It was Sarah's Birthday 2 weeks ago and 15 of us joined her for a weekend Birthday Bash and Sisterhood Retreat on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. In addition to her Doula work (Any Day Now Birth Services), Sarah also holds retreats through Sacred Living Canada. This weekend was a great opportunity to experience first hand the services she offers those wanting to dig a little deeper, surrender to finding their truth, and to connect with others on a similar path. Her good friend, also Sara, drove in from Portand with her 6 month son, Indigo, to help in hosting the weekend retreat. The majority of the crowd were friends and locals from Tsawwassen with a few more ladies from the Lower Mainland, so for the most part I felt very comfortable.
It has been a year since Sarah decided to expand beyond her retreats and offer a safe space to her friends and locals in the form of the Full Moon Circle in the comfort of her home. We have been meeting every few months to connect with the friends/women in our community, set intentions, eat snacks, drink wine and pull some cards for guidance. I can not thank her enough for opening her home, love and services to us as we have all reaped the benefits in immeasurable ways. Creating a safe space to be vulnerable, to share our struggles, to speak our truths and take on the challenge of personal growth is greatly lacking in our society and communities. This circle has done wonders for myself and the women I have met over the past year. It was a no brainer for many of us when she announced she would be hosting this weekend birthday/retreat/getaway months in advance, we all wanted in.
The property is incredible. An expansive 3 storey home stands on the top of the bluff with stairs leading down to a cozy waterfront cabin. The peace and quiet was a perfect antidote to the constant noise of 3 children in 1500 square feet. The ocean and the surrounding nature was the perfect environment for reflection and resetting. Despite the cold weather we have been enduring this winter, the weekend was surprisingly mild; even the ocean itself wasn't as icy as I expected when I joined Fannie + Molly in an early morning skinny dip in celebration of Fannie's 40th.
With the majority of the group being mothers, the meals were impeccably pre-planned and outrageously deliciously healthy (and largely vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free). For 4 days, children's complaints were replaced with brimming adult gratitude and relief to sit down uninterrupted with hot food. Everyone happily contributed which made everything so quick and easy, from all the tidying and dishes to taking shifts playing with Indigo so Sara could get a few breaks. We were seriuosly nourished body, mind, heart and soul!
Each day began with a breakfast spread by Khara including (literally homemade everything) oatmeal, granola, almond or cashew milk, boiled eggs, and choice of fresh smoothie, switchel and cofee/tea. We would meet in the yurt for our first circle which was followed by a creative activity hosted by one of the attendees. Lunch would commence with some free time to walk/run the beach, hit the hot tub/sauna, do some journaling, or have a heart to heart in a beautiful corner of the property. Sometimes a second circle would be planned, but since this was also a time for many of us to decompress the schedule was flexible. Another delicious meal was communally prepared accompanied with many bottles of wine, including a wine tasting Saturday night hosted by Sarah's sister, Emily.
It was an unforgettable weekend and I think my favourite part was meeting new faces and connecting with others that have only been acquaintances up until this point. That and gorging myself on all the food and snacks...
There are so many more photos, I tried my best to keep it down... Enjoy!
Thank you Sarah + Sara for hosting this wonderful weekend retreat. You are making a huge difference with your work, inspiring openness and courage in all of us to strive to be our highest selves and to find meaningful connections with those around us.