Last year I attended the Bring on the Bling, Dress for Success event and witnessed an amazing young woman share her story. It brought tears to my eyes and stirred my heart. So this year, I decided to play a bigger role and become one of the sponsors for the event. In the meantime an article was written about me in Refined Kingston Magazine – guess who showed up to write the article! The same woman I saw speak. In my doorway stood Kimberly Falk. The Universe has a way of bringing things full circle. This week I share the tender words from Kimberly who attended the Urban Goddess retreat I offer. The magic continues! Thank you Kimberley.
Deeper Breath, Deeper Life
By Kimberley Falk
I’ve always been a positive person, for the most part living life like every moment was a gift. What seems like a lifetime ago, but was still enough years to count on both hands, I was faced with difficult times. I was in a situation where, instead of being supported, I was pushed down. I began to hate myself and self-punish myself. I needed to get to that breaking point before I woke up and began loving myself again. Now, five years later, I’m still always on the defense, always waiting for someone to let me down – to use me. I hadn’t really realized that I was full of so much anger – and how much it was affecting my life and the way I treated myself and those around me – until I spent a weekend with Cheryl Hiebert. The truth is, I can’t stand to look at myself anymore, and Cheryl helped me look at myself in an entirely new, beautiful way.
Every woman deserves to be respected, cherished, and to live without violence or hate. We’re often raised to believe that we need to work a little harder to receive the same things as our counterparts. We sometimes live mediocre lives because someone told us that was all we’re worth. So many women compete with each other and lose the sense of sisterhood we should always have among each other. We need above all else to discover our own self-worth and to love and values ourselves and one another – and society today has gotten so busy that we’ve forgotten why we’re here.
Why am I here? I asked myself before stepping out of my car and walking to Cheryl’s for her Urban Goddess Retreat this past March. There were so many other things I needed to be doing; I just didn’t have the time to take an entire weekend out to drink tea and meditate.
Asking myself that same question once the retreat had begun, I knew the answer. I was here to find the beauty and strength in myself again. It wasn’t long before the deep secrets and connection with these six other women came out. We were given the opportunity to speak about every weight we had and to shake out all the false truths and lies we had been holding on to for so long. I went home that first night feeling like I was floating above the hurt and the pain, when before I was barely breathing above water. And I hasve remained that way since, no longer letting the things that used to affect me take over; then came the second day.
“We identify as women, and that goddess feminine essence is playful, intuitive, bold, brave, and in her power.”
I cried so many times that weekend, for myself and the women around me. I had this waiting brim of moisture in my eyes at all times. Even the simple act of learning how to breath properly again brought out my pent up emotions. So many times, my laughs turned into tears. I learned so much from Cheryl, the other ladies, and myself.
“Deeper breath, deeper life” – were some of the wise words Cheryl shared with us during our meditation and yoga practice.
By holding hands with each woman, we transformed our self-hate and the negative feelings within us and took in the love from the sister beside us. We were enlightened to the fact that we are all the same; we all have the same worries and fears.
“What is a modern day goddess? Where is our divine feminine goddess? It’s who we are at our core, we’re not here to just “make do” – where we’re just making it to the next of something without ever reaching our truth. We need to bring the energy to ourselves, that good supportive energy.”
Cheryl Hiebert’s Urban Goddess Retreat is more than two days of intensive self-care that brings back the essence in our feminine assets and celebrates our sensuality and sexuality, it’s a reawakening of the sleeping goddess within us. It’s a cleansing of the negative feelings and hurt we hold inside us.
Now, a month later, I am still open to changes in my life. I recognize when someone is using me because they know I long for approval and love – and I can find that love from the right sources, and I will. I look forward to spending more time loving the woman and goddess in me, and less time letting the hate and past trauma take over my life.