Guru Girl Weekend Training

I just completed the first of nine weekend retreat training experiences and it was wonderful, as were all the women to whom I opened my heart. The two women who led our experience and will be our teachers created a warm, welcoming, beautiful space for us to bond and begin our journey.

And Sinsinawa Mound, where I stayed, was equally beautiful and a quiet, soul-nurturing space, as well!

I have experienced some shifts already and I'm really looking forward to every part of the rest of this journey!

Here are a few highlights...

1) Walking the labyrinth and offering every concern to God

2) Seeing the "Christmas trees" and making friends with some of the other trees in the area

3) Eating some of the wonderful meals

4) Telling one of the leaders that I was amazed that there were people like her and the other leader, and having her say, "you're people like us!"

5) Finding that a few of the women, one in particular, are willing to give themselves over to laughter just like me. I had some wonderful laughs!

6) Getting here early and finishing the story I was writing

7) Getting to re-live the emergence of spring.

It's just beginning here so there was a touch of winter still and I got to enjoy drinking hot tea and wearing long sleeves and wrapping the prayer shawl around me given by one of the other women

8) Watching Mary Poppins with one of the Sisters who lives here in the Dominican Community and getting to meet and talk to some of the others.

9) Creating and having my very own medicine drum. The creating part was less-than-thrilling, to say the least!!! But now that it's all done, I'm glad to have it. I have named it Laughing Brook.

10) Singing Trish's song, "Namaste, namaste. I greet you with my heart wide open..." to the other women.

There were many other wonderful moments, including watching "Grey's Anatomy" with the first few wonderful people who arrived and "August Rush" on the last night we were here.

In case I haven't yet made it clear, I had a fantastic time!!