Moonrise retreat vegan and gluten free

Moonrise or the art of being a woman!

This year I chose to take part to Moonrise: a four days’ retreat organised by Instant Present, a beautiful project that I invite you to discover on line, imagined by two inspiring young women: Marion Thelliez, naturopath, and Laura Wencker, architect and photographer.

Laura and Marion, Marion and Laura, two women with multiple talents, who have the gift of listening to others and who welcome you in their world with a warm, open heart.

The main topic of this year’s retreat was “Awake the feminine in you” and it included classes on naturopathy and natural remedies to strengthen our feminine side, cooking classes 100% gluten free and vegan with «living» ingredients, meditation, moments of sharing but also learning to deeply breath and walk in a wild Nature, being calm and quite but also to enjoy and laugh.

The beautiful villa made of stones where this retreat was held, it’s located inside the luxuriant National Park of the Cévennes in the South of France, not far from the city of Nîmes.

How green, bright and relaxing, it feels here!

Since the moment I arrived, I felt a sensation of pure joy to be immersed in such powerful Nature, listening to the birds singing all around, with the sun welcoming our arrival upon the hills with its silent rays of Light.

Moonrise, a retreat created by two women for a group of women.

To me, awake my feminine meant several things…

I would like to start by saying that it entailed a more profound awareness of myself and my body, looking at myself, at my imperfections with more Love, understanding, and compassion, transform them in a strength more than a weakness, go ahead instead of complaining.

Being in a group of women for four days, all beautiful because all different, it meant also to practice the art of listening, stepping away from judgment whenever this Mr knocked at my door.

Being open and receptive to Life in all of its forms.

Feeling its power and energy fuelling my body every day, being able to occupy a place in this world without feeling sorry for it.

Living my Life with Respect and Grace.

Believe in my dreams and in my capacity of making them happen, one step at a time.

The National Parc of the Cévennes was the perfect place to make it all happen actually.

In particular it was a chance for me to re-learn about Nature, not what I was taught at school, which stays useful, but simply and thoroughly with a full awake of all my senses.

Shiver with the wind, breath with the trees, dream with the moon, wake up with the sun, dance with the stars, being charmed by the noise of the falling rain, being lulled by the singing of the birds, many, different beautiful birds all around!

What a chance for me to participate to this retreat and to meet so many inspiring women!

I also rejoiced to have deepened my friendship with Laura and Marion and most of all with myself, with this little woman whose name is Chiara, whose hair are red and curly and whose eyes brightly smile.

But Chiara has work to do as she still can’t love herself deeply and unconditionally.

When I look at myself in the mirror or in certain kind of photographs, I see what others told me to bless me profoundly, it hurts the hell of a lot and I am not over that yet.

The good news is that I am working work on it with tons of determination everyday, I really want to get to the point where I can accept that fact that I can be loved by someone just as I am.

One last word to add to this short story of such a beautiful experience, a word that is so little yet so big, so obvious yet so important….

THANK YOU!

pS If you would like to know more about the this retreat or upcoming ones, you can send an email to: contact@instantpresent-gatherings.com