Tag Archives: women’s wellness retreat

August 20, 2024

Persephone Unleashed | Whidbey Island, WA

Five years and thirteen retreats ago, I never could have dreamed I would find myself half-naked in a PNW forest getting a dose of my own medicine.
Five years and thirteen retreats ago, I felt small and alone and thought maybe other women felt the same way and would like a safe place to practice taking up space, to be fully seen, heard & celebrated.
Five years and thirteen retreats ago, I never could have seen all this coming — that I would travel to Whidbey Island with a small group of women, in search of what ‘Wild’ means to us.
Five years and thirteen retreats ago, I was a wholly different woman.

Putting each retreat into a blog post is especially hard, because it is physically impossible to describe, explain, or show you what unfolded in these 5 days.
I cannot put into words, the metamorphosis I witnessed in these women, the grief that was processed, the old beliefs that were shed, the rebirth that was claimed.
But I do know the power of photographs, how they can transport you to a moment, even if you weren’t even there when the moment happened. So here we go.

On the fourth weekend of the fifth month of this year, we journeyed to Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington.
Amidst the cedar, fir & wysteria we shared conversation, laughter, and tears.
We shed our layers (literally), adorned our bodies with color, and created works of art using our own skin.
We gathered around a table, clinked glasses, taked story, and nourished our bodies.
We danced like animals, shook our tail feathers, and sat in meditative council with our guides.
We stepped outside comfort zones, and found it not nearly as scary as we thought.
We hugged trees, danced barefoot, and laughed till our bellies were sore.
And we were never the same

September 6, 2023

Persephone Unleashed Retreat | Flying Caballos Ranch | San Luis Obispo, California

Back in May, a group of 9 beautiful women gathered at the Flying Caballos Ranch in the rolling hills of San Luis Obispo.
Each and every Persephone retreat is something so uniquely special and needed for that particular circle of women, and this was no exception. There were themes of grief, forgiveness, surrender, acceptance of true self, and an across the board power-level-up.

This retreat was also spectacularly special, because we got to celebrate my dear friend Rhyan’s 40th birthday. If you’ve followed Persephone for any length of time, or attended a retreat of your own, you’ve likely seen Rhyan’s face behind a makeup brush. She and her team at Rozetree Bridal have been responsible for the glamification of each and every Persephone goddess these past 3 years. So this disco queen get to experience it first hand was really freakin great.

See yourself attending a Persephone Unleashed retreat next year?
Join the mailing list for first access to details, which will be released soon!

May 23, 2023

Persephone Unleashed | The Holly Farm | Carmel Women’s Retreat

There’s something powerful that happens when you enter into the energetic forcefield surrounding The Holly Farm — the mind starts to quiet, the heart starts to expand, breath starts to come easier, and your body recalls what peace feels like. This was our third time being invited back into this space, and it’s as if the Earth herself remembers us. It’s as if she whispers, “Welcome home, I’ve been waiting for you. Come, let me hold you awhile.”

This group of women embraced duality in a way that blew me out of the water. They embodied the spirit of “Both/And” in their photo shoots, inspired by light + dark, masculine + feminine, delicate + wild. And I watched Persephone Unleashed become the safe space of my wildest dreams — somewhere women of all ages, sizes & colors can step into different versions of themselves just to see what it feels like, if it fits or if it doesn’t. A fitting room of the Selves, if you will. Where every version, every messy and beautiful piece of you is seen, accepted, held, and loved no matter what.

But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself…..

January 29, 2022

Persephone Unleashed | Leah’s 40th Birthday Retreat | Whisper Valley Ranch, Santa Margarita

Back in November, I had the distinct honor of hosting a special edition of Persephone Unleashed for a retreat alumni’s 40th birthday. This gaggle of goddesses welcomed me into their girl squad like I’d been there the whole time.

Whisper Valley Ranch set the perfect space and backdrop to our retreat — complete with zero cell service and not another soul or house for MILES. This being a birthday party, we opted for a more playful approach to nourishing ourselves, vs. the spiritual & emotional healing of Persephone’s past. We leaned into creativity and sisterhood, and laughed from sunup to sundown every single day.

As always, the photo shoot portion of the retreat blew my mind and filled my heart. I watched as each of these 6 women dropped out of their heads and into their bodies, releasing a lifetime of social expectations, shame, fear, and self-hatred. I watched as they stepped out of fear and into their own power, and it. was. epic.

This retreat wouldn’t have been what it was without the incredible team of women who brought it to life:

Whisper Valley Ranch, for inviting us into their sacred space and land.
Flora & Fauna Fine Foods, for making the trek out into the middle of nowhere to feed us 3 times a day.
Rozetree Bridal, for treating these women like the queens they are and enhancing their natural beauty for their photo shoots.
Events by Lilies of the Field, for helping us make floral crowns fit for forest nymph royalty and supplying stunning florals for our dining experiences.
All About Events, for bringing elegance to our dining ambiance, making every meal feel like a royal banquet.
Beauty Poet, for loving on these weary goddesses’ bodies with the healing touch of therapeutic massage.
Fable Rune, for making our skin glow from day one with their natural ayurvedic facials and clay mask bar.
Jena Baird, for guiding us through morning yoga practices and bringing healing through both movement and sound.
Jennifer DeTrèglodè, for teaching us the ancient methods of Shibori Dye and allowing us to stretch some creative muscles.
& Nicole Joy, for painting these stunning portraits of our goddesses, something they will treasure forever.

There are still a few seats available for 2022 retreats (registration for the March retreat closes Feb 1st!) — I invite you to say YES to yourself in this big way and claim one of those seats for yourself.

July 23, 2021

Persephone Unleashed | Summer Retreat

Ladies & gentlemen, we’ve done it again.

We’ve successfully escaped a society in the midst of a pandemic to connect with other humans and just LOVE on ourselves. And that, dear ones, is worth a standing ovation of applause. I am no fool — I know that stepping away from our life is HARD. Stepping away from our children, our jobs, our businesses, our home takes true commitment to ones wellness and mental health. And for that, I want to honor each and every woman who has made it happen for herself this past year and attended a Persephone Unleashed retreat. Bravo, madame.

That being said, I am over the moon to bring you the Persephone Unleashed Summer Retreat experience. Just after the Summer Solstice, 8 women gathered in the hills of Arroyo Grande. This retreats unspoken theme came to life in the form of Joy. We met each other in the mess, and danced ALL OVER IT.

We made flower crowns, did botanical face masks, and feasted under the stars. We stretched and expanded our capacity for joy. We were treated like queens, being pampered and served like true royalty. We laughed, skinny dipped, drank in the sweet nectar of life, and then laughed some more.

Summing these retreat into words feels impossible, so I’m grateful that my camera can speak for me instead.

>> the Fall Equinox retreat is coming up soon, and there are still two thrones left at the table. claim yours TODAY (registration closes July 31st) <<

THE DREAM TEAM:
Venue: The Casitas Estate
Culinary Goddesses: Flora + Fauna Fine Food
Hair & Makeup Queens: Rozetree Bridal
Florals: Lilies of the Field
Rentals: All About Events
Lounge: Avenue Twelve
Energy Work: Jen Chen
Yoga: Hillary Kusko
Spa: Rozetree Botanicals
Paperie Sorceress: Nicole Joy
Coffee: Spearhead Coffee
Wine: Ruby Cellars & Hawks Hill Ranch