is only possible with community support. Join us in our efforts to make this intergenerational healing retreat a possibility.

Accommodations + Gallery

Explore lodging options to meet your needs and budget. View images of the rooms and ranch.

Programming

We have a variety of activities planned for you so that you can move through the retreat at a pace that feels good and right for you.

Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: List

Watch: Community Conversations

This channel is coming soon!
Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: Events List

Ticket Sales Have Now Ended

Dark Before The Dawn Retreat 2022
Dark Before The Dawn Retreat 2022
Sep 16, 2022, 11:00 a.m. – Sep 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
Zajac Ranch,
15600 Florence Lake Rd, Mission, BC V4S 1C4, Canada
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Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: Image

The History of Dark Before the Dawn

In August 2020 Kendra Coupland organized a wellness retreat called Dark Before the dawn for the Black community in response to the grief so many were experiencing as they processed ongoing systemic racial violence in the midst of a pandemic.


The Dark Before the Dawn Retreat was a two day retreat centering the wellness of the Black community. It took place at Abundance Farms (on the unceded territory of the Sts'ailes, Cheam & Seabird Island people). The retreat sought to connect likeminded community members with healers in the community.


Facilitators, activities, & vendors included African drumming & dance, Afro-vegan food, group talk therapy with a certified counselor, Trauma Release Exercises, daily yoga and meditation, art therapy, healing for men and non-women, sound healing.

Hear what the participants had to say about the retreat.

Dark Before The Dawn Retreat: About
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