Hey Thrivers!
I am so very excited to release the first newsletter of 2023 with gratitude for each and every one of you out there seeking to better your level of wellness. This is the first of our newsletters that will go out monthly on the incoming energy of the full moon. Each special note to you will contain information on new insights, new information I have gathered, and the lessons I have learned thus far, in each short month. And, this month includes an update on the amazing retreat we just held here in Costa Rica!
RETREAT UPDATE! We had three courageous retreaters that came to breathe, connect with their soul, connect with nature, release grief, and find answers that they were seeking from within themselves. “Seek always the answer from within, be not influenced by those around you.” Eileen Caddy. Information may come from an outside source, an illuminating external experience shared with you may light your way to awareness, but the truth and the answer always lie within.
These 3 retreaters showed up in Costa Rica, ready to go deep and heal, despite the many challenges that they faced internally and externally in their lives as they prepared to come here. The journey began with a morning breathwork session that was incredibly powerful. What was released and experienced was sacred and shall always be in my mind an amazing healing that I was able to participate in.
That evening, we immersed ourselves in the magic of cacao plant medicine. I helped prepare the cacao with a 3rd generation cacao farmer and medicine woman who has wisdom of the land and of the plant, well beyond what any scientist could know. I sang with her over the cacao as we prepared for the ceremony and I felt my body heat up. I was sweating by the end of the song. We all drank and then laid in meditation, asking for our ancestors to connect with us and share all that we need to know to heal our ancestral wounds. I recited the cacao medicine prayer while Meg played her kalimba, an African musical instrument with a wooden soundboard and metal keys.
The music brought the vibration and frequency that integrated with the cacao medicine and the power of the spoken word to invoke healing. Some of us went 3 cups in! It was a deep and beautiful experience and I look forward to sharing it with future retreaters.
The following evening we enjoyed breathwork again, this time at night, in the dark, with the candles lit. Another powerful experience and then to rest. Thursday was a day of adventure and playful experiences as the group went to hike and swim in the waterfalls at Rainmaker Trail. Walking through the tree canopy on suspension bridges, more acts of courage from everyone again allowed for connection with inner strength helping them to know they can overcome anything.
The waters from the Costa Rican mountain tops brought cleansing to our minds, bodies, and souls. A visit to the local farmers market grounded us with cold fresh coconut water drank right out of the shells. This was accompanied by a most exciting purchase of a loaf of fresh baked (still warm) sourdough bread that greeted us the next morning as delicious french toast swirled with cinnamon and topped with local honey. We all relished this treat as we prepared for a day filled with play, rest, and integration.
Saturday morning we woke for a final meditation and breathwork session to close the week. This was the day of the first new moon of 2023 where we wrote out our intentions for all that we wished to welcome in and all that no longer serves us that we wished to release.
That night, around a beautifully prepared fire on the beach, we each threw our papers into the flames after we shared, out loud, to one another and to the universe that which we proclaim… The love, the courage, the vulnerability, and the support that was shared within this small group was an example of all that we need to be more of and become in this world. Accepting of one another and ourselves, cheerleading for one another and ourselves, and forgiving of one another, and ourselves. Thank you to Meg for leading the breathwork this week, a most sacred week I will never forget. And thank you to Roger, the owner and caretaker of the beautiful land we were able to experience healing on and also for cooking a delicious menu of healthy meals for us every day.
I welcome you to consider joining me on the next retreat. Stay tuned to find out when that will be!
2023 is the year of the water rabbit in the Chinese calendar. The rabbit is a sign of productivity and abundance and the water is a symbol of going with the flow. May we all experience the flow of beauty and abundance this year, and I look forward to sharing with you each month a message to inspire and empower you on your wellness journey.
Keep Thriving!
With love, Amber