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Windsong Sailing Academy
770-931-9151

Couple Enrichment Mini-Weekend 

    
Not only is sailing fun, but this retreat can add excitement to your marriage!  Dr. Avrum Geurin Weiss, director of the Pine River Psychotherapy Training Institute, conducts this mini-weekend retreat designed to assist couples desiring to understand and appreciate the natural changes occurring within relationships over time. 

This special program is limited to three couples and will help you to discover the individualization necessary for a loving long term relationship.

Every relationship needs a little CPR at times:

  • Compassion
  • Personal Development
  • Relationship Enrichment

CPR is vital to the long term health of relationships and this program will challenge participants to view and appreciate similarities and differences each brings into the relationship. The insight shared in this program is intended  to improve bonding and deepen compassion within the relationship.

Participants will find the sailing theme of this workshop a helpful way of exploring aspects of their relationship, and a lot of fun as well.  This highly successful approach renews vigor and refreshes individuality and couple's unity.  The underlying principles will ensure a mutual loving and caring relationship.  Each participant will discover their own wholeness and identity separate from the relationship and how that identify is crucial to the compassion and competency of the union.  A conscious appreciation of the beneficial aspects of adult love relationships will empower participants to go home renewed and energized to experience a more informed an skilled awareness of each other and themselves individually.

This program is conducted over a Friday night and Saturday from Lake Lanier's Renaissance Pine Island Hotel  inside Lake Lanier Islands resort.   There are no lodging requirements, however couples are encouraged to spend Friday night at the resort for maximum benefit.  Sailing sessions, including a moonlight sail Saturday night, are designed to facilitate growth and understanding of the dynamics naturally occurring within the relationship.  Luncheon sandwiches will be provided onboard on Saturday. Lodging and other meals are not included, to provide the maximum flexibility to couples on a limited budget.

 

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Choose A Month


April 
$495

June 
$695

September 
$695

_____________

Fall Special!

Come join us for the "Early Bird" program in April, which is specially priced at $495!

At Windsong, the early bird gets the deal!


 

The Marriage Map:

What is the key to a long lasting and loving marriage?  A common love for sailing, that's obvious!  Okay, now that the obvious is out of the way, what is it about relationships that society has difficulty getting right?  What if I told you that life has stages?  So do marriages.  In fact the stages of a marriage as predictable as the stages of life.  The knowledge that they are predictable better prepares us to handle the turbulent waters while crossing the great sea of life. Marriages progress through five stages.

Stage One: I Can't Get Enough Of You! 
You are head over heals for each other.  You'd cancel an all expenses paid free sailing trip to Bora Bora just to be with that special one you've married.  You focus more on the comfort you each give and receive and overlook your differences.  The moment is more important than the future.  At no other time will your physical desire for each other be more intense. Without further details, let's call this stage the "State of Euphoria", where no sailor can put asunder what god has brought together. 

The sea gods advise that you enjoy the magic of this moment yet recognize that the euphoria won't last forever.  Sometimes just knowing that the warm windy days that are so great for sailing don't last forever, can spoil the moment.  Don't let it!  Cherish each moment of the ideal conditions, but when it starts to fade, don't panic.  The boat is not sinking, only offering a chance for different experiences. Infatuation over your soul mate is not the glue that holds a marriage together.  The same is true of sailing.  Once the heart pounding thrill has subsided you can gain appreciation for the relationship on a whole new plane! 

Stage Two: I Can't Get Away From You!
The reality of storms at sea are no longer escapable. The tiny ship is tossed and the rough seas never ending. Differences in interest, perspectives, personality and habits glare boldly as the morning sun on that one day a week you wanted to sleep late!  Adding storm clouds to the horizon, the physical energy you once shared together seems hopelessly lost.  Suddenly you question the wisdom of your union and the fate of your future together as you debate the issues of starting a family and financial planning, or whether to run for the nearest harbor to seek protection from the forthcoming storm of uncertainty. 

The sea gods advise that disagreements are as inevitable as the falling tides. Some groundings take longer to resolve than others, but there are two sides to every tide. Focus on the upside and develop conflict-resolution skills for the downside.  Stay connected by spending time together and avoid the tendency to avoid each other when issues to arise.  A good crew works together through the storms so that they can ride the tides of good winds as a united team to share the fruits of their labors. Running in opposite directions in the face of every conflict and failing to communicate will surely doom the ship to disaster in short order.  This is not a good time to ignore the physical aspects of your relationship when healing the psychological ones.  The physical bonding is the chemistry that helps the mind and heart heal. It is the physical aspects of a good sailing ship that give it heart and soul. Many times it's the physical aspects to which we have the greatest control . The rest are elusive feelings and beliefs that are harder to put a hand on. 

Stage Three: You First, Not Me!
When a boat displays a tendency to under perform, it's always the ship, and never the Captain.  The ship is the one that must change, never the crew. As in relationships, when this change is clearly never going to occur, many face a fork in the river.  Some abandon ship leaving their mate and ship behind as they forge in a new direction.  Some ride out the turbulent waters because of religious convictions, personal values or concern for others they've brought into this union and certainly there are financial implications.  Some that stay together but continue to wait for changes to occur may resign themselves to unhappy unions.  Others may seek out more satisfying possibilities that lack the depth and finality of commitment.  

The sea gods advise that both mates take a "Reality Check".  There are always sunny days, but they will always be surrounded by less desirable conditions on both sides. In the face of violent weather, seek professional guidance. There is a sense of accomplishment and bonding between mates that weather both the good and bad times together.  It is the element that differentiates committed relationships from those that lack depth and closeness.  Just remember that it is the bad sailing days in life that makes us appreciate those that are really wonderful.  Otherwise it would all be taken for granted and never valued for the richness the variety provides in our relationship. 

Stage Four: You Are Who You Are, But I Am Who I Am Too!
Not all ships are the fastest, sleekest, most worldly traveled, or admired.  Take a clue, if they were, you'd probably never be able to afford one!  You're not the richest person in the world yourself, in case you've not taken inventory lately. At this stage mates accept the imperfections in each other, as one would the quirks of a mighty ship at sea.  They have discovered the limits and nuances of their co-existence and have learned to maximize the areas of greatest compatibility, seldom straying into the murky waters that exceed the range of their abilities.  Mates become far more forgiving and acknowledge their own short comings and difficulties to live with.  Conflicts become less frequent and less intense.  Mates finally begin to understand that the "Bad" is the price of  the "Good" and that the two are inseparable.  

The sea gods advise that you have now achieved a peaceful place in the waters. Without the becalmed days, there will not come those days with good wind.  You now have come to know this as a truth.  You must not become complacent.  The seas could turn at a moment's notice.  Continue to spend time together in common pursuits, such as sailing.  Sailing affords private opportunities to talk and touch and stay connected without the distractions of life in the city or around the house.  It is a mini "Time Out" vacation for the two of you that can last from a few hours to a month or more. 

Stage Five: We Have A Past.
Many fine ships have many owners.  Some are still enjoyed and cared for my the original masters.  They have a shared history and sense of accomplishment, together.  They appreciate rather than feel threatened by their differences. They have seen others added to their crew that have blossomed and journeyed out on their own in search of their own destinies.  Mates in this stage feel relaxed and comfortable together.  They have miles of travels behind them that they have shared together.  They have walked the same walks and journeyed the same journeys and survived the same perils of life, together.  Mates begin to connect on a totally different plateau that is above the trivialities of every day life.  Few survive the journey of life to emerge with the same companion.  It is a rare and treasured stage to achieve.  It is it's own best reward, but not one with short cuts or bypasses to achieve. They really have become "Soul Mates" or sailors on the same sea. 

The sea gods advise that a focus on continued health and active lifestyles is essential.  A lifetime of sailing and other vigorous activities and recreations will ensure this space in time to enjoy the fruits of your life long efforts. 


If you've enjoyed this outline of our seminar, we encourage you to enroll today to become an expert at the one sailing skill that has the greatest impact on the quality of your life.  Dr Avrum Weiss is a practicing clinical expert in the keys to successful relationships.  This is not a program for troubled couples, but a adventure into the realm of possibilities for the strengthening of your relationship. 

The inclusion of sailing vernacular is not by accident.  Dr Weiss is an accomplished sailor and uses sea stories and other scenarios of humor to make his points throughout the seminar.

We welcome you to join us today, on the first step of a life long journey toward realization.   The realization that sailing can change your life and enhance your marriage.