Simply Wild Retreat
Retreats are hands down one of my favorite things. Like, ever! But this month I jumped WAY out of my comfort zone by attending a backpacking retreat.I'm talking, carrying your own water into the backcountry kind of backpacking. This girl doesn't even hike, let alone backpack. But I signed up anyway. I wanted growth. I had some emotional and spiritual blocks that needed serious attention. And when Sadie suggested this would be the place to begin that journey, I trusted her.You might know Sadie as Simply Sadie Jane. She is a self-love advocate, a genius meditation and yoga teacher, and overall stellar human being (#girlcrush). Her work is a direct reflection of her wise and empowering nature and I knew her retreat would be as well.The week of the retreat I heard there would be a cold front moving through Moab. And trust me when I say that being cold is my least favorite activity. So, now not only am I out of my comfort zone with the type of retreat... but I'm going to freeze my ass off the whole time too. Awesome.But before I could panic, Sadie and Angelique (our badass guide) had it covered with all the necessities. They ensured us we would sleep comfortably and stay warm. Still slightly hesitant, I packed up and drove down to Moab.
By the end of the afternoon we had made our way to our camps. We were all exhausted. We set up our tents and made our way over to dinner and yoga. Sadie set up our yoga mats and we began. Her ability to hold space and facilitate yoga with her beautiful words is nothing short of amazing. I started to feel better. I could feel my heart softening and the fear starting to fade. But I was no where close to my normal self. I elected out of connecting deeply with the women who shared their story that night because I was closed off. That hike in was hard, I was annoyed. I felt like I betrayed myself by coming. I was sick of putting myself in hard situations in order to prove myself or grow. When would I ever be content with myself?The next day we put on our daypacks and set out for our hike. I was already feeling better, it was much warmer than the first day and our packs felt like they were barely there compared to yesterday. I began to process my thoughts differently. When we got to the top of Druid's Arches, Sadie created a beautiful healing experience and I felt a major shift in my heart.
Simply Wild
With the love and support of Sadie and the strong women around me, I took my emotional baggage around self-doubt and stifled creativity and released it to the Canyonlands.I finally saw how sacred and amazing I was, how much I had held myself back in every area of my life.I have feared rejection for as long as I can remember. I've felt the pain of loneliness and unworthiness so deeply that I almost ended my own life. And I guess that trauma never really left. It's always been there, guarding me from feeling that way ever again. That fear has ruled my ability to speak my truth, it's kept me quiet, and it's kept me small.This retreat helped me realize that I'm a badass. I overcame multiple traumas and the struggle of being a teen mother. I started my self-development journey before it was cool and everyone thought it was crazy. I had no one guiding me. I started teaching book clubs and held classes in my basement for free for years. I taught myself how to be a coach. I did my undergrad and grad school while working and being a mother. I do amazing, beautiful, HARD things and I have so much gratitude for myself! No one made me do those things. I chose to rise and create a beautiful life and share it with others because I felt called to. Not because it would please other people into accepting me. I did it because I have a deep lust for life. I wanted to make the most of my precious time here and stop living in pain and fear.My soul is forever changed. I met women there that were pure warriors and had hearts of gold. I have zero regrets and will always be grateful for Simply Wild.And who knows... I might see you at the next one. ;)Light & Love,SunniePhotos by:
Simply Wild
