why retreat?

A retreat is the restorative by which you walk away from being a woman who exists only in a relationship to others and walk toward a self that relishes and enjoys her relationships because she has a strong center from which to relate. Creating your own retreat allows you to encounter your deepest needs, feelings, and impulses away from the voices and needs of others.
~Jennifer Louden

rituals at maya tulum

"Women who create such ritual retreats together, listening thoughtfully to each other's voices, have the transformative potential to change the world."
~Virginia Beane Rutter

This is a picture of myself and Debra during our two hour work session. I use the word "work" not loosely (because it was some of the best, most important work I've done in a while) but instead with a smile on my face. Anytime you can work in a restaurant in one such as Maya Tulum's with a Corona on hand, a great friend nearby, and a view of the Carribean Sea....it's truly a magnificent day.

Debra and I had a loose plan in place for our retreat. We each took a couple of things to work on and some creative exercises to explore. We had a little bit of a plan, but no so much so that it felt like we were controlling the whole week.

Which was a good thing because it appeared that the universe really wanted the week to mostly be about relaxing, reconnecting, and letting go of those important work things so that we could create some room for new ideas and dreams.

There were other amazing women that we met on this week of retreat. Most all of them were at Maya Tulum alone. Some were using the trip to transition to a new stage in life, some came because it seemed to be the only thing left to do, some came because they've been to Maya Tulum (and once you go you can't not go back), some came to vacation.

My days at Maya Tulum were so simple, yet so utterly profound. Here is how the days mostly unfolded:

5:30 - Wake up. Sun is beginning to rise. Sit on our little couch with a blanket wrapped around me listening to the waves crash and watching as the dawn appears.

6:00 - 7:00 Take a walk on the beach. Everyday is different and beautiful in it's own right. So much sky to see. So much water to be in awe of.
7:00 - 8:00 Drink coffee and journal

8:00 - 9:30 Yoga class or yoga on my own. I was so super excited to get away and take yoga classes, but I found myself being drawn to practicing on my own some days. Funny how that happens. :)

9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast. Some days I had breakfast with Debra, some days with the gals I'd met, and some days alone. The great thing about being at Maya Tulum is that you can have as much group time or alone time as you need. I believe it's an unwritten rule....but if you are sitting with a book or journal in hand people know that you are needing some space.

10:30 - 1:00 Lay on the beach, float in the water, exfoliate at the edge of the water, yin yoga on the beach, and my fave (ala Jeanne)...laying on my back (think savasana) just close enough to the water that it gently washed up on me.

1:00 - 2:00 Lunch. Always delicious. Sweet people working ready to greet you with smiles and kind words. The people that work at Maya Tulum are just one of the many reasons I continue to go back. I learn much from them.

2:00 - 4:00 Work session. We always took a different table to transition to work time. One further away from the views of the water and one further away from people. We each had some sort of delicious Mexican beer with each work session.

4:00 - 5:30 More. Yoga. Yes.....

6:00 - 7:30 Spa treatment. I had a couple treatments during the day. But I love this time. I had five (yes 5!) treatments during my stay. Three holistic massages, one thai yoga massage, and one Mayan Clay massage. Yep, heavenly. For you gals that know the therapists/healers, I had two with our fave Shaman Fabian, two with the Chandree, and one with Adrian.

7:30 - 9:00 Dinner. More deliciousness

9:00 - Back to the cabana for reading and usually falling asleep around 9:30. 5:30 comes pretty early in the morning. I find that when I'm at Maya Tulum, my body is reset and I find myself living in unison much more with nature.

It was pretty much like the retreat I always lead. But this time I wasn't a group leader, or a teacher. I was just Me and I had no roles to play. I love love love leading my annual retreat at Maya Tulum. But I gotta say that this was much different. Oh, and I usually had to make time for a shower in the day. ;)

We left the property one time to walk up the road to the tiny little market area. Other than that, it was a week of what you see above.

And it was needed.
And unbelievable.
And now I completely, 100% know why people return here each year to retreat for themselves.

Maya Tulum has a way. A very good way....

to be connected

"To be connected with and to nurture others is a precious, delightful, integral part of our lives. We are constantly giving in a personal and emotional way. We want to do so, some of us must do so, but we also must take time in solitude, to find and tend our selves, or we risk becoming ensnared in a tyranny of relationships, unable to locate our authentic core. When this happens, we risk losing not only the meaning in our lives but ourselves, the deep rooted, innermost knowledge of who we are and why we are here. "
~Elinor Dickson

perfecting love

"You are love yearning for the perfectly lovable, and you, yourself, are the perfectly lovable that you long to experience.

Give to yourself with unlimited abandon and you will discover that what you once considered selfish is, in fact, the epitome of selflessness, for when you know yourself as love, you love everyone, unconditionally, unboundedly, eternally.

You will discover that there never was anyone more deserving of love than you, no one more perfect than you, and no one to love other than yourself.

For within you resides everyone. Perfect your love of yourself and you will love everyone perfectly."
~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

hola hola

Wow, still shaking the sand out of my suitcase and processing an amazing week at Maya Tulum. So much to say. So many reasons to keep quiet. And still. Hold it in my big ol' open heart.

Looking so forward to being at the studio today for community yoga and teaching yoga this week. Feeling much gratitude for all of life these days. :)

off to maya tulum

I'm leaving tomorrow for Mexico. So very excited to greet the sun. And sand. And sea. Everything is dreamier there. Love love love it.

Most everyone knows how much Tulum means to me. When I step on the beach and my feet hit the sand, it feels like home. Next year I'll get to experience Mexico one again with Andy. And again with my sister. And my mom. As both of those trips are on my mondo beyondo dream list, so they will happen. Very certain of it.

My sweet friend Shelli asked me today what I was most looking forward to in Mexico. The answer came quite easily and quite quickly. "The relaxation" I answered without hesitation.

I imagine it will take me all of 20 minutes to to slip away into relaxation mode. Looking forward to a little work, a lot of play, tons of bodywork and treatments, dreaming sessions, delicious food, yoga, being in the presence of many healers, reading, and relaxation. And the relaxation, did I mention that one?!

I'll see you in a week....Adios amigas. :)

and we danced

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them." ~Vicki Baum

Today has been a very good day. Taught a couple of really satisfying classes. Had a very satisfying practice on my own.

Met with two great candidates for the upcoming yoga teacher training. Met with Teresa about said upcoming teacher training. Had a private yoga session with my sis Rhonda, and nieces Brooke and Lexie.

Sarah came in for our meeting (in which I learn Sarah is a "data dork", but I'm choosing to call her the numbers goddess) just as we were wrapping up our session with a lil dance party. Song for the day was "I Got A Feeling"....WooHoo....Was so happy to have Sarah present for the dance par-tay.

Sadly, no pics but there was lots of hopping, twirling, swaying, and dancing to be done.

Yep loved the studio a little bit more today. And celebrated her with dancing,laughing, positive talks, mudras, breathing, poses, and general good-ness.

**I leave for Mexico on Saturday!!** Happy hoppy Sharon!!

**And don't you just love this pic?! Love those teachers!**

love me.....

That was the answer I got today while I was having a conversation with the studio, you know....Barefoot Works.

Yeah I know. Sorta kinda weird. But I do this on occasion. My meditations become these conversations. With poses, with chakras, with body parts, mentors, and now with the studio.

Some of you may recall from a blog post about the retreat to NC. Myself and the retreatees pondered the question "What do I need most this weekend?" Since then I've been asking this question a lot. It's really helpful and I do suggest giving it a try.

Today after teaching my noon class I made a comfy cozy little seat on the floor with blankets, pen, paper and a few questions. The sun was pouring in through the window and it warmed my whole body....head to toe.

I took a few moments to connect with my heart, to connect with spirit and connect to Barefoot Works. The physical space that contains Barefoot Works. My yoga home. Our yoga home. I asked the questions, "What does Barefoot Works need today?"

After my mind settled in it gave me a pretty clear answer.....Love. I was taken aback for a moment (yes even a gal that has meditative conversations with such randomness) but I stayed connected. And open. And willing to continue to listen.

It seems that I've been busy with work and with stress and with life and I've somehow forgotten to remind myself of just how lucky I am. The idea of getting to work, teach and spend my days in a place as wonder-full and glorious as this studio is amazing.

In continuing this conversation She also told me that she needed more celebrating and more dancing in this space. It's been way to long since I've put on Michael Franti and danced and twirled around the studio. I remember getting into trouble at the studio when we were painting. The Taylor Swift-ey Cinderella-ey song came on and I blasted it and danced around like a crazy gal full of excitement and joy. Until the neighbor came over and politely explained that she was giving a massage next door. Ooops, sorry (little quiet voice).

I did continue this conversation with Miss BW herself. And she gave me some more helpful information. I'll save that for another time. Loving her is enough to focus on for right now. And dancing and celebrating.

So this November I am thank-full for:
The yoga tree house in which I spend my days.
The landlord that lovingly designed, and built the space over three decades ago and continues to watch over it like a babe.
The floors that my family helped me put down.
The walls that Andy and I painted while laughing and dancing (and probably) cursing on occasion.
The neighbors that provide good stuff like massage and prenatal yoga and very cool baby stuff.
The green grass this tree and the swing out front. Sunshine Grow Shop and the beautiful plants. And there will be pine trees and sparkle lights soon enough.
I'm thankful for the mats, blankets, blocks and straps as they have a very important role in what we do.
Thankful that the plants thrive at this studio. I jokingly say that anything can grow here. Even the plants that die come back to life!

I'm thankful for the teachers that love the studio as much as I. I think I've heard each of them say, "the highlight of my week is teaching at the studio." Yes, quite amazing to hear.

And thankful for You. :)

Any dancing, celebrating, yoga-ing and general love festing is welcome at the BIG bright and beautiful space known as Barefoot Works.

oh the goodness

I've had a wonderfully good, productive and fun day. I started the morning working upstairs on the upcoming teacher training. I stayed planted here with the exception of fetching hot tea and some oatmeal (with slivered almonds, agave, and banana). I worked for almost four straight hours on details, rough draft, schedules, finalizing the book list, connecting with participants signed up, and creating and making changes to materials.

I've learned to be gentle with myself and the process of work. There was a time when I would beat myself up if I didn't meet my perceived work quota for the day. Nowadays I find myself relishing and celebrating those times when I feel really productive and get things dones. The time I'm designating for work, I try to really and truly work. Not play on the internet. And call people for no reason. Or make endless trips downstairs just to do whatever.

And those days when I feel like nothing gets accomplished.....I'm ok with those too. I'm practicing the art of being gentle and kind to myself these days. Don't we all need more of this on and off of the yoga mat?

I met with my good buddy and traveling companion on my upcoming trip to Tulum today....Debra. We talked about what we needed to take along and came up with a little plan for working while in paradise.

We each plan to spend about two hours a day working. She on her book. Me on the upcoming yoga teacher training. We're going to have BIG Idea sessions. And ponder where we want to be in our respective businesses in one and five years. Such fun. I am a sucker for this stuff. I truly love my life and my business. These are the things that fuel the fire.

We'll then work on manifesting those dreams and things that resonate most. I'm taking the supplies needed for mini collage making....mini glue sticks, cardstock, small scissors, and magazines for flipping, clipping and pasting inspiring words and images.

I imagine that each of us we'll have some other exercises and goodies up our sleeves for the week.

We'll take yoga daily, eat delicious food, drink and dance, take an excursion or two, do the sweat lodge, and get several healing bodywork sessions. Can't wait!

I also met my sister to see her before embarking to Mexico. Always good to see her ad laugh alongside her.

And the above pic...that's me and Andy preparing for tonight's delicious meal....artichoke, feta, garlic, and black olive pizza along with salad complete with raspberries, walnuts, and more feta cheese. Wine was Coyote Red from Talon Winery. Yummy!

Oh the goodness. :)

**PS - Teresa's workshop scheduled for this Sunday has been re-scheduled for late January.**

halloween 09

What a fun weekend?! Saturday was a day filled with pantry organizing and hanging out with two great friends, Liz and Tony. We had originally planned to hike and camp at the Gorge, but it didn't look like the weather was going to cooperate. So we opted for a day of Italian and wine fun. We visited Chrisman Mill for wine tasting, Bella Notte for a late lunch, Talon Winery for more wine tasting, the wine shop in Nicholasville for....yep you guessed it, more wine tasting. At this point we decided we need a lil wine break. We crossed the street to the coffee shop and had some tasty, toasty, (nonalcholohic) treats. We swung by the big blue house then dashed off to Bar Louie to watch the UK game then off to The Trail of Terror off of Tates Creek. Andy and I hadn't been on a haunted trek since our college days, so that was great fun.

All in all, a festive and fun Halloween. Although I did wake with a tummy ache at four in the morning and it continued on for several more hours. My cleansed insides were rebelling again the festivities of the day.

Today I met the teachers for Indian food and we chatted studio and student stuff... holiday schedules, sub schedules, upcoming workshops, community service, building community, yoga teacher training, holiday party, and a teacher celebration. All good stuff to get excited and feel grate-full for.

I just finished cooking chipotle corn chowder, which is way tooooo spicy. I added some honey to see if it takes some of the bite out of it. I did get to wear my sweet apron that I love so much. Certainly makes cooking much more fun. And I must admit that I keep going to the pantry, peeking in, and feeling quite happy about how organized and functional it feels. Love that the simple things can invoke such giddiness. Think I'll top the night with a long bath complete with Lush fizzy and some yin yoga.

Wishing each of you some giddy moments as you make your way into the week!

breaking the master cleanse and the transition

Wednesday was the last day of my cleanse. If you read the earlier post you'll see that I had planned to start drinking some oj on Monday. However, I woke on Monday and was feeling soooo very good. I decided not to ruin a good thing and decided to complete the 10 days. So glad I did. I think that if I had started having oj, I would have just given the whole thing up. Sometimes I'm an all or nothing kidnda gal. Can certainly see how this needed to be an "all" sorta time.

On Tuesday my sweet friend Shelli came for a special visit to accompany me to Whole Foods to shop for healthy vegetarian staples to have in the pantry. I've been vegetarian for over four years now, but I still don't have a good handle on it all. I needed some help and I knew that Shelli was just the gal.

So with a good friend and a healthy list on hand we maneuvered the aisles buying all sorts of grains, pastas, beans, canned items, breads, condiments, sauces, spices and so forth. It was so much fun!
I was quite proud of the fact that I was able to be at the grocery store, see and small all the goodness and continue to contentedly sip the maple juice. Shelli and I even walked to Main & Maple where she had lunch and coffee, and I continued to contentedly sip the maple juice. ;)

Now I'm armed with the healthy vegetarian go to staples, a couple new vegetarian cookbooks, and a willing partner to help cook on the nights I get home late. Should be the recipe that we need for a lil healthier eating at Casa Tessandori.

I also timed the cleanse strategically. I tried to schedule when I didn't have a lot going on (although I still added to do's to my calendar). Now I'll have another week to eat healthy wholesome foods, then I'll be jettin' off to Maya Tulum where the food doesn't get any healthier or more delicious.

I've planned it to give my body at least a month of eating mostly wholesome, non processed crap. I did however have a latte from Starbucks this morning on the way to my health fair. I'm ok with this. Moderation is a grand thing.

Food is tasting mighty fine these days. I'm finding that I'm full more quickly, not eating mindlessly, and being much more mindful about what I eat. Good stuff. For sure.

hitting the reset button...part 2

I'm into day 8 of the cleanse. I do however believe that I will start drinking orange juice. Do believe that I need to start breaking the cleanse which will require several more days until I go back to "eating".

I did have a moment Saturday night when I almost broke down. Andy was gone to the UK football game. I was home alone. And doing the one thing that I don't even love to do so much....watching TV. I got bored. Started thinking of food.

Specifically those darn honey bbq chips. It was as if the angel and devil were on my shoulder. "What the hell are you thinking Sharon. You've been at this for nearly a week." (of course the angel wouldn't say hell, but she is now). And the lil' devil is saying, "You've done so well. Just have one...or two."

I looked in the pantry and there the bag sat. I picked up the bag and lucky for me (and my intestines) the bag was pretty much empty. Thank you Andy for doing the deed and finishing them off for me. ;)

So there I go again. Eating out of boredom. Clearly I still have a little bit of work to be done in this area.

Now looking at the reasons for doing the cleanse:

I was in a funny phase leading up to this cleanse. I've had a very busy year feeling like I was moving from one training/workshop/retreat/class to another with little true rest in between.

As a result I've been eating foods that aren't the most healthy. And sometimes I've just eaten downright horrible.

I do believe that the body is the very best compass of all. And mine was telling me that I was nearly lost.

I needed to do this cleanse and rid my body of the crap that I've been filling it with. I needed to tend to myself, to nurture myself in a way that didn't include food. I needed to get quiet. And slow down. See if my mind could clear and I could regain some focus.

I am feeling reeaallly good in my body. I'm excited about planning and preparing healthy, wholesome meals for myself and Andy. Yay for a little bit of discipline and a lot of listening!

Have a super Monday.....

*Tomorrow I'll write about making the transition to food and planning for a healthier eating transition*

hitting the reset button...part 1

I'm moving into day six of a cleanse. And not just any cleanse. Not like cleanses before in which I juiced and had some fruit, or cut out caffeine and sugar. No, no, no. I haven't eaten a meal since Sunday night. Yep, Sunday night. The last supper was veggie sushi and honey bbq chips (don't ask). Not even a Diet Dr Pepper (they were all gone). No Starbucks for the day. I resisted. No Blue Moon as the above pic shows me happily gulping....I mean sipping. :)

Then I embarked on days will filling myself with lukewarm salt water and what I'm now referring to as "the maple juice" which consists of 10 oz of water, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, two tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and some cayenne pepper. Yum-O..... And I can't forget the herbal laxative tea that sits here by my laptop and I am choking, uhhhh I mean gulping down.

So briefly my reasons, partial curiosity (do I really have the will-power to pull this off), partial spirituality (and if so what if anything will be awakened), partial vanity (I'm going to Mexico in two weeks which means I'll be in a bathing suit). Mostly I need to hit the reset button.

I must say that's it's been way easier than I expected. Well maybe I use the word easy loosely. I've been a lot less hungry than I expected. Somehow the maple juice does the drink. When I start to feel hunger coming on I grab and take a few swigs. I'm like a baby with their sippy cup. On the night of day two I had a headache and an upset stomach. But that's really been the worst physical effects. I even made it through a couple of hours of jivamukti yoga today in Cincy with David and Sharon.

I feel like it's mostly psychological now. It's not that I'm necessarily hungry. Ijust want to feel food in my mouth. Could it be possible that I've forgotten how to chew? The crazy thing is, I don't want a bunch of crap food (although I do open the pantry and see those honey bbq chips staring back at me). I'm craving a delicious salad. And soup.

Enough about food. I must go and drink my herbal tea. I'm rising early for a health fair tomorrow. ~Nite Lovies~

To Be Continued.....
(that's so fun!)

i've been everywhere...

This time last week I was in FL with my BFF....you know, Liz. We had such a great time! We packed a lot of fun into our 2.5 days at the beach. A little trip to St. Petersburg to an artfest and the Pier, a great little aquarium in Clearwater, took five miles walks on the beach two days in a row...so what if one of the trips was up to a great doughnut shop that has the yummiest key lime doughnuts....yes I said key lime and they are delisch! We laid by the pool which we had all to ourselves, dipped in the ocean, ate many wonderful meals, read magazines, drank mojitos and margaritas, but mostly we relaxed and reconnected. Which was the best gift of all.

I also got to spend some time with Andy upon returning from FL. He's been off on fall break. We had a little work to do at the studio. First I have to ask, have you used the magic eraser?! I had my first experience and was quite amazed. I know at some point I need to re-do the bathrooms at the studio. But I'm not quite ready for that. So I took the magic eraser to the bathroom and got rid of most of the scuff marks on the white wall. Pretty excited about that! And Andy strung festive holiday lights from the wires at the studio. Now we'll have a tiny bit more lighting and a lot more ambiance during late evening classes.

Then we were off for Big Blue Madness festivities. Andy insisted that we purchase me a UK shirt of some sort for the night. I agreed, but wanted it to be pink. I was wearing my pink suede shoes after all. He disagreed. And I figured since it clearly meant more to him than me, I'd go along. We had a pre-dinner drink at Molly's, and dinner at Alfalfas (a fave for us). I have to admit that I really enjoyed the Madness. It was pretty exciting. And seeing Andy so darn excited made it even more fun for me. Look at these people....I would have really stuck out wearing UK pink instead of UK blue.

Saturday it was a Yoga Nidra workshop at the studio (which was exactly what I was needing, so thanks Sarah!), then a hockey game in Louisville to see Andy's little brother play, then on to Owensboro to meet a brand new little nephew. Sunday was baby Jake's baptism, then lunch with the family, then a trip back home. Our stay in Owensboro was so brief, I didn't even get any pictures of the new sweet little guy. But he is completely perfect. And completely beautiful. :)

Hope the past week has been equally wonderful for each of you!

a sweet deal

Barefoot Works is happy to announce there are two scholarships available for the World Peace Yoga Conference taking place in Loveland, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati) October 23-25, 2009 which provide a 50% reduction in pricing for the conference. If you are interested in the scholarship opportunity and attending this history-making event, please contact Anna Ferguson, anna@worldpeaceyoga.com or 513-300-9642. Visit www.worldpeaceyogaconference.com for more information.

That's Anna all cute playing her harmonium here at the studio. :)

bff liz

I'm leavin on a jet plane in a few hours. Headin' down south to Florida for a quick trip to the beach. Yep, it's a gal's weekend with my bff Liz. When I celebrated my birthday in May by present from Liz was a weekend getaway. Just she and I. Yes, the best gift ever for a lover of travels (that's me ;).

Liz has been in my life and in my world for nearly 15 years. We were destined to be friends when we became roommates at EKU. We'd never met, spoke on the phone once prior to moving into McGregor Hall. Her first image of me was a high school prom picture of me and my then boyfriend (donning a beaded and sequin dress, big hair, and an even bigger bouquet of Flowers). I remember seeing her huge plastic bin of sweaters (and now knowing her like I do, of course that's a memory I hold as she is quite the lover of Fall and big chunky sweaters).

For five years during college we bonded over bread sticks at the cafeteria, long walks to class (we even had the same major), late nights and cheap beer, breakfast at Frischs, cans of Raviolis, boxes of cereal. It's through Liz that I met Andy. Eternally grateful and happy about this. :)

I'm certain that she knows more embarrassing college stories about me and vice versa. We each had our college moments that are now deeply ingrained in our minds, in our hearts. It was a pivotal time for each of us as we grew into the people we were meant to.

When I moved to Texas for a job after graduate school Liz was the first person to visit a mere three days after I arrived with my parents and a small UHaul that carried the few possesions I had. When I moved back from Texas to KY to embark on a life I wanted to create, Liz flew down and drove one of our cars back.

As we've grown older we've certainly changed. Each of us has given the other space when needed to grow, to heal, to find adventure, or sort through the craziness of life. Across the miles and across the years she's been a mainstay in my life. She's more than a friend. She's a sister. There is something so wonderful, so comforting about having someone in your life that knows you, your stories, your family, your joys, your worries, your struggles and accepts it all with open arms.

Thank you Liz for being you. I'm sooo looking forward to our weekend. Here's to new adventures and stories. Woot Woot!!

*First pic of us in London, England
**Second pic of Liz and my brother's wedding on a farm in VA.

nc yoga retreat

My head and my heart feels like it's been a little on fire the past week. Caught somewhere between "what the heck will I teach" and "hell yeah, I love my job!"

It seems like every time I go to lead a retreat I have a moment somewhere within the week that I experience a little freak out moment. I feel completely ill prepared, mostly inadequate, and a little lost. I actually feel like it's quite healthy. It keeps me on my toes. Keeps me humble. And holds me accountable to taking the time, making the effort to plan, plan, plan. It makes me do the things I will teach and ponder the ideas I will share.

All in all I feel like this years retreat was pretty awesome. The weather (crisp and sunny). The classes. The food. The group of girls. All very sweet.

Asana classes ranged from yoga therapy/anatomy to flow to yin yoga.

Workshops included reflecting on what we needed most out of the weekend, inspiring teachers, and life values. We then used the life values to create a collage. Which I was mostly blown away by. The coolest part was going around the circle and learning about who the gals have most been inspired by and learning about their collage, or masterpiece. Give some gals magazines, scissors and glue and they will go to town!

I got to hear sweet stories about fathers, grandparents, Pema Chodron, Dalai Lama, friends, yoga, and more. I heard about strength, adventure, wellness, discipline, balance, bliss, grace, grit, love, travel, peaceful, presence, humbleness and more. Very cool.

On the last day I was presented with the prettiest scarf ever! I was so surprised when all the gals presented me with a scarf before our last session. Much too kind words were shared and my heart nearly spilled open when they told me that every single gal there had taken part in knitting the scarf. Even those that couldn't knit. Wow.

I had not idea when I took this pic that the scarf would be presented to me. Again very cool. And again.... yeah I realllly love my job.

For our closing the gals had selected a rock somewhere that they found on the 150 acres at Prama. We concluded our weekend by choosing one word to write on our special magic rock. A rock we could take home and remember our weekend by and what we were working on, cultivating, and/or reminding ourselves of.

My word was "Trust" because going into the weekend that's what I needed most. To trust that I had done the work. To trust that I had created a strong, supportive spiritual container for the weekend. To trust that the perfect gals would be present. To trust that the teachings would work out how they needed to work. To trust that the gals would be open to unleashing their inner child (and do things like hunt and write on rocks). To trust that we would rest. And heal. And connect. Nurture and be nurtured. We did that and more.

Thank you yoginis for making for such a memorable weekend. :)

breathing

"Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?"
Mary Oliver

Wow yesterday was one of those days when I had to keep re-reading this quote and reminding myself to slow down, take a deep breath, and move through the day mindfully breathing. At one point while running errands to prepare for the NC retreat, I actually asked out loud "Does anyone reeeally come to a complete stop (at a stop sign) in a shopping center. Hamburg. Need I say more.

Anyway as soon as the comment escaped my mouth, I thought wow. Wow.

Slow down Sharon. It will all get done.

And it has. For the most part. I'm getting ready to leave for NC. I'm going to enjoy a day in Asheville. I have no idea where I'm staying. I figure I'll be flexible here. And breathe.

Have a glorious weekend and I'll see you next Tuesday as I'll be going to finish up in Hazard on Sunday and Monday.