a poem abou retreating

I am slowly entering back into my life.

After having a magical and powerful experience leading retreat this past weekend, I am slowly entering back into my life.

I am reflecting.

Reflecting on the magic that is created when a space is held for women to open their hearts and fully go to the places that feel scary.

She shares her pain and struggle, her dreams and desires, her celebrations and joys, her ahas and wonders without fear of being judged.

It is healing. So very healing.

I am reflecting.

Reflecting on how many women yearn for this kind of experience yet hold themselves back out of fear. Out of uncertainty. Out of not-knowing. Out of wondering, what is a women’s retreat anyway.

I am realizing through the experience of holding women’s retreats that it is a big unknown. I have heard it called a conference, a workshop, a gathering, or a “yoga” retreat.

What is a retreat anyway?  What is a women’s retreat?

It is a gathering of women who come together for the specific purpose of healing and growing. To create experiences that help her remember who she is.

It is a withdrawal from the busy lives we lead, the expectations we put on ourselves, the responsibilities we have chosen, the societal pressures, the television, social media.

It is an opening to re-connection, unity, respect, and a feeling of belonging again. It is a place to let go and simply be as we are.

I won’t call it easy. Retreating is a choice and it isn’t always easy.

We let go of not having enough money. Of feeling like our homes will fall apart as we leave. We work through our fears of feeling like we aren’t deserving of this time away. We let go of certainty and fear of the unknown.  We let go of what is comfortable. We let go of thinking we are less important or not important at all.

Once we have moved through all of that, we must have the courage to open our hearts to the journey. To the journey of truly withdrawing. Of truly connecting with ourselves and other women. Of truly becoming the present being we yearn to be. Of truly remembering who we are.  And we do it together.

We remember how to trust, to honor, to support, and to love.

And that take a tremendous amount of courage.

I applaud you for your courage sisters.

And to the ones who came before me and the ones who will come after me. I applaud you for your courage.

I applaud you.