The inspiration behind creating and offering this specific retreat for women with endometriosis
As many of you may know reading this that my name is Mary Jo and I am a Co-Director of Vibrant Living Retreat in Hanmer Springs with my husband Steve. I have being running Mountain View Massage Day Spa for over 5 years and I notice that many of my female clients over the years have endometriosis. The youngest age I have come across is 13yrs young !
Last year I met a 30 year old Japanese Massage Therapist from whom shared with me than in Japan most of her friends have endometriosis and it is thought normal to have it, she herself had it for many years.
It really touches my heart and ignites a passion in me when I hear women's endometriosis stories. Over the years Women have shared with me there unique journeys of surgery and putting up with the pain that they have been going through for many years. Sometimes women will share with me the challenges of fertility, IVF treatments and the eventually decision to have a hysterectomy. Or sometimes women share there stories of the miracle of conceiving when they had given up all hope and there delight in motherhood.
Even though I was never diagnosed with endometriosis myself, I have the suspicion that I was heading down this track before I started to really learn about my body-mind-emotional health and thus make changes in my life habits and subconscious attitude and beliefs about what it means to be a women in todays world.
I think it is important to remember women of the world, that we have been brought up in a predominately patriarchy society and that has only being changing dramatically in the latter years. Hence there is much confusion in our collective mental , emotional bodies and psyche about our definition around being a women, what it means ; what values, influence and assumptions it upholds in our personal life and within society at large. I feel it is imperative that we take some time to reflect about the ingrained attitude and habits about women hood that we picked up from our parents, family dynamics, culture, religion, society etc
"A patriarchal social system can be defined as a system where men are in authority over women in all aspects of society. In modern American culture and society, the idea of patriarchy is not as accepted or practiced as it once was decades ago."
My perception of being a women at a very young age was not particularly great. I witnessed my depressed and over weight mother suffer with heavy periods and an inability to take care of herself physically, mentally or emotionally. In my childlike mind I concluded that to be a women was to be weak, unhappy and not desirable. As I transitioned into puberty at age 11/12yrs of age I wished it away and I do not recall anything pleasant or desirable about the experience of transforming into women hood. My own menstrual periods use to be much more painful and distressing as a teenager and in my early 20's than they are now. I use to have to take pain killers and generally felt weak and edgy for a few days.
I believe that through my own learning about how to take better care of my health in body, mind and emotions over the years I experience less intensity of discomfort. I generally do not take any kind of medication nowadays. I would have to say that I am still on my journey and each month I get my period offers me another fresh new opportunity to orientate to my women-hood and femininity with either old habitual resistance thoughts which sometimes happen (when I wish it away) or to purposefully take the reins on my newer mindful thoughts that embrace, honour and empower my experiences as a women moment to moment.
A few years back I was planing a 3 day tramp hike in the St James. On the day we were due to leave my period came and all of a sudden I started to lose my motivation and excitement about the trip. My mind started with negative thoughts about how it wasn't a good idea, I would not have the energy I needed for the walk. What was even stranger to me at the time was that the girlfriend I was due to go with had a different issue around her periods, she had not gotten hers in a few years and really wanted hers to come back. She shared with me something that blew my mind in a really good way, that for her she had always believed that getting her period was when she was at her more stronger time within herself. In that moment I realised that I had never up until that point even considered that when I got my period I could actually feel more powerful within myself and energised as a women.
That conversation opened my mind to the possibility that perhaps I could embrace a different belief and perception to cultivate a more rewarding relationship with my menstrual cycles and blood. Nowadays I do what I can to celebrate and fully embrace my femininity as truly sacred and innately powerful as a beautiful creative force of vital expression.
I have being busy developing my new feminine attitude and wellness habits over the latter years. Some months during my period my husband Steve will ask me light heartedly if I am celebrating my femininity. This is how he supports my new intention to create a different experience in relationship to my menstrual cycles and definition of being a powerful women in the world that welcomes and freely expresses her femininity as something to celebrate instead of wish away.
All in all I know my experience is a shadow of what other women have gone through with having Endometriosis over many years. I am glad to have spoken to women over the years directly about there experiences and read about others with this condition known as Endometriosis.
What my own personal experiences has given me is some insight and compassion to the challenges that present in the face of transforming ones experience of being a women into something more pleasurable, powerful and welcomed on a emotional and mental level each and every day. (daily thoughts become habits and habits become things) It is a transformation to support the entrainment of new brain neural pathways of information and imaging for the body to align with. A new blueprint representing what it means to be of women hood that is to be handed down to the next generation of young women.
My 3 Day Endometriosis Retreat is a opportunity for women to come together to learn from each other while relaxing and pampering the self in a supportive and enjoyable wellness environment. I share a little of my story in the hope that it may bring a little light, insight and opportunity to others to keep learning and stay open to new possibilities and ways to navigate and harmonise the dis-ease of the body system. This retreat is a chance for women to share as much or as little of there own stories and journey through the journey of women hood.
I am very aware that each person is unique and on a personal journey of discovery of what works and suits them best through both western and eastern medicine systems. It is my intention to hold a nurturing space that honours each person, a space to share personal experiences and enjoy positive B.M.S. self care tools that support greater ease, release and joy in the body.
I am delighted to bring women together on these 3 day one of a kind Endo Retreats held twice yearly in Hanmer Springs to support, inspire and uplift one another in community, commonality and friendship.
BOOK YOUR ONE OF A KIND ENDO RETREAT EXPERIENCE
To learn more about this retreat and book your space Click HERE Next Retreat November 17th-20th 2015
Spaces are limited to a maximum or 6 or 8 women per retreat held twice yearly. Make sure to book early.
ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS TO HELP US CREATE THE BEST ENDO RETREAT EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE
I AM reaching out to women with endometriosis to answer a few questions in my survey to help me create the best Endometriosis Wellness Retreat ~ 3 day transformational experience.
To participate in Mary Jo'S Endo Retreat Survey please click HERE Thank you in advance :-)
JOIN MARY JO'S WELLNESS NEWSLETTER
Sign up for Mary jo's Newsletter to receive her latest Transformational Wellness Retreats for Women, Special offerings, Life Affirming Trainings, Self Empowerment Healing Modalities and Uplifting Events held at Vibrant Living Retreat in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand.
As many of you may know reading this that my name is Mary Jo and I am a Co-Director of Vibrant Living Retreat in Hanmer Springs with my husband Steve. I have being running Mountain View Massage Day Spa for over 5 years and I notice that many of my female clients over the years have endometriosis. The youngest age I have come across is 13yrs young !
Last year I met a 30 year old Japanese Massage Therapist from whom shared with me than in Japan most of her friends have endometriosis and it is thought normal to have it, she herself had it for many years.
It really touches my heart and ignites a passion in me when I hear women's endometriosis stories. Over the years Women have shared with me there unique journeys of surgery and putting up with the pain that they have been going through for many years. Sometimes women will share with me the challenges of fertility, IVF treatments and the eventually decision to have a hysterectomy. Or sometimes women share there stories of the miracle of conceiving when they had given up all hope and there delight in motherhood.
Even though I was never diagnosed with endometriosis myself, I have the suspicion that I was heading down this track before I started to really learn about my body-mind-emotional health and thus make changes in my life habits and subconscious attitude and beliefs about what it means to be a women in todays world.
I think it is important to remember women of the world, that we have been brought up in a predominately patriarchy society and that has only being changing dramatically in the latter years. Hence there is much confusion in our collective mental , emotional bodies and psyche about our definition around being a women, what it means ; what values, influence and assumptions it upholds in our personal life and within society at large. I feel it is imperative that we take some time to reflect about the ingrained attitude and habits about women hood that we picked up from our parents, family dynamics, culture, religion, society etc
"A patriarchal social system can be defined as a system where men are in authority over women in all aspects of society. In modern American culture and society, the idea of patriarchy is not as accepted or practiced as it once was decades ago."
My perception of being a women at a very young age was not particularly great. I witnessed my depressed and over weight mother suffer with heavy periods and an inability to take care of herself physically, mentally or emotionally. In my childlike mind I concluded that to be a women was to be weak, unhappy and not desirable. As I transitioned into puberty at age 11/12yrs of age I wished it away and I do not recall anything pleasant or desirable about the experience of transforming into women hood. My own menstrual periods use to be much more painful and distressing as a teenager and in my early 20's than they are now. I use to have to take pain killers and generally felt weak and edgy for a few days.
I believe that through my own learning about how to take better care of my health in body, mind and emotions over the years I experience less intensity of discomfort. I generally do not take any kind of medication nowadays. I would have to say that I am still on my journey and each month I get my period offers me another fresh new opportunity to orientate to my women-hood and femininity with either old habitual resistance thoughts which sometimes happen (when I wish it away) or to purposefully take the reins on my newer mindful thoughts that embrace, honour and empower my experiences as a women moment to moment.
A few years back I was planing a 3 day tramp hike in the St James. On the day we were due to leave my period came and all of a sudden I started to lose my motivation and excitement about the trip. My mind started with negative thoughts about how it wasn't a good idea, I would not have the energy I needed for the walk. What was even stranger to me at the time was that the girlfriend I was due to go with had a different issue around her periods, she had not gotten hers in a few years and really wanted hers to come back. She shared with me something that blew my mind in a really good way, that for her she had always believed that getting her period was when she was at her more stronger time within herself. In that moment I realised that I had never up until that point even considered that when I got my period I could actually feel more powerful within myself and energised as a women.
That conversation opened my mind to the possibility that perhaps I could embrace a different belief and perception to cultivate a more rewarding relationship with my menstrual cycles and blood. Nowadays I do what I can to celebrate and fully embrace my femininity as truly sacred and innately powerful as a beautiful creative force of vital expression.
I have being busy developing my new feminine attitude and wellness habits over the latter years. Some months during my period my husband Steve will ask me light heartedly if I am celebrating my femininity. This is how he supports my new intention to create a different experience in relationship to my menstrual cycles and definition of being a powerful women in the world that welcomes and freely expresses her femininity as something to celebrate instead of wish away.
All in all I know my experience is a shadow of what other women have gone through with having Endometriosis over many years. I am glad to have spoken to women over the years directly about there experiences and read about others with this condition known as Endometriosis.
What my own personal experiences has given me is some insight and compassion to the challenges that present in the face of transforming ones experience of being a women into something more pleasurable, powerful and welcomed on a emotional and mental level each and every day. (daily thoughts become habits and habits become things) It is a transformation to support the entrainment of new brain neural pathways of information and imaging for the body to align with. A new blueprint representing what it means to be of women hood that is to be handed down to the next generation of young women.
My 3 Day Endometriosis Retreat is a opportunity for women to come together to learn from each other while relaxing and pampering the self in a supportive and enjoyable wellness environment. I share a little of my story in the hope that it may bring a little light, insight and opportunity to others to keep learning and stay open to new possibilities and ways to navigate and harmonise the dis-ease of the body system. This retreat is a chance for women to share as much or as little of there own stories and journey through the journey of women hood.
I am very aware that each person is unique and on a personal journey of discovery of what works and suits them best through both western and eastern medicine systems. It is my intention to hold a nurturing space that honours each person, a space to share personal experiences and enjoy positive B.M.S. self care tools that support greater ease, release and joy in the body.
I am delighted to bring women together on these 3 day one of a kind Endo Retreats held twice yearly in Hanmer Springs to support, inspire and uplift one another in community, commonality and friendship.
BOOK YOUR ONE OF A KIND ENDO RETREAT EXPERIENCE
To learn more about this retreat and book your space Click HERE Next Retreat November 17th-20th 2015
Spaces are limited to a maximum or 6 or 8 women per retreat held twice yearly. Make sure to book early.
ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS TO HELP US CREATE THE BEST ENDO RETREAT EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE
I AM reaching out to women with endometriosis to answer a few questions in my survey to help me create the best Endometriosis Wellness Retreat ~ 3 day transformational experience.
To participate in Mary Jo'S Endo Retreat Survey please click HERE Thank you in advance :-)
JOIN MARY JO'S WELLNESS NEWSLETTER
Sign up for Mary jo's Newsletter to receive her latest Transformational Wellness Retreats for Women, Special offerings, Life Affirming Trainings, Self Empowerment Healing Modalities and Uplifting Events held at Vibrant Living Retreat in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand.
