Illuminated Perfume: Sunrise Springs: Awakening Journey

If you are a regular reader of this journal, than you already know I'm a sensualist, and in fact my love of beauty, peace and feeling nurtured with nature is what brought me to making plant perfume to begin with.

The Greek Goddess Tyche, also known Fortuna, arrived last week with an invitation to participate in an “Awakening Journey” weekend at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort, all expenses paid! This extremely special event is thanks to the careful curation of Caitlin and Amy, the dynamic duo of @SimplySocialNM on Instagram.

I was lucky to have had a taste of the resort back in August of 2017, on an exploratory visit of Santa Fe before moving from Los Angeles. Thus, when the opportunity to attend a weekend staycation presented itself, I spontaneously jumped at the opportunity, ignoring a very long list of items that needed addressing. Little did I know that I was an " instagram micro-influencer" and would soon make friends with an eclectic little tribe here in Santa Fe.

The group met within the gates of the stunning 70-acre property the afternoon of Friday, June 7th. Soon after arriving I was given an itinerary with activities and shortly whisked away to the spa for a luxurious massage, getting me present in my physical body for what was to come.

After some free time getting settled in my room, the group met at the Moon House for a cleansing ceremony including individual and group readings by Jessica Ibarra, a gifted spiritual guide. In the glow of our blown minds by Jessica's intuitive perceptions, we all sat down at the long rectangular table to enjoy a wonderful meal prepared by Chef Rocky Heron.

The next morning I awoke early and headed to the restaurant where I encountered a few of the girls at a round table enjoying their breakfast. Each of the attendees was given a special itinerary with lots of extra time to take advantage of the beautiful grounds and classes. Elizabeth, a gifted photographer and I choose to attend the "Best Kept Secret in Medicine" workshop with Dr. Sally Fisher. Although I was familiar with much of what was shared it was the perfect lecture to reset my commitment to healthy eating habits. Afterwards I headed to a Yoga Nidra class followed by my "Medicine Helper" appointment with Concha Garcia-Allen. From there I headed to the brand new repose pools to blissfully soak in one of the new natural artesian warm water "Repose Pools" to integrate the experience with Concha.

That evening, we all once again met at the Moon House for cocktails, sharing our experience of the day and our individual sessions followed by another stunning meal. At this point in the journey I was finally unwinding and letting go of my anxiety of being the "crone" of the group.

Sunday morning I once again woke up early and headed out to a morning yoga class before my 9am private mineral infused soak in one of the Ojoitos in the spa area. As I lay in the warm water looking out at the beauty of the landscape with the tall trees I thought "Gee, wouldn't it be grand if the spa was at the center of a community of homes with my fellow sisters from the weekend experience."

After the luxurious 25 minute soak (which was way too short!) I leisurely roamed the grounds with my camera for last minute captures. One of the reoccurring themes we all noticed in our evening sessions, were the concepts of the circle, reflections and we are all related. As I was contemplating these themes with fellow attendee Kelsey, I saw the circular tubs and the great grandmother Cottonwood tree reflected in the water. In awe, I felt the confirmation of our collective experience and the alchemical mantra As Above So Below.

At 11:30am I met my fellow attendees near the sweat lodge for a Nahui Ollin Dance in the Four Directions led by Concha followed by brunch at the Blue Heron. The dance and ritual was incredibly moving, I find indigenous dances and ceremonies to be very potent and stirring.

I am still in the process of integrating all that occurred over the weekend, it was a quite lot over a very short time. My only regret was that I would have liked to spend more time with the beautiful souls who attended the transformational weekend with me. At dinner Saturday evening, Barrett Freibert mentioned that its when we share our vulnerability that deep connections are made. I've been contemplating this idea since she mentioned it, as I believe most of us are in search of deep connection, or what Joseph Campbell calls the experience of "being alive."