4 Things I Learned Hosting IGNITE 2019 Retreat

The idea of hosting a retreat emerged through my daily practice. It was inspired by my love of the monthly intention rituals I host online, and the idea of bringing women together in sisterhood. I saw that there were many wellness retreats out there, but not so many that do the type of work that I do.

We gathered together at Soul House Luxury Inn and Retreat Center in beautiful El Valle de Antón, Panama. The temple style house is designed to facilitate retreats and provided an exquisitely beautiful and serene space to gather together, setting the stage for an inspiring weekend.

The combination of sacred cacao plant medicine, intention setting ritual, and mindful community building, motivated the deep work we were doing individually. We were surrounded by the gentle and loving support of our group of committed women, each of whom was going deep into their own experience to create new opportunities and identifying new possibilities to live their best year yet.

It was beautiful to watch how we approached challenges with curiosity and were motivated to go even deeper by understanding the nuances of each women’s stories and experience. The weekend opened up opportunities to explore what is possible and to trust in our ability to create positive change to move us more fully into our greatest gifts, talents, and desires.

Here are 4 things I learned by hosting IGNITE 2019 Retreat:

1. IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO THINK ABOUT THE LIFE YOU WANT
   What struck me was how willing the women were to dive in, dream big, and overcome their fear and limiting beliefs that had been with them for years, if not lifetimes. It takes courage to do this deeper exploration and I have such admiration for the women for their willingness to let go of judgment and embrace their true essence.
2. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SISTERHOOD 
   I was in awe at the connections these women were able to make to cultivate sisterhood and engage in meaningful conversation with one another. The deep sharing that took place created a rich and safe container to help us realize we are not alone.
3. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT INTENTIONS AND THE CHALLENGES
   Despite all the work we did together on what intentions we want to manifest in 2019, I saw how a retreat is a perfect opportunity to celebrate and feel proud of where we are today. In the course of normal life, we often don’t take the time to acknowledge and celebrate how far we’ve already come. Over the weekend we were able to drop the masks, let go of the comparison, and know that we are already enough just as we are.
4. IT TAKES A VILLAGE
   I left the retreat with such gratitude for all the love, support and encouragement I had along the way. Over the three months I spent creating this event, I was supported by my accountability partner (shout out to Michelle), my mastermind team (thank you Nicole and Liat), and my retreat partner who volunteered to be my onsite support (Louise, I couldn’t have done this without you.) I see how it takes a community to bring our big visions and dream into reality. Thank you all so much. 

I hope you enjoyed this mindful moment. I always love reading your thoughts and comments, so go ahead and share them.

Infinite ∞ Love,

Lyn