I recently had the opportunity to attend a yoga for pelvic health retreat which was absolutely amazing!  (They have another one planned for October near Boston…you should check it out!)  The women I met there made such an impact on me that I want to introduce all of them to you.  Maybe I will eventually be able to convince them to share their own unique stories on this blog.  In the meantime I would like to introduce them through the most impactful feminine characteristic they embodied during my time with them.

Steadiness: Sarah*

Security and constancy are words that come to mind when I think of Sarah.  Her calming demeanor was evident from the moment I walked into the retreat center, which helped to calm me of the typical uneasiness that comes with stepping into something new (like spending three days in a remote location with perfect strangers).   This sense of steadiness makes it easy for others to feel safe and comfortable with her, which I’m sure contributes to her being an amazing pelvic floor physical therapist.  Sarah also shared her knowledge with us, but in a safe way that allowed her stability to help increase our own personal steadiness.

Confidence: Erica

Confidence and empowerment are the key characteristics that stuck with me based on my interactions with Erica.  She isn’t one of those “in your face” type of motivators nor is she over-confident.  Rather, she is an “old soul” who knows what she wants and is willing to work for it.  She is also willing to wait for it, not settling for less than what she deserves.  I was so impressed by how she persevered through 43 Match.com dates and is now about to marry her perfect man.  I want to live out that type of confidence in my own life.

Hopefulness: Denise

If you haven’t realized it yet, hope is a very important word to me.  So one who lives out and exudes the feminine characteristic of hopefulness is certainly someone I’m drawn to.  Denise came across as reserved yet hopeful, holding an expectation for what she desires.  Her optimism is quiet, but strong—not letting the bad experiences of the past hold her back from faithfully pursuing her dreams.  I could sense the power of hopefulness building in her as the retreat progressed, and I couldn’t help but soak in some of that hope energy for myself.

Power: Gina

Speaking of power…that is the best word I can find to describe Gina.  Not just any kind of power, but transformative power.  The kind that can only come out of great hardship and her own powerful transformation.  She held an aura of boldness about her and I loved hearing her stories about how she is using this power to help others find their own transformation and healing.  That is the type of feminine power we could all use more of in this world.

Lovingkindness: Angel

Love, joy, positivity—Angel embodied the feminine characteristic of lovingkindness in a way that was palpable.  She has the sweetest voice and countenance, and she gave the absolute best hugs!  Most of all she has this amazing view of goodness in the world despite the many difficulties she has experienced.  I couldn’t help but feel love and joy when I was around her.  It seemed to pour out from her like a beautiful fragrance or cool breeze that you couldn’t help but smile and receive.

Enthusiasm: Perri

Perry had such a positive energy and enthusiasm about her that was infectious.  She was alive, full of excitement and expectant for the good things to come.  Even the simplest conversation would express her encouragement and motivation for all things in life.  She is an endo-warrior and nothing will stand in her way.  I couldn’t help but feel excited for all the ways we will change the world together!

Spunk: Emily

I had a hard time settling on just the right word to describe Emily, but I think the best way to sum it up is to say she has spunk.  She has courage and a willingness to try new things, like coming to a pelvic health retreat even when she wasn’t experiencing a specific pelvic health issue.  More than just courageous, Emily is fun, friendly, and open in a way I only dream of.  She shared about the belly dancing class she is taking and was fully open to everything during the retreat, even sharing her own personal questions and experiences.  We don’t often use the term spunk to describe ourselves as women, but I think it is lost characteristic that we need to bring back in force.

These are many feminine characteristics of the woman I want to be and all were embodied by the amazing women I met at the retreat.  It was a great privilege to spend those days with them, sharing in the power of the retreat, receiving their amazing gifts of vulnerability and authenticity while feeling secure to share my own.  It wasn’t just their unique stories that inspired me, but who they each were—their entire being.  All are positively impacting their spheres of influence, changing the world one life at a time…in different ways, but all out of the same feminine energy that lives in each of us.

*In case you are wondering, no I am not writing about myself in the third person.  I have discovered over my lifetime that Sarah’s like to travel in two’s!