Four Days of Pause
/Laughter echoed throughout the basecamp, rippling out from each of our bellies into the dusk, vibrating the forested pocket of this sweet Southern Appalachian holler. Campers nearby must have heard us, wondered at the feminine force that was loud and unapologetic. They likely smiled at the sound, shrugged their shoulders, and returned to beers and campfire after their day of mountain biking adventures.
Our little group was in a bubble all its own, wrapped in the sacred of a homemade altar, poetry, intentions, animal spirit cards, and moments of authentic tears with newly found friends.. but also in the silliness, simplicity, and clarity that comes from stepping fully out of our roles in our lives at home, invited back into connection with a younger, and simultaneously wiser, self.
These four days of pause in North Georgia held a combination of movement and rest, a blend of chatter and quiet. Six women gathered, two of them returning from the same retreat last year, and once again stepped into the unknown. We took the time to notice and identify the tiny Spring flowers along the trails, to feel the moss and wonder at the bleached snail shells. We stretched our bodies in gentle yoga, rested deeply in savasana each afternoon, read books in hammocks, soaked in hot tubs, and listened to what our individual bodies needed in down time, practicing permission to just be rather than perform, or as one woman named it: “to receive rather than achieve.”
It can be profoundly vulnerable to find yourself amongst strangers without the distractions of screens, tasks, responsibilities, and substances around. What emerges has both a universal quality to it, as well as a unique flavor. Never before have I had an evening circle on retreat become a series of games that included acting out three-parted combinations of animals (porpoise, giraffe, cat: try to be all three at once!), or experienced the magic of one participant’s manifestation of connection with her deceased father that she so beautifully and willingly shared with the group. What felt universal was the way the weekend uncovered and reignited each woman’s inner-knowing, her ability to tend herself in the context of connecting with others, the growing depth of self-love and compassion, which then enabled more trust and lighter play.
It may seem that the magic happens on multi-day sea kayak expeditions in Mexico or along Andean peaks in Argentina, but the necessary elements for transformation prove to be much more simple: disconnecting from the daily hustle into a slower pace, inviting and deepening body awareness, practicing presence in the natural world, and sharing in the human connection.
“This retreat was rooted in wisdom, invitation, permission, authenticity, and a lot of laughter! I stepped into the retreat burned out, lost, and uncertain. Leaving the retreat I felt grounded, reassured, connected to my body, and with more profound sense of community. It’s truly one of the most grounding and awakening experiences I have ever had. I imagine it won’t be the last endeavor I will embark on with Aspen Roots Collective. It’s just the beginning! ”