The Goddess Gatherings: Desire Map Retreat

When was the last time you took a day for yourself?

A day to truly slow down, breathe, reflect, plan, dream – just for you. 

If the answer quickly coming to mind is – ‘I don’t remember’ or ‘It’s been forever’ – I need to ask you a very serious question.

The older I get, the more I realize that as women, it’s our lot in life to be constantly “on.” We’re taking care and being present for everyone else – our spouses, partners, kids, pets, family, friends. We want to make our parents proud, our in-laws proud, our extended family proud. We’re striving to be great employees, great leaders, great entrepreneurs. We’re running errands, doing chores, cooking dinner, dropping the kids off at hockey or ballet, walking the dog, feeding the cat, picking up dry cleaning.

And if you’re as lucky as I am, you have someone in your life who takes care of you as much as you take care of them. #loveyouD

Amid all of this caring for other people – which is totally awesome, amazing and good – when are you taking care of you? And are you following your desires or following the desires that you think you should follow?

ENTER THE GODDESS GATHERINGS

Created by the lovely and enchanting Stephanie, the Goddess Gatherings are new must-experience  retreats and workshops, dedicated to promoting self care, self love, and sisterhood.

At the retreats, together with 10-12 other goddesses (who will feel like sisters before the day is over) you will go through Danielle Laporte’s Desire Map Workbook, and truly go into your heart and bring forth your desires.

Don’t know what you want in life? Having trouble identifying your WHY? Maybe you’re having a major identity crisis – can you really be more than a mother, wife, entrepreneur? Will the world stop spinning if you listen to your heart.

You will uncover your truths and more through the Desire Map activities you complete throughout the day. And believe me when I say, even IF you think you’re living your passion, there is still so much to uncover.

The Goddess Gathering event I attended on October 14th was held at the Village Scandinave in Haute-Aboujagane in a yurt lit by candles, salt lamps, and with essentials oils smelling of vanilla and jasmine swirling through the air.

Every single detail from the day was above and beyond anything I could have expected. From our very own #TruthBomb cards – which mine was absolutely perfect, btw – to a refreshing high vibe energy shot of turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper and more to further open our hearts and minds to the activities at hand.

Each detail left a lasting impression.

Lunch and snacks were created and prepared with love by High Vibe Food. Each item was vegan, fresh, and made my tastebuds happy dance. The beet hummus was AMAZING and the buddha bowl? I want this in my life 7 days a week. Make sure to check out High Vibe Food on Instagram 📷

And if delicious food, self-discovery, and bonding with a group of inspiring, magical souls wasn’t enough, the afternoon portion of the day was spent in the Scandinavian Spa, doing a hot / cold treatment in the hot tub, sauna, and cold shower. Yes, the cold shower was ice cold and freezing, but it really did feel great on the body.

We ended the day with a gentle yoga session led by Trish, owner of Studio Ganesha, followed by a closing circle with the fellow goddesses where we shared our truth bombs, our three desires and a really great group hug.

So let me get back to my original question – when was the last time you took a day for yourself? 

Whether your answer is ‘I can’t remember’ or ‘just last week’ – you can never spend too much time taking care of YOU.

YOU are #1.

If you’re on the East Coast, there are two upcoming Goddess Gathering retreats coming up on Saturday, November 18th and Sunday, November 19th. Spots are filling up fast, so don’t wait. Visit Goddess Gatherings on Facebook today (click here) and book your spot.

I promise, you (and your inner Goddess) will thank me later ✨

Disclaimer: Stephanie kindly invited me to attend the Goddess Gathering event, however, all opinions are my own. Translation: it was one of the best days of 2017 for me.