Sounds kind of dreamy, right?  Also maybe a little indulgent (be quiet, inner critic!).  I left my husband home with all three of my little ragamuffins so I could hit the road with one of my besties and head to a magical place in the Berkshires that I didn’t even know existed.  In January.  But, friends, the stars were aligned because we sailed through with nary a snowflake.  

We were at Kripalu Centre for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA – right next to Tanglewood (for you music aficionados out there) for a retreat with the truly sensational, Kate Northrup.  The retreat was an in-person retreat to put her book, Do Less, into practice by creating an annual plan so that we could have more and do less.  Yes, please!  

My friend, Robyn (co-creator of our soon-to-be-released podcast, Chase the Light!) and I didn’t know what to expect.  Kripalu is BIG y’all.  It was a little intimidating.  Then we got to our dorm rooms (you read that correctly) – that were actually smaller than dorm rooms.  Co-sy!  Listen, between the two of us, we left six kiddos under eight at home with our partners (which happens VERY rarely), so we were hoping for something a little more, comfy, shall we say?  

But let me tell you, once we experienced our first session Friday after dinner – we got it. We were in an intimate group of about 30 women of all ages and we came together in a totally safe and healing space as we listened to Kate and to each other as we eased into this soulful weekend. There was so much energy in the room – it was pretty sensational.  There were lots of tears, lots of excitement and lots of feeling alive!  I mean, how often do we get to feel alive?? Get to feel totally present and joyful and held in the moment. It also happened to be a full moon which I am quite sure was a contributing element.

Kate Northrup is gifted at holding space for women and authentically showing up – in a way that blew my expectations out of the water.  She speaks from a place of vulnerability and deep knowing at the same time – and always from the heart.  Kate and her teammate (also known as Head Empress), Takisha, brought so much joy and laughter into the space too.  It was so much freaking fun.

There was lots of space during our 3-day program for reflection, moving our bodies, meditation, exploring the gorgeous Berkshire grounds and crystal shopping.  Oh – and of course eating.  So. Much. Food.  All so nourishing for our bodies – lots of vegan and vegetarian options, everything was organic and oh-so-tasty.  

This weekend was so deeply gratifying that it is difficult to put into words.  It really put things into perspective for me and was truly a phenomenal way to begin not only a new year – but a new decade.  

In the end, I didn’t leave with a fully populated calendar for the year ahead, I left with something even greater (if you can believe that haha!).  I left with a profound sense of feeling held, feeling seen and with a newly unearthed trust in my body for what I need.

I think we could ALL benefit from a little bit of that. 💗

xo Lisa