On spaciousness, Southern Spain, and what retreats are actually for
I have loved talking about the Somatic Spiral these last 12 weeks - that’s right - I have written to you 12 weeks in a row! This is a new level of consistency for me and I’m aware of how much my own understanding deepens as I write and teach. The 5 pillars have always been there but the imagery for The Spiral actually arrived through my writing to you - so thank you!
The Somatic Immersion begins the first week of October and I hope you are as excited as I am. I’ll be opening registration soon.
In the meantime, I’d like to take you somewhere…
For those of you new to my community, here’s a little backstory. My family and I moved to Spain in 2018 and stayed for 2 years. We wanted to explore the world and our place in it through a bigger lens - take a step back from what our life had become and see how it might evolve. It was an incredible experience and among other things, it led me to Lucia Yoga - a magical retreat center in Southern Spain on the edge of Grazalema National Park. I have guided 4 retreats at Lucia so I know that the magic isn’t a one-off. It is truly spectacular.
Here are a few things that have stayed with me:
Dawn at the pool.
On one of the retreats, I met the dawn every morning by jumping in the pool (one of five) just before the sun came up. Most pre-dawn mornings I was greeted by a hooting owl and then the sun as I made my way out of the pool and back to my room.
Rain in Ronda.
On another retreat, the rain was outrageous as we made our way to a nearby town called Ronda for a flamenco performance. We skipped the pre-performance hike, had an amazing array of tapas and then watched dancers stomp across the stage as rain poured down around us, puddles forming on the surrounding edges of the centuries old community center we sat in.
The 4th of July Picnic.
One retreat was on the 4th of July and our gracious host, Antonio, surprised us with a Spanish/vegetarian version of a 4th of July picnic while we watched the sun set (I’ve never had better ketchup in my life).
There are so many memories of retreat center hikes through olive groves and raucous wildflowers, Spanish wine, tapas, and olive oil tastings and visits to towns established in the 6th century - all of which take you to another world where life feels both simple and inspiring.
And then there's yoga. All I can say is that when you’re spending your day in an exquisitely beautiful place, when your meals are delicious, healthy, and locally sourced, when your activity for the day is to take a swim, or a stunning hike, or to visit a village that has been inhabited by the prehistoric peoples, the Celts, the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, Berbers, and the Spanish, yoga just hits different!
When you are carving out space for beauty and inspiration and connection and general well-being, your yoga practice takes on another level of goodness. You're more present, more at home in your body, more open. And that’s the special sauce!
Yes, I love the way my practice supports me when I’m tired and frustrated and sad and angry. But the enjoyment level when I’m open and grounded and all of my responsibilities have been put to the side and I’m practicing in community with people I feel deeply connected to - well that’s just a different kind of yoga practice. It’s one that doesn’t just nourish me in the moment - it helps me drop into what’s needed, what’s next and how I want my life to unfold. It helps me ask and sometimes answer the big questions:
How could I be more engaged? Is my life meaningful? Are there ways I could feel more love, more beauty, more gratitude? Does my outer life reflect and support my inner life?
These are hard questions to ask while meeting deadlines, doing the laundry, driving to the grocery store, or getting in a quick workout. Those things are important and I love them too, but they’re not spacious. They don’t create the environment needed to ask the big questions. And that’s what I love most about retreats. We have that space! We fill ourselves with nourishment in so many different forms and then we sit in meditation, we do yoga, we drop in, and the body speaks.
Which takes me back to why we moved to Spain. We were looking for spaciousness. We intentionally took ourselves out of the container we were in so that we could ask the big questions - so that we could reflect on the path we were on and where we wanted to go next.
There are lots of ways to take that step away, shift perspectives, and make room to explore. Whether that’s a big move, a yoga retreat, a day for just you in a new place, a meditation where you fully drop in and breathe. The important thing is to make that space for yourself, however it is available.
If you feel drawn to a big adventure, steeped in Spanish food, culture, nature, art, beauty, and good company, I would love to host you!
Thanks for reading and being a part of this community. I hope our paths cross soon.
If I can answer any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sending so much love,
Rachel
P.S. Tuition cost goes up at the end of the year — if Spain is calling, this is the moment.
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