Under the frozen surface of our being we might experience a thaw and begin to melt into a new experience. 

- Joan Anderson 

Click HERE to read more about Costa Rica and Joan's Retreat
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A Second Journey to Embrace Body & Soul

March 9-11, 2012

  This will be the only Cape retreat for 2012!

Come take time to restore from the winter with Joan.

To find out more and sign up, click HERE 

Tis the Season to be Quiet...

A few days ago I actually took some of my own medicine and retreated. Well, not exactly. It happened that I was visiting my favorite chapel in the woods and saw that they were holding an advent day of quiet reflection. It didn't take but a minute to realize that was for me. I had been cranky, anti-social, and life seemed to be crashing down around me. Clearly it was time to stop, pause, and take stock. So off I went, leaving behind a husband, house guests, an unfinished manuscript, unanswered emails, and of course, a list of holiday tasks waiting to be accomplished.  

Alas, the format for the day wasn't exactly what I had in mind as there was a minister actually conducting a rather formal Episcopalian service during which we were instructed to whisper (not say) our prayers, sing the hymns softly and on occasion sit in silence. Too many rules! All too regimented for me, yet in those moments of reflections one word kept coming to me...RESTORE.

Of course that is what my instinct had been nudging me to do and why I found myself in that darkened chapel on this very day. Although the "service" wasn't cutting it, being away without agenda was the intent and so I skipped out early, not to run home but to roam the church grounds, sit for awhile on a bench that beckoned and honor the fact that pausing is not a luxury, but a necessity that is particularly important for women.

If we are, as Ashley Montagu says: "the carriers of culture" and we do indeed carry Christmas, then it behooves each of us to DO but not overdo. As we create magic for others, we must create space for us to know the moments too. Tis the season to be quiet...may you make the most of your advent time.

Download the Drama of Christmas

Joy is the possibility of Christmas. For me, it comes from the little moments, not the big events. So here I sit on a Christmas tree made of lobster pots. On a whim a friend and I took off for Cape Cod's outer tip to experience nothing more than good conversation, an incredible sunset, and serendipitous sightings such as a family of wild turkeys and several red foxes. The next day I spent clipping greens for my wreath party, an annual gathering of women during which we sip wine and create our wreaths. Then there was the lighting of the town tree which lasted all of ten minutes and the singing of a few carols together with all manner of humanity gathered around in the chilly night. And finally, sitting by the fire with a husband who had just had a little day surgery to simply BE. Music, fellowship, twinkling lights, good conversation-a

perfect pace for the season of speed.

A few rules from Cheryl Richardson on Reducing Stress

I am not going to rush.

When I hear drama I shall walk away.

Hurry is a habit to be broken.

I'm no longer going to work excessive hours.

What takes me to Costa Rica for a retreat?

I have come to see that we women truly need to vacate our mundane lives if ever we hope to transition to a new place of consciousness. Costa Rica means the "rich coast" in English. This simple, "green," pure refuge (with waterfalls, white sand beaches, tropical forests) offers a nature sanctuary from which we will draw new perspectives. This part of the world has been a healing place for many to experience spiritual transformation. Without distraction and being totally immersed in our individual bodies, minds, and spirits we can begin to practice a lifestyle shift that will help launch our second journeys. There will be sunrise and sunset rituals, daily thoughts from Joan, challenging water and trekking experiences, and more. If it is in a woman's nature to nurture than she must nourish herself.

Are you ready to nourish yourself?   

Click HERE to sign up!

February 4-11, 2012