... In a nutshell, I believe the key to feeling happy and alive on a regular basis starts with speaking up. Giving voice to what's really going on.

But here's the thing; we've been trained to hide and put up invisible walls. Especially inside intimate relationships. Sure, we 'say' we want to be cared for and touched, but it's also the place we can hide, with the people we love most.

Curiously, I've found that letting down our protective walls and being seen and feeling really heard often happens more easily within a group of supportive women. And it takes practice. It takes practice feeling safe.

Bringing down our walls is such a wonderful thing because all these emotions and all this stuck energy that's been stuffed inside gets to come out. And when it does, when you start feeling more happy, more alive, and less judgmental about yourself, it just feels so good. And there's a very special bond that happens between sisters when we help each other rise up. We uplift each other. We help each other shine.

There's lots of different ways we can have fun doing this - from self- reflection, to dancing, Dream Harvesting (sharing our dreams), to vitality movement and exercises, and with special Sacred Ceremony that brings our our magical, mysterious Identity, that trust me, LOVES to come out to play....

The bottom line is that we want to not only have peak experiences of aliveness and wholeness, I believe the real reason we go to a great retreat is first to remind ourselves of how wonderful we are - especially if we haven't been feeling so 'wonderful' lately. It's a space to be lovingly supported, witnessed (and maybe a little cajoled to shine:-). And then, it's about having simple tools to bring home, to make your life better, and make your relationships sweeter because you have more understanding of what matters most.

This is why I am coming back to Shakti Queen (after a pause since Covid days...) It all starts with what I call 'filling your basket first' and 'polishing the Mirror of Self Love. Through a process I call Softening.

Sometimes this happens boldly, sometimes awkwardly, sometimes slowly. it's the start of an inner revolution where instead of being consumed by emotional overwhelm, or staying stuck, guarded and indecisive, instead of having to 'harden' ourselves to prove our worth - we discover there’s a more intelligent way to change!

The best part is, once we get over the fear of being vulnerable, less busy, more relaxed and way softer, we get to see it's actually far more effective."

This is how one woman put it:

"It was scary at first to let go of control. But I was so tired of having to hold everything together for everyone else, I just couldn't do it anymore. Things were too hard and I felt harsh and I struggled and I pushed with everyone, especially my husband. So it was shocking to let go, but it worked. Who knew that being tender, starting with ME could change everything? Everything is better, and I do feel more like a queen in my own home now."