Girls Retreat on Libbie Avenue!

Posted by Nicki Peasley Share Your Voice

Friday nights at the Workbox have been busy the last couple weeks!  We have hosted two overnight mindfulness retreats for our rising 5^th grade Leading Ladies… and I think we learned as much, if not more, from the girls as they learned from us!  

 We began with a little lesson on the brain, grounding our mindfulness exploration in science.   We used the analogy of a clear glass of water to symbolize the brain in a mindful state... and by adding baking soda/glitter, we could see how easily our brains become clouded, which often leads to a fight, flight, or freeze response to stress.   Throughout the night, the girls learned that practice in mindfulness allows that glitter to settle so that we can focus and allow the prefrontal cortex of the brain to do its magic.

Our word of the night was NOTICE.  And notice we did... through a core breathing exercise, a tour of the senses, (I think the tasting and smelling experiences were the girls’ favorites, especially during our Sweet Frog adventure); mindful movement (yoga and pilates and stillness); and a look inside to recognize what brings our spirit joy.  (We made “happy boards” and gratitude bracelets to bring this concept to life).  

We also took careful and self-compassionate notice of our thoughts and feelings, recognizing that voice inside that sometimes tries to squelch our brilliance. From noticing our inner landscape, we then noticed how we show up in our relationships with each other through sharing and active listening. And finally, we translated mindfulness into impact, noticing what in the world is calling for our unique voice and brilliance.   

In the morning, we took mindfulness off the mat through random acts of kindness.  Both groups performed flash mobs at Starbucks  and Sweet Frog.  One group hid magic wands as part of the magic wand project, pioneered by my brilliant friend, Patience, aka the Kindness Girl.  We also made tissue paper flowers to 'pass on" and grow more kindness in the world.  The girls had a ball handing them out to strangers or putting them on cars, chanting about love (totally self-guided).

Some of the one word take aways the girls offered were: compassion, friendship, NOW, notice, fun, and peace (inside and out)!

Looking forward to more Workbox Retreat action...coming soon!

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Nicki Peasley I am the CEO of my home, managing a team consisting of a 40 year old, an 11 year old, an 8 year old, and a 6 year old. In my spare time, I am the YOUth development director for Bounce, writing curriculums and working (playing and learning) with elementary and middle school youth.