The barn that served as our Mini-Retreat gathering site at Wildmoon Homestead. Big thanks to Suzanne for hosting & cooking for us!
Radiant Soul Mamas has taken a few different forms over the years. I really got going with it early on in the pandemic, when I had just completed my first full trip around the sun as a mother and my yoga teaching fell by the wayside with all of the shut-downs. We had virtual groups and gatherings, and it served an amazing purpose at the time.
I knew when the desire to kick-start RSM back up again started brewing in me during my maternity leave with our second son last Fall that I wanted to reach a whole new level:
prioritize in-person, real life connections between moms
strike a solid balance between self awareness and development, and community care / knowing we were never meant to do motherhood alone
blend all of the things I am equipped to and love doing most: building connections between people, fostering self awareness towards one’s best self, supportive yoga, and creating an inviting, restful space for gathering
I have been walking on sunshine for the last couple of weeks, knowing that this dream has come to fruition. And this is just the beginning.
Psst, if you’re a TL; DR type of person, check out the Instagram version of this post.
When asked what their favorite part of the Mini-Retreat for Moms was,
Sipping tea, yoga, and brunch were all mentioned.
The most common response was spending time with other moms from our area <3
Re: yoga - one mom said, “I could actually feel myself calming down and being less fidgety and such toward the end.”
When asked if they would recommend this event to a friend in the future and, if so, what would they say about it, participants said:
“Yes! I think if you're a mom who has a hard time committing to moments for herself this is really great; it forces you to have some quiet introspective time where you don't need to think about what you're gonna eat, what you're gonna do, etc. And I think that's so important!”
“Absolutely! It was wonderful to get to be around other moms and treat myself for a day! Taking the time to be away alone was a godsend. The food was divine, the place beautiful, the guidance mindful and energetically supportive- all around a wonderful time!”
I was elated to hear responses like these because this is exactly what I was aiming for - a brief time away from other responsibilities to turn inward, connect with others on the same journey, and treat yo self, as our friends on Parks & Rec would say.
The tea spread was vast at the Mini-Retreat! Suzanne made up some Pine Needle & Lemon Balm tea for us straight from the Homestead harvest, along with rosemary and lavender simple syrups. Divine!
I also asked about suggestions for improvements. I’m always open to constructive feedback, but knowing this was my first time hosting an event of this exact flavor, I was especially eager to include it.
The most common response was: “Make it longer!” Noted. :) Already part of the plan for the Fall Mini-Retreat!
Folks also suggested doing the journaling / discussion earlier in the event because “it really opened things up and gave people a lot to talk about!” Love this!
We are also all in agreement that we need a planned alternative for rain, etc (other than a rain date - I wanted this to work so badly…and I see why it’s challenging now).
But the response that really sums it up for me in the “Anything else you would like me to know” section was:
“I just think you did a great job, sometimes I get a little turned off by events like this because I think they’re going to feel corny or have too much forced connection, but it was so perfect! It was just the right amount of formal and the journal prompts were great. Good job and thank you!”
This really sums up the vibe I’m going for: We’re taking our growth and connections with others seriously, but we’re not taking ourselves too seriously, ya know? We follow a plan, but it’s not rigid. There’s plenty of time to connect with someone new over a cup of tea who’s facing some of the same challenges as you, or has ridden some of the same highs as you in this wild motherhood ride.
All I can say is, I’m truly so so grateful to be doing this work – and there is so much more to come.
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