Groove Dance Retreat with Groovy Women, Portugal 2024

I’ve been co-facilitating gatherings for women with my dear friend and retreat partner, Lori Lynn Meader, for over a decade. As we get ready for our Hudson Valley retreat in a few weeks, I am pausing to reflect on my love for retreats which was seeded years ago. I want to acknowledge my deep gratitude for the extraordinary, courageous women who have helped light my way. There are many, and some (maybe YOU) are mentioned below. 🌟

This isn’t a pitch about our September retreat (yet!). My hope in writing is that you find a nugget you can relate to, and maybe become inspired in some way.

I find that group retreats are one of the most convenient ways to travel the world and discover new experiences without feeling alone. I find time for myself and join the group when it feels right. I discover something about myself and I get to know people on a deeper level.

Retreats are different from going on vacation with friends and family (and those trips can be a lot of fun!). Retreats are about meeting ourselves again – through a different lens – with a break from the noise and daily responsibilities.

My first retreat was with my mom at St Gabriel’s Monastery in the early 1970s. Nestled in the woods of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, it was run by the Passionist Nuns for decades. (Sadly, this sacred sanctuary closed in 2020.)

I have memories of quietly reading or exploring the monastery while my mom was in group sessions. I was 13 years old and although I was the youngest person there, I felt at home. I recall lovely Sister Grace being attentive and kind to me. The nuns baked their famous altar bread and we got to try it during mealtimes (yum!). This memory of mom and this special place brings a smile to my heart.

The retreats that most impact my work today started with Joan Clark at the Circle S Ranch in Kansas, 2004. My good friend, Sharyn, thought I might like to attend (thank you!). This was my entry into the healing world of plant medicine and sacred aromatherapy.

Joan invited me to do a dance one evening around the fire (I chose Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears). It was the first time I danced in this way - with little thought, fully free, feeling the music. It was bliss. Unknown to me at the time, I would start Nia dance training the following year – a practice I continue to teach 20 years later. Thank you for your light, Joan.

A retreat at Zen Mountain Monastery in New York was quite unique. I came for a workshop called, “The Biographical Body,” which was one of my first experiences with mind-body movement. Outside of the workshop we were silent, waking up at 4:00 am each day to do light chores and meditate. I learned the art of quiet, which taught me to listen inside and take notice of details in the world around me. It was a big step out of my comfort zone, and I am thankful for that experience.

I traveled to Maui in 2012 to attend The Peaceful Woman retreat led by Cheryl Kali. I didn’t know a soul, very little about the retreat, and this was my first trip to the Hawaiian islands. Yay me!

This “Maui Passage” took us to different sacred places on the island where we walked with respect and intention. We spent evenings outside by the ocean with women “talking story” and sharing Hawaiian history and wisdom. The land is so powerful here, and it supported us in sharing deep, personal experiences.

This retreat was VERY difficult for me physically and emotionally. My body was in a lot of pain. At one point, an assistant saw me struggling and took me aside to a “secret” place in the sacred waters at Iao Valley State Park. She helped me sit safely on the rocks while the stream rushed over and around me. I felt a deep sense of inner peace unlike any I had experienced. (I’ve since gone back to this sacred place with my family a few times. Each time, deeply touched.)

Banafsheh and our group, Menla Center NY

There are many more, but I'll wrap up with these . . .

I learned the basics of Sufi dance at a weekend retreat with Banafsheh Sayyad at Menla Center in New York. This loving soul taught us the beginner’s whirl of active meditation as shared her deep devotion with the dance. It was another world for me which broadened my awareness. (Take a peek at Banafsheh’s book, Dance of Oneness.)

April Linson-Reynolds held a retreat in July 2019. I feel that April is an angel on Earth, and one of the most compassionate and loving people I know. I feel the deep experience of transformational breath work, meditation, and dance prepared me for my Dad’s passing a few months later. There was peace and joy in my heart. It was a special delight to reconnect with my good buddy, Erin, whom I hadn’t seen for many years.

Finally, in 2024, Lori Lynn and I took time off from facilitating to attend a Groove dance retreat in Portugal. It was a quick decision and the conversation went something like this:
Did you see an email about a Groove dance retreat in Portugal?
Yes! I get the newsletter, too. Do you wanna go?
Let’s do it!

We followed the call. This retreat leaves lasting memories of dancing on the beach at sunset in the Algarve with headphones, moving to amazing music with our wonderful guides Heather Winia and Laurie-Lynn Macdonald.

Ready for music and sunset in the Algarve

Lori Lynn and I have been hosting Dwell In Possibilities Retreats for Women since 2012. Months before each retreat, we spend time playing in our sandbox and letting the “Possibility Sessions” evolve. And we LOVE it!

We bring open hearts and the real experiences of what is happening in our lives and in the world. We love brainstorming and “trying on” the sessions with each other so we have an understanding of what our guests will experience. This love of creating together with intention causes things to stir . . . something we might need to look at more closely, something that we didn’t realize about ourselves . . . something MORE. We explore, craft, and guide.

There are a few spots left for Dwell In Possibilities, September 4 – 8, 2026, at Lifebridge Sanctuary in Hudson Valley, New York. If these stories resonate with you, if you feel “the call,” join us.
(When you get “the call” to do something, what does it feel like? For me, it feels like a big YES in my body – lightness in my heart, easy breathing, excitement – despite any doubts that arise.)

If something in you says, ‘I’ll wait until next time,’ who knows if that next time will happen? What about THIS time? Now is the time to DIP into something more. Who knows what treasures await you! Click here for your retreat experience.

https://www.livelovemove.us/dwell-in-possibilities-retreat-2026

Retreating: step into the extraordinary

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