On Thursday I packed up my shit and drove out to New Jersey for a yoga & writing retreat in a place I had never been with people I had never met.

When I walked into the old beautiful farm house I saw crystals and feathers and knew I’d found my people.

The retreat was at Seven Arrows (click the link to see more). It’s a wonderful old farm sitting on the Navesink River which I know nothing about other than it smells salty, it’s teeming with all kinds of life and it made me incredibly happy to look at it everyday.

We did yoga twice a day, wrote with guidance, love, and lots of patience, and ate some of the best god damn food ever, mostly right from the garden.

I needed to go to find the space to be quiet and self reflect. I set the intention to not think about my relationships with men which generally tend to dominate my thoughts. What do they need, what did I do wrong, why don’t they love me, BLAH BLAH BLAH. I needed to think about myself and what I need, what I want, what I love, and spend my energy taking care of myself. That’s one of the things I took away most from this retreat. I take care of everyone else before myself (like most ladies tend to do probably) but even down to eating. I wouldn’t treat someone else the way I treat myself ever! Armed with that realization I will learn to care for myself in the way I’d care for someone I love. (thank you Maiga, thank you thank you)

The women on the retreat with me all seemed to come in with something similar to me, a need to find clarity, find peace, and mostly remember who they are on their own without the titles we all wear like costumes. I think the bravest people wear their wounds the closest to their skin and these women were warriors. Thank you ladies. Each of you.