17.9.10

self-care and deserving

Island Spa
Hello Beautiful,

I absolutely advocate taking time for yourself - time to heal, and also time to pamper and indulge.

As women, we are caretakers, nurturers, multi-taskers, and harsh taskmasters to ourselves. At midlife, we are often struggling with demands we never anticipated facing - the needs of children and parents, career shifts we didn't see coming, relationship/marriage challenges we didn't see coming, plus hormonal shifts we didn't see coming... all of that (and we didn't see it coming...) you know what I'm talking about, right?

I love the idea of retreating. As in: withdrawing from the battle. As in: taking silent time away from the world to contemplate nature and spirit.

As women, I think we need regular retreats. Whether it's our weekly Goddess Time, an annual week away, or a quarterly day or two, it's needed. You deserve it. Yes, you.

And I deserve it, too. I struggle with that, still, even after years of personal healing, I struggle with having a sense of deserving.

I have these gorgeous pictures of my retreat last weekend, and I almost didn't share them with you - because there is still that inner voice that says "don't show them - they'll think you didn't deserve it, they'll think you're self-indulgent..."

Well, not. I'm choosing to believe that we all (that includes me, and you) deserve to care as lovingly for ourselves as we can, which includes rest and pampering.

I took three days this week and went to a Women's Yoga Getaway at a nearby resort/spa (actually a luxe fishing lodge). My friend Laura, who is a gifted yoga teacher, was facilitating it, and 15 other women from all walks of life were there too, a wonderful group.

I did lots of yoga, worked, learned, moved energy, meditated, stretched myself, relaxed myself.

I lounged in the hot tub.

I sampled liberally from the beautiful menu and nice wine list.

I took a water taxi across to a little island spa where I had a seaweed wrap, which was kind of like getting to be a pampered baby for an hour.

I spent time alone and stared at the sky and waves.

I walked slowly everywhere I went.

It was good.
tea in the main lodge
arriving at the spa by water taxi

the spa entrance

a deluxe solitary lunch of mussels and white wine, post-spa.
Wishing you equal pleasures, or better.







p.s. in the e-course, we'll spend a whole week on cultivating self care. it starts in 3 short weeks!!!

4 comments:

35jupe said...

Wow, this is absolutely lovely. Where is this, if you don't mind sharing?

Bronwyn said...

Oh! Of course I don't mind sharing!

This is Painter's Lodge & April Point Resort and Spa in Campbell River (vancouver Island) and Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada.

My friend is Laura Bushiekin, and she does a women's yoga getaway twice a year at this venue. You should go!!!

35jupe said...

Sorry, busy week, didn't get back here til now. Thanks for sharing! How lovely. It would be fun to do a yoga retreat there! (Is there anywhere in the world more lovely than BC?)

Bronwyn said...

Yes I feel so blessed to be here! I grew up on the Bay of Fundy, lived for years on the California Coast, and now I'm on a Gulf Island... so the landscape of my life has been dramatic, beautiful coastline. The ocean, with her moods, is a great teacher and healer for me.

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