I want to tell you a story.

In 2016, a dear friend of mine invited me to assist her at a retreat she was putting on. She needed someone to help her with the logistics, to support her where she needed it, and to be an extra resource for her participants.

I was in the middle of going through my divorce at the time. I was going through my own personal crisis and transformation and figured, what can it hurt? I'd be able to help my friend while at the same time being able to benefit from the programing she put together for the retreat.

I got way more than I bargained for.

It was Saturday morning of the weekend and my friend had us sitting in a circle around a punching bag. I really didn't know what to expect. In fact, I was a little nervous about it.

She was on her knees with a rubber tube in her hands explaining how this next exercise will help us find our Yes’s and our No’s. One of the women in the circle speaks up and says, “Can you demonstrate for us?”

My friend—a woman who I deeply respect and admire—tells us that when she was married she desperately wanted to take an internship. She went to her husband to declare this, but her husband said it wasn’t a good idea. Even though he was purchasing season tickets to Gator football, he didn’t think they could afford the expense.

As she finished her story, she turned away from us, faced the bag and hit it with all her might and cried out, “YES!” She hit the bag again, and with an even greater fervor shouted “YES” once more—stronger and more fierce—“YES!”

She turned to face the circle and could see by the looks on our faces we were scared to death to do what she was asking us to do.

I had a visceral reaction to watching this unfold, to recognizing what she was asking me to do. My body began to tremble, tears ran down my face and I was beginning to lose my breath. She called on one of the circle members to go first. One by one, the other women pounded this bag, proclaiming “YES!” and releasing “NO!”

I watched them, one by one, struggle and fall to pieces in front of this bag and knew this was to be my fate as well. I sat there wondering what I was so afraid of. How could the anticipation of hitting a punching bag elicit such fear and sadness that it literally took my breath away? I was overwhelmed.

I was very present and aware of my reaction, of my fear. I’m a yoga teacher after all. What I teach is awareness.

But how did I get to this point? How did I get to this moment where the thought of hitting a bag while shouting YES or NO stirred up so much emotion that I wanted to just run out of that room like a prisoner from her cell. I would have done anything to avoid that moment.

But I didn't!

I went through this sacred exercise with the rest of the women and after that, everything changed for me.

I was able to manage the challenges of my divorce with a clarity that I didn't have before the retreat.

This retreat was a pivotal moment for my healing and growth through my divorce.

I was never the same.

The friend that created this healing for me is Wendy Crane. And she's co-facilitating this Fall Wellness Retreat.

Wendy is an amazing marriage and family therapist (this is my unsolicited and bias opinion but none the less valuable). She has more than 20 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. She's an advanced clinical hypnotherapist and studied psychodrama, and breathwork. And to top it all off she completed the same 200-hour yoga teacher training program that I did.

All this incredible experience gives her a unique ability to understand the mind, body, spirit connection within the context of mental health. It's inspired her to create a holistic approach that combines counseling, hypnotherapy, and the principles and practices of yoga and meditation.

And she's going to bring all this experience, heart and soul to the Fall Wellness Retreat.

Are you ready? Are you ready to experience healing and growth? Are you ready for support through transformation? Are you ready to give yourself a much needed retreat?