Rewrite Your Power: Who This Retreat Is For and What You'll Walk Away With

 what does it actually mean to be ready for a retreat? Not just willing, ready. My guest, Mary Beth Donohoe, has been leading retreats since 2020, and she has a clear-eyed answer to that question. And today, in this episode, we talk about what makes the Rewrite Your Power retreat different, who it's designed for, what Mary Beth carried back from Peru that she's now building into everything she offers, and the fears that most often stop women from saying yes to a week like this.

We also talk about midlife, what that word actually means, and why it points to a particular kind of hunger for space. 📍 I'm Alex Howson, and this is Write Medicine.

Lessons From Peru

You've been running retreats for six years, and you've just come back from Peru. What was your experience in Peru that you might bring into our Mexico retreat?

Wow. Yeah, Peru was just the place alone. Everywhere you look is jaw-dropping and just awe-inspiring is what I like to say, and joyful. Just it felt really joyful in there. And I have been working on bringing joy with me everywhere I go since that place. Each retreat in it- in and of itself is so unique and special.

- The place does influence, of course. There's magic in, in the place. There's beautiful energy in the place, but it's the people who show up that really create a retreat, and it's showing up just as yourself. You don't have to be more than what you are. Like, you just get to show up and be yourself.

But, I learned a lot of lessons in Peru in all my retreats. They're teachers for me. And this last retreat I definitely learned more rest, a little bit more rest, and I love to have these cultural experiences as well. So I'm really looking forward to our excursion day to Yala and to the opportunity that I'm working on right now about our community service aspect of what we'll do.

I think it's really important to not just go to a place antique. I think it's really important to give back, and that's actually a principle of Peru. They call it Ayni, which means reciprocity. And so from... I t- I told myself from that retreat forward, I'm gonna always offer those kind of experiences that people really...

you get to go to the beautiful resort and enjoy the amazing food. I believe that Xinalani has been voted and awarded Michelin for their food.

And it's funny because I'm with a friend currently, and she was on that retreat, and she was like, "I can't wait. Oh my gosh, you're gonna have so much fun with the food." But yeah I think that the nourishment that we receive in general from the retreats alone, not having to think about what you're eating and it's just

For you and it's all healthy, that really goes a long way as well.

But hopefully I answered your question. I feel like I went off on a tangent there, so

Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think to your point about food, I think particularly for the demographic that we are offering this retreat or creating this retreat for, we're talking about women who are... first of all, in general, women tend to be caregivers or are put into some kind of caregiving role, and that often means preparing food for other people. And so it's really nice to have that opportunity to have other people prepare food for you in, in, in a way that is, as you say, not only delicious, but nourishing for body and soul. I think that's gonna be a huge part of the experience for a lot of the people who'll be coming, who'll be coming with us.

Who Is Ready

What, for you, when you are putting retreats together and when you're leading retreats, what are the signs that someone is ready for a retreat?

That's a good question. I think if you're somebody that is in a place in your life that you're curious, you're questioning, or maybe you're just in your normal day-to-day and you're you want something different or you're enjoying it as well. I think really most people are ready for retreats, it's just a matter of getting out of your own way.

So I think that if the question is who is right for the retreat? Anybody. Because it's just an opportunity for you to go and reflect with yourself, and it's guided, which is really nice. It's like you can show up and you don't have to think about most things. The most thing you have to think about is what time do I have to wake up to get to the class?

And then the schedule is printed for you, and you can follow it all day long. It's just, it removes so much decision-making for you. So if you need a reset or you're curious about what could my life look like in a different way? Or maybe specifically our retreat, if you're midlife, there's a lot of changes happening.

And what do you wanna see it bloom into as you change, right? So what is that transformation that you wanna start tending, right? And getting clarity around it. Yeah. What do you think for that? What do you... Who do you think is ret- ready for our retreat? I'm curious what your answer is up for that.

absolutely. So I guess I have three kind of three layers of answer to that question. From my own personal the-- to your point about having that decision-making taken away from you and somebody else handling most of the logistics and creating that space for your day, because one of the things you talked about earlier is how important rest is, and we will definitely be building a lot of structured and unstructured rest into into the retreat itself.

I think for my personal of retreats has been, yes, having somebody take my week and create it, design it, so that I don't have to think about too much what I'm doing or where I need to be or what I'm going with. That's one thing. And I think another part of that personal experience is I'm ready for a retreat when I really want to have that immersive experience of being with other people

And, opening myself up to growth.

So there's certainly an unknown. There's certainly a, know I'm ready for something different, and I need to put myself somewhere else t- in order to be open to what that something different might be. That's the first thing. The second thing is, to your point about midlife, and what do we mean by that?

I was having a conversation with my younger daughter about this the other day. She's in her late, 20s and that term midlife can mean all sorts of different things. It can mean anything from late 30s, early 40s onward. For some people it can mean, mid-40s. I'm 62. I'm 63.

I turned 63 last week. Am I midlife? I kinda feel like I'm midlife , but demographically, I might not be placed in that sort of category. But I think when we're talking about midlife, we're talking about some of those hormonal changes that can start, kinda early to mid-40s for a lot of women. I think we're also talking about a lot of the pressures and obligations that come for women in their 30s and 40s, so even earlier than those, than some of those hormonal changes, in terms of caregiving, in terms of these are peak productivity years in our capitalist society. These are the years, 30s and 40s, where a lot of is, a lot is demanded of women in terms of bringing their labor to the workforce and working for somebody else.

And even if you run your own business, we're focusing on women who you know, they're solopreneurs, they're freelancers, they have their own businesses. There's a lot of pressure there, in that sort of, midlife time. So there are different ways to think about, midlife, I think that also point to, yeah, this is a great time to take a step back allow other people to pour support into you so that you can fill your cup.

And, after the retreat, go back to doing what you're doing. then I think the third reason for a retreat is, something that we touched on at the very beginning, is that- When you work in these occupations that demand a high level of intellectual contribution, it's so easy to be cognitively burned out and to feel like your brain is fried. And a great way to un-fry your brain is to allow your body to rest. And so those are three different layers that I think about when I think about who, who might be ready for a retreat like this

I love that. And I agree wholeheartedly with you. I think like being held and supported by other women is something so beautiful and strong and and I think we've been taught, at least in the United States, I can speak for my experience, that been taught not to lean into other women and not to have that support.

And so I think that it's it's really something unique and special in retreats that you-- spec- specifically this retreat that I know that I can't wait to offer and hold others and hold the space as well as give head massages to help them relax even more. So

that, and I'm really glad that you raised that because being in a position to offer support and and specific ways of holding others is very precious, and that's one of the things I know you do incredibly well. And I do think it's really important to, it's a very individualistic culture. A- and as you say, we don't, we're not really encouraged to lean into each other or to l- there's a weakness, a perception of weakness attached to that for a lot of people including a lot of women. So I'm glad that you mentioned that because I think that's a huge... This is a really important part of what we're doing here.

Six Months Later

If someone were to join us and look back, on this retreat, and then look back six months later at the experience, what's one thing that you'd love them to be able to say about the experience of coming with us to Schiel- Shinelani in Mexico?

I would love for them to be able to say that it was exactly what I needed. I think that the, that expression I've heard it from students, I've heard it from retreat-goers, that it's, each person has their own individual needs, right? And that we're-- and they may or may not be being met in some way. And so I know that's general, but I do believe that when you receive what you need, that's personal.

And so maybe for somebody that's the rest, or maybe that-- for somebody that's learning how to meditate, or maybe that's unlearning how to constantly do and learning how to just be, right? So I do really I do really hope that each person walks away with what they need, and that they would love to, to return and to go on another retreat because they see the power in it, in, in that pause, the sacred pause of having a whole week guided, supported, held, and the experiences as well.

The connections that you make on retreat are so special. Even just our connection at our training, i'm so grateful that we went on a bike ride and got ice cream. And,

That was one of my favorite days.

It was, one of the... Yeah, it was one of my favorite days, and that's the thing is you make these lifelong connections as well.

So then you step away, you feel that you receive what you need, but you also step away with a community that's still there to support you and we create structure for that to, that communication still, to still continue. So I think that's really important. Yeah. What do you think that you'd like for people to say?

I think you

what do you want people to walk home with?

I, think, you absolutely said it beautifully. I think that question does return us to something that we talked about at the very beginning. The retreat is Rewrite Your Power and Listening to Your Quiet Authority. And that's, that's-- I don't interpret that listening to your quiet authority in terms of being meek or not saying what you think or of those things that might be attributed to a feminine version of authority that, that, that has a kind of n- negative connotation.

I think about it more in terms of, as you said at the beginning of our conversation, we all have a, an inner power, and we all have, an inner authority. B-but that voice, that sense of, yeah, that, that voice gets muted, and we stop listening to ourselves. And so I would love for the women who, come to our retreat with us to leave with a renewed sense of clarity around their own voice how they want to use that voice and that, that sense of power and authority, and a sense of firm grounding in who they are and how they want to show up in the world. And I do believe that retreats build that with, with that safe container, with that structured sharing, with those opportunities for social connection and community. And as you say we, we will be providing a mechanism at the end of the retreat for people to be able to continue their connections with each other

Yes. I'm so excited. I just know that this is gonna be something really special and beautiful. I can feel it, and I don't use that word to know very lightly because there's so many things that are unknown. But yeah, I just every time we have a conversation and continue to expand the awareness around this offering I feel like it's something really unique and special, and I just cannot wait to be there.

And I used to live i- in Mexico in 2020, and so I have a special, That Muxil Alani is not just some random place to me. It is a place that I actually helped heal myself and find those things like the authoritative voice. And, I think women have very powerful voices. We are the creators, and we are the life givers. I think we, we need to recognize that power in so many more ways than we do already, so

Find Mary Beth Online

100%. Maybeth, where can people find you?

I'm in North Lake Tahoe California, and I offer public classes. I offer little mini retreats. So you can find me on the internet as well. And that, my website is rewildyoursoulretreats.com. And I also have a personal website, which is mbtheyogi.com. And yeah, you can find me there.

Social media, I'm on Instagram. I'm on Facebook, not really that much under my name, Mary Beth Donahoe. And I'm on YouTube as well, MB The Yogi, if you wanna come try some of my classes. I've just actually launched a little free, It's a five-part series 'cause I'm in the midst of traveling, and I didn't wanna leave people behind without some Mary Beth love.

So you can check that out. Yeah.

Yeah, we'll be sure to include all those links in the show notes, including a link to the retreat with the discount code that will be live until solstice, June the 21st. Mary Beth, it's such a delight always talking with you. I'm so excited to be co-hosting this retreat with you and so glad that yeah, the universe drew us together

I love that our paths crossed too. I feel it is serendipitous, and I feel that it is perfect. And yeah, I'm really excited as well to have you. And we already have a couple ladies signed up, and I'm excited about that and that growth that we're gonna have.

Retreat Fears and FAQs

If you're concerned, things that a lot of people may be afraid of about retreats is like, "I don't know anybody." These are common things that come up. "I don't know anybody. I'm... i'm shy," or

they haven't traveled solo before. It's really empowering to do that. We will have so much communication prior to. We can even link you up with people that are maybe moving, coming from the same airport, things like that. And so if there's any hesitation, ask, just ask the questions.

I'm happy to be honest and authentic with you, honestly, 'cause I wouldn't wanna push anybody into this. It's really it's really... But if you have those questions, and you're like, "I wanna go, but," let's see if we can get rid of that but and see how we can make this something that you wanna do, or not want to do, that you're able to do.

Yeah, absolutely. I'm so glad that you mentioned that, and we'll make sure to include email addresses in the show notes so that you, listener, can ask questions and have honest answers.

Closing Goodbye

Mary Beth, such a delight to talk to you. I can't wait to go on this retreat with you. And in the meantime, go gently, and we'll be talking again really soon.

Thank you so much.

📍 The retreat is called Rewrite Your Power: Listening to Your Quiet Authority, and it's seven days in Mexico with Mary Beth and me this fall. The link and the discount code live through June the 21st are in the show notes, along with Mary Beth's website, her YouTube channel, and her Instagram.

If you have questions before you decide, our email addresses are there too. Please ask them. Mary Beth said it in this episode, and I'll say it again here. If you want to go, but there's a but in the way, 📍 let's look at that together. Thanks for being here.