Weekend Retreat Brings New Tools & Awareness

I was at a retreat on “Making Choices – Moving Forward” last weekend where I discovered some great new tools to clear blocks and gain clarity and bumped up my awareness another notch – all while having fun and taking a pause from regular life.  What a gift!

Although I was a presenter as well as a participant during this retreat, I went in with the intention that there would be nuggets of treasure for me personally and professionally.  I try to set an intention before events, even if  it is the general intention that something positive will happen.  The intention helps me step into the space of receiving even if the event is around topics I already know.  Because even though the topic might be familiar, every person will talk about it differently and there are always deeper layers to be explored.

And receive and explore I did!

Here are some of my nuggets:

• The game Satori – this game comes from Colin Tipping and his Radical Forgiveness programs.  It is a board game where you pick up a current belief and storyline and gather blocks and other information along the way to help you transform your belief and create a new story line for your life.  Make note that while this is a “game”, what shows up is absolutely real and provides a great structure to process something that is holding you back.  I already ordered my copy and am trying to decide who I can invite to my first Satori game night.
• Scott Kalechstein- a funny, amazingly gifted modern day troubadour and inspirational speaker.  He has many CD’s with songs that use humor and conscious wording to support growth.  He uses wit, words, and wisdom to share his powerful messages about life and the Law of Attraction.
• The awareness that Yoga/Ayurveda and Law of Attraction may speak a different language and use different techniques but underneath there is a whole lot in common as far as universal laws of truth and the power of living consciously go.
• A fun roommate who shares a first name and a passion for whole health.

The retreat was sponsored by Elementals Living and took place at the beautiful Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI.   And considering how affordable the retreat was, less than $200 for all three days of speakers and events plus room and board, I was surprised by the small gathering.  So I’m inviting all of you to put your radars up for events in your areas or even for next year’s Elementals event that you find the places and spaces to take your “Expansion Pause” and discover your own nuggets of treasure.  Give yourself the gift of inspiration, exploration, and time away.   I promise, the rewards will be great!

Moving Forward: Claiming Your Life Through the Law of Attraction

In just nine days over the Feb. 25-28 weekend,  Elementals Living will usher in their second annual conference on health and well-being with this year’s theme of  “Making Choices…Moving Forward: Claiming Your Life Through the Law of Attraction” and I can’t wait.

I am so excited to have the weekend away to support myself with fun activities and stimulating workshops.  I love learning new things and am always open for ways to enjoy life at higher levels and with less effort.  And the best part is that the event is cost effective and flexible.  Yes, you can go for the full three days to soak up all the fabulous information for only $249.  Or if you only have time for a day of self-care, you can participate in any of the day activities Friday through Sunday for $99/day.  What a bargain!

For me, the hardest part is deciding which of the classes and events to go to because the choices are so great. 

At my stage of life, “Hormone Health” is a logical option but I don’t want to miss “Adding Clarity with Essential Oils” or “How Sweet It Is=Desserts Without Sugar” either.  And since I’m all about abundance in life, Michele Bersell’s talk on “Emotional Abundance” is also at the top of my list.

Then there’s the Art, Games, & Entertainment category filled with “Making Your Own Mandala“, “Satori: Radical Forgiveness Game” and, my favorite “Chocolate, Music, & Laughter.”  Luckily those are mostly at night and don’t compete with other events so I’m thinking I can squeeze all of them in.

Got plans for your weekend?  If not, come on over to Lake Delavan for some fun and body, mind, spirit expansion.  Details and registration at http://elementalslivingconference.eventbrite.com/.

The Gift of the Contrast of Costa Rica

I had always wanted to go to Costa Rica.  And ever since living in Wisconsin, the idea of a winter escape seemed quite desirable.  Last week I was finally able to combine these two wants and it was everything I hoped it would be.

Although Costa Rica is one of the most affluent countries in Central and South America, it still has a second world country feel.  It wasn’t just the smaller houses, fewer paved roads, nor less developement.  A part of this “feel” was in the simpler and slower way of life.  Since I was in Costa Rica to lead a Relax and Renew Retreat, this slow and easy pace was wonderful and offered me several unexpected gifts during my stay.

Part of what I loved about my Costa Rican experience was the opportunity to step outside my “normal” life and into a completely different world.  Being in the rain forest jungle and waking up to the sounds of the birds and the howler monkeys brought a deep almost instinctual level of  joy and serenity to me…and made getting up early easier!  Being so close to the natural world in every day life made me feel more connected to the web of life in general.

Living literally within a slice of the jungle (we stayed at the eco-resort Samasati which is a bioreserve of some 200 acres),  also required a different level of awareness.  Walking, whether traveling the short trail from the main lodge to my bungalow nestled in the trees, following one of the paths on the grounds to the yoga studio, or even a visit to the waterfall, was a journey of heightened senses.  This awareness was partly due to the necessity of staying out of the path of the poison dart frogs, the abundance of  lizards, and the snakes under the big palm leaves (never saw one thankfully), but also because I was taking in all the new, beautiful scenery.  I kept my senses alert so I could spy the fresh ginger sprouting up from the ground, the pineapple bushes and banana trees along the paths, and the toucans and parrots hidden in the trees.  The new and exotic landscape captured my attention in a way that isn’t engaged at home where the view is known and taken for granted.

Likewise, the slower pace of life and the close contact with the natural world helped me be present with my surroundings and myself in a way that I don’t find here at home.  In our modern culture in the US, there are so many things competing for our attention – many of them not “real”.  I’m thinking of all the television, movies, video games, computers – fun diversions and helpful tools at times,  but not really things that connect me to life in what feels like a direct and real way.  At Samasati there was no Internet connect and most of the time cell phone service wasn’t available.  Ah, what a wonderful opportunity to be un-plugged for the week and just enjoy the people, the place and each present moment.

Seeing and feeling this contrast in how I was in Costa Rica versus here at home struck a chord.  Of course, I also know that I wasn’t truly living in Costa Rica but rather was simply vacationing which is different.  Most vacations in general allow for greater ease, reflection and a different pace.  And yet, I was able to relax and renew and connect in Costa Rica that I don’t on other vacations.  It’s true that aside from the two daily classes I was teaching, my biggest decisions were what delicious foods to choose off the buffets and whether to go for an adventure excursion, hang at the beach, or read a book in my hammock.  If I were living in Costa Rica instead of just playing there, likely I would have to add in the normal household, kid, and business chores.  And yet, because the culture is so different and relaxed, I still don’t think it would be the same as here.  Guess I’ll have to go back for a longer period and research my theory further!

For today, I try to hold some of that sense of being fully present in all aspects of life that I felt in Costa Rica – a bit more slowness for my life, less tasks and more quality time together, holding a heightened sense of awareness with the expectation that there is always something new to see and experience.  And I’m trying to remember that lovely warmth that blanketed my body, the sun filling the sky, and the thrill of the tropics while I head out to shovel the sidewalks today.