The Power of Saying YES to a Retreat

In this special roundtable episode, five women come together to reflect on a life-changing experience — the Infinite Yes Retreat hosted by Cathy Heller in Boca Raton, Florida. What began as a weekend retreat turned into deep sisterhood, transformation, and soul expansion.

Hosted by Christine Marcario of Aligned and Abundant, this heartfelt conversation features:
✨ Casey Taton — Host of The Inner Spark Podcast and founder of Little Moments, Big Dreams Celebrations
 ✨ Christina Sommers — Host of Loving Your Life Again, breathwork facilitator, and money mentor
✨ Shabana Knight — Host of Organized Chaos Stories with Shabana
✨ Teri Manley — Creator and maker behind Watermelon Tree Designs

Together, we share:
 💫 What made them say “yes” to the retreat
 💫 The moments that cracked them open
 💫 How group healing and shared energy transformed their perspectives
 💫 Lessons from powerful teachers like Tracy Litt, Susie Moore, and Cathy Heller
 💫 The power of saying no, of rest, and of showing up fully
💫 The friendships, laughter, tears, and sisterhood that continue to ripple outward

Whether you’ve attended a retreat or are dreaming of saying your own “infinite yes,” this conversation is an invitation to remember: you belong, your voice matters, and community heals. 

💖 Favorite Moments:

• “When we held hands and just stared into each other’s eyes — it was love reflected back.”
• “It was like walking out as my old self and returning as my 2.0 version.”
• “The yoga I didn’t do was the most powerful yoga I’ve ever had.”
• “I finally learned the power of saying no — and not explaining it.”
• “We all came home full — full of love, light, and each other’s energy.”

💭 Takeaway Message:

When women come together with open hearts, magic happens.
 You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to evolve. You are allowed to say yes — and mean it.

You can find me at:
https://www.instagram.com/cataton/
https://www.facebook.com/casey.taton/

You can find what sparks me at:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AgeRtyojY/
https://www.instagram.com/lmbdcelebrations/

Music by: Jason and Ashley Scheufler
Artwork by: https://www.instagram.com/graphx_ink/

Transcript

0:04

Hey friends. Welcome to the Enter Spark podcast. I'm your host, Casey Caton. If you're looking to hear stories of transformation and personal growth, this podcast is for you. My guest and I will be sharing those sparking moments that has changed the mental living a more fulfilling authentic life. I'm so excited for you to hear each unique story. So sit back, relax, and let's get started. Hey, fan. Welcome back to the Enter Spark podcast and this special episode. It's all about saying yes to yourself. This episode is so special as not only did I say yes to Kathy Heller's Infinite yes retreat in Boca Ratan, Florida. All these ladies did as well. This episode is a true reflection of what it's like to be connected. To so many beautiful souls. You'll hear powerful reflections as to what different parts of the retreat meant to each of us and how it continues to live on with us daily. From laughter to tears, to fall on celebrating each other. I hope you listen with curiosity and ask yourself. If you have powerful friends walking along your journey with you, and if not, this is a great episode to know it's possible for you as well. In this episode, Christine will be guiding us through all the beautiful questions and I am also with four other ladies. I shabana Christine and Terry. We're just gonna dive in and I hope you sit back, relax. And just fill the magic that we were able to fill and still can fill when we talk about it. There are five of us who have gathered together because we all went on a retreat together in Boca Raton, Florida, and we are still living on the high that we got from being in each other's energy. And from witnessing so much growth, having such aligned and beautiful conversations and transformations, and we just wanted to have a conversation about all of that beauty that we experienced together. On today's episode, I am going to be leading you through some q and a and some reflections. I am Christine Marcario. Host of the podcast aligned and abundant. I'm also a life coach and I lead workshops on a regular basis as well as one-on-one and group coaching, and I'd like every one of the other ladies to spend a minute introducing themselves. Hi, I am Casey. I'm from Kansas and I am the host of the Enter Spark podcast and I run a local organization, little Moments, big Dreams, celebrations. Doing parties for kids in the hospital, and I also have a community as well. And I am Christina Summers. I am the podcast host of Loving Your Life Again. I'm a breathwork facilitator, somatic coach, and money mentor, really helping women stop outsourcing their power and reclaim safety in both their bodies and their bank accounts. Hi, I am Shabana Knight. I'm a mother. I have three kids. I just started a new podcast. It's called Organized Chaos Stories with Shabana. I'd love for you to check it out, and I'm in Washington state and lots of other amazing things you get to hear. Hi, I'm Teri. I live in Virginia Beach. I'm a mom and grandma and great grandma, and I don't have a podcast yet. I am the maker of all the cute, cozy crochet on watermelon tree design. I hope you take a look. I love that. And with that, we are going to have all of our links and offerings in the show notes no matter what platform or whose podcast you're listening to this on. And I also just wanna say that it is really amazing that we are all from all over the place, which is really beautiful because we were able to connect, because we were brought together through a community. We all decided to say yes to the infinite Yes retreat hosted by Kathy Heller, who is a dear mentor to all of us. And really we have gotten to know each other not only by attending this retreat, but in facing different obstacles and overcoming those obstacles and finding uniformity in just really championing other women and helping each other. Process through anything that comes up along our path towards really trying to make our dreams a reality. And so I would love to go around and see who is willing to answer the question of what made you say yes to coming on this retreat. I know that for me it was a definite yes, because this was my second retreat with Kathy Heller. I went on my first retreat in March. And I flew out to LA Solo by myself, and then I explored la, which was also crazy to me because they have cars that drive around with no driver. I literally did a double take and I was like, wait, what? And no, I'm not getting in that car. Everyone else can, but not me. And so the bottom line is you experience such. Transformation not only in yourself, but in group healing. And you're exposed to so many women who have such wisdom and insight, and we learn. It's like reading a book. You learn through someone else's experience, someone else's wisdom, someone else's share, and the energy and love that you feel at one of these retreats is just life. Changing, and I cannot speak highly enough of the experience because you're in a room with like-minded people and it's just so beautiful. So I'm curious to see what made each of you or whoever's willing to share say Yes to coming on this retreat. Terry, you're up first. I went to the first retreat at the end of March with you at Bloom, and that was a whole new experience. I'd never experienced anything like that before, and it put a little crack in the armor. So when this one came about, it was like, oh yeah, I'm all the way in on this one because. There's just too much goodness happening to pass it up. And I wanna say real quick, when I walked into the room, you were the first one that jumped up and gave me the biggest hug, and we became fast friends because of an activity that we were paired up together to do at the first retreat, which was amazing. Right? That was a good one. Yes. Yes, Christina. Yeah, so I've been in Kathy's world for some time, but was really like hiding in plain sight the entire time. It was like just watching everything was going on and soaking up all the energy. And I decided in 2025, this is the year, this is the year that I'm gonna go.'cause I've always seen the promotions for him and I'm like, I really wanna go, but I'd have the excuse, whatever the excuse was, and you know. They're based in reality, but they really are just those excuses. So it was like, okay, this is the year I have decided I am gonna make it work and find a way, and it's time to get outta my comfort zone and stop hiding in clean sight and start really doing the work that I'm leading other people with. And I think that even though you're saying you were hiding in plain sight, I know that I saw you, you know, I saw you on camera. I saw the growth. I saw the progress. So now when I'm seeing you offering things and showing up fully as yourself, you weren't hiding in plain sight. You were doing the work, but you were keeping quiet about it, but you were definitely doing it, Christina. Casey, I wanna say I agree with what you say about Christina. You have definitely been seen and so it's just so exciting to see you on camera, like just glowing and to see you in person. I said yes. I went to Kathy Hiller's podcasting Summit and I wanted to, it was amazing. Oh man, I think there was like 300 women at it and I wanted to experience the more intimate. That everybody had talked about when they got back from Bloom. So I was like, yes, I am in for this. Like if 300 women can be amazing, what can it be like when we get even like just closer and closer and closer and feel the love of everybody in there? And I think that is something that you definitely experience because it's almost like no matter how many women are there, there's something about like the magnetic draw of the right people. You know, you can walk in and not know a single person like I did for the first one. Like yes, there are people that I recognize from our Zoom calls, but I really didn't know anybody and yet I felt so much love and so safe, and that was. One of the draws that brought me back to the second one. So it's just really such a beautiful, beautiful invitation to be around like-minded women who want to just raise not only themselves up, but everyone in the room. Like there's no sense of like competition. Like I've never felt that in this community, and that's why I keep coming back, honestly. Now I'd like to dive into was there a particular moment where you realized. This is exactly where I'm meant to be. Christina. Yeah, I'll share. It's funny that this question is here because I don't remember the exact time moment, but I remember the feeling of when I first walked in the place was just so grand and so beautiful, and so like something I've never experienced before. And though I was trying to stay in my body and stay in like confidence and like when you walked into the room, you felt the love and you're like, okay, I'm welcome here. But I think it was on the second day when I was walking back into the retreat center, I'm like, you know what? I do belong here. This is the place for me. Because it just felt so natural and so home, especially like the place was so big, it was like, am I gonna get lost in here? And then. As we continued to navigate through the weekend, it was like, I know exactly where I'm at, and like it was no problem. I'm like, this feels like home. This feels comfortable. This feels expansive and so delicious. So I'm so grateful for allowing myself to experience that. That's beautiful. And I, I can understand what you're saying because when you pull up, it's like this ambiance of like. Luxury and amazingness. And you know, that was one of my takeaways too, because we're constantly trying to work on bringing in abundance and fulfilling like our self-worth. And the same, I was like, I fit right in here. You know, like emotionally like, right. I'm like, I fit right in here. And so it was just such a beautiful experience because you don't know how you're gonna feel until you show up. And then when you just. Open and expand your heart and your willingness to grow into the most amazing, delicious version of yourself. Who is there waiting. It's just so expansive and so beautiful. Moving on, what part of the retreat experience impacted you the most and why? I'll speak first and I will just say. There is a moment, or rather an activity that we all do at the very end, and I won't go into too much detail because perhaps one of the other women wanna chime in to it. But it is just such an amazing experience where we all do an activity together. And in that activity. The hearts that are open and the emotions that are flowing. I mean, the tissue boxes are on hand and there are so many women that are crying because they are receiving the healing that they need. And there's something beautiful about group healing because if something. Is being healed in someone else that reflects a pain point in you. You are all healing together and that's what this retreat gave us the opportunity to do. Casey, I think that what you said right there was one of the most powerful moments, but I think another really like. A just powerful moment for me was when we did the exercise where we held someone's hand and I got to hold your hand and the experience was so emotional and so like just the exchange of tears and smiles of staring into someone else's eyes and feeling the open-hearted love of how capable we are to love each other and to receive that back it, it was just. Yeah, I'm gonna get Sarah talking about it. Sorry. It was just a magical moment for me. Yeah. Aw. And I love that so much because you know what it is, it's like in that moment, like I saw you and all the potential that you have that maybe you don't see in yourself quite yet. And then it was reflected back and, and back and back and forth and back and forth and. And it's also funny because you stay in it to the point of discomfort and then it's like it expands and explodes in a point where it's almost like you don't wanna let go, and it's amazing. And that's again, just another reason why saying yes to going on this retreat was just a no-brainer for any of us. You know, Terry, I can relate to both of those incidences. It made me feel like. I wasn't the only one experiencing those inner turmoils, and we all do it. We all have that, those same feelings, and it was just mind opening that I'm not the only one. It's not just me. Everybody's going through the same thing and we all come out better on the other end for sharing it with everybody else. Go ahead, Shabana. I think the whole weekend was impactful, but something that was really impactful for me was when we were doing the yoga back in July, I had to hurt my back and so I was just choosing to just lay on the mat, but I feel like it was the most. Amount of yoga I've done in my life by laying there on the mat and just receiving all these downloads and healing and like I cried so much. I felt so much, it was like the best yoga experience I've ever had. And I like did not even move. So it was like, I felt like it was working on my soul. The lady who led it was amazing. So that was like one of the most impactful part of my weekend was. The non yoga, but the yoga Christina. Yeah. So it's funny how you can reflect back and relate to every single one of these moments that you shared. And really when I talk about it, it was not just one particular moment, but how each one built upon each other and it was like this golden thread that was. Woven throughout the entire weekend. So like from that first activity of what are you a yes for? And where we partnered up and we really had to come from our soul and partnered up. And if, if it's not coming from the soul, stop'em gently and say, start again. And say, start again. And I found when I was partnered with who I was partnered with, it was very easy for me to gently say, start again. And I thought I was good. And then I went to go start, and I'm like, Ooh, I'm in my mind. And I caught myself, but I was kind of hoping that she wouldn't see it, but she's also a very good coach. So she saw it and she called me out on it. But then each activity built upon that. So that final activity where we were walking out. As our old selves and walking back in, it was like I fully embodied that, who I may yes for, and it just flowed. There was no pausing. There was no stopping. There was. She was just there and she arrived and she was allowed to show up as her in a safe way. And that is so amazing. So for the listeners, each and every single one of the women who were there, and I think there was roughly 70 people, had to go out into the hallway and leave behind the past version of themself and enter the room with everybody watching and cheering you on with. Amazing music playing, and you stepped in as your 2.0 version of yourself, and you did not get out of that hallway until the coach that you were paired with saw that you met business. And I know for me, Jennifer List did not let me pass, go easily because I had to say and release some stuff. And once she truly saw it in my eyes that I was ready. I stepped out and walked down and you get in your head a little bit in the moment, but then you walk in and at first I walked in a little bit shy, and then something in me just like clicked. And I think that was probably the moment for me. Like something just clicked, like, holy, this is gonna be epic, this new chapter. And I'm so excited to ride this wave and see where it goes. Moving on a little bit deeper, did you find yourself reflected in someone else's story or someone else's energy? I feel like we've already tapped upon that a little bit, but does anyone have a story in which they'd wanna share where they felt an experience or a connection that they didn't even know they needed while they were there in person? Christina? Yeah, so I think. No, we've tapped on it. It was very much, you could feel yourself whether the details of the story were different, but yet you felt the alignment with it and you could relate to in some form or fashion. But I remember when Tracy Lit was presenting and somebody stood up and she was like, I call bs. And I wasn't really feeling that in the moment. But it lit something inside us to say how bold she is and then how gracious how to witness somebody who's actually in the work doing the work, practicing what she teaches, to be able to hold her in that and watch those. Dissolve and she did it person after person, after person. Like I found a little bit of myself in each person who shared a bit of their story, that again, the details were different, but the energy, the feelings, the sensations were the same. And while Tracy was holding her in it, she was holding me in it as well to allow some of those tensions, those resistances, to soften and float away. That's such a beautiful reflection because yes, Tracy Lit was amazing at hearing what the person needed and holding space for them, and I almost felt like we were on bated breath at some points. Like we were all holding space as like. Particular women were like going through major life changing transformations before our eyes. It was truly such an amazing experience that I know I will, I will definitely remember because it was so impactful. For sure. Casey, you have something to add? Yeah, I just wanna kind of play off what you said. Just the feeling of being able to truly connect, even if that story wasn't ours. And just holding space and also just like being able to relate it to yourself in a way and just fully allowing yourself, like we shed tears and then we like would just die laughing at, you know, what would come out of it. And I think it was just so, so powerful that. You can hold space for someone and allow it like, oh, okay, this relates to me in my life, and you know, shed those tears along with them and as you're holding space, and then just like celebrate it all together. Yeah. I think it goes back to the component of like group healing. Like anything that was reflected in any of those particular brave women who raised their hand and were vulnerable in front of us, it definitely healed. All of us, or any part of us that needed that same healing. And that's the beauty of, again, being in such a space that really unifies all of us. So that's a nice segue into has the retreat changed how you see yourself, your life path, or how you're handling your offerings, or how you show up for yourself every day. I'd love to hear some of the takeaways in which this retreat has affected you personally, whether it's you personally, or your business. Harry, I get emotional. I'm not one to stick my face out there, and you all saw that that weekend, and Jennifer Lis made me, it was a, it was a challenge that she gave me and I met the challenge and I know that I'm worthy. What I have is good. And everybody else needs to see that too. And if I don't show myself, nobody knows. So I feel that, I think that probably happened for a lot of people that you finally said yes to yourself so you could show yourself to the world. Yeah, I totally hear that. And I had said to Shabana at one point during the retreat, I said, I wish we could just like live here in this energy because we'd all be like millionaires and billionaires by now. Because the energy that you have in this container is just so like fire. It's just so alive. And Terry to witness you get on stage in front of everybody. Speak and oh my God, you were so in your power. I mean, you were amazing. Amazing. I said, yes. And when I went out in that hallway for our last little Leave yourself behind, Jennifer was my coach in the hallway, and she looked at me and said, go. She knew. She, she knew. I love that. I love that so much. And not only that, you brought a gift for all of us. That was the fun part. This goes to show how much like we all think about one another, and so people we don't even know. Yes. Because it's almost like we have this sisterhood, we have this deep bond, and it's like meeting like a long lost family member that you can feel the resonance and you can pick up on their energy. And then when you finally meet each other in person, like you already feel like you know them. You know? Right. And so there was no coincidence that we all ended up on this retreat together, that we're all on this podcast together, and it's just so beautiful. Shaana, go ahead. I think it's just important to. Just always, every now and then just to be in that energy, whether it's on our, like weekly calls or at a retreat every couple months or whatever, because it's really there where I personally feel like I receive so many downloads and insights and I take care of myself. I, I get to detach from mom mode and work mode and stuff and get like literally like filled back up so I can pour back out. And just how important it is. Also, just to have amazing women who have gone before us to show us an example of what's truly possible. Like Tracy's energy was amazing. Everybody who came was amazing. Kathy obviously, but just. To be there with all you guys and receive all this energy and then be able to go home and pour that back into myself and my family and my business. Just yesterday, our furnace decided to stop working. So it's like, all right, how do I stay positive in this wonderful situation? And so it's just like, what? Like just like a regrounding of like, okay. What, what's in my control? What phone calls do I need to make? And then today's been just so many ups and downs with scheduling and kids and whatnot, and it's Monday, but it's like, okay, but I'm gonna choose to get on this call. And this is, this is great. I get to hang out with my friends and talk and share this love and light with the world. So just regardless of the crazy. All this community and these activities and stuff is, it's such an anchor in my life and I just, I appreciate all that, Christina. Yeah, so one of the things that comes back to me is anytime the stickiness of life being lifey, of just the responsibilities, trying to juggle multiple things, and when you start to feel that sense of overwhelm or that sense of just. Falling back into old patterns. Remembering to pause and say, I get choice. I get to choose how I want to show up. Do I want to choose to continue to be that 2.0 version of myself continuing to pull her in and become like, stay her, become her, evolve through her, or do I wanna fall back into old patterns and behaviors? And really throughout the weekend, having the moments of teaching and then integration and teaching and integration and teaching. So we were really able to like embody, not just learn, not just feel the energy, both are great, but then really integrate everything that we were doing. I feel like it has been fully embodied, so now I'm much more aware of when things get sticky. Do I wanna stay in the stickiness? Sometimes we might, and that's okay as long as we don't choose to stay there. But then taking that next step forward and what, what would feel really good to my soul right now? What is, what is my body asking for? What do I need to do next? And if that's rest, or if that's stepping out of your comfort zone because you might wanna feel like you need rest because you need to make a conversation that you don't wanna have or take an action that you don't want to take. So really being able to. See more clearly those things as they arise and being able to live as her and not the old version. Casey, I think one of the biggest things for me is when Susie Moore was on and she just says No, and I've heard her podcast, I've heard her on calls, but the power of being in her presence and her just being like. No, and I, I wish I could do it in her accent because it just makes it even more powerful. But her just like setting up there and being like, I can say no to my friends to dinner and not feel guilty. I can say no and look at my schedule and just say no, and there's no explanation needed. And to me that was like, okay, I thought I was saying no, but my days get so booked. And I was like, I'm not saying no to the things that don't feel aligned with me. And so that was really powerful for me is to. And just say no. And then even practice it there with people like, no, I don't wanna do that, or, no, I don't wanna go to dinner tonight. And so, yeah, I think that was one of the really big things. That's amazing. And honestly, the power of no is so important to honor your energy, your space. And I wanna circle back to what Christina was saying because I feel like. As women who are all either running or growing their own business. Sometimes we get caught up in the go, go, go, but sometimes the next aligned step is rest. And so it's so important to honor what we're being guided to do. There's nothing lazy about giving your body. The rest that it needs. In fact, you're just recharging your battery, you're getting your headspace back together. You are just realigning, and there's nothing wrong with that. So I think that's such a beautiful thing to remember is that rest is okay. We are not machines, we are not robots. We are not designed to go 24 7, and we all have obstacles that we're overcoming or maybe overcoming physically also or emotionally, like everyone has. Baggage like in this lifetime, no one came with a free and clear pathway, and so we're all just here together. Really just lifting each other up and making that baggage lighter or helping take it away and putting it on the belt and it goes and gets loaded off somewhere else because it's just, it's so transformational for us to all be in this space together and witness the growth that comes with championing each other on. If you were to relive one moment from the retreat, which one would be your favorite moment to relive? I know for me, one of the best moments was walking in and just. Seeing so many people that I have seen on camera and just be in everyone's presence because everyone just felt so alive, so excited, and if anyone was feeling nervous, it was almost like it wasn't there. It was beautiful. And also on this particular retreat, I was just so amazed at the knowledge that the guest speakers had. They were just such powerful women, none of which I had ever been exposed to before, and I know that baffles some people. But yeah, I had never heard of any of these women. And then I instantly became like, okay, follow, follow. Listen here, do this, do that. I was like, sold. I'm like, sold, sold, sold. Because you. Take what you can from the women who have cleared the path before you and when they say you can do it. I mean, that means something that that's gold right there in, in its weight, you know? So that for me was like absolutely amazing. And also to see like the authenticity and the, like the real person, like when you're in a group of women and people let their hair down and they share the vulnerable stories or the. Obstacles that they had to overcome to get where, or even the struggles that they still have as in our eyes, someone famous, you know, they, when they share those struggles, I mean, it's just, it just shows that we're all human, you know? And we're all these beautiful souls having these human experiences together, Shabana. I mean other than just reliving the whole weekend away, there's all that. But I know this is kind of silly, but I would like love to just have all the lunches again, I didn't have to make it. I didn't have to clean up after it. I could fully enjoy it. I got to connect with women. I got to then take a break and like go walk on the beach one day during lunch. Like that was just so luxurious. Just to be in that energy, that food, just everything. Yeah, like all the meals so I don't have to cook. Well, I love that because if anyone knows me, I do not like grocery shopping or cooking. I like eating. All right. Does anyone else have a moment that they wish they could relive again, Casey, I think when we were going to leave the last day when we just all danced our hearts out and celebrated each other. The power of that and the power of everybody just like hugging each other. At the end, it was like, we all just did this together and it's like, what's next? Now we got to see everybody walk out or like come in those doors, like come in as somebody and then like fully experience all their emotions and then come in as like a new person when they walk through those doors the final day and then just dance and celebrate the heck out of each other. And then that just group hug at the end was like. Let's just stay in this energy and just like light the heck up out of each other and just celebrate each other so, so big because we are all so freaking worthy of everything we want in our lives. I receive that wholeheartedly. Christina? Yes. All that you just said, and I agree with you Shabana too, of not having to worry about the logistics and Christine not having to go grocery shopping and do the cooking, and just those things that take so much time. When we can actually sit down to enjoy it and have like community and fellowship. But I think for me what was arising is the meditation on the beach, being able to sit on the beach and having the ocean waves after. And all of us experiencing the same thing at the same time. And the getting up and the dancing on the beach at the same afterwards and then taking that with me.'cause I remember this wasn't like specifically at the retreat, but shortly thereafter when I was going back to my room to freshen up and. Deciding on what I was gonna do for that night. And I saw you and Shabana in the hotel lobby, and it's funny, I had doing self parking and I was like, you know what? I've been on my feet all day. I'm gonna ask to upgrade to valet. I'm worthy of it. So had I not done that, I probably would've never seen you guys at the front desk and then. They offered you guys like some kind of free thing, and then I found my voice and I'm like, well, if they can get that, can I get that too? So then even just finding that voice and taking that with me in my everyday of like, you know what, let me start asking. Let me start asking and it was just so empowering to be able to continue to live that and walk it out. But yeah, the meditation on the beach, if I could do that every day, I love listening to the sub of the ocean in the background of everything. So many things there because one, just imagine 70 women getting shuttled over to a beach. So we filled two shuttle buses and so that was just so much fun. Like we were going on a field trip because you know, when you're a kid, sometimes the car ride was like the highlight of the trip because you're all in the car. And that's not the case here, but that's what it reminded me of when I was in Girl Scouts. Like the, the car ride was always so much fun. And so that was such a beautiful experience, but. Shabana also has a way of. Looking through a different lens. And so when we got to the hotel, and this was a, a different hotel that we were staying at besides where the retreat was held. And she was like, well, why should we pay for parking? And so she just asked. And then Christina happened to be there and she's like, well, if they're not gonna pay for parking, why am I paying for parking? And so it was such a beautiful experience. So it was really, really cool. You know when you have a voice and you have the courage to speak up and ask like, why not? You know, why not?'cause you don't know how you're gonna be responded to. All right, Terry, do you wanna chime in? I think my biggest takeaway was the soul connection with everybody there. Even if I didn't really have a one-on-one conversation with those people, I can see their picture or they'll be in a group and I see them and it's like, oh, they were at the retreat. And you have a little soul connection with them because of what we've all went through together and the emotions that we shared. So that was the big takeaway for me, Jovanna. I think again, just exactly what Terry said, like that soul connection, because I know for me there was a period in my adult life where I had kids, but I didn't have like friends and I didn't have like good quality friendships and I felt like I was putting myself out there, but there was never, like, there was a period of a couple years where I never, I was like, I remember talking to my mentor, another lady, and I was like. Julie. I just want friends. Like I want friends my age and my stage of life going through what I'm going through. We have goals and vision and all this stuff, and like, she's like, just pray. They'll come like, just be patient. It's, it's gonna happen kind of thing. And. The more that I'm in this personal development space, the more amazing friendships come up and like Terry's a lot older, but we can connect and then I can connect with Christina and Christine and Casey and like all these other amazing women, even though they live in different parts of the US or the world. I mean, we have a friends in Australia because of this group. It's just amazing the women you meet. How like these relationships are so fulfilling and so nourishing. So like after this call I can jump back into mom mode and feel energized and alive. And I know these relationships wouldn't happen if I hadn't taken the time to work on myself and go to these retreats and do X, Y, and Z. Like, you gotta put yourself out there if you want friendships.'cause we all deserve to have good friendships. Totally. And it's not even just about like. Being happy all the time either. There have been plenty of times where, you know, I've reached out to Shabana and I'm like, I'm emotionally spent today. Like, gimme a pep talk. You know what I mean? And she'll be able to like, turn the page for me, or, you know, I look at just witnessing the growth that each of you have and or are going through. Like Terry, when I see your crochet, like I, I told you when I was at the retreat, I was like, I love these little pumpkins that you have right now because. Halloween in October is my favorite month, and I was like, this is an amazing, cute little product. And so every one of us just has something that I think resonates within each of us, and we all are working in different capacities and giving love, whether it's through a physical product. Or Casey filling up that snack cart for the parents of the children who are undergoing treatment. Christina, you're doing amazing work with coaching and getting yourself out there. You just offered an amazing workshop last week, which I'm personally hoping that you're going to. Offer again. And I just think that there's so much beauty in you just don't know who's gonna inspire you. Like, I'm not gonna say names here right now, but there was like an older woman in her seventies who was there and I really connected with her. And age is just, it's just a number. Some of my best friends are older than me, and you know why I love that? Because they have. Experience. Like I can learn from that and I might have someone who looks up to me who's, you know, 10, 15 years younger than me because we're all in this together. And I think that's where the beauty lies, because it's like age how you look. All that just falls to the wayside because we're looking at each other as souls. Like we are feeling each other's hearts, our energy, our purpose, and that is just like, I just got chills. Like that's where the magic is. In this community and going on a retreat where you get to spend time with each other. And you know, I, I was saying that like I feel like five days would be even better, but I'll tell you, like, while this all sounds amazing and fun, at the end of the day you are exhausted because you are taking in so much and it's so much goodness. But it can also be like a bit of like. Sensory and emotional overload. So I'm curious, is there a practice or a mantra that you have picked up and that you use as a daily or weekly practice that you have incorporated into your life as a result of either attending this retreat or the Bloom retreat or being in this community? I'd love to hear it. Shabana. So at the end of this retreat, one of the participants led a calligraphy workshop. Shout out to Angie, but that really calls me to slow down. So I haven't necessarily done calligraphy since the retreat, but I've been learning to slow down and start coloring and it's been so good.'cause I'm such a go, go, go person. So just slowing down and. Just settling and then I'm ready for the next thing. So it's more of like arts and crafts I'm jumping into and it feels so good for my soul, Casey. And then Christina, I wanna follow what Shabana just said because I got so nervous at first I, when we were doing it, I could feel like the perfectionism coming out in me instead of like not allowing myself to have fun. And the other thing is I wrote open heart down as my word and. I didn't even think about it. And later I came home into a post-it note and open is the word of, I chose the word of the ear and open is the word of my ear that is stuck right here. And I was like, oh, of course. But I agree. It has like really just made me think you can draw, you can write things down and it can calm your body and it can also be so fun. And I just wanna follow up on that'cause it was so powerful for me. Just to take that away. Yeah, I loved that activity too. And though now I need to remember to go back and bring out my coloring and getting that arts and crafts on because how much it does allow you to slow down a mantra that I've developed over the years. It's really been since I've been in Kathy's world in this personal development journey. Not so much from this retreat, but I think it really ties into,'cause my word for the calligraphy was the same word for my year as freedom. And this mantra is. One day, one moment, one breath at a time. And growing up my dad was an alcoholic, so I was an Al-Anon and ine. And when I was really in my healing journey, which is where I started my personal development one day at a time, really felt like too much sometimes. So then I focused on the moment and then when I learned breath work, which I found breath work through Kathy, one of Kathy's friends, mentors, partners. People that she hangs with, really the power of your breath. So I'm like, sometimes even the moment is too much and can we come back to the breath? And if you can come back to the breath, you can come back to everything and you can get through it one step at a time. Oh my God, that is so amazing that you shared that, and I'm glad that you were vulnerable enough to share that. And I love how it also ties into your business name, breadth of renewal, because that to me speaks volumes as to the authenticity. The love and the intention that you have behind your practice and your business, so kudos. Christina. You've come a long way, my friend Terry. I can relate to all of that as a type A perfectionist. Sometimes what can be fun isn't really fun because I have to make it. Perfect. So I get into the breath work and chant at myself. This is fun. This is supposed to be fun. This is supposed to be fun until it's fun again. And I did buy my a hundred box of colored pencils last week so I could continue coloring because my colored pencils were running out. It's funny how we all love to color. It's so amazing how many takeaways that we each have. And I think for me, one of the things that I really hone in on is Kathy always tells us we are not someone. We are some of the one. And that is what came through for me, the loudest when we were all doing that ending activity that we started this conversation talking about. So basically. I don't wanna give too much away, but we're each downloaded, right? We each go inward to our self and we take a phrase that we need to hear and then we share it in a unique way with every woman who's there. And that, for me, just really like solidified that experience because what I had come through for me. Helped so many other women and vice versa. And it just went on and it went on like a waterfall. Like it just kept coming and it was just such an expansive experience that I know, like I, I personally love that so much. Like if I could relive that every day, it would be amazing to have that like Jiminy Cricket in your ear who's like, this is what you need to know, you know? One other thing I really like about these type of retreats is that it's not a competition, it's a collaboration where like-minded women come together, learn, grow, explore, and then we go back to our normal lives, not in retreat mode. We can keep growing and expanding and encouraging and loving each other from afar, but you get that in-person hug and just all the details, but just like it's not a competition, it's a collaboration, and I think that's just so important to remember. Casey, for my parting words, I just wanna say, first of all, I love all of you. I think you've all made an impact in my life, but for anybody out there listening, just be you like authentically you. That's when you're gonna find and connect with people on a whole nother level, and you'll find your people. That's definitely great advice because at the end of the day, people connect with authenticity. So stop the people pleasing. Stop acting. As if you're trying to convince someone. People love authenticity, and people can spot in authenticity a mile away. They can read your energy the moment you walk into the room, and I think that's what's so important. And again, that's what. A retreat such as this or a person like a, a leader, Kathy Heller, you know, alone just inspires all of us to put our hair down and show up as is. And I think that's why we all were able and continue to have such a deep connection with one another, because again, we're not just. You're not worried about who the cool kid is because we're all the cool kid in this community. We're all the cool kid, and for some of us that's healing childhood wounds right there. And then we're just turning into these beautiful new versions of ourselves and it's just so freaking amazing. Christina? Yeah, so building on the authenticity, something that Kathy really gave permission for throughout all of her teaching is. Being you and setting down that people pleaser. And really, because when you're people pleasing, people really aren't liking you.'cause they don't know you. You're not being you. And really going back to the beginning of allowing myself to be seen, even though I was being seen all along, I thought I was hiding. I was keeping myself safe, but really allow yourself to be seen because your best friend might be right next to you. But if you're not allowing yourself to be seen and you're not being your authentic you, you'll never know. And then lastly, when you go first, you give permission to everybody else around you. So if we're all staying in this people pleasing mode and trying to fit this box, that society tells us that we need to fit in. We're really all conforming to something that we're not really. So when you go first, you really give permission to the woman next to you who then can give permission. And then we're all actually being who we were created to be. And we're being, and we're not doing, you know, we're being Terri. I think the last thing I wanna say is if you have an opportunity to go on one of Kathy's retreats, go. Your heart will tell you yes. Your head will tell you, oh no, I can't afford it. It's too far away. I don't have a babysitter who's gonna cook for the kids? The cat needs to be let out. The dog needs to be taken care of. But guess what? It'll all get taken care of and you need to go. Don't let your brain talk you out of it. I couldn't agree more. Let the heart lead. I wanna firsthand say that this conversation has been so beautiful. I'm so thankful for Casey for coming up with this amazing idea and then we just rolled with it. We all said yes again, and that's the power of this wonderful group of women. I love where we're going. I love all of the amazing things that are unfolding for us and you know, real talk like. Our lives aren't perfect. There are obstacles. There are things that we have going on in our day to day furnaces breaking all the things, but we keep showing up and we keep showing up for ourselves first and foremost. And then, like Christina said, when we show up for ourselves, it gives permission to the woman. Who is listening to this, to the woman who is witnessing you come alive as you sell your product or share your experience, and it's just the most beautiful. There's like almost no words. It's just the most beautiful, expansive opportunity. Like I revolve my weeks around when, when our calls are, you know, because like it's like the highlight of my day some days because you just walk away feeling so energized, so loved, so seen or hidden, but also seen, you know, at the same time. And yeah. It's so funny because like I had. Just to end on a funny note, like, yeah, I had someone come up to me and I was like, oh my God, you're Christine. I had to meet Christine and I'm like. I don't even know who you are, but okay, now let me get to know you. Like it was really cool. I was like, oh, okay. Like this girl's seen me and it's so funny because there are people on screen who I'm like, oh yes, so and so always wears the pink. I love that. Oh my God, her hair always looks so amazing. I love her energy. I love her spirit. I love when she raises her hand, and it's just such an empowering and amazing community, and I highly recommend that you get yourself. A community, get yourself a life coach. Because I'm 42 years old and I just got myself a life coach this past year, and honestly, it was the best investment in myself because I am not the same person who started this year off in January of 2025. I am a whole different person. Like still, you know me to the core, but like the expansiveness. Is amazing and I suspect that that's true for all of us on this call, and it's so possible for all of our listeners. For sure. So I wanna thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. No matter where you're listening or what podcast you're listening to this on, I hope that you take something away from this and it would be. So amazing if we were to see you at one of Kathy Heller's Next retreats. No matter where our paths cross, I hope that you were able to listen to the authenticity and the wholeheartedness of the women on this. Call and I hope that you were able to take something away and bring it to how you move through the day. So we all wanna leave you with so much love and light, and thank you for giving us our voice and for supporting us by listening to this episode. I hope you were able to feel the love, the support, and just the genuine connection from each one of us. This was truly a gift to record with these four other beautiful ladies and to get to meet them in person there were 70 of us total there. I'm gonna tell you guys, we left feeling like we had known each other all of our lives. And it's truly just the power of just saying yes to yourself. There is so, so much goodness when you can connect and surround yourself with just beautiful humans that wanna see you grow and wanna celebrate you. Saying yes to myself and really just stepping into the power of it was truly a transformational journey for me. So I hope that you, you get something out of this I will leave all of the other beautiful guests. All their information in the show notes. And I wanna say a big thanks to Christine for leading this and just, you know, it's just so powerful to be surrounded by beautiful women who just wanna connect and love and support each other. And we all got to do that and say yes to ourselves. So today. If you don't have a community, if you don't have somebody or something in, this just touched me, reach out to me and I would love to connect you to any of these beautiful ladies, to any of my mentors so you can start stepping in and fully saying yes to yourself. Thank you for tuning into another episode. I hope today's story inspired you to embrace your own journey of growth and change. Remember, transformation isn't always easy, but it's always worth it. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe. Share it with a friend, and leave a review. If you found something that sparked you in this episode and may spark a friend, I encourage you to go share with them. If you have your own story you would like to share, I would love to hear it. So please reach out to me. Until next time, friends, go have some fun and let those sparks lie.