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Take a "Tour" of a Womanheart Retreat
Experience Five Days Like No Other!
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As the sun rises with its golden rays crossing the horizon, the women are gathered in deep meditation, their faces shining, each in her own particular picture of bliss.
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Easy and Energizing Yoga, Peaceful Meditations
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They have been there since they gathered in the still pre-dawn darkness an hour earlier, engaging in simple, energizing yoga, deep breathing techniques and chanting. Their voices rose before the song of the first bird. And, as retreat leader Sangeet Kaur Khalsa tells them, it is their voices and divine presence that outshines the sun.
It is a sacred start of a most sacred day. It is known as sadhana which means "daily spiritual practice".
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All at the retreat look forward to this because it is a time when they experience their special relationship with Creator and, in that experience, they discover how very special they are.
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Sharing Hugs and Dancing with Joy!
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Afterwards they share hugs, little snippets of thoughts and feelings, and often link arms in a circle and dance and laugh as the meditation music continues playing. It is a time no one wants to see end.
Even as they drift off in twos or threes for a short walk before breakfast, and later they gather again for the first meal, the magical feeling remains. They laugh in happy anticipation as the steaming pots of Yogi Tea are served along with the breakfast buffet of fruits and granola, bagels and toast, fresh juice and teas. It is a unique five-day journey into self-illumination.
The morning lecture may find Sangeet guiding everyone through meditations, then on to discussions based on timeless wisdom about the roles of men and women and how women have the power to elevate and uplift lives of countless others.
There is a bonding between the women that starts to happen that very first day. It grows between people who only hours before were strangers to each other. And by the end of the five days many of those bonds have grown so strong they will last a lifetime.
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Sharing Personal Stories, Friendships Grow
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Everyone joins an Angel Group led by staff members. One group is the Morning Wake-up Angels. They rise each morning a little earlier than theothers so they can go around to each room, knock on each door and
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warmly call each one to join in sadhana. Another group is called the Healing Angels. At various times during the day, they offer brief shoulder and neck rubs, or Reiki energy to perk up folks around them.
The Personal Touch Angels do sweet things to lighten each person's day. One group wrote sweet notes and left them at each lunch and dinner place setting as a type of fortune cookie without the cookie!
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Rewriting Wom en's History
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But the most unusual group of all is the core of volunteers who raise their hands for the challenge of "rewriting women's history". Their challenge may be the most difficult, but perhaps the most rewarding. Gathering after meals and during break-times, they rewrite a well known childhood story so that the main character is transformed from living a co-dependent love script into a truly strong, compassionate, yet conscious young woman. The revolution affects all the characters in the cast. |
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The Saturday night performance brings much laughter and a lot of head-nodding agreement.
Sangeet Teaches Simple Yoga and Energizing Breathing Techniques
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The yoga is simple, easy-to-do and highly effective. Combined with the breathing techniques Sangeet teaches, it helps everyone increase mental clarity, decrease stress and anxiety, and come to a new experience with their inner strength as powerful women.
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The subjects covered in the five days bring a kaleidoscope of fresh perspectives into the role of women in modern society. Sangeet brings insight into coping with stress and anxiety, ways to gain mental clarity, how to avoid the "falling in love" trap, how to handle the hormonal cycles of women and men (yes they have cycles too!), and how to deal with death and how to help the soul rise.
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| Most of all, Sangeet gives each woman new ways to enjoy her gifts of being born a woman by learning how to live the sacred life God meant her to enjoy. "It is your birthright to be bountiful, blissful and beautiful," she says. "The goal of Womanheart is to help you discover these qualities in your lives, and then maintain them each and every day." |
| For some the bliss comes in quiet meditation; for others in the spirit of song and dance. One staff member leads everyone in a spirited folk dance from northern India called Bhangra. It's a joy to kick up our heels and swing with the happy movements.Then, later, the staff shares another dance form done only with arm movements that illustrate a story. It is called "celestial communications." |
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As if food for the heart, mind and soul were not enough, food for the tummy is enjoyed by all. Past graduates of Womanheart Retreats have helped design the international menu, which features a variety of all-vegetarian meals, including Chinese, Italian, Indian, Middle Eastern and American Southwest style. There is plenty for all. Most crowd around for seconds and on the last day a special Womanheart cake surprises everyone.
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| After each midday meal there is quiet time ending with a yogic practice called the "layout", a 15-minute relaxation time which aids digestion and helps build the nervous system. At the end of the day, before and after the evening meal, there is time for walks and quiet time. |
| A Special Moonlight Healing Meditation Circle |
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The evenings offer special times for sharing. One night a special moonlight healing meditation circle brings everyone together to sing an ancient meditative chant that offers healing energy on all levels for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
During a morning or afternoon class, many things can happen. Sometimes the women gather in small groups to discuss a subject, or reflect by themselves.
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Putting Together My Personal Daily Womanheart Program
On the last day, everyone puts together their first "Personal Daily Womanheart Program" which combines yoga and meditation for their own sadhana. The choice of yoga exercises and a specific meditation will reflect their mental and emotional needs at the time.
Designed by Sangeet to help each woman target those principal areas that need strengthening, the brief self-evaluation questionnaire can be used time and again to help each woman create new morning routines so that as their issues and needs change, so too will their daily program.
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| Supporting all this new learning is a comprehensive 150 page Womanheart Resource Manual which is included with the Retreat. The Resource Manual includes the self-evaluation process as well as many examples of yoga, meditation, breathing techniques and self-therapies that help support each person's daily Womanheart program in the months and years to come. |
| CDs and Books to Support Your Growth |
| At the end of each day CDs, books and other items that support your growth path are available for purchase. Popular items that are perfect companions to the Retreat include Sangeet's Book "Womanheart - Healing Our Relationships, Loving Ourselves" and her meditation CDs. Books and CDs by other authors and artists as well as Womanheart tee shirts and tote bags are also available. |
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| Sangeet's book "Womanheart® - Healing Our Relationships, Loving Ourselves" covers many of the subjects she touches upon at the retreat, but in far more depth. It is one of those books you find yourself giving to friends for their enjoyment and growth.
A variety of meditation CDs and books enhance the experience and further help each woman "take home" her piece of the Womanheart experience.
Womanheart Retreats are very popular and sell out quickly. We don't want you (and your friends!) to miss your opportunity to be part of the upcoming Retreat.
You can call us in North America toll-free at (888) WOMANHEART (that's 888-966-2643). Remember, there are "Early Registration Discounts" as well as "Bring A Friend Discounts", so please tell your friends about Womanheart!
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Womanheart 
