Making gratitude ritual offerings with Kris, our ‘adopted’ high school girl.
WOW! The Awaken in Bali Women Retreat was incredible! Bali gave us surprises, beauty, challenges, adventure and joy at every turn. Now that we’ve had time to integrate the extraordinary experience, I wanted to share a few reflections with you:
- Gratitude rituals daily are magically transformational. Likewise, daily Ceremonies. I’ve increased the presence and depth of both in my life.
- Laughter and patience lead to inner peace, especially when practiced together, Balinese-style, that is with a full and open heart.
- Waterfalls can be powerful soul cleansers.
- There is creativity within each of us, even doubters, if we breathe into it.
- Whether Legong or Ballet, a human story danced is incredibly moving.
- Cheeky monkeys can teach us Strength and Resilience (and to hold tight to our water bottles and food!)
- Cultivate and embrace the spaces between – between sunrise, sunset and sunrise again; between breaths, words, experiences, meals; between each precious sip of water.
- Bali was built on the heads of women, literally – they still carry heavy loads this way, smiling as they go.
- Conservation is even more important on an island… and Earth is an island in space.
- Listening is a great gift to give nature and all living beings when practiced with deep intention.
- Sarongs are a must-have wardrobe component no matter where you live.
- One can be both part of a problem and part of the solution simultaneously.
- Helping a young, eager woman gain an education is a profound expression of sisterhood.
Each woman’s Bali experience was unique and it was a joy to witness and guide this amazing retreat. It was great for the mind, body and spirit, an outdoor adventure for women that meant personal growth, transformation and fun while pushing the limits and refreshing their spirits. As a group we elected to give back to Bali by providing a year of high school tuition for Kris, a bright and talented 14-year-old from a small fishing village. She inspired us all with her beautiful expressions of gratitude. How exciting to watch where she will go in life, now that she has more educational opportunity!
From Bali I traveled to New South Wales Australia and co-facilitated the Earth Wisdom & Adventure retreat at Foresthaven retreat center. Learning to “Soul Surf” with the dolphins and deeply connect to the Aboriginal lands with an enthusiastic, connected group of women was a real treat and set the foundation for future fantastic collaborations with this remarkable center.
The gift of my travels continued as I explored future women empowerment retreats possibilities throughout Indonesia, the Pacific, Australia, and Tasmania. You’ll see at least two of these possibilities become reality in WEW offerings in 2015. From swimming with whales in Tonga to connecting your chakras with Earth chakras on a remote, enchanting island in Tasmania, we have an exciting array of empowering nature adventure vacations lining up. And, in a new direction for WEW, the Earth Wisdom retreat in Tasmania will be for women and men. I invite you to stay tuned and join us for an adventure of a lifetime in 2015!
