Retreat host Renoda Barnes meditates during her Women Evolvn’ Retreat
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A tear rolled slowly down my right cheek. The sensation brought me back into my body unexpectedly, yet I remained calm. I had forgotten where I was for a moment. Time stood still as I regained my senses. I kept my eyes closed as facts flooded my brain…
- I was in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Women Evolvn’ Retreat hosted by Renoda of 4everevolvn.
- I was laying on a yoga mat for a meditation session.
- About 20 minutes prior, we completed a Kemetic Yoga flow, led by Leslie of Black Silt Yoga.
- About 5 minutes prior, I received reiki from Shamanic Reiki Master, Ren.
I felt… weightless.
I felt… present.
I let the flood gates open, and silently sobbed, lifting my arms to cradle myself ever so slightly. I was there. With no expectations, no pressure of the endlessly ticking clock, no obligations. Just there. Just being. Exactly where I was supposed to be.
My intention for the retreat was to slow down,
and in that moment, I did just that.
I felt the combined energies of the other 13 women in the room with me. It was a flurry of feelings…
I felt relief and I felt release. I felt longing and I felt love. I felt power and I felt pain. But overall, I felt the presence of the divine feminine.
There, at the Women Evolvn’ Retreat, 14 women intentionally made time and space for our collective healing. As the busy world roared outside – tackling tedious tasks and defining days by deadlines, I felt that I could take off my masks and let my walls down to relax and receive.
That day, we honored our minds, bodies, and souls. The vision board activity encouraged me to keep my mind open to new opportunities and possibilities. It reminded me that no goal or dream that I could imagine was out of reach for me.
The Kemetic Yoga flow, lovingly led by Leslie, grounded me into my physical body and challenged my balance and mental strength. It reminded me to treat my body as a sacred vessel. Something that stood out to me was Leslie’s reframing of a common yoga pose referred to as “tabletop.”
She asked us to think about how we treat tables versus how we treat altars. While you may throw just anything on a table, an altar is meticulously managed. Everything placed on an altar is intentional. That is how you should treat your body, she told us. Those were wise words with a lasting impact.
The reiki and chakra balancing I recieved from Ren was like a refresh for my spirit. It reminded me that I am never without my personal power and energy. That all I need is within me. It encouraged me to mind my spiritual hygiene and to cleanse my energy as meticulously as I cleanse my body in the shower each day. It truly makes a difference.
The plant based meal we had… Y’all. I would say I have no words, but I’d be lying. Renoda can THROW DOWN! We enjoyed fried oyster mushrooms, greens, potato salad, and candied yams. That was what I call true soul food. It was perfectly seasoned and a perfect reminder that plant based does not equate to flavorless and flat, but instead, bold and BURSTING with flavor (when done right). Amazing. We sat around the table and fellow shipped with each other while nourishing our bodies and refueling. It felt like family. It felt like a holiday. And I surely went back for seconds. Hahaha.
When Renoda first announced her Women Evolvn’ Retreat, I knew I had to be there. And I was right. The entire event was beautifully planned. We didn’t need a five star venue, sweeping views of the city, or an expensive chef whose idea of a vegan entree is a salad. We just needed ourselves, our love, and our collective intention to evolve.
Prior to that day, I had been on go for weeks- overworking, overthinking, and road trippin’ myself into oblivion. From Charlotte to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Houston, from Houston to Atlanta, and so forth.
But none of that mattered that day. I was there. I slowed down, and I let go.
I was present. The real me. Akunna was present.
Infinite gratitude to Renoda for hosting this beautiful retreat, and for the intentional gifts we each departed with- yoni steam herbs, a keychain with an empowering message, a heartfelt letter, and a candle.
Infinite gratitude to Leslie, whose words and reframe of ‘our bodies as altars’ still echo in my mind, over a month after first hearing them.
Infinite gratitude to Ren, who provided a much needed spiritual tune up.
And infinite gratitude to each and every woman who attended the Women Evolvn’ retreat on March 1, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
May you lead with your heart, treat your body as an altar, and forever evolve.
