I first came across the Women’s Healing Sanctuary through a job advertisement in one of my many-times-a-day panic searches for soul aligning, life harmonising work. Once I came across the advertisement, I got onto their website and was instantly in awe. It was exactly what I, and many many women in modern society truly need, a safe space to rest, to heal, to be cared for and nurtured instead of it being the other way around.
There is a common saying in the parenthood world that a family holiday isn’t truly a holiday for the parents, and I’m going to be a little biased here, especially for the mother. You’re simply experiencing the same tiredness, burn out, stress, frustration all tied together with a beautiful ribbon of pure joy and love in a different environment and something about the “different environment” part of the experience is enough to get us through. Yet we long for a place or some time to just be… this is that place.
Within minutes of discovering the advertisement I instantly contacted the centre and received a loving email response from Janine, co-founder and inhouse manager (and cook & therapist – but we’ll get to that part later). Thankfully, we were able to secure some dates that were available for me to visit.
The drive from Sydney to the Port Stephens location, took less than 3 hours and if I’m being honest, set me up for a weekend of calm. As I approached the property, I was greeted by a Kaleidoscope of butterflies surrounding my car as if to welcome me into their home. I noticed the sun shining through their wings and it just exhibited such a beautiful colour of blue that my nervous system just naturally felt at ease. I truly was safe. That feeling of comfort continued as I was introduced in person to Janine who welcomed me like I was a family member coming back home, it was truly a beautiful feeling.
After getting acquainted, the house tour and some general housekeeping, I settled in as Janine prepared dinner. For my particular weekend, I was the only one there, so I managed to share some very insightful and soul aligning conversation with Janine. However, I do feel sharing this time with other women in similar circumstances would just add to the comfort. There is something about a group of women coming together to support each other through times of challenge. It’s powerful in my opinion.
The meal along with the company and conversation was incredibly comforting and warm. Something about sharing a home cooked meal with a person who has this natural maternal energy was truly healing for me. I felt like I was visiting family and having Christmas dinner!
The funny thing was, that whilst driving in, I had many intentions for this weekend; I was going to work on writing some blog posts, I was going to work on some other projects, I was going to make it a completely screen free weekend and I was going to spend as much time in nature as I possibly could but in the end, I ended up doing a little bit of everything, – which was funny to me because everything I mentioned before felt like work earlier that week and while I was here that “work” flowed through me with such ease. It felt so uplifting and aligned, the mind and body does incredible things when it feels safe.
My next full day was spent mostly outside, I started the day off with some breakfast (after a pitiful attempt of sleeping in ☹) and a soak in the bath (uninterrupted!!) followed with some delicious lunch, again prepared by Janine herself, out in the veranda. I then set up my picnic blanket near the gorgeous lily pond and started some reading… for about 10 minutes, I then spent what was close to an hour and a half staring at the clouds and the tall trees and the birds, just feeling the sun and the wind on the face in a complete state of meditation without even intending it to be. It was such a moment of simplicity but omg it was insane how healing it was. The quietness of the countryside and the purity in the air just made it so easy to meditatively drift away from your body.
My last night at the Women’s Healing Sanctuary was over a beautiful dinner and dessert (amazing by the way!) and a conversation that lasted hours! You know those conversations you have with a close family member or friend where you can just speak unfiltered, without thought and just be heard? Those “deep and meaningful” conversations? That. It was therapeutic, it was healing, it was even at times quite psychic, for me personally, it had moments of confirmation, clarity, hope and inspiration.
My overall takeaway from the conversations were:
- Nature is healing and we live amongst it daily, sometimes all we really need is to stare at some trees rustling or the ocean waves for our nervous system to return to its natural state of ease. We need to do this as often as we can.
- Choosing you will always be the right choice… even if it affects your family, even if it affects your work, even if it affects your immediate safety and security (and I’m not saying that lightly). Choosing you, choosing to stand up for you, choosing to show up for you, choosing to be you, heal you, nurture you and lose everything for you… will always be the right choice. Feel the discomfort, the pain, the anxiety, the instability, acknowledge it all as it exists to protect you, and allow it to pass because you chose you and for that, you are going to be okay x