I Run Like A Girl

Hi hi!! I’m back from 3 days in middle-of-nowhere northern California for a spiritual healing retreat. Joanna, my friend from kava recommended this particular retreat where a shaman would guide us through ceremonies native to the Amazonian community centered around emotional and spiritual healing. It’s hard to put in words how profound the experience was…it was unlike anything I’ve ever done; I was quite honestly pretty nervous beforehand, but I’m so glad I mustered the courage and did it.

In 3 short days, I was able to release pain and grief that was deep within me. There were some difficult moments, but working through it turned out to be very cathartic and gratifying as I learned so much about self-love, healing, and letting go. I’ll share a few memorable takeaway from my experience:

My family. I felt a strong calling to focus on the relationships within my immediate family – to talk to and see them more, and not take their time on earth for granted. I definitely want to work on being a better daughter and sister and show more compassion to the ones I love most.

My main intention going into the weekend was self-love. All I can say is…I have never felt so much love and appreciation for my natural self as I did last weekend. One of the most powerful moments was when I realized that I had everything I need to be happy within me.

Letting go. There were several challenging moments, but I felt very grateful to have several cathartic releases during the ceremonies. I was able to cry, grieve, and purge some pain that was so deeply rooted in my subconscious. It was truly a lifetime of healing in one weekend.

Before this weekend, we were encouraged to eat only fruits and vegetables for one week, and the retreat itself was vegan/soy-free/gluten-free. It was difficult at first, but I am SO glad I took the diet seriously, and I felt like my body and mind were able to take in more benefits of the weekend without the extra toxins and crap. And afterwards, I actually felt like I WANTED to keep eating healthily and didn’t crave the crap I usually do.

Last but not least, I’m beyond grateful for the new friends I made and for this community who welcomed me with open arms, especially as a newbie. The crowd was an older one – the closest friend I made was a 65-year old man name Bill, who I spent hours with and sharing our life stories under the shaded trees. I feel like everyone was so open and non-judgmental; not a single person asked me where I worked or where I was from, but rather we got straight into learning and appreciating each other’s true essences. I felt so comfortable sharing in our integration circles and weeping in front of the entire group…it was so freeing to be able to speak openly without fear of being judged. I learned just as much from listening to people’s stories and experiences as I did from the ceremonies themselves.

What a life-altering weekend. I definitely want to take some time this week writing, reflecting, and integrating this transformative experience into my life. Thank you Mother Earth, you are our life blood. ❤