Find Your Center

When you're feeling unfocused and find yourself flitting from one thing to the next, what do you do to get grounded?

This is the question I have been asking a lot of clients, friends, organizations—and myself-- over the last month. We’re living in unusual times and unless you have the option of spending hours a day meditating alone in a monastery, you’ve probably experienced some of the collective chaos that is present in our world right now.

For me, one of the anchors that supports my ability to find my center and remember what’s really important is taking regular retreats.

Whether that’s one day each quarter to step back and get clear/focused on how I want to direct my energy or a 5-day spiritually intensive voyage to help me birth a new era in my life-- I am a huge believer in the power of retreating (read more on ideas for retreats).

Interestingly, I recently completed a beautiful vision map outlining how I intend to experience maximum ease and flow in my life this fall and at the top of the list was quarterly retreats and monthly mini-retreats (minimum of 8 hours) in my schedule.

There are other things I do that are essential to my experiencing equilibrium and well-being on a daily basis—meditation, movement, eating high energy foods, volunteering, time in nature, regular heartfelt connection with my family/friends—but I have found over the years that nothing pulls me out of myself, helps me remember who I really am or gives me inspiration, hope and clarity like taking a retreat.

If you’re in career or life transition or just craving a deeply soulful, nourishing and restorative retreat experience, I encourage you to consider joining me at my Oct. 2-4 Self-Renewal Retreat at The Crossings. (I’m so excited to be including special musical and movement segments with nationally known creative divas Sara Hickman and Dr. Deb Kern!). Or, if that’s not do-able, ask a friend who has a vacation property if you can rest and rejuvenate there for a day or two.

My primary focus at my retreats is not to just create an amazing weekend experience (which we do, read more), but to support the attendees in bringing self-care into their everyday life and experiencing how life-changing this gift can be.

It may seem like a luxury in our current times to take a break to invest in yourself, but my experience has been that when I slow down and learn to be more present, listen to my intuition and get back in touch with who I really am--the payoffs are huge.

AN INVITATION: Interested in learning how you can learn strategies and receive support for finding your center? Consider starting/joining one of our women's self-renewal circles, signing up for our FREE September 17th Global PRG Sampler Teleclass on Reconnecting with Who You Are or attending our life-changing October 2-4 Fall Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat at The Crossings (early bird rate ends Aug. 31^st).

Also, visit Live Inside Out and sign up to receive weekly tips on how to live more intentionally by becoming a fan on our Live Inside Out Facebook page.

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly. Subscribe here. For more information on Renee’s upcoming events, click here.

Photo: Renee Peterson Trudeau, north of Taos in north central New Mexico.

Summer of .....?

I attended a beautiful intimate dinner on Friday evening hosted by a dear friend/mentor/sister. The theme of the gathering: nourishment.

She invited a few close friends who deeply nurtured and nourished her to her gorgeous Mexico-inspired, art-filled home in downtown Austin. We dined on an amazing green curry with fish, basmati rice, green goddess salad (prepared by the beautiful Meg with Spoon) and had the opportunity to really slow down and be with one another in a way that is rare and beautiful.

The experience re-affirmed for me how important play, pleasure, enjoyment, heart-felt connection and contentment are in my life (I’m reading the wonderful Big Leap by Gay Hendricks right now where I’m exploring the concept of “expanding how contented” one can feel; I highly recommend this book).

These experiences have inspired me to come up with my list of things I intend to do this summer (check out my June newsletter for support on creating an intentional summer).

I’ll share this in case it might inspire you to create your own list:

*Host an intimate house concert with the huge-hearted, deeply inspiring, ever-so-beautiful Sara Hickman
*Give—through creating and offering a supportive, empowering You’re the Master, Not the Slave yummy small business workshop for close friends—many of whom are newbie entrepreneurs
*Cook a lot—using my herb garden, lots of fresh local berries, trying new dishes, with my sweet son, for friends and people I love
*Intentionally build a strong, beautiful support team for my business so that the fall is joyful, easy and prosperous (and of course, fun!)
*Take my son to visit lots of natural areas, lakes, rivers, springs and off-the-beaten path swimming holes, including early morning kayaking on our nearby lake
*Attend a wonderful, women’s retreat in a beautiful, cool and spirit-filled location (heading to Kripalu in July)
*Be extra loving to my body, enjoying lots of Nia classes, walking, yoga and resistance training--that build my inner and outer strength
*Carve out time many evenings throughout the summer to enjoy my partner’s sweet company-- talking, relaxing, walking, meditating and laughing together
*Sign up for this wonder community supported agriculture program and spend some time working on this farm, harvesting veggies with my seven year-old
*Hear, experience and enjoy lots of music—thank God I’m in a community where this is possible daily!

If you filled in the blank “Summer of ___________,” what is it you most want to experience in the next 12 precious weeks?

P.S. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: I invite you to join me in a virtual living room to experience a taste of a Personal Renewal Group (PRG) for women and learn about the Power of Self-Care. Register today for our free June 11th PRG Sampler class—it’s interactive, but you’re welcome to just drop in and listen.

Thousands of women around the world are gathering in small intentional self-renewal circles each month, learning to Live Inside Out (become a fan on the Live Inside Out Facebook page). Join us!

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly. Subscribe here. For more information on Renee’s upcoming events, click here.

Photo: Renee Peterson Trudeau, standing on a fishing pier in Port Aransas in the Gulf of Mexico watching an unbelievable storm roll in. Going to the beach always reminds me of how much I love summer.

Magical Night of Self-Renewal

Earlier this month we hosted our national book/project launch at Mercury Hall (a 100-year old church that now serves as a funky, beautiful event space) in Austin, TX.

It was called “An Evening of Self-Renewal: Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance” and close to 250 people came out to celebrate and experience the amazing creative diva, Sara Hickman (http://www.sarahickman/), nibble on treats from Whole Foods Market, enjoy wine from our
local favorite urban grocer, “Whip In,” hear amazing storytelling from Austin mamas, a little from me on the evolution of this national women’s initiative and celebrate the growing “self care revolution.”

It was incredible to be with so many women—mostly mothers—in their 20s, 30s, 40s. 50s and 60s (and a few brave men) and feel such a sense of connection and intimacy even though the group was pretty large. Mamas and daughters danced together and friends laughed and cried over profoundly real--and sometimes raw--stories about the journey we call motherhood. It was pretty magical. We’re all still riding the wave from this amazing experience. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day AND launch our women’s initiative. It's been fun to hear how the experience touched those that were there (was pretty unforgettable--I highly recommend Sara Hickman's CD "Motherlode," which honors the dark side and light side of being a mama).

At the event, it sent chills down my spine to flip through our local Personal Renewal Group binder, which held flyers for all the local Groups starting this summer. It was really moving to see how these incredible women are sharing the messages highlighted in the Guide through their own unique voices. And, how they're expressing their creativity through their groups.