The word Retreat derives from Anglo-French retreat, from the past participle of retreaire which means to withdraw.
A retreat is a very personal experience and the motivating factors for one person to sign up for a retreat will be very different from the next person’s.
For me the reason for signing up for the Radiant Retreat in 2008 was crystal clear: I was 25 and I felt totally STUCK. I was in a very fine job that paid well and paved the way for a career in the art world. But, to put it simply, something was missing – call it a “joie de vivre,” call it my mojo – I wasn’t feeling fully alive.
I received an email from Jennifer asking if I would join her on that retreat many years ago and it became very simple: in order for me to get “un-stuck” I needed to remove myself, or withdraw, not only internally but also from my external environment. I needed an extra boost and an opportunity to have the physical and mental space to determine how I was going to follow my true path.
The retreat helped me determine that it was absolutely acceptable for me to want to be a yoga teacher… and more! I will never forget one conversation Jennifer and I had during a visit in Philadelphia when I gave her a vague description of what I wanted my career to be – her response was “You should be an ease-maker.”
The retreat provided a foundation for me to slowly start to become that ease-maker. In work, in friendship, and in love.
It was that wonderful tipping point that allowed me to access truth and my very own authenticity.
There are many ways we can describe a retreat and the benefits it yields. But the most profound for me has been accessing authenticity.
A retreat allows us to peel back the layers and move the junk out of the way for us to realize what it is we want and then we slowly start to do the work to get there.
The heaping mounds of guacamole, superb yoga classes, and stellar company are just the cherry on top!
Join us March 21-28, 2015 in Tulum.
maggie converse 