When I was young, I used to imagine a version of myself that would write music and ride a horse bareback across a prairie and feel the wind in my hair. I would tell stories in my mind of the life I might live. In my stories I was strong, bold, full of life. But as I grew, the influences and expectations of the world I lived in fostered responsibility, politeness, and putting others first. Fine and respectable qualities to be sure, but somewhere along the way I forgot my WILD.

In July, I went on a Wild Woman Yoga Adventure Retreat in Ketchikan, Alaska. My dear friend Ashley told me about this retreat that a friend of hers was putting on, knowing that it was in Alaska and that it was something she felt I would enjoy. My initial thoughts were a combination of “that sounds so great!”, “that’s expensive…”, and “that’s way out of my comfort zone”. I brushed it aside, but the idea stayed with me for several days. When I eventually brought up the idea to Brad he said, without hesitation and for which I will always be grateful, “Yes. You should absolutely do that.” So, I took a risk, got on a plane, and went to spend 5 days with a group of women I had never met. It was without a doubt the best thing I have done for myself in my adult life.

What kind of magic brought these particular women together I will never know. We came from all over the country, from a variety of backgrounds and phases of life. We came with vulnerability, and spirits in need of refreshment. And boy did we find it! I’ve been trying for awhile now to be able to put into words what this week was and what it meant to me. Here’s the best I could come up with.

The Setting

Ketchikan is a small Alaskan city on the islands of the inside passage, closer really to Seattle than it is to Anchorage. I took what’s known as “the milk run” flight from Anchorage to Ketchikan, with brief, almost bus-like stops to exchange passengers and cargo in the small southeast towns of Juneau, Petersburg, and Wrangell before arriving in Ketchikan. Once there, I boarded a ferry to cross the water from the airport to the town, and was picked up, along with a couple of other women who had just arrived, by one of our hosts, Anna. “The Beach House” was our gathering place - a cozy and light filled home on the water with a huge deck and a friendly wolf hound named Zoe. From here we soaked in the sunshine, walked on the beach, found starfish on the rocks at low tide, breathed in the fresh ocean air, awed at the whales breaching offshore, and watched sunsets over cotton candy horizons.

The Schedule

We did a lot in the five days we spent together! Our days typically started with yoga on the deck with the whales, followed by nourishing breakfasts and soul searching workshops. Afternoons were for adventures!

Kayaking around Knudsen Cove and Eagle Island, where we saw eagle’s nests, seals, and jellyfish. I even got to hold a jellyfish! (NOT the stinging kind)
Hiking Dude Mountain, with views and wildflowers galore. Special kudos to the ladies who didn’t think they could do it and powered through anyway.
Archery lessons and practice, channeling our inner Katniss Everdeen.
Mini hike through the rain forest for a picnic on the beach
“Run Like It’s 1776” - We joined a local running club for the 1.76 mile run to start the 4th of July parade. Everlasting gratitude to the many strangers who enthusiastically cheered on the random girl running slowly, alone in a tutu down the middle of the road (me). We should all be more encouraging to strangers, it’s a powerful thing.
Independence Day hike to a secluded beach for a sunset bonfire, to celebrate the freedom we enjoy in this country and the equality we still fight for.

The Substance

Each morning we had time set aside to learn and share. We mostly talked about our history as women, and the power and oppression we find there. We used to live in small communities, villages made up of our family and friends. We lived together, worked together, celebrated together, grieved together. In our modern age, there is so much we are expected to do on our own, and the idea that we might need some help along the way inspires a feeling of weakness. The thing that made this week so magical, was that immediately and without exception, everyone was willing to share her experience. As the days went on, we came to realize that we are all fighting similar battles, we’re just not talking about it. It’s amazing how much freedom and healing comes from the simple fact of knowing you’re not alone, that no one is perfect, that others are struggling too. Because let’s be honest. We’re all struggling in one way or another, but the mountains don’t seem so steep when you have someone there to walk with.

The Lessons

This week in Ketchikan changed me. That sounds dramatic, I know. But it’s true. Sure I still have all the same strengths and challenges, and I am not now magically living a perfect life. But still, something changed. I remembered my WILD - that ancient beauty, wisdom, and power that I have as a woman, that all women have had throughout history, but which modern society (and ancient society too) has tried to undercut. It’s still there, burning embers that just need a little breath of oxygen to burst into flame.

And here’s what I learned:

We breathe life into each other, or we snuff it out.

We need more coming together, and less tearing apart. Modernity has isolated us from real human connection, and that isolation is unhealthy (like ACTUALLY bad for our health, just check out some of these stats on loneliness). We need to re-establish the community that we have lost. We need to re-build our village. It doesn’t take much. People are eager for it.

I am not alone

Every time I have made myself honest, open, and vulnerable with someone, it has been returned in kind, and I have realized that these feelings of wanting community, being afraid, feeling inadequate, and pursuing a life of passion and meaning are shared by many.

THe earth is medicine

Sunshine on your skin, fresh air in your lungs, soft earth under your feet, green trees and blue waters and colorful plants and fresh berries - these are things that keep us alive and grounded. Science has shown that people who live in communities with at least some green space have more friendly interactions with their neighbors and fewer cases of depression than those with concrete courtyards. Although I sometimes forget it from the lazy comfort of my couch, I have never once regretted going out into nature, even if just for a walk around the block.

I am enough

No qualifier needed.

The Dare

With these lessons in mind, let me dare you to act, to do something new in 2019 that makes the world - yours and ours - a better place.

Reach Out
Be Vulnerable
Get Outside
Acknowledge Your Strengths
Acknowledge Your Struggles
Find Peace There

In 2019 and always: May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be safe, may you be loved.

Far

WILD WOMEN