Getting Away and Out of My Way
I hope you are enjoying this beautiful summer, and feeding your spirit and body well! Like most, my wanderlust is showing. I can hardly stay put this summer, planning my next excursion while away on another. After hunkering down in my comfort zone for so many months, I was ready to be unleashed.
I started my summer with an adventure that stoked my desire to do something uncomfortable, something new, something daring. I went away by myself. I took myself on a wellness retreat in the Berkshires – not exactly living on the edge, but some fear and solo soul searching were involved. When I tell people who have never done this, their eyes widen and I can see their longing to do the same. They all agree it sounds heavenly. Decadent. It was. I almost cried when I left.
For five days and five nights, I hung out with me and became a fascinated observer of my own behaviors and thoughts, the way I responded, the choices I made, and the feelings that got stirred up. As an introvert by nature, I spend a lot of time alone. This was different. Without the noise of my life, my alone time away brought my self-awareness into focus. I found myself searching each moment for something to discover or an observation worth noting, and then I wrote them all down. Here are just a couple random reflections...
Don’t compliment to kiss ass, but do tell someone they did a great job.
When you let your ego go, you learn more.
Feeding chickens is food for my soul.
I can make conversation with anyone.
I can chop wood and build a fire.
My expectations are too high.
Ask for what you want loudly.
No one is looking. People are consumed with self.
Breakfast and lunch are easier to eat alone.
Dinner alone without a book or phone facing into the restaurant is a fun personal challenge.
You can be awkward. Be ok with that.
Grateful for the insights, I took them all in with a sense of humor and curiosity, and then let them go. Reflecting simply means "to throw back without absorbing it." I threw what wasn't serving me into the violet flame and got out of my own way. It was healing. The best gift to myself. I left knowing and feeling that me and me are good together.
I hadn't announced that I was going away, but when I got home my inbox was cluttered with friends and clients looking for wellness retreat recommendations. Seems there is a universal and palpable desire to feed our spirits! I knew then I needed to cook up my own dream retreat to give others a taste of what I experienced, to extract lifelong learning from a guided experience. I got to work.
I'm beyond excited to share that I'm running my dream-come-true wellness retreat in the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley, September 27-30.
I’ve chosen the Hudson Valley, because it has all the elements I would seek if I were to take myself away again… stunning vistas, a strong connection to the outdoors, fresh and delicious food, and spectacular like-minded people who value wellness by way of nature. After getting to know the farmers, chefs, wellness enthusiasts and venue owners in this area, I have curated this wellness immersion with one-of-a-kind experiences to deepen our connection to this beautiful earth and our place in it.
We will spend our time outdoors, nature bathing in personal luxury river front cabins at the newly open Hutton Brickyards and soaking up the rural and mountainous energy of this stunning area. Eating incredible locally sourced food is a given!
Please click here for more details and to view more of the sights you will see, the people you will meet and dreaminess to come. Space is limited. Availability and pricing adjust after August 26th. Please let me know if you have any questions.
If you’d like to make a reservation, please follow the instructions noted on the retreat site.
I hope you will join me to be nourished by nature.
* The violet flame is a cleansing method that releases energy that is holding you back from living your most joyful life.
