Wow friends, I really am still at a loss for words following our first ever retreat that we held last Sunday! This is something that has been on my vision board for 6 years and to see it finally come together was such a career defining moment for me. 

This Monday I wanted to share with you some of what came up for us on that day as I reflect on the incredible magic that happens when women come together in sisterhood. 

I want to start by diving into some of the misogyny and conditioning that so many of us have internalised. You know that feeling that you might get when you see another woman succeeding or doing something you wish you could do? Whether that be in their career, home or just life in general? That green-eyed monster that causes you to feel jealous, resentful and question why they have what you don’t? You might know this already but that doesn’t really come from the other woman, it comes from the scarcity mindset we have all been conditioned to have, it’s the wounding of our ancestors who were led to believe that

1. Their main goal and purpose in life was to marry a “good man” and settle down.

2. That there are more women than men so you best start competing for yours.

Now the world has evolved a lot since those days but unfortunately, we still carry that belief system around with us and although most women are starting to stand up and smash the glass ceiling - the fact is, that ceiling still exists and in today’s world there’s not only a pressure to be the perfect wife and mother but there is also a pressure to have a wildly successful career and an epic instgrammable house, there’s no space to be human and with the growth of capitalism and a pressure to do more, be more, buy more… it’s no wonder everyone feels like they neither have nor are enough! That’s all compounded by the social media age and the fact that we have so much access to each others lives or highlight reels, as humans we aren’t equipped to deal with that much information, honestly it’s no wonder so many of us compare and despair! 

This narrative bothers me for so many reasons, not only is it complete and utter BS - it’s also extremely outdated and heteronormative, and in all honesty, it can get in the bin! I don’t want to compete with other women - the reality is that there is room for all of us to win but this patriarchal pressure we are all under has us shifting our focus from the incredible work women can do in community and today I want to share some of that power with you as a reminder that when women come together incredible things can happen. Please join me as I take you on a journey through our day, captured so beautifully by Angelica Fraser who was such a grounding, supportive presence for everyone on the day. 

It’s Time

It’s 10am and Katie and I have arrived at the stunning Ardmay House, the weather is wild which feels like a metaphor for the theme of our event. It’s also a full moon in aries, perfectly aligned with our theme of release and returning to our sense of self! Time to get the van unpacked and set up this glorious space for our guests to arrive. 

The Arrival

10.30am and our first guests have started to arrive, Margaret of Margaret Ritchie nutrition has provided some warming ginger shots for everyone to enjoy, there’s hot tea on the go as people start to mingle and get to know each other, and immediately there is a feeling of warmth and support, all of the guests can feel each other’s nerves and are equally proud of each other for stepping bravely into this work, there might be anticipation in the air but as people begin to shed their warm layers of clothing they also start to shed some of that fear when their collective energy is realized. 

Coming together

11 am and it’s time to enter our circle. Diane and I have set up the space with lots of cozy, comforting elements. There are soft mats to sit on and blankets to wrap ourselves in. The air is being infused with our signature yogi oils blend which offers Bergamot abundance and creativity,  Lavender which is familiar, comfortable and also the oil of communication and patchouli for safety, confidence and it’s grounding nature. 

Gifts

There’s a place set up for everyone and there waiting for them is a SLAM goodie bag with gifts from Lush, SLAM and Diane as well as an empowering affirmation card and a crystal. For this retreat we shared Rose quartz for self love , Green aventurine for new beginnings and amethyst for protection and to relieve anxiety to support our guests as they begin to map this journey with us. 

Grounding

After some grounding work led by me and using our Yogi oils roller balls which are infused with Eucalyptus to offer clarity, cleansing and space to our guests we begin our work. 

Building our Altar

In preparation for the retreat, I asked everyone to bring along something meaningful to them - this could have been a photo, something they have foraged, something they’d like to gift back to nature or something they wanted to realize. We used these as an introduction to who we were and then we built a beautiful altar. As everyone began to share the energy in the room was electric, you could literally feel the vibrations as each and every person dared to show their vulnerability and with that, the room was buzzed, the support, safety, and love that each woman offered to each other and the path they paved for the next person by opening up was so special and set the day off in true authentic connection. 

Self Acceptance

Once the introductions had been made Diane led us in a journaling task that explored our self-limiting beliefs and fears, we tapped into where we felt disconnected from our bodies and explored where that conditioning had come from, Diane gave us space to release what had been holding us back and then we shared in circle what had come up for us, this was a truly special moment for me, being an observer to women receiving and opening up in this way was incredible to be part of and we had some really honest conversations, sitting in the discomfort and holding each other in a container that allowed us to be our authentic selves. 

Self Love

I rounded off this section of the retreat with a self love meditation, an exploration and observation of our bodies, releasing some of the shame, guilt and fear that has been placed on us by society and guiding us toward a writing a love letter to ourselves. 

Let’s Eat

After all of that powerful work it was time for lunch, if you were to walk in at this point you’d think you were joining a group of life long friends. I took a minute to step back and observe this incredible group of people sharing food, stories, love and support. The room was electric with connection and I felt so at home. We had delicious food, provided by Margaret to support the work we were doing. There were lots of satisfied bellies as we shared a beautiful lunch and got to know each other better. 

Loving self-touch

After lunch we indulged in a beautiful treat from Lush who took us through a partner and self-massage workshop, teaching us all about the healing benefits of self-touch ad how we can channel self-love and compassion in this way. They shared with us their luscious massage bars, the oils and supportive elements that go into them, and the way they can be used to nourish our wonderful bodies. 

After all of the giving and deep diving into our own sense of self worth it was stunning to partner up and receive some loving touch, or be given space to offer that loving touch to our own bodies. 

Mama Cacao

From this workshop we then moved into a Cacao Ceremony. Cacao is a plant medicine and one in my opinion that is hugely underrated. Mama Cacao is a heart opener and so it felt fitting to hold this ceremony with our group. I have been working with Cacao myself now for almost a year and have had a pretty incredible journey. Cacao is also a vasodilator which means that - like exercise or caffeine she helps increase blood flow around the body and with that comes some pretty powerful magic. And so we got together and voiced our intentions, stirred them into our pot of Cacao and then shared a mindful, warm and comforting drink together. Cacao shakes up stagnant energy and she loves music and song and so this felt like a fitting time to offer space to dance, create, share and move our wonderful bodies. We had some who chose to sit and take in the wild weather and beautiful scenery, some who painted their bodies and tiger stripes with glitter and some who chose to dance. It was a really stunning moment of truly allowing each person to explore their own individual needs. 

Water women

As we headed toward the end of the day it was time to get into our swimmies and head out into the epic wild weather and literally and figuratively cleanse ourselves in all the glory that is Loch Long. As most of you will know I am a huge advocate of cold water immersion but even I felt challenge by the sideways rain and freezing cold! However, like the absolute warrior goddesses they all are, our group marched toward this challenge and holding hands they stepped bravely into the cold and this next chapter of their journey! 

There were howls, shouts, cries, whoops, and joyous sounds all around as we then settled and in one glorious big circle, holding hands with our sisters got in right up to our necks! Diane guided us through a release practice as we imagined the water and rain washing away all of what we no longer needed. It was truly powerful and the collective way we held each other is a core memory now that I know I won’t forget. 

Time to depart

Once we’d had enough of the cold we headed back into the cozy Ardmay house where Margaret had hot drinks and loving homemade snacks waiting for us. We warmed up altogether, sharing our elation, joy, and gratitude and grounding ourselves back into reality before making our own journeys home full to the brim with love, released of some of the heavy load we feel forced to carry around and cemented in the knowledge that sisterhood is hella powerful and magic that we all deserve to embrace.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all about our day and maybe have a new perspective on those negative thoughts that tell you other women are your competition. I am so ready to step farther into this work with the incredible women who feel called to be part of it, if that’s you then you’ll be pleased to know that our next retreat is already booked for February 2023!

If you’d like to be the first to know about it and future retreats then sign up below!