Today, I am having a one day silent-at home-retreat, sharing it with many others around the globe in honor of Pema Chodron, an American Tibetan Buddhist Nun, who is celebrating her 76th birthday on a one year long silent solitary retreat in the hills of Colorado. She then returns, as resident teacher, to Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It is the first Tibetan monastery in North America established for Westerners.
Many years ago, I bought and read her book (highlighted and underlined) “When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times”. My life is not falling apart today, but it has on several occasions. As I read bits from this book today, in the quiet, I am grateful to have had to opportunity to awake through some of her teachings.
My Retreat today is more in line with stepping toward more understanding of being and bringing my personal peace to the world and of the Oneness of All and how I live that in my world. I was looking on some of my internet bookmarks for a Yoga meditation to play, and I opened to this one I have marked but not really seen until now.
In the moment of ONENESS today, this is like a twin-sister’s writing and path to me and I share it on Napkinwriter.
It is written by Sharon McWilliams , author, life-coach;RETREAT COACH, (imagine that!)
Thanks for popping in today, Sharon.
WISE WOMAN ESSENCESometimes…
Sometimes what we want, a great retreat out somewhere, just isn’t in the cards. Sometimes we have no choice but to retreat right where we are. Sometimes just closing our eyes, breathing gently with our hands on our heart, will take us to a quiet place to remember ….how loved we really are, no matter what.
Know this, dear wise woman. A retreat moment, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, sets you right with the world, brings your power back, and starts your music flowing once more.
You can do this….
About Sharon
I surprise myself nowadays that I have come so far in my years and have experienced so many life changes…I guess I have made it to those wise woman years….I was there before I realized I was one. I think I didn’t really want the role yet; but after my mom-in-law passed, and then the passing of my own mama so soon after almost to the day, I realized I was supposed to step up to the plate…big shoes to fill…was I ready…I had no choice…I have daughters and grandbabies. It’s my turn. So what makes me wise….maybe its the births, the deaths, the Alzheimer’s, the bad fall, the long term marriage to my husband, the many years of reflections, the hard lessons, the getting back up and getting back into the game, no matter what….the most important thing: I learned to listen to the whispers of my soul—my wise woman essence.
Where are you now? Are you a late bloomer like me? Maybe you are an old soul in a young woman’s body, or not…share with me your thoughts. Have you discovered the beauty of your wise woman essence yet?
trusting the retreat timing
Recently I joined my husband on his business trip at a lovely old historical hotel on the beach in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area of Florida in February. While it was cold, gloomy and rainy here in Kentucky, this beach area shimmered and warmed me with 75 to 80 degrees. I, myself, glowed!
As flexibility and participation were important for spouses, including me, we were very busily engaged in great planned activities by his business trip coordinators. I did enjoy it since my own business is a sole one; however, I had a chapter deadline coming up for a book, but the timing and creative moment were not materializing. I felt a little wave of panic slide over me until I took a retreat moment out of time, went for a quiet walk on the beach, allowing the waves to wash over my feet and ankles. I listened to the sound of the surf, the gulls calling to me, and the soft whisper of a breeze letting me know that I could trust the timing. As I gave myself permission to do this, all other chatter, conversation and noise simply dissipated. A lovely surreal moment…my spontaneous moment of retreat reinforced my innate retreat timing….a few hours later, the chapter poured out of me….don’t you just love that!?!!!!!!!!!!
Come… retreat with me. You can do this. (www.thegiftlifecoach.net)
Journaling and the Way of the Wise Woman
I have been loving the power of journaling. And I have discovered that journaling has creative connective powers to the deepest part of who we are as wise women…Sometimes, I just write and write and write…other times I just ask questions, writing those down to ponder, to allow the answers to create themselves. Sometimes, I cut and paste and draw and paint and mark and highlight, allowing my wise woman muse to take over. Journaling is a retreat moment in itself…it calms, centers, creates a space where my intuition and insights begin to jump right onto the page. I started out with the journal style of The Artist’s Way, but begin creating more with photos and cutouts from magazines and books with words, phrases and pictures that carry the essence of what I am searching for or what I am feeling or what I know I need to receive….Journaling gives me that safe space on paper to really be just me, no judgment or criticisms, no negativity—playful compassionate creative intuitive mystical magical moments create themselves in my journals…..
You can do this, Wise Woman. Don’t be afraid to let your muse take over. You may just find an ally supporting all your dreams and desires, leading you to your passion and your purpose…..and it’s such a magnificent experience once you allow yourself to get over the hump of actually writing down, drawing, painting, collage who you be…do you remember the Wise WomanSoul in you…come out and play…give yourself permission. You can do this!
Walking the Wise Woman Way
Sometimes, when I need a moment… when my life seems a whirlwind… when my thoughts are running together… when the smallest detour derails my focus…when a grand chaotic moment pulls the rug from beneath me, I find that, if I just remember, if I stay conscious—I can walk the labyrinth, where the vibrational energy is so high and so calming… then answers flow…I begin to breathe and rediscover my sense of balance emotionally, mentally, physically and, of course, spiritually. I come home to my wise womansoul…that feels so good. I know Her deeply. She is so patient with my wanderings and my ‘lost’ moments…
It’s so simple really—-walking in where the ‘stuff’ of life falls away….arriving at the center, the Rose, where I wait and listen to the whispers, allowing the beauty of the Divine Feminine to hold the space for me while I remember who I am and why I am here…taking that gift back out to the world, strong and courageous wise womansoul….
Grace finds me…thank goodness
I AM GETTING A LABYRINTH (CHARTRES) BUILT INTO MY BACKYARD NEXT YEAR. (Napkinwriter)
About Sharon
A wise womansoul who is all about self-care for women, loves retreats, loves giving retreats, writing and journaling and living her life to the fullest. Check out her bio on http://www.thegiftlifecoach.net
Napkinwriter 