For most of my life, I counted on my body to be my most redeemable quality, the thing that people (especially men) liked me for. I was convinced that the way a woman mattered in the world was through how she looked. Beauty wasn’t just an advantage; it felt like the entry price to opportunity, attention, belonging.

If you’re reading this, I imagine you know this feeling too.

The microscopic inventory of everything you wish you could shrink, smooth, hide, or fix. 

You are supposed to think. Thinking isn’t a problem. Just as your eyes see and your ears hear, your mind thinks. Do not blame yourself for your thoughts. Notice how frequently thoughts appear and disappear, like clouds passing in the sky. Thoughts only become a ‘problem’ when we start chasing their stories. Instead of saying "my mind," try saying "the mind." This simple shift takes away the personalization and changes everything.

Many of us fear our own minds, but your mind is a gift, not your biggest enemy.

The seemingly intense conditions and principles of the retreat appear to be constricting and limiting, but it’s these conditions that become the source of your liberation. All natural tendencies are stripped away and your only concern is yourself.

We think, we react, we do.

The pressure of expectations