From the moment our Spain Retreat ended, I’ve wanted to translate my thoughts into the written word but haven’t been able to. Rather than words, I’m flooded with memories of the visual beauty, the laughter that spread across the property, the warm sun hitting our faces as the sun rose into the studio, the taste of the food. There’s an inexplicable feeling that exists within these Retreats. Each one holds a different identity, a different purpose, a different pulse - all exquisite in their uniqueness. This may read as my stream of consciousness but seeing as a good portion of us were reading Intermezzo during the Retreat - that checks out.
This felt like stepping into the unknown. This was my longest Retreat (5 nights). This was the most logistically complicated Retreat (Thank you Solseed Retreats). This was my first International Retreat. As I boarded my flight to Barcelona, I must admit that I was ringing my knuckles and biting my fingernails while daydreaming about the paella we would eat, the wine we would drink, the classes we would create with each other and the inevitable laughter that would echo throughout the Villa. But if you were to put yourself in my shoes, I was now responsible for holding these 17 women in a country I had never traveled to - of course, I was nervous.
Before the Retreat even officially began, a group of us met for a meal in Barcelona at an outstanding tapas restaurant called La Pepita. I don’t know if we were all running on adrenaline or terrified of our bossy waitress and simply needed to seek comfort in each other but the conversation just started pouring out of us. I remember looking across the table to a face that I didn’t yet know and taking a strong exhale. We were all strangers who were desperately seeking the intimacy of friendship and this was our opportunity.
The next day, two buses rolled up to a Villa on the side of a cliff in Costa Brava. We were met with an almost nauseatingly vertical driveway which led to a property that I can only describe with a sound. A collective GASP. The Villa itself had 4 separate areas for accommodations, the most breathtaking open air studio, an infinity pool overlooking the sea and the most perfect long table for communal meals. I have always said that my mission with Retreats is to cultivate an environment where our senses are ignited and this was an immediate feeling of alignment. We are all sensory and imaginative beings so I’d like to invite you into what we heard, saw, tasted, felt, smelled….
What did we hear?
The birds chirping before a late sunrise of 8:00 AM. Ambient sounds flooding the open air studio. Laughter that reverberated through every wall and every structure. Every language imaginable as we shuffled like sardines through the Dali Museum. Stories being told. Stories of our youth, stories of our families, stories of grief, of pain, of heartbreak.
But there is comfort in silence. You know when you feel so comfortable with a friend that you can simply exist beside them without having to converse? I’ll always remember turning around after a long day in Girona and seeing everyone asleep in the van. They felt safe to sleep. Safe to fill the space with silence.
What did we see?
The most vibrant blue ocean, mountains in the distance, rocky coastline, castles and ruins of ancient civilizations, doorways and staircases that have been welcoming humans for thousands of years, grey stone walls that made me cry. Pause.
While visiting Girona, I had a very genuine emotional response to the beauty of the architecture. This wasn’t a soft place. Girona is a grey, stone fortress but there’s endless romance with its small lanes, twists and turns that lead you into astounding beauty. Visiting Girona felt like the first time I watched The Secret Garden - it’s a portal. We all felt that and listened to its power.
We saw friends who showed up with hardened shells, crack open as space was created to hold them. We bore witness to our own unraveling. We saw adaptation in movement, as everyone was invited to make the movement classes their own. We saw pink cheeks, flowing hair, breathable clothing - we saw health being restored through the power of being together.
What did we taste?
We were spoiled by two Catalan vegetarian chefs who prepared us gorgeous meals such as frittatas, pancakes, veggie paella’s, lentil Dahl, and a birthday apple crisp. We luxuriated our taste buds in seafood and white bean soup in Begur, tuna and chicken legs in Girona, cheese and cured meats outside of Pals. We determined that it IS a universal experience to want a “sweet treat” after every meal (which duh, we obliged) and that splitting a bottle of wine at lunch amongst friends is one of life’s great pleasures.
We got a taste of what life is really about. We live in a world that over complicates and strips joy away from every decision we make on a daily basis. THINK ABOUT IT.
“I want this for breakfast” - Try again, not enough protein.
“I wake up thinking of my morning coffee” - HAHA, says your Cortisol
“I love this style of movement” - Too bad, it’s not enough, says a stranger on the internet.
“I really need to take a personal day” - Corporate America gives you a personal 30 seconds between calls.
In Spain, we got a taste of savoring every bite of your food, spending time outdoors walking and exploring your surroundings, enjoying conversation, resting in the sun, doing movement that feels as though it’s supporting a future version of you - just as much as your current self. Once you get a taste of it, it’s hard to accept going back into a world that is so stripped of pleasure.
Are you asking yourself why I named this, Jasmine?
What did we smell?
You know when you smell something so delicious that your entire body extends and opens up as you inhale and falls into itself as you exhale? Most often a smile immediately follows? The Villa was engulfed in the most intoxicating scent of Jasmine that drifted through us as we climbed the stairs and entered our rooms.
Most people when they travel expect to taste different foods, hear different music, see different sites but memories…memories live within our sense of smell. Since returning, I’ve been leaning on May Lindstrom’s Jasmine Garden as a way to transport me back into the space with those women.
It’s been a week since I’ve returned and as I type this, I am crying. I was too exhausted to cry last week. I jumped back into my other roles so quickly that I didn’t give myself space to cry. As I sit with these memories, I’m seeing flashes of their faces as the salt runs down my cheeks.
TaNeesha, Megan, Sarah, Elena, Valentina, Eva, Colleen, Melissa, Whitney, Kiyomi, Judy, Jill, Kenzie, Andrea, Sonal, Kat, Debi - this next part is for you.
What did we feel?
On our last full morning, we gathered into the studio one more time. As we swayed, stomped, screamed, created percussion with our heels, ran towards each other, locked eyes, moved in a circle - we VIBRATED together. You didn’t notice, but towards the end I made long eye contact with each of you and told myself to take an internal photograph of your faces. I never want to forget that feeling of being together.
You all came for different reasons. Exploration, healing heartbreak, gaining confidence, being in a time of transition, craving community, to put a name on a few of them. We parted ways with an inextricable bond because we took the time, we took the space, to make that bond.
I love you all. When I smell Jasmine, I’ll think of you in Spain.
xx,
Kara
For online communities like Range, we’re so used to sight and sound, but when we get to be together the other senses, the ones you can’t experience through a computer, are so powerful and feel so luxurious.
beautiful, tears running down my cheeks while reading this.. Hope to partake in on eof oyur retreats in hte future. Until then keep on doing what oyu are doing ..