Learning To Be Gentle

“Gentleness towards self and others makes life a little lighter.” Deborah Day

I just returned home from facilitating my “I Will Be Gentle With Myself” women’s retreat at Asilomar Conference grounds in Monterey, California. The 40 women who showed up to play and sing and co-create an intimate, loving retreat were so inspiring and amazing! Within just a few days we bonded and created a new soul tribe together. I always laugh whenever I see how the title of a new talk, workshop, or retreat will “work” me. Sometimes I feel I am a walking example of the idea that “we teach what we need to learn.” Even before the retreat the irony was not lost on me as I found myself running around getting stressed about all that I had to do and creating double the amount of work that was really needed just so that I was prepared. Gentle with myself? Not so much. But once I was there and we all started singing together, I relaxed into remembering how to be in the flow and surrender. Ah – that word again: Surrender. So now that I am home and the retreat is over I am asking myself again – “How can I be gentle with myself?” As I sit here writing this in my office on this July 4th weekend I realize that the best way to be gentle is to keep this newsletter short and go outside and play! I hope you have a great holiday and are enjoying your summer!