Like I said, the universe works in mysterious ways. This woman, Sierra, holds a Women's Circle two blocks from my house? I just can't say no to this. So I didn't. The Circle holds eight-week sessions with around five women in each cycle. I was going to arrive two weeks late to the cycle and that terrified me. I couldn't help but think that these women had already formed a special bond and I was going to be way out of my element. And to be fair, the first few weeks I didn't say lot but rather chose to just listen. 

Sierra has a few guidelines for group:

• Avoid asking members the usual questions
  • Where are you from?
  • What do you do? 
  • How old are you?
• When we are in circle, we are fully present
  • No cellphones or outside distractions if possible 
• Hold space for your sisters
  • Learn how to listen to listen and not listen to reply 
  • Ask your sister if she wants advice before throwing your opinion out there 
    • We often reply to others experiences with experiences of our own, without realizing that we may be undermining that persons experience without fully realizing. Women are not often fully heard or listened to, so this is our sacred space for that.
  • What a woman chooses to share is to remain fully confidential and only to be spoken about within Circle

I ended up doing three 8 week sessions with Sierra and a select group of women that I will consider my dearest friends for the rest of my life. I learned more from listening to other peoples experiences and outlooks than I have learned in any book. We learned how to recognize our emotions and what our bodies might be telling us. We had full moon ceremonies and pot lucks, and trips to chocolate fincas, and weekend poolside getaways. 

I learned how to listen, how to hold space for yourself and other people. I learned that our emotions and reactions are valid, no matter who may try to discount them. I learned that my body is power and magic all in one. I learned how to laugh until you cry and cry until you laugh. But most of all I learned that we worthy and when women start supporting and listening to other women, we can move mountains. 

Deepest gratitude to all of the women in my life and a special thank you to my soul sisters: Sierra, Cynthia, Erin, Shelley, and Greta. <3

PS-Thanks for letting me capture all of your lovely faces. 

A vibrant village that rests west of Bogota, Salento is not to be overlooked. Thousands of tourist travel here every year on their way to the Valle de Cocora. Inside of the colorful buildings you will find artisans of all types selling their goods and trading their knowledge of the land and resources with the people around them. If you're looking for a place to try the typical Colombian food, look no further than the bustling plaza in the center of the town. After a long day exploring the Valle de Cocora, we treated ourselves to a nice, cold limonada de coco. Imagine having your favorite key-lime pie but the liquid version. We stayed in a hostel that was about a ten minute walk outside of town, and it was well worth it. La Serrana Eco Farm and Hostel offered stunning views of the rolling hills that surround the area as well as an abundance of exotic plants and beautiful flowers. La Serrana and Salento did not disappoint. 

Tucked away in the lower reaches of the Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados is one of the greatest gems of Colombia. Valle de Cocora offers breathtaking panoramic views of rolling green hills and the tallest palm trees in the world, the wax palm which grow to around sixty meters. We rode in the back of a jeep from the vibrant town of Salento, about thirty minutes away.