Women’s Empowerment to the Max
A reflection on my 2023 Self-Love Retreat
On June 10th a group of women gathered to learn about self-care and work on their journey toward self-love.
It was a beautiful summer day, the sun was shining and the cloudless sky was practically glowing. 10am. The women began to arrive.
I was excited for a lot of reasons. This was my 3rd annual retreat focused on empowering women to find self-care practices that worked for them, step into their power as whole human beings, and begin to live a more fulfilled and joyful life. I had already helped over 20 women between my first 2 retreats and I was about to help another 10. Except this time was different. This was the first self-love retreat I hosted at which I didn’t know over half of the women who purchased tickets. In fact, most of them were complete strangers to me. Not friends, not friends of friends, not related to friends.
Total strangers.
These women had seen an event that could help them, that could change their lives for the better, and had invested in themselves without even knowing who I was or whether it was a worthwhile investment.
They trusted that the universe was putting this opportunity in front of them and they jumped. That’s powerful.
Throughout the day,
I watched women unload the burdens of their trauma and their pain. They shared openly and courageously, embracing their vulnerabilities and trusting the safe space I’d created along with my retreat presenters.
Together, we learned how to release anxiety and bodily pain through somatic pressure points, in a way that we could do all on our own at home. We discussed vulnerability and the importance of being open and honest and vulnerable in order to create meaningful connections. We reflected on how we define ourselves and how we think others define us, and how our life experiences shape who we are.
Through all of that we shared. Experiences that defined us negatively and positively. Times in our lives that marked a specific belief or conviction. Words and phrases we’ve used to define ourselves. Then we experienced a nature wander, using our senses to observe and explore the world around us. From the breeze in our hair, to the sound of the bees, to the bright sun shining warmly on our skin.
We enjoyed food prepared by local woman-owned restaurants, and each woman walked away with a bag full of goodies from female entrepreneurs.
These women showed up for themselves. They showed up for each other. They were brave and beautiful and present. And it was my best retreat yet.
Here are some gorgeous images to show the connection and love that was felt throughout the day.
