Pause. Are You Honoring Your Journey?

“And, there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do—determined to save the only life you could save.”  ~Mary Oliver, The Journey

I just returned from a conscious movement/dance workshop with the gifted teacher Amara Pagnano (below), creator of Path of Azul and my NC friends. It was beautiful, raw, emotionally and physically exhausting and deeply cathartic. I was up at 1:30 a.m. this morning, circling my life from above, like a hawk: observing all the huge transitions, life changes, seismic inner shifts and relationship dynamics I’m dancing in and out of right now—my sacred journey.

Like most, I am spiritually weary from the intense rollercoaster we’ve all been riding. But, I continue to stay present. To show up for myself on my meditation cushion every morning, to lean in to challenging conversations, to lead Wild Souls Authentic Movement every Sunday, to keep my heart soft, open and compassionate and above all—to stay curious.

I’ll turn 60 in January (and pass up my parents who died at 56 and 60). I have much to celebrate and many exciting adventures I’m looking forward to.  The media continually calls us to focus on how to be a better, shinier version of ourselves. Personally, I want to cheer Renee on for making it through the last few years, not only intact, but perhaps a bit wiser and kinder.

We are not self-improvement projects. Can we meet ourselves where we are with kindness, respect and revere our journey?

I invite you to pause and honor your journey. Here are 3 suggestions for getting started: 

• Carefully choose friends/mentors who have the emotional and spiritual maturity to hold the space for what you are sharing; they should both allow you to show up “warts and all” while also seeing the highest and best in you. Be choosy.
• Remember one of my favorite mantras: many things are true at once. When looking at big life stuff, it’s easy to get in an all-or-nothing mindset. This rarely serves us; try to cultivate the ability to see more than one perspective (read how to become comfortable with polarities)
• Journaling can become a great tool for self-awareness and insight. Even just taking a few minutes each morning to reflect and write your answers to: How do I feel? What do I need? What do I want? (Read about other tools for self-awareness). Writing is invaluable to helping me access the 30,000-foot view.

Your journey is sacred. It’s unique and provides you with opportunities for enormous transformation. Our greatest growth comes from staying awake, alert and present to what is unfolding moment to moment while standing in allegiance to ourselves and inviting in self-compassion. Take my hand, let’s walk together.

Warmly,

I’D LOVE TO SUPPORT YOU! NEW/UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-RENEWAL:

• **ALMOST FULL!** October 24-26th ~ Soul Tending: Cultivating Grace, Power and Intuition ~ A Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat  (photo above) at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (Berkshire Mountains, Western MA).  Packages start at just $700 for this soul-nurturing weekend. Register here! Can’t make it? Join me Jan. 30-Feb. 1 for Tending & Befriending Your Beautiful Self at Kripalu or March 20-22 at for Awakening Your Wild Soul at 1440 Multiversity in the CA redwoods! Learn more. 
• Lead women’s groups/retreats! Secrets to Facilitating Life-Changing Women’s Groups/Retreats ~ an online, self-paced mentoring course. Would you like to empower women in your area through facilitating women’s groups/retreats? Based on Renee’s 30+ years experience training 450+ facilitators and teaching at world-renowned retreat centers like Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and Esalen Institute, this empowering on-demand video course offers everything you need to start facilitating women’s circles and retreats. Only $195. Learn more.
• Plan a 2026-27 workshop for your team/organization. My primary work is speaking professionally at national/regional conferences, employee events and to companies/organizations worldwide! I love weaving neuroscience, work-life alignment strategies, mindfulness & resiliency practices to create unforgettable workshops & presentations that help employees and teams feel more creative, focused, resourced and alive. Learn about my speaking here and fill out in inquiry form for your next event.
• Join me in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC for a Wild Souls Adventure: authentic movement classes, community song circles, full moon hikes, meditation/resiliency workshops, women’s circles & more. Have me design a custom experience/ritual for your team/friends: learn more.  Join me for Wild Souls Authentic Movement class Sunday, Oct. 12th or 19th here. 

Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by mindfulness coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women live more intentionally and find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, AARP, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of two books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Renee and her husband live in Western North Carolina and they have one son in New York City. Her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.