You are a Phenomenal Woman Part 4

YOU ARE A PHENOMENAL WOMAN PART 4

You must have fallen asleep because he whispers to you and that your massage is over. “Already???” Yup you decide
that you will have at least one more massage before leaving. You feel amazing. You are relaxed and your muscles feel renewed. There is no one scheduled after you so you take your time to get dressed.

You rarely have the chance to take afternoon naps, (definitely without feeling guilty about it), so you happily find a hammock under a tree for an afternoon siesta. You wake up feeling so wonderful and refreshed.

“Now, this is the life,” you remark to yourself. You grab a quick snack in time for your first group activity. You meander your way to the library space after chatting with some of your new friends about their afternoons etc., and find a comfy spot to sit in. Your delightful retreat leader Regine, talks about confidentiality, safe space and creates a non-judgmental environment. She begins with herself and discloses some of her issues, challenges, and victories. She shares her journey to self-love and conveys why she is so passionate about teaching how self-love and self-worth are the building blocks to living a happy and fulfilling life. She emphasizes that this is a “no judgement” zone and reminds you all that you are all souls unfolding doing the best you know how to do. Her sentiments put you at ease knowing that you will get out what you put in so you decide to go all in. Regine then shares her intentions for the exercises and you are given some instructions and worksheets to use during the process.

Two hours seem to fly by and it’s already dinner time. You have a little time before dinner and go back to your room to process the last two hours. So many thoughts, feelings, questions and revelations whirling around in your mind. You open your journal and start to write. You write a little, cry a little, write a little more and cry a little more. Patterns of your life are starting to emerge and you see how certain decisions, habits, and beliefs you hold have created some unwanted conditions in your life. You ask yourself, are you really ready for this? You feel a strong Yes from somewhere deep inside. You cry a little more and thank God for being here and for allowing you to have this transformational experience. Another scrumptious dinner is presented to you and you and your sisters have a ball; now more comfortable than before and more open with each other. You laugh and tell stories and share and enjoy the sisterhood bond. It’s so nice to be with women who understand you without the need for a lengthy explanation; who you can communicate with by using a simple glance, a gesture or a one syllable word that speaks volumes. It’s like being with family, but better, because there’s no baggage associated with these women. The connections and bonds are priceless. Each of you are openly sharing and learning so much from each other. You sometimes forget that whatever you are feeling, others are feeling too but you don’t always see that living in a “I have to be perfect and show that I am perfect” society. The transparency and openness is amazing. You feel stronger, more empowered and so inspired by these women. You don’t recall experiencing this before.

Following a filling and delicious dinner, Regine announces that we are gonna dance. This sounds like fun. You have always wanted to experience a drumming circle. You have seen them in different places and are super excited to let your hair down. You are so enjoying how much fun you are having. It’s a full moonlit night. The type of night that the moon is so big that you can almost reach up and touch it. It’s not at all cloudy and so you can see everything so clearly. The air is fresh and the breeze of the ocean feels so divine. As you take your positions, you are instructed to relax and tap into that free, playful and joy- filled part of you. Regine once again reminds you that you can let go, be free and be yourselves. She tells you to dance like no one is watching. As the drumming starts, you imagine yourself to be in an African village and you are a princess warrior preparing for a special ceremony that begins with a drumming circle. You begin to move and sway and allow yourself to be free; to be totally in the moment and experience bliss. Regine walks around to ask each of you to honor yourselves, honor this moment and observe every single instant as it will serve you well in the future. She tells you to pay attention to how you feel, and see if you can appreciate how you feel and revel in that for a little while.

You look around and enjoy seeing your fellow goddesses laugh and truly celebrate themselves. Is she doing the robot? “Really sis?” You cannot stop laughing. Some of the ladies are following suit and you just fall down laughing, tears streaming down your face. Your stomach is now aching from cracking up, but you can’t stop yourself. Thank God there is no one else on this beach, because you are all so loud that if you were in the States, the cops would be breaking this party up. The drummer changes the tempo and there’s a slow shift in energy. The drumming circle becomes a holy place and some sisters start to pray either silently to themselves or in soft tones. You follow suit and ask God to heal you, to be released from your past mistakes and decisions and you ask for a renewal. As you take a step back, you take in the picture of these beautiful Black women; all dancing on a moonlit beach, feeling the smooth sand between their toes, waving their hands and thanking the Spirits for bringing you to this holy time and this holy place. You can feel the spirit of God here and know that the power of your collective hearts and voices can and will heal any limitation blocking your natural ability to love yourselves.

See what happens in the following days and how your magical journey ends.