Beautiful Soul,
Next Monday, I’ll be sitting on a plane by myself en route to Ireland.
I’ve always longed to go to Ireland and have been waiting for this day.
The funny thing about sharing what you love with the world is that once you start sharing it, you do less of it for yourself.
I’ve found this to be true with hosting retreats. I’m long overdue for a retreat of my own.
This past year, I’ve felt the fiery call to put something on the books for myself. I almost didn’t do it; life is so busy. And then a dear client reflected back to me:
“Your individual path matters too, Brie.”
She reminded me…
At this point, I’m hitting all the stages most people do before leaving for retreat — feeling slightly regretful, and a wee bit guilty because life is full, and the timing never feels right.
But I’m also overjoyed with anticipation.
The stage before leaving for retreat is always a test. It’s as if life is asking: how badly do you want this transformation/adventure of yours?
I want it. Big time.
So, I’ll let the guilt wash over me, and get my Irish arse on that plane Monday night. You better believe it.
But it’s never easy to pull ourselves out of our bumping lives and systems that sustain us back home. Especially in a culture that suggests (to women especially) that our very worth comes from the roles we play for others.
But our own path, separate from our roles, must be pursued to live a life with depth and meaning.
Our children, co-workers, lovers, and friends learn from our modeling.
Do we spend our lives a martyr? Working our tails off until we’re brittle and bitter? Or do we take a risk on ourselves, flushing our souls with the juicy life-force of dreams realized?
I know my answer.
A pilgrimage to Nepal once I’d finished breastfeeding my first kiddo as a new mom. Just completed a 10-day, silent retreat.
There are so many ways to do a retreat. One of my favs is the pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place, or a place of transformation.
I liken it to a retreat with legs or wheels. There’s a little more movement involved, in country. But still loads of solo time, meditation, and all of the 9 Elements of a Retreat. It’s deeper than a tourist stint because on a pilgrimage, like a retreat, there’s a concurrent inner journey of exploration. The intention is spiritual depth, and personal growth.
In Ireland, I plan travel up the west coast, stopping in fishing villages, find fun music to dance to, and yummy fish fries. I’ll journal, hike to castles, ferry to small islands, and connect with some towns of my ancestry.
I have books by Irish authors to read, a brand-spankin’ new journal with a bubbling idea to sink into, and a heritage homecoming to help me further understand who I am, and where some of my people come from.
I’m overjoyed to see what changes in me as a result of this pilgrimage.
And so, I leave you today with the Irish Blessing that hung in our family’s laundry room in my childhood home:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields.
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hands.
Upcoming RETREATS to sink into…
IGNITE Retreat (Crestone, CO) - September 19-22, 2024 (Limited space!): Reclaim your feminine fire as we explore principles of masculine and feminine energy and their influence on our relationships, while dipping into Colorado’s mountain, mineral hot-springs.
AWAKEN Retreat (Nosara, Costa Rica) - February 8-15, 2025: Rejuvenate, and reconnect with your most authentic self at this women's retreat of self discovery in Costa Rica: one of the world's renowned Blue Zones for longevity.
AWAKEN Retreat (Provence, France) - September 20-27, 2025: Rekindle forgotten passions, awaken dormant ideas, and realign your life with your highest aspirations on this breath-taking, 130 acre, organic vineyard in the South of France.
To find our more about my transformational Retreats, to buy my book: You Should Leave Now, to schedule your Soul Session, or learn more about The Self Retreat Kit, please see my website. xxo