“But what if it rains?”
“I love the idea of spending a few days in the woods Jen, but what if it rains?”
Darling, we’ll DANCE in it!!
What other topic in the middle of April-showers season could a good British girl talk about?!
Seriously though, other than “camping?! You want me to CAMP?!”, the Great British Weather is probably the top of most women’s concerns when they feel the call to joining me on retreat in the wild.
Sure, being out in nature in the sunshine… heaven! But in the rain?
I get. On a rainy day I’ll look out the window and pretty much all I want to do is curl up under a blanket. I hate being cold. I hate getting wet. I love a good old doze in a hammock gently swaying beneath sun-dappled spring leaves, the light fragrance of bluebells drifting over on a wisp of breeze, the lullaby of birdsong softly serenading my afternoon nap…and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look at the weather forecast regularly in the run up to a retreat and pray for some sunshine.
AND, once I’m out there, there is magic in all weathers. I actually feel more alive when there’s some weather about. Once I’m wrapped up and actually out there, there’s nothing quite like being out in the wind and the rain! And years of experience have shown me that often the most powerful transformations happen on retreat when the weather is less-than-ideal.
Why? Because it’s easy to be happy and relaxed and hopeful when the sun is shining. But true peace, courage, resilience, and aliveness come when you can thrive no matter what the weather.
(And yes, you guessed it, we’re not just talking meteorological weather here….!).
Imagine howling to the skies on a stormy day. Laughing until your belly aches as you dance in the rain. Really FEELING the raindrops on your skin. HEARING the raindrops as they pitter patter on the canvas, or drip through the leaves. Smelling the smell of baked earth after the first rainfall, or the richness of life-giving hummus on the forest floor. Feeling the satisfaction that bubbles up through your body as you nurture to life a flame from a spark, from which grows the fire that boils the water to make a cup of tea that you cup in your hands as you sit around the fire, snuggled in a blanket, listening to the stories of women gathered with you as women have done for millennia.
Yes, we all love the sunshine. But will you wait to start living your life until the rain stops? Or will you choose joy no matter the weather?
Karen (quoted in the image above) joined us for my one day “Taste of the Wild” retreat last Friday and as for many women who join me in the woods for the first time, it was out of her comfort zone! Most women who come on retreat wouldn’t say they were hardcore outdoorsy people, and it’s not my intention to turn them into that either. They usually love nature, but don’t necessarily feel comfortable out there alone, and/or they know they need more of it! Combine that with a desire for growth, reconnection to who they really are and a desperate need to slow down, they pluck up the courage to take some time for themselves and book on a retreat. Feedback from women nearly always has the common theme of “it was exactly what I needed, even though I didn’t know what it was I needed at the time!”.
Heading into retreat number 18 this weekend (my BeWild spring retreat), you could say I’ve learned a thing or two about how this wild magic works. How to help nervous women like you feel comfortable to be a little bit uncomfortable. Through compassion and empathy, a comprehensive kit list, incredible crew who have all been through my retreats and programmes and are trained women’s coaches themselves, my own wild experience and training, trauma-informed practice and a hefty dollop of intuition, trust in nature, and the willingness to give anything a go myself, I promise you that when you come to the woods with me, you are in for an experience like no other.
The only thing I can’t do is get you there myself. I’m here, waiting with a hand to guide you to your space around the fireside. You can leave the rest up to me. But you need to take the first step. Reach out, beautiful one. And let’s work out together what your wild soul most needs! It would be my deepest honour and privilege to have you join us around the fire.