A few days ago I joined a small but mighty group of friends to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of attending The Hoffman Process. I had no idea going into the process in 1997 what to expect and I couldn't in a million years have foreseen how the Universe would conspire to deliver me an incredible experience of healing and growth. From the people I met to the circumstances leading up to the process, there is no doubt that I was being 'set up' for maximum enlightenment. Twenty years later, I am no longer surprised by the 'coincidences'. The well known phrase 'when the student is ready, the teacher will appear' is the best way to describe this journey.
I have written a detailed description of my Hoffman Process in my So What? Now What? book so I won't replay it all here. In essence, the ground beneath my feet shifted in such a big way, that the course of my life changed in that week. Every relationship in my life was altered and my ability to love and support my parents surpassed what I thought possible. Some things were different immediately such as my behaviour and connection with my son. Others, like the ending of my marriage took time. I kept doing some things I'd always done - being kind to others - and embarked on new things - being kind to myself!
It was this time of learning that pointed me towards developing and leading retreats for women. I recognized the need for women to have a safe place to retreat to for introspection, renewal and focus. After 16 years of leading what has become very intensive retreats, I am reminded of how far I have come AND where I am situated in relation to what I offer. As I write this today, I feel a longing to redesign and redefine the way I gift women with personal discovery. This twenty year mark and the meeting with people I love and admire has woke me up to the inner calling to realign.
I am enormously grateful for knowing some remarkable people who trudged through their past to find the opening to a future full of love and hope at the Hoffman Process with me. It was a grueling week and one we all survived with a base of self-love and acceptance that we can't turn away from, no matter how difficult life gets. Those of us left carry on our legacy of love and respect for each other and the process that brought together an unlikely band of seekers. We are bonded not only by what drew us together and what we shared but by the memories of those who we will never forget.
Since Hoffman, I have lost loved ones and found new love. I developed meaningful friendships that I never knew were possible. I have followed a path of learning that is fascinating and empowering. And most of all, I found the courage to claim space for myself in a world where I believed I didn't belong.
My gratitude to the strong leadership that guided me that week. My gratitude to the unconscious, the gods, the universe, the higher power, the angels and whatever else you might call the divine energies that so lovingly lifted me up, carried me over the coals and continue to guide my journey. A Course in Miracles says "If you knew who walks beside you on this path that you have chosen, fear would be impossible." I am certain of who walks beside me and blessed beyond words to have my Hoffman classmates (living and passed) with me every step of this incredible journey.
I have written a detailed description of my Hoffman Process in my So What? Now What? book so I won't replay it all here. In essence, the ground beneath my feet shifted in such a big way, that the course of my life changed in that week. Every relationship in my life was altered and my ability to love and support my parents surpassed what I thought possible. Some things were different immediately such as my behaviour and connection with my son. Others, like the ending of my marriage took time. I kept doing some things I'd always done - being kind to others - and embarked on new things - being kind to myself!
It was this time of learning that pointed me towards developing and leading retreats for women. I recognized the need for women to have a safe place to retreat to for introspection, renewal and focus. After 16 years of leading what has become very intensive retreats, I am reminded of how far I have come AND where I am situated in relation to what I offer. As I write this today, I feel a longing to redesign and redefine the way I gift women with personal discovery. This twenty year mark and the meeting with people I love and admire has woke me up to the inner calling to realign.
I am enormously grateful for knowing some remarkable people who trudged through their past to find the opening to a future full of love and hope at the Hoffman Process with me. It was a grueling week and one we all survived with a base of self-love and acceptance that we can't turn away from, no matter how difficult life gets. Those of us left carry on our legacy of love and respect for each other and the process that brought together an unlikely band of seekers. We are bonded not only by what drew us together and what we shared but by the memories of those who we will never forget.
Since Hoffman, I have lost loved ones and found new love. I developed meaningful friendships that I never knew were possible. I have followed a path of learning that is fascinating and empowering. And most of all, I found the courage to claim space for myself in a world where I believed I didn't belong.
My gratitude to the strong leadership that guided me that week. My gratitude to the unconscious, the gods, the universe, the higher power, the angels and whatever else you might call the divine energies that so lovingly lifted me up, carried me over the coals and continue to guide my journey. A Course in Miracles says "If you knew who walks beside you on this path that you have chosen, fear would be impossible." I am certain of who walks beside me and blessed beyond words to have my Hoffman classmates (living and passed) with me every step of this incredible journey.
