I had a phenomenal week! Holy cow!
I went to Boone, NC last Friday to the Art of Living Retreat Center (that place is amazing – check it out!) to a 3-day workshop called “Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness”. It was hosted by Elise Loehnan and Courtney Smith (more on these phenomenal women below). I would venture to say that it was hands down the best event/workshop/retreat/thing I’ve ever been to! IT.WAS.BONKERS good!
The weekend was based on Elise’s recent book “On Our Best Behavior: The Price Women Pay to be Good”. The book is, as Elise says: “an exploration of the Seven Deadly Sins—ancient ideas of morality that still control and distort women’s lives today—revealing how trust in our natural instincts can return us to a more balanced, peaceful, and spiritually complete way to live.” Elise hooked up with her friend Courtney, who is a consultant, group facilitator and coach…THE BEST group facilitator I have ever experienced!
We identified 3 stories that are charged for us – that are causing angst and holding us back from our fullness. Old stories that are no longer serving us. Then we learned and practiced tools to de-program these limiting beliefs.
We looked at:
our conditioning and unconscious choices
the facts vs stories that we make up in the situations and circumstances that are causing us pain and suffering
how we choose to play victim, hero, or villain in different situations and how that keeps us stuck
how we do or don’t take accountability for situations in our life. Where do we give our power away?
the many parts and personas that we play and how they both help and hinder us
We practiced somatic tools to connect with the sensations in our body and how those sensations are a guide to YOUR truth.
We rewrote our old stories and limiting beliefs.
All of this over 3 days with about 40 women.
Listen…a group of women in a room is SO powerful.
There’s nothing like it. The level of vulnerability and honesty and acceptance and understanding in that room allowed us to go deep and be real, with ourselves and others. It allowed us all to lay down our arms, to take off the masks, to really get to the very heart of the matter. We realized that we often feel alone in our struggles, but that they are felt by so many other women! It felt good to hear “me too.” Sharing the stories you tell yourself is powerful!
If you’re craving that…read on…
I asked a question in hour one and Courtney asked if I’d come up and work through it with her using one of the tools she taught us. I’m not gonna lie, it was unnerving to be the first to stand in front of a room full of strangers and talk real. To risk sounding stupid.
You know those little voices that you keep to yourself because you think they’re crazy and you know they aren’t really true, or worse yet – maybe they ARE true? And you push them aside but they keep haunting you?
You know those thoughts, right?
Well I said them OUT LOUD. In front of 40 strangers! Then another woman did. Then another and another. And our power grew. The grip of these stories released.
Over the rest of the weekend so many women thanked me for being the first, for sharing my story, for being real. So many said they resonated with what I said and it made them feel better to know they aren’t alone. It made me feel better too.
That’s the power of group work.
By the last day we were all clamoring to stand in front of the group and be coached by Courtney. To be witnessed in our vulnerability and struggle. It’s freeing to say those thoughts out loud to another person. You think it’s gonna make you puke. You think it’ll pull you under. But it makes you free. Keeping them in the shadows makes them grow and get stronger. Their strength holds you down.
It was so moving to hear people’s stories and we all found at least some resonance within each story shared. Even if our life circumstances were different, our feelings and thoughts had so much in common.
I feel like I got back to the root of who I am. I felt her again. I got past all of the societal expectations, all of the expectations I have of myself that are total bull shit, all of the stories I was telling myself that aren’t really true – they’re just fear talking. It feels so liberating to get out from under all that muck. Soooo…
I AM INSPIRED TO HOST A WORKSHOP LIKE THIS HERE!
WANNA COME?
I’m hammering out details now.
If you are looking for transformation, if you want to get your groove back, if you want to rewrite some old stories that you’re entrenched in…
Comment on this post and I’ll put you on the list and share details as they unfold.
I also do this work in 1:1 coaching, which is amazing and transformative too. But let me tell you, doing it in a group of women is next level.
IT’S TIME FOR WOMEN TO RISE!
No more living out old stories and narratives that keep us small.
The world needs you standing in your power.
You’re here on this earth right now for a reason.
Your family needs you, your neighbors need you, your friends need you, your clients need you, your company needs you.
YOU ARE NEEDED. In your fullness.
It’s my dream for us all to step into the fullness of who we really are and I am committed to offering the space to help you do that.