Another beautiful Muktinath Retreat is successfully complete and here is our recap for the community!

Wisdom of the Soul Retreat Recap

Just stop and take a moment to breathe in deeply the peace and tranquility we experienced on our USVI island retreat….

Step off the plane and enter paradise, an island oasis of sun, sand, and sea. A place where the ultimate relaxation meets the perfect blend of wild adventure. Your soul sighs deeply as you fall in sync with the incredible beauty of the nature all around you. In this place there is no pressure or stress and you can just be the you that you forgot was just waiting for you inside.

Barefoot in the sand and floating in the crystal clear water you can rest, recharge, and reawaken your soul. As you connect in with the magical nature of the land, sky, and sea your soul begins to speak to you- bringing clarity, insight, and opening the doorway to the ancient wisdom all around us.

Yes, this was the feelings we felt as these Islands called us back home to ourselves…

Why did we choose the US Virgin Islands?

The rich culture and storied history, pristine beaches, turquoise waters, natural diversity and smiling, friendly people all play a role in the magic that we found on this island adventure. Seven different nations have flown their flags over these shores, each leaving their legacy behind – from the native Ciboney, Caribs, Taino and Arawak people to Africans, Europeans and Americans. From pirate lookouts to plantations, the U.S. Virgin Islands are dotted with reminders of its colorful past. 

A 100 years ago the Danish West Indies shifted to become the Virgin Islands of the United States (USVI), consisting of three main islands of St Thomas, St John, and St Croix, and 50 other small islands and cays. Only a three hour flight carried us to the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Grandmother Sea Turtle called us…

With no hurry and no worries, Sea Turtle Spirit moves at her own personal cosmic pace. She lives in the moment, trusting she is exactly where she is meant to be. This is a powerful lesson for us humans who rush about at unhealthy speeds, often missing the magic and beauty of the moment, in the here and now. As we spend time with her on the islands we have the opportunity to reset our internal clocks, release the pressure and recalibrate to the true vibration of our spirit.

Sea Turtle carries all she needs with her ‘home’ on her back. In this, Sea Turtle teaches us that our earthly body is our home – and most importantly – that all we need to thrive in this life is already inside of us. By working with her gentle patient spirit she helps us to open to reveal the mastery that we hold within our own soul from lifetimes of experiences and unlocks the archetypes and light codes we already hold inside!

Sea Turtle glides effortlessly through the water, it matters not the weather, from the stillest of waters to the roughest of seas. She shares with us her incredible focused and centered mind to help us to navigate the seas of our own complex emotions. We chose to incarnate here on this planet in the most tumultuous of times, with the chaos of our world and our disconnectedness from nature and all that would support our spirit, making life feel like an out of control roller coaster.

Water holds the blueprint of life. The seas are where life began. Water holds the energetic imprints of all that it has ever touched and the memory of every moment of the stories of our human and planetary evolution. A single drop of water holds within itself all of the potential of our future, without water there is no life. Even our own bodies are percent water. Grandmother Sea Turtle unlocks the doors to all the ancient wisdom of the water and knows every moment of evolution holds the secret to our healing. All of this wisdom is already inside of us in every drop of water that is inside our bodies.

Sea Turtles are integral to creation stories and folklore around the world. She swims through the waters of creation and the supports the entire earth on her back. “Hanau ka po ia honu kua nanaka” is a Hawaiian creation chant which when translated means, “From the darkness of time came the sea turtle with its plated back”. Many traditions speak of how Sea Turtle come from time before the Earth or the primordial void. She is the guardian or keeper of the creation of life.

By connecting with the majestic Sea Turtle we unlock the ancient wisdom of the Earth within us and we remember the journey of our soul.

The Altar….

Every retreat has its own beautiful alter that takes the center stage. It holds the energy while we are exploring, learning, and in our daily practices and ceremonies. The crystals chosen to hold the energy for this retreat were Aquamarine, Fuschite, Quartz, and Aragonite.

Our stay…

W stayed in a traditional colorful island villa home overlooking the majestic waters of Magen’s Bay. . This open and airy home offered plenty of living space and cozy areas for more personal connection. And did I mention the epic views from every room?!!!

A visit with the sea turtles at Magen’s Bay…

The main reason people come to the Virgin Islands is, of course, for the beaches! Sugar white sand, lapped by turquoise waters and bathed with year-round sunshine, they are among the most glorious in the world. Some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean belong to St. Thomas. Magens Bay, one of our retreat destinations, is consistently rated as one of the “best beaches” in the Caribbean. Not only is this a must see beach paradise, it is where we had a Sea Turtle encounter! And the sunset was just breathtaking!

A Hike through time….

Most of our retreat peeps chose to add the optional 5 mile Reef Bay trail on St John, and they were blessed with incredible views of the whole island. They trekked through a spectacular island forest, past abandoned sugar processing ruins, ancient petroglyphs, and the tallest waterfall on the island. As this adventure was optional, those that choose to not go had a day of restoration, relaxation, and healing at our residence.

TIANO PETROGLYPHS

Within the deep interior of the Reef Bay valley rests one of St. John’s most important clues to a lost culture from the island’s past, the petroglyphs. This captivating place is located at the base of the valley’s highest waterfall, surrounded by the island’s lush tropical vegetation. Here, mysterious faces are found carved into the fall’s blue basalt rock.

A spring fed pool beneath reflects a 20-foot wide panorama of carvings year-round with other petroglyphs visible nearby. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term petroglyph, the term petroglyph refers to rock art carvings whereas pictographs are rock art paintings. The petroglyphs are rock carvings made by a pre-Columbian people, known as the Taino, as early as 500 AD.

These petroglyphs are direct portals to the past, the ancestors, the supernatural, and to the ancient spirits of the Earth. By connecting in sacred ceremony to these petroglyphs we will open the doorways to ancient wisdom. This treasure trove of information is unlocked in our consciousness as a burst of light that provides insight into the intricacies of the soul. Revealing more of our true nature and the vastness of our soul.

Nature & Friendship Abounds at lindquist beach…

As we could not seem to get enough of the turquoise water we added another beach to our retreat experience, this time we set off to Lindquist Beach. This beach is a part of a protected 21 acre area called Smith Bay Park. Lindquist had all that we could ask for, an area where the water was ideal for swimming, and a very shallow shelf with tide pools perfect to find all kinds of treasures. The sand was bright white with a faint touch of pink and the softest sand we have ever had between our toes. We even got to have a chat with a biologist who was snorkeling there to study the sea turtles. The coconut grove and sea grape trees provided plenty of shade to connect for some programming and oracle card play.

Finding treasures & Laughter along the way….

Everywhere on the islands offered us incredible finds and magical moments with nature. The spirits here encouraged us to look at everything with a new perspective and open heart. Check out all the shadows in the pics for a bit of fun and look at the faces in the stones. These islands just loved showing off how spectacular nature can be when we choose to slow down and take it all in.

Nature

With both marine and land-based wildlife reserves, there was plenty of spots to immerse ourselves in nature. The best spot to see wildlilife is the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, where there's over 11,500 acres (that is 2/3 of the entire island) of pristine and protected land. The islands remain home to a surprisingly large and diverse population of wildlife. We saw so much wildlife on our adventures, iguanas, mongoose, butterflies, bats, and the tiniest gecko ever. We saw Hummingbirds, Pelicans, Mourning Doves, Magnificent Frigatebird (yes that is its name, and yes it is magnificent!) and so many more that we could not identify of the islands 144 species of birds. The waters around the Virgin Islands revealed an abundance of corals, fish, turtles, crustaceans, sea fans and snails. As we travelled to each of our carefully chosen destinations, our soul awakened through the magnificence of this land and its incredible underwater world.

Extended bonus…

Sometimes the most spectacular moments are when we choose to add on extra time to the retreat, either individually or with others. Here is some of the fun we had pre and post retreat!

Farewell…

And our sacred journey comes to a close, or rather a new road opens to us with surely more adventures ahead. This incredible opportunity to explore the Taino traditions, the peace of the island paradise, and our shared healing space will never be forgotten.

The islands of the USVI may call us again, or we may go where the winds carry us next. I hope to see you there.