… and just like that, our five night New Year Retreat is over. It was a whirlwind time full of laughter, tears, dancing, insights and connection.
We started off the retreat with an opening circle with the intention of getting to know a little bit about each other and why we were there. It is the only time in the year that we run a five day retreat with the same group for the whole five days so it was really fascinating to see the depth of connection and intimacy that arose from the group.
I am not going to lie, I didn’t make it easy for everyone. We dove into some tough topics like trust, vulnerability, self love and body image. There were confronting moments where people told me they had wanted to leave the room, there were big A-HA moments of clarity and insights and there were also lots of laughs just to keep it balanced.
A beautiful fellow yoga teacher from Wollongong, Sofia Pila, came along to support me with the retreat by teaching some awesome yoga classes, sharing her passion for creativity as well as taking us on a journey of conscious dance and a very fun drum circle.
I wanted everyone to start 2020 feeling whole, enough and accepted. Too often we start a new year feeling that we need to change, improve and be better. Not on my watch! The closing ceremony showed me the power of self acceptance, looking at our shadows and meeting them with understanding and being in a supportive, non-judgemental group.
Oh, did I mention that on NYE afternoon we had fifteen people swimming in the billabong?
I have included some photos for you below. I was too busy having fun to take too many photos but here are the few that I manage to grab.
To everyone that came along, THANK YOU for your open hearts and minds, your collaboration and your commitment.
With love, Kirsty x
