Lessons from our Wild Within Retreat in Sedona
Last week we were in Arizona (snow storm and all) for our 4th Wild Within Retreat. This trip was layered with lessons, luscious landscapes and so so much love. I took a lot home with me on this one, for sure more than I could fit in my carry on lol, but these are some of the intimate moments I wanted to share here with you.
5 things I learned from the Wild Within Sedona Retreat
Trust is a felt sense and an embodiment of recalibration.
Trust is a full embodiment of all the work we have done up to the moment we experience the opportunity to not. I know that sounds wordy and confusing, but there will be so many things in this life that throw you off center and ask you to recalibrate. For me, it always comes back to Trust. Can I see it? Do I believe in it? Will I be kicking myself in the ass if I lean in? Maybe and yes. Embodiment of abstract sensations can not be rationalized with logic. They have to be felt in our bodies, backed by faith and held accountable by strong, clear vision.
2.Community really is everything.
We speak a lot about transformation here and sisterhood. And that can be a trendy, woo-woo word and topic too. But damn, in a time of crisis; when the vision feels far away and the task feels too big or scary to do alone, having people in your corner; strangers who are ready to pick you up in their rental car and kick it into 4WD, check on each other down a 10 mile dirt road, listen to each other’s brave vulnerability, or hike a few miles to sit in silence and thrive together, really makes the journey so much sweeter. Having the right support system can turn disorienting conditions into new possibilities for connection and growth. That sh*t is so beautiful it makes me weep. AND that being said, make sure you get yourself a team that is composed of amazing women. I don’t have enough lines in this email to express how special the Wild Within team and their existence in our world is.
3. You’re going to have to make some tough calls in a life that is calling in greatness.
And they might not always be right at that time. But here’s the thing- you gotta make them. When you are in charge; whether it be of your life (my goal for all of you), your job, your kids or a retreat in the middle of the desert, there will come a point in time where you are going to have to make a game day decision. Your options might be “shitty” or “shittier”, BUT if you circle back the #1, and face it with integrity and loving intention- you got this. And it will turn out exactly as it was meant to, even if it was hard to get there.
4. Feeling is Powerful & Movement is Medicine (and apparently a cold plunge is too lol)
I have always known this to be true, but at Wild Within Retreats, it gets witnessed and seen on a different vibration. Other worldly almost; a channel and a frequency of its own. We work through some beautiful and tumultuous somatic, energetic and esoteric terrain on these long form experiences, and movement (not to be confused with dance) is always here to support us. Plus there is something primal and so right about freely moving and expressing your body and your truth amongst other like minded women. Pair it with an epic landscape…forget it. It’s unreal. And so deeply soul fulfilling.
5. Make Space. Call it in.
And be brave enough to see it through. Even if it scares the shit out of you.
Some of you know that our other retreats commence at Silent G Farms, a beautiful space about 90 minutes north of our home studio. When I decided to take the 4th retreat to a place where we would have to get on planes and all the things that come with bigger travel, I knew I was taking a risk- energetically, financially, mentally. A LOT goes into these events, and I want every moment to be impactful and special. Could I handle it? Could I deliver? I tell ya what, up until the first 2 retreaters arrived, I was entangled in not being so sure. For some context, Sedona got 6 inches of snow the day everyone arrived and our 10 mile dirt road to the sanctuary retreat center was a muddy treacherous mess. So, I gave myself that space - a few minutes to sit with deep discomfort and silently freak out, and then opportunity to recalibrate and create plan a, b & c. I had called this in - not a snow storm exactly lol, but an unforgettable experience in Sedona for 11 retreaters and my beautiful team. This was my opportunity to practice what I preach and use the tools I have gifted myself over many years of inner and outer work; the things I so honorably get to share with many of you in so many different settings. This was a chance to believe in magick, and good, and purpose and vision and things that are higher and so far beyond ourselves. And it did. This retreat was profound. I don’t even use this word, but it was just… perfect. And the challenges were everything I didn’t even know I needed, to unlock whatever is next for me, for Wild Within and for us.
Xoxox Emily Rose
