Every weekday morning I invite you Behind the Scenes at my studio.
Today: As I’m thinking about all the ways we shy away from our strengths and how we can embrace them.
Today: As I’m thinking about all the ways we shy away from our strengths and how we can embrace them.
Molly Gordon is a sage and trickster for the spiritually and psychologically savvy. Her lifetime project is to wake up and be the vehicle for awakening others to their limitless capacity to create lives they love. Known for her creativity and humor (she once knit a vest for her ’67 Volkswagen Beetle), Molly is a sought-after presenter for live and virtual events for spiritually oriented entrepreneurs.
In 2003 Molly earned her Master Certified Coach credential and since then has been active as an assessor in the ICF’s credentialing program. She is a certified Mentor Coach and an instructor in the Coaching Certificate Program at the University of Miami. In 2014 Molly convened a conversation with several of the top coaches in the country to explore emerging trends and innovations in transformational coaching.
Molly brings diverse trainings and experiences to the transformational coaching conversation. Her studies range from Jungian psychology to Improv to Integral theory and methodology. She trained as a certified facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie and completed a mentorship program in The Three Principles with Pransky & Associates.
Molly and her husband Miles live in Suquamish, Washington, with two cats—Catalina and Squeak—and three hens: Clover, Hazel, and Viola Swamp. When not coaching or hanging out with their astonishingly talented grandchildren, she gardens, reads, cycles, and tools around Puget Sound on a bright yellow paddleboard.
Special Offer! Molly is currently offering Pay What You Choose coaching. This is a great opportunity to work with an experienced and masterful coach at a price that works for you.
Imagine waking up every day knowing that you will be cared for and nourished and that there is space for you and your dreams.
Imagine spending time in lush, abundant surroundings, all of which whisper to you that anything is possible.
Imagine spending 6 days in a circle with other women: creating community, journaling, practicing gratitude, making magic, holding space for each other, and believing in our dreams.
Imagine a space where there is nothing to change, nothing to fix and nowhere to be, apart from listening to yourself and learning how to hear and follow your own Holy Yes.
The Holy Yes is the knowing that makes you take a deep breath whenever you think about your dream.
The Holy Yes knows without a shadow of a doubt that this decision is the right one.
The Holy Yes knows all of the reasons why this is crazy, but it knows to its toes that it is actually the only sane choice.
The Holy Yes immediately connects you with helpers, guides and magic.
The Holy Yes is the only choice you can make.
And you can make it. With space, with practice and with support you will hear that voice again and you will know what to do.
And that’s what The Holy Yes Retreat is all about.
It’s about you honouring yourself with time for yourself. It’s about you connecting to your own energy ~ to the divine spark within. It’s about you remembering who you are. It’s about you being completely taken care of ~ in paradise ~ while you connect with other women, with your spirit, with your voice…
It’s about you.
Magical. Vibrant. Warm. Joyful. Transformational.
The magic will begin as soon as you say yes. When you register, you will receive an email from us confirming all of the details.
As the retreat gets closer, you will also receive all the practical details you need to make the journey easy, from how to arrange for travel to suggestions of what to pack. We want all of the externals to be light so that you can focus your attention on the journey within.
As soon as you arrive, you will feel the magic of paradise – the scent of the tropics, the sounds of the wildlife, the tastes of fresh, organic food, and the warmth and welcome of this part of the earth.
Then we will gather – like-spirited women ready to connect to ourselves, to one another and to the truth in our hearts. We will begin a time of shared meals, guided adventures – within Costa Rica and within ourselves – and together we will discover magic. Each of us will be changed by what we share.
Picture yourself in a 4* hotel on the south pacific coast of Costa Rica with infinity pool, spa, and an attentive staff to take care of you. Toucans and monkeys play in the trees around the hotel. We’ll gather together for breakfast and dinner in the lovely open-air restaurant with its view of the sea (where every single thing on the menu is gluten free!) On most days after breakfast we will travel to our very own beautiful house for the rest of the day, where we will dream and write and stretch, have lunch and fruit and coconuts, swim and laugh and tune in to our own Holy Yes. There will also be plenty of time to rest, reflect, or even book a spa treatment. It is all about caring for you.
While we are sharing the hotel with other guests, we will have an entire ocean-view mansion to ourselves every single day! With a circular terrace, a covered eating area, an infinity pool, and stunning ocean views, you will feel like you have properly arrived in paradise. All of this wonder and beauty will open you up up up, so you have lots of room to dream of possibilities.
In our workshops we will be exploring themes such as gratitude, presence, longing and listening as over the week we reclaim our Holy Yes. Our schedule also includes time for journaling, sharing, daily movement practice, and lots of time for reflection or hanging out by the pool. We will spend one morning at the beach, followed by a barbecue lunch, and another morning playing in the jungle.
We’ll be eating all of our meals at the hotel together; indulging in fresh fruit, eggs, and Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican rice and beans) for breakfast. There will be meat, fish and vegetarian options for lunch and dinner. The hotel owner has his own permaculture farm where his team grow many of the fruits and vegetables and herbs used in the restaurant. In their own words, the hotel is ‘the first international gourmet cuisine 100% Gluten Free restaurant in Costa Rica.’
The motto for Costa Rica is Pura Vida. In English, this means ‘pure life’, and there isn’t a better way to describe this country! Even though Costa Rica only takes up 0.03% of the planet, it hosts more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity. It is impossible to come here and not see or eat something remarkable. It is the place that called Meghan in her own Holy Yes. We are so excited to share this beautiful country with you.
All of your accommodation, all breakfasts, dinners, four lunches, all retreat activities, supplies for the workshops, tea, coffee, juice and lots of coconuts!
Airfare, airport transfers*, alcohol, accommodation before or after the retreat (although the hotel will offer you a discount if you would like to stay before or after), one lunch (you’ll be able to choose for yourself where you want to eat when we visit the surf town of Dominical), spa treatments, (there is a spa on site and plenty of down time to book yourself some pampering) and sunscreen.
We will email you all with lots of travel suggestions once you register, but please remember that travel is not included in the price of the retreat.
*The hotel will be running one (pre-booked only) airport shuttle from Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría in San Jose on Monday morning, and one back to the airport after breakfast on Sunday. These and only these shuttles are complementary. Any airport transfers apart from this shuttle are not included and will cost approximately $200. We strongly recommend that you fly to San Jose the day or a few days before and stay in one of the hotels nearby. Then you will make the shuttle and be refreshed and ready for the retreat. Another option is that you could rent a car at the airport and spend time exploring this beautiful country before and/ or after the retreat.
(Juan Santamaría airport is approximately 3 – 3.5 hours away from the hotel, depending on traffic.)
There are 12 spaces available for this retreat.
Private Deluxe Room – $ 2,500
Shared Deluxe Room – $ 1,800
Deluxe Rooms are richly decorated with Colonial and Asian details, all with ocean or jungle view from their terraces or balconies. A/C and two ceiling fans, Cable TV, WiFi access, mini bar, safe, coffee maker, private bathroom with bathtub/shower and hairdryer, alarm clock, and telephone are all included. Deluxe Rooms have one queen size bed or two beds (queen + full size). These rooms are located in front of the infinity edge swimming pool.
Private Jungle Room – $ 1,900
Shared Jungle Room with twin beds – $ 1,500
Jungle Rooms are decorated in Caribbean style with private balconies looking at the tropical forest. A/C and ceiling fan, mini bar, safe, Cable TV, private bathroom with shower, and telephone are all included. Jungle Rooms have one full size bed or two separate twin beds. The access is by stairs (about 40 steps) and there is also a ramp.
When registering, you will be asked to either pay a $500 deposit or the full amount. Please note that all room bookings are subject to hotel availability and no room choice/ booking is confirmed until you receive it from us in writing. In the event that your chosen room is not available, we will contact you and discuss options. You will also fill out a brief questionnaire about your room preference, any food allergies, etc. After you secure your spot, if you chose to pay a deposit, we will be in touch with you about paying for the remainder. You’ll be able to choose to pay in one or two further instalments. All retreat fees must be paid in full by December 1, 2015.
You must either pay a deposit or pay in full to secure a spot at the retreat. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use Paypal, as they will process all major credit cards and cheques. If you would rather pay the deposit by PayPal and the remainder via bank transfer, simply let us know.
Costa Rica is a country that is home to active volcanos and with both a Caribbean and a Pacific Coast. This means that ‘acts of God’ are a distinct possibility. In the event of acts of God or unforeseen circumstances, the organiser reserves the right to reschedule the Holy Yes Retreat.
Because of the nature of this retreat, cancellations will not be fully or partially refunded, but your spot is transferrable. This means that if you find that you can’t come, you can sell or gift your spot to someone else. If the retreat is full and we have a waiting list, we will help you make contact with the next person on the list.
There will be no exceptions to this policy.
We want you to be sure about this, so if you have any questions, please contact us.
Jamie Ridler is a creative force! From her popular Creative Living with Jamie Podcast to her inspirational Behind the Scenes vlogs, from innovative workshops to inspirational blogging, Jamie helps others bring their creativity to life! As founder of Jamie Ridler Studios, she has helped thousands of women around the world find the confidence and courage to discover and express their creative spirit, whether that means re-discovering their artistic self or bringing more of their creative capacity to their life and business. Jamie is a magic maker, a possibility awakener and a deep believer in dreams!
Meghan Genge is a storyteller, a teacher and author of the inspirational novel, Unfurl. After learning very early how precious life is, she started a journey that involved many leaps of faith and a firm belief in magic. She has taught in classrooms, lecture halls and beside campfires, and now knows for sure that the most powerful way to reach the soul is by telling it a story. Meghan and her husband have just sold nearly everything and moved from the UK to the southern coast of Costa Rica and are now beginning the process of creating a sacred art and creativity space in the jungle. You can read more about their adventure here.
Today: As Meghan Genge and I ready to open the Holy Yes Retreat, I’m thinking about the power of resonance, it’s impact on change and our human dance between intimacy and independence. Plus, I’m thoroughly blessed with jewellery gifts from my sister Suzie and her new High Tea Gypsy Boutique.
The kittens have their own blog.
Today: Opening up to possibility leads to amazing adventures, like this journey I’ve been on with three abandoned kittens! Look how far we’ve come!
The kittens have their own blog.
This week I’ve shared some of my history with the tarot, plus flip-throughs of my four core tarot decks. It’s inspired some great conversations about cards, tarot and also creativity. Is the tarot really a resource that belongs in the studio? Let’s explore the connection.
The tarot transmits its messages through a language of images and symbols, a language that is shared with the creative arts. We can enrich our knowledge of and connection to this way of communication by contemplating the form and meaning of archetypal images expressed in the tarot, such as star, moon, chariot, tower, cups, queens and swords.
Each reading of the tarot becomes a personal narrative for the subject. As the reader, you develop an ability to see connections and developments, pulling together seemingly disparate pieces into a meaningful story. As creatives, we have a tendency to do this naturally. If I tell you I see a Magician, a Queen of Wands and a sword I bet your imagination starts stirring.
In the studio we often talk about the power of combining structure and freedom in bringing our creativity to life. The tarot is a great expression of this balance. The core meaning of a card is constant (structure) and yet fresh takes reveal themselves within the context of each new reading (freedom).
Interacting with the cards and learning to follow your intuition’s response in the present moment is an exercise in awakening your inner senses, an invaluable tool as you pursue your creative arts.
When people regularly read their cards it is often to become familiar with the trends in their life and well-versed in the leanings of their personality. The more careful attention we pay to the subtleties of our selves and the world around us, the more we can express ourselves with heart, truth and relevance.
Many people who explore the tarot feel inspired to create their own expression of the cards. Let yourself imagine what The Magician or The Queen of Cups means to you and create your own expression of these archetypes.
As you sit down to write a poem or compose a song, as you step onto the dance floor or imagine your next painting or party, start with the tarot. Pull a card and see where it leads you.
Let the Three of Cups be an inspiration for you and your creative life in the week ahead. Look to the 7 creative approaches I’ve outlined for guidance. What are the symbols here? What do they mean to you? What is the story this card is telling? What meaning does that have to you in this very moment? What does your intuition say? What words, sounds, colours, concepts emerge?