Mindful Happiness

Mindful Happiness

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Change, Goals, Gratitude, Happiness, Jane Helm, Personal Development, Professional Development, Self-Care

The pursuit of happiness has long been the goal of humankind. But, what is happiness?  For us, it could be a feeling of calm and security. For others, it may be a feeling of success on a professional and/or personal front. Happiness is truly subjective! One of the keys to unlocking the path to being happy is to practice mindful happiness.

Mindfulness is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as, “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” So how does mindfulness increase our feelings of happiness?

By utilizing the power of awareness of the present moment, we allow ourselves the opportunity to connect with our heart, mind, body, and spirit with crystal clear transparency. When we allow our thoughts to be focused on the “now,” we invite our clarity to serve as a compass, guiding us toward the happiness that may have eluded us in the past.

When practicing mindfulness, we pay close attention to the signals that our bodies are sending us, those pangs of guilt, shame, regret, and learning to bless and release them through allowing those signals to remind us that we are a work in progress. Through the mindfulness practice of breathwork, we empower our bodies to cleanse some of the adverse biological reactions that our bodies and minds have created in reaction to our perception of the lack of happiness. 

Mindfulness is a skill that takes practice! Our bodies and minds have a natural tendency to fight stillness. If you have tried meditation and find your mind racing with that list of “to-dos” or constant distraction, it’s not your fault! Our brains are designed to be the operating system that we rely on both consciously and subconsciously. Taking some small steps in quieting your mind will lead to training your brain to power down temporarily. Here are some steps to try when working on quieting the mind:

  1. Find a space that will allow you solitude and quiet
  2. Start with an intention of a short time period, perhaps 5 minutes. You can always increase this as you increase your skill level!
  3. Pay attention to your breath. Using this awareness as a focus increases the release of stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, and increases the “feel good” chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine: both of which are “happiness hormones.”
  4. Notice your body: find a seated position that is comfortable to you and that will allow you to relax.
  5. Allow your mind to wander. Remember, when your mind is sending you messages, it’s doing its job! Work on recognizing the thought without judgment.

Mindful happiness occurs when we align our mind, body, and spirit with our unique strengths. Happiness is not a destination, but a journey of the authenticity of our truth, a lifelong practice of pursuing a wholeness that is genuine and unique to each of us. Each moment in our life gives us the opportunity to be keenly aware of the path to follow, even if it’s one that you need to create. By following your individual journey through mindfulness, you will own the key to creating a life of fulfillment, which in my view is “happiness.”

Join Our Mindful Happiness Journey
Bittersweet

Bittersweet

by | Nov 17, 2020 | Laura Hall

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” ~ Closing Time by Semisonic

Bittersweet… that is how I am feeling writing this blog as I am writing about an ending, and endings often have a bitter component (this one definitely does), and sweet because I am writing about listening to and trusting my inner knowing and that absolutely feels sweet.

About 18 months ago I started feeling the nudge to move on from my leadership role with Wholistic Woman Retreats.  There was no specific reason other than that I was craving simplicity in my life and honestly, I didn’t trust the nudge.  The overwhelming thought when the feeling first came in was WHY?  Why would I walk away from something that was having such a positive impact not only on my life but also on the lives of so many amazing women?  So I did what I believe a lot of us do when we don’t understand our feelings… I pushed it down and ignored it.

(Side note:  This is not something I recommend!  Ask my children… ask my coaching clients… They will tell you that they’ve heard me say on more than one occasion that feelings are meant to be felt.)

Shortly after that, Wholistic Woman started seriously discussing turning the dream of holding a destination retreat in Sedona into a reality and the feeling morphed into a voice in my head that said “Finish what you started.” To me, this meant that I was supposed to see the destination retreat come to fruition and I was supposed to stay to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the organization.  My inner knowing told me that 2020 was going to be the year I finished what I started.

So here we are…2020 is coming to an end, something I am certain we are all excited about, as none of us could have predicted the insanity and uncertainty that this year has held.  We, as an organization, moved from monthly in-person coaching events to a virtual platform… We celebrated the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote with a virtual retreat that supported the programming of Frederick’s Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business group… We took 20 women to Sedona, Arizona where we held an in-person retreat while following CDC guidelines regarding Covid-19 and are happy to report that everyone stayed healthy… And, we closed the year with both an in-person brunch for people who felt comfortable gathering socially as well as a virtual event for those that didn’t with our annual gratitude celebration which this year included celebrating 10 Years of Wholistic Woman Retreats!  For me, this absolutely feels like finishing what I started.

So, I am listening to the call on my heart and will be stepping away from leadership with Wholistic Woman Retreats.  This choice is about saying yes to an inner knowing.  I am creating space… space for whatever is next… space for something that I can’t even envision right now… space to let Divine Intervention step in and show me what is next for me.  I am trusting the nudge!

I am in no rush to fill the void that will follow this decision.  If there is one thing that 2020, the year of Covid-19 and it’s stay at home mandates, has shown me, it is that I enjoy space, downtime, and simplicity.  Therefore, I am inviting the bitterness I feel around saying goodbye to the active role I’ve held for the last 10 years here with Wholistic Woman Retreats while at the same time experiencing the sweetness of anticipation of the unknown future.  In this season of gratitude, love, and giving, this decision feels like an unopened gift… a bittersweet gift.

To all you beautiful women who have trusted me to support you in your personal and professional growth, I want to say ‘Thank you’!  It has been an honor to witness your fear, your uncertainty, your tenacity, your bravery and your strength.  Thank you for doing your work!  Your growth helps heal the world.  You bring light and love where there is darkness and fear.  There is no job bigger than that.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

To the Wholistic team, thank you for supporting me in my growth as a coach and leader.  You have witnessed my fear, uncertainty, tenacity, bravery, and strength.  You know me deeply and I have never felt anything but love and support from you.  You are the reason this decision is so hard for me to make.  I love you all.  It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work alongside you.  I will always be your biggest supporter.

The beauty is, geographically, I’m not going anywhere.  I will still be here and I look forward to continuing to witness the sweetness of the work you all will continue to do.

10 years ago, Wholistic Woman Retreats was a new beginning for me and this year that beginning is coming to an end… I wonder what new beginning will come from that beginning’s end!?!

Our Wholistic Woman Story

Our Wholistic Woman Story

by | Oct 22, 2020 | Carol deLaski

Wholistic Woman Retreats Celebrates 10 Years of:

  • Wholistic growth – heart, mind, body, and spirit
  • Teamwork
  • Loving and learning together
  • Laughter and joy
  • Overcoming fears and a few tears
  • Encouragement and Celebration
  • Wholeness

My heart is warmed as I look back over the last 10 years of women’s retreats that we have created and led. I tend to be a forward thinker so a recent walk down memory lane, looking at photographs from our past retreats, left quite an impact on me. It stirred similar emotions as those I experience when I look at pictures of my children in their various ages and stages. I exclaimed over how much development has occurred while simultaneously fondly remembering the moments that led to such growth.

It’s good to see how far we’ve come as a community, and as individuals. Since pictures tell the story so well we will be sharing photos and memories over the next 10 weeks. We hope you will enjoy the memories with us as you see the smiles, hugs, and positive energy that flows from the faces of the women who participated in our retreats. Perhaps you will see your own face among them. We encourage you to share your memories of experiences with us over the years.

Our Story – 10 years in the making…

My most important lifelong lesson has been learning how to recognize, trust, and act upon the nudges God sends my way. The creation of Wholistic Woman Retreats has taught me more about listening to the nudges God places on my heart, the seeds He plants in my mind, and the stirring of His call within my spirit.

Our story began with a dream

As so often happens, the dream started well before any action occurred. The seeds of a retreat idea were planted in my heart about 10 years before WWR ever took shape. It began when I joined the Family Life Committee at my church and helped with the coordination of many family retreats at West River Retreat Center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Many friendships were formed through those retreats, and an especially important one was with a young woman on the committee named Pat. 

Some friends lift you up and help you to be all that you are called to be. Pat has been such a friend for me. When I went to life coaching school, Pat volunteered to be my ‘guinea pig’ and allowed me to practice my coaching skills with her. As I did so, I shared a dream that was stirring in my heart. It was a dream to take what we had done for the church and offer it to women in our area. At that time, I was going through a difficult phase of my life and divorce was on the horizon.  As my hopes for a happy marriage ended, I entered a valley of grief and looked fearfully ahead at the prospect of raising my two young sons as a single mother. I felt lost and alone in this disappointing and confusing time. I responded to an inner nudge and began to reach out to try new things, lift my spirits, and make new friends. I reconnected with yoga, meditated, and explored spiritual practices that expanded my perspective, just to name a few. Feeling isolated, I even started to a side jewelry business in the evenings to get out and socialize with other women. In these years, I often felt overwhelmed and overloaded and realized that many other women felt the same way, whether they were single mothers or not. It seemed to be a universal female experience. My gift of empathy led me to deeply care about the challenges that I saw in the women around me, and which I recognized within myself.   

I wanted to give those struggling women a break. The memory of the rejuvenating benefits of those family retreats resurfaced. I recognize that when we get away from the day-to-day grind we can truly rest, reflect, gain new perspectives, learn skills to manage better, and feel recharged. Once filled we return to our family commitments, jobs, and activities with renewed energy.

My early retreat ideas were of a physical place where women could gather to enjoy coffee, connect with one another, perhaps take a yoga class, or learn new life skills while their children were well-cared for. I envisioned a coffee shop/retreat center that would provide a haven for stressed out young mothers, empty nesters, and women searching for something yet to be defined. I visited various locations and my faithful friend Pat would sit in my car, sometimes in the pouring rain, while we talked about what was possible.

The dream, however, took an important directional change when my cousin asked a significant question one day. He asked, “Do you want to own property or be a coach?” I quickly knew the answer. My gifts are clearly designed for coaching. I’m a teacher, listener, encourager, planner, and cheerleader at heart. I’m grateful for my cousin’s question because it steered me away from the responsibilities of commercial property ownership and directed me towards leading retreats. Little did I know that it would also mean leading a retreat team.

At the core of my dream was the desire to support, encourage, and pamper women like myself, who give a lot to their families, friends, community, and careers. Women who needed a break, and a chance to refill their ever-depleting tanks. My strategic strength kicked in and expanded the vision to include massages, body work options and even shopping. I also wanted to offer learning opportunities where they could discover strategies to improve and more consistently be their best…however they defined it.

As my dream continued to evolve in my mind and heart, I started speaking about it to others besides my friend Pat. I was encouraged when women would say to me, when you have your retreat, I want to come. My heart was touched even more when, occasionally, some women would say, when you do your retreat, I want to help. Those statements were water that sprouted the seeds within me and from which this organization ultimately grew.

The story takes shape

In the fall of 2009 I went for coffee with a new friend, Jeanette Eleff, who was a fellow coach and entrepreneur. She was curious to hear more about my dream of doing retreats and she asked great questions to help me give voice to my vision. In the end, she summarized with, “Carol, I can tell that you’re a mover and a shaker. I want to help you do this retreat.” My response indicated the self-doubt I was feeling, “Really? Do you mean that?” You see, my top strengths lie in relationship-building. I’m better at connecting with people and thoughts than with actually making a dream become a reality. I have found that I need people around me who activate me into action. Without Jeanette’s prompt, I might still be thinking about my vision to this day. Her reply of “Yes, I certainly do mean it” changed my life and, as a consequence, touched many, many other lives.

Jeanette and I met throughout the fall to plan a day retreat for women which would be held the following spring. As we planned, I mentioned that several women had offered their help once the dream was in motion. We agreed to invite those women to a planning meeting. So, on a January day in 2010, I lit a cozy fire, poured cups of hot tea, and sat in a circle with five women who shared the heartfelt call to lead a retreat. Jeanette and I welcomed Kelye, Laura, Sandie and Lisa into our circle and in doing so the Wholistic Coaching Coalition took shape. In three short months we planned and held what would be the first of many wonderful retreats to nurture women’s personal and professional development. 

To be clear, we didn’t plan to start a retreat organization. We simply planned a retreat. We agreed on the core principal that it would be wholistic – and purposefully spelled it with a ‘W’ to remind us of our intention to provide programs focused on the whole women – her body, heart, mind, and spirit.  The first retreat was held in the Catoctin Mountains at a beautiful lodge known as ThorpeWood. We invited practitioners to offer their services, thus providing an element of pampering and education about alternative bodywork – acupuncture, reiki, massage, chiropractic and more rounded out a day of reflection, learning new life skills, good food, laughter, and mutual support. Forty-five women joined us for this day retreat in the woods. For me, it was a dream come true as I walked among them, felt their energy, and saw their glowing faces. It felt amazing to pour into others and to have our offerings received with such appreciation. We were providing a gentle, soaking rain of love onto the thirsty soil of these women’s lives…and in doing so we blessed our own lives.

Some dreams are too big to do alone.

At the closing session of the first retreat, I reflected that I couldn’t have done it without the team of women who showed up and offered their assistance. I still believe that today, 10 years later. Some visions require a team to make them a reality. My dream took flight with Jeanette’s spark of encouragement and the subsequent team that formed. We co-created something that was wonderfully enriching for women. Through this, I’ve learned that I thrive when I am interdependent with others whose talents complement mine. My developer and woo strengths expanded to initiate partnerships with other coaches and business partners. My dream became a shared vision, and we went on to hold many kinds of retreats over the past 10 years. Day retreats, overnight retreats, evening retreats, and most recently a long-desired destination retreat to Sedona, AZ. Each retreat provided a platform for founding and partner coaches to teach their area of expertise and to provide the attendees with new resources, tools, and strategies for personal and professional development.

We believe that each program attracted the women who were meant to be there. Each one attracted the sponsors who felt led to support us, allowing us to offer enhancements that would not have been possible without them. Expanding from our home base of Frederick Md, we have held retreats in Virginia, Pennsylvania, other parts of Maryland, and now Sedona, AZ. Over the years, a wonderful community of women as formed. We refer to them as women-on-the-grow. They are busy women who know how important it is to take time to recharge. Retreats are key to sustaining their well-being and to continuing their lifelong development. Some of these women have stayed with us for a season of their lives, others came for just a single event, and still others have stayed connected to us throughout our ten-year journey. We have welcomed and cared for them all.

Our belief is one of attraction.

We believe that the women who are meant to attend our programs will arrive right on time. Personally, I believe God is nudging and/or calling them to us. I trust that they know within themselves which of our coaches and partners they are meant to connect with and to follow. 

As coaches, we are skillful at meeting each woman where she is and accepting her for how she is. We practice non-judgment with open minds and hearts. We give encouragement and celebrate progress. We believe in life-long learning and personal growth. We teach tips and strategies to expand self-awareness which ultimately leads to more choices. With increased awareness we can decide if we want to continue what we are doing or if we want to make changes, either slight or major shifts. We offer an environment of love and support. Women soak up knowledge and deepen the roots of their own spirit in our midst. Hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits grow stronger and more confident in this rich soil.

This beautiful organization has been a dream come true. 

I celebrate our 10 years of living, loving, and growing together.

I celebrate the original team, and the subsequent team which evolved as some women moved on and others joined us on this journey.

I celebrate the many coaches (both founders and partner coaches) who have contributed their unique voices and expertise to our community.

I celebrate the alliance partners who offered their expertise providing necessary business skills to support the smooth operation of this impactful organization. 

Most of all, I celebrate the women – in all their stages of life – who have attended our programs.

I am profoundly grateful for the growth I have been honored to witness. Thank you for being part of my life lesson as I continue to learn about following God’s nudges and the calling He stirs within my heart. My soul bows to each of yours in gratitude for being on the journey together…then – now – and in the days ahead.

Clear the Clutter

Clear the Clutter

by | Jul 27, 2020 | Authors, Donna Kettell, Self-Care

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to move into a new home and take nothing, or at least very little, with you?  I have and that’s prompted by my desire to live clutter free.  The less clutter I have, the less stressed I feel.  It’s just that simple for me.  A clutter free space truly makes me happy.

If you came to my house, you’d see several books about decluttering, organizing, and keeping only those things that spark joy.  I love to clear things out and organize spaces because the payoff for me is truly a sense of peacefulness and clarity.  You might think that I have a home that is completely clear of clutter since this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, and yet that isn’t true.  Some rooms stay clutter free much of the time, and others manage to get out of control occasionally. Why is that?  Probably because the spaces that get out of control are less visible like spare bedrooms, closets, the basement or the infrequently used dining room table.

Clutter is most likely to build up when life gets busier than normal and I don’t make the time for a regular practice.  Before I know it, I have an overwhelming decluttering job to tackle.  Clearing the clutter works best when I make it a part of my routine around the house, like getting the dirty dishes into the dish washer, vacuuming or doing laundry.  Clutter can make me feel distracted, overwhelmed, and raises my stress level, even if it’s in very subtle ways.  I know that when I declutter, even in the smallest ways, I have quite the opposite reaction.  I feel happy, honestly almost giddy at times when the things piling up on the kitchen table, or thrown haphazardly in a closet are straightened up.  Years ago, I worked for a large financial institution and a few close colleagues would joke with me that they knew when I was working on a project that was very challenging when they saw me standing in front of my desk with a very focused look, throwing papers away, and clearing off my desk with a passion.   I seemed to do that when I really needed to focus intently on a difficult task.  Taking a few minutes to clear my desk off completely, and get rid of things that weren’t needed allowed me to clear my mind and concentrate on the one priority I had without being weighed down by the distractions sitting on my desk.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Marie Kondo and her books on tidying up.  Kondo states that to successfully declutter, we should ask if each item in our home “sparks joy”, and if it does not truly spark joy, to thank it for being in our life and let it go.  I have found that the “spark joy” test to be very profound.  You may think that there are lots of things that you need in your home that do not spark joy, but you still need them.  At first, I thought that too, and then realized that even small things like my favorite knives in the kitchen, my amazing vacuum, or fluffy towels in the bathroom can spark joy.    If you’d like to check out Marie Kondo in action with some of her clients, you may enjoy her Netflix series called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.  Her practice promotes taking everything out of closets, drawers, etc. all at one time and item by item deciding whether they are worthy of keeping.  If you can manage that, you’ll soon be on your way to being 100% clutter free.  However, I use a combination of ideas that work for me, some pieces of her practice as well as tips and tricks from other sources that work well.

Getting started can be the toughest part of decluttering.  It helps to have a clear vision of your clutter free space.  What’s that look like and how will that make you feel?  Once you have some clarity around your motivation for decluttering, here are a few ideas to help you get started.

First, get a bag for trash and a box for donations.  Set a timer on your phone for 20 minutes.  Go room to room finding things that can either be thrown away or donated and fill that bag and box.  You may be amazed at the progress you’ll have in just 20 minutes.  And, there is nothing magical about the timeframe – do it for 10 minutes or 45 minutes, whatever works for you.  Just keep it simple and manageable.  Then, celebrate that success by throwing out the trash and putting the donation box in your car to deliver to your local charity.  This small step will start some momentum for you, and you’ll feel good about doing a bit more.

Start small – perhaps you clean out the spice cabinet, throwing out the expired items and organizing the remaining bottles, all in one place.  And, think about the decluttering based on categories, for example, books, gift wrap/bags and cards,  files, cleaning supplies, seasonal decorations.  These things may be scattered in several rooms and when you gather them all into one space, it’s easier to create a good space for them and find them easily when you need them.  Having one place to look for each type of item can reduce stress, and eliminate the need to purchase things that you already have somewhere!  Once you have tackled a few smaller tasks, you’ll most likely have the energy and enthusiasm to declutter larger areas for longer periods of time.

Imagine clearing out clutter to bring more joy and peace into your life.  Visualizing that may make the work of clearing your clutter feel more purposeful and impactful.  On Wednesday, July 29th Wholistic Woman Retreats will be hosting a virtual event called Clear the Clutter.  As one of the partner coaches at WWR, I’ll be facilitiating the event and talking about clearing out what I call life clutter.  We’ll talk about more than the clutter in our physical spaces.  We’ll also consider the emotional, mental and spiritual life clutter that could be holding us back or making us feel stuck. You’ll create a customized plan for yourself that will help you to design a life that is peaceful and full of joy. I hope you will join us on July 29!

Radical Love

Radical Love

by | May 15, 2020 | Kat Middleton, Self Love, Self-Care

It’s was my turn to write a blog. The pressure was on, but the words just wouldn’t come. Then a thousand words came but just didn’t fit together. Then it occurred to me to use the universal language we all understand, Music to help you better understand Radical Love. Here goes!

Love

Waymaker, Miracle worker, Promise Keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are!

For me, it starts and stops with Faith, something greater than myself. A place always welcomed, loved, seen as a miracle, wanted, appreciated, guided, and challenged. A place I can go to all the time or anytime I run out of my own strength. Here, I have someone to turn to. A power source I can plug into, pray to, believe in and feel energized from. It is the faith of my heart. A Miracle morning quiet time is my path to peace, focus, and power. A little tapping too, but that’s in another blog. What higher power is LOVE to you?

Self-Love

Learning to Love Yourself Is the Greatest Love of All. Houston teaches us about self-love and the epic journey to self-realization. Whitney said, ” I feel that the road to self-love is a deep, intricate and challenging journey, but one that will teach us about the meaning of a true, genuine, happy, and honest existence”.

Whitney struggled to embrace these words… However, she left us a powerful message of Love. “We must all learn how to love ourselves. It’s the only way we can save the world. We must equip our youth with the tools to create a better future for themselves and the next generation. We must teach our youth, and ourselves, the true meaning of self-love, The Greatest Love of All”.

Casey Musgraves’s song Rainbow is a message she wrote to herself and anyone else who is feeling any weight on their shoulders. She sings to us that there has always been a rainbow hanging over your head. Casey Musgrave tells us we are all exceptional indeed!

The Love of Others

Once we value ourselves, we can then value others, too.  Life, History, and COVID-19 has shown us how important this is. The Times They Are A-Changing said, Bob Dylan.

I couldn’t come up with just one song, so here is a medley of songs.  We genuinely do all need one another. We are truly interconnected.

Bruno Mars says You Can Count on Me

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

With a Little Help from My Friends

You’ve Got A Friend In Me from Toy Story

We Are family

People Who Need People

Radical Love

In closing, Love, Self-Love and Loving others all combine together and form Radical Love!

The final two songs today hopefully sum it up well.

What the World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love!

Michael Jackson, and a variety of very talented artist sing We Are The WORLD!

4 Reasons Why A Girl’s Trip is Good For Your Health

4 Reasons Why A Girl’s Trip is Good For Your Health

by | Mar 20, 2020 | Health, Kelye Rouse-Brown

When was the last time you got your friends together for a girl’s trip? Intentionally setting aside time to spend with girlfriends is worth the time and expense. Plus, there are countless health benefits that come with booking a vacation!

Let’s dive into four specific reasons why a girl’s trip is good for your health.

1. It gives you something to look forward to

Did you know that simply planning a trip can increase your happiness? A 2010 study showed that the participants felt most happy before their vacation! Imagine the pleasure you would experience if you set a date on the calendar for a girl’s trip. You and your friends would have a ton of fun things to discuss: where to go, what hotel to book, which restaurants to try — and so on! 

Take your excitement to the next level by setting up a countdown on your phone. Treat yourself to something new, such as a stylish passport case, fashionable (but comfortable) shoes, or a satisfying book. 

2. Female friendships are good for the soul

Psychologist Breanna Jayne Sada says, “Female friends [are] great for your self-esteem. A good female friend won’t fat-shame you or let you fat-shame yourself, they will tell you why you deserve that promotion or why your partner should treat you better. After walking away from a conversation with a good female friend you should feel confident and supported.”

While you might get plenty of social interaction with a spouse or coworkers, there’s something special about female friendships. Many women are empathetic and affirming, and can offer loving advice or join you in a good-for-the-soul laugh fest. A girl’s trip is a worthy investment in nurturing your friendships!

3. Time away increases creativity

Do you ever feel like you can’t escape the monotony of your routine? It’s hard to get creative juices when you’re in a rut. Vacation is the ultimate way to get unstuck! Breaking from your routine allows your mind and body to work in new ways. You might find yourself coming home with new ideas and perspectives.

Take advantage of the change in your schedule to try something new. Need ideas? Try meditation, journaling, or getting out in nature. Or learn a new skill! Cooking classes, dance classes, and language classes are all fun ways to get out of your comfort zone and be immersed in a different culture.

4. A girls trip promotes adult play

A girl’s trip is the perfect opportunity to engage in some good old-fashioned fun! Adult play has a ton of health benefits. It has the power to lower stress, increase brain function, help create stronger connections, and leave you feeling more energetic!

Go for a group hike! Sign up for a paint and wine class! Hunker down for a night of board games and jigsaw puzzles! Or, consider going “old school.” Think of activities you and your friends enjoyed as kids or young adults, and partake in those same activities while on your trip.

Are you ready to get away with girlfriends? Join us for a long weekend in sunny Sedona, Arizona! You’ll enjoy plenty of opportunities for connection, creativity, and play. Click here for more details and to register!