What do you get when you put 20 women in the Atacama Desert under some of the most magnificent stars, surrounded by surreal landscapes, and all united by the common want of improving themselves through meditation, introspection and some guidance from astrology? A mind melding Self-Discovery retreat!! Now let me tell you about it…
First… the ladies. Wow, wow, wow. They came to play, in all the ways. I swear, the first night I felt like I already had a slew of new best friends. Despite us being from all over the world, spanning in age, background and creative pursuits, it seemed like we all had a magnetic force pulling us together. Okay, that force was Garance. And it just goes to show the power of the people she attracts, even through such unassuming mediums like social media. We were all kindred spirits from the get go, and I attribute a lot of that to her.
Second... the practice. I’m not a practice kind of person. I’m a let’s-try-something-once-and-probably-put-it-aside (hello chess, surfing, kayaking… and every other hobby I’ve attempted) kind of person. Well, this was the first time someone held me accountable to try something, consistently, for a whole week (thank you, Susan), and wow, what a difference it makes. From the morning yoga, consistent meditation, free journaling, and then—of course—sharing with the women around me—damn if I don’t have a meditation and reflection practice forming that I’m quite proud of.
Third… THE LLAMAS!! There were llamas on the property. When I was told this fact while I was in New York, I shrugged. Eh. Llamas. So what? But now, after spending a week walking by the llamas, feeding and petting them, I’m like…. LLAMAS!! Best part, there was a pen of girl llamas and one boy llama, “Manny,” who was “in punishment,” because he impregnated all the girl llamas. True story.
Fourth… okay the clothes. You might notice us wearing very similar sweatsuits. Okay, yes, we were like-minded, but not that like-minded to all bring the same sweatsuit. You also might have noticed that Vince was one of our partners on the retreat. And they were kind enough to give us these matching sweatsuits that not only made us feel like we were part of a tribe, but are also so comfortable no one ever took them off. I think I finally changed out of mine on day five? And then forced Bogdana to take a bunch of photos of me in normal clothes to prove to people I still own things with zippers. But damn, those sweatsuits. Have to admit meditating in them is preeettyy comfy…
Fifth…the landscapes. When asked what is one word I would use to describe this retreat, I didn’t hesitate: “Expansive.” Not just for my point of view on the world, and myself, but the actual views we took in every day. I thought I was in a Mad Max movie and was honestly just dying to ride a dune buggy half the time.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Over the course of the next few weeks we’re going to share a lot with you from this retreat. From women’s stories, to some guidance on starting and committing to your own practice, to more pictures of those landscapes (okay and llamas) to the people we met from Chile, and those we traveled there with. And why we will never forget this trip…
Photos: Bogdana Ferguson
