Day 1
This is the end of my first day here at the raw retreat. I have arrived at what I hope to be a wonderful experience. From this retreat, I hope to gain a foothold on my cravings for dried fruit. They are definitely my junk food. Also I hope to relax and have a place where I don’t have to worry about access to great food. Not only do they provide a room, they provide raw meals.
When I arrived to the retreat, I met the hosts: Wyn and Cynthia. They are fantastic. I talked with Cynthia for a while and we shared our backgrounds. She has been a massage therapist for 30 years and reads bodies to reveal ancestral patterns of unresolved troubles. She shared some of her stories and in one she helped a Baptist church in Brooklyn. The pastor asked her “I found your book, Bodies Unbound, in a Denver bookstore three years ago. The title intrigued me. Upon reading it I was fascinated about what people discovered about their lives when you massaged them. When we were slaves we left our bodies. We are still living outside of our bodies. I’ve asked you here to find out where we went” (from the book Bodies Unbound). She provides her services her at the retreat so I will definitely take advantage of them.
Wyn has been practicing raw foods for 2-5 years at a time for 30 years. He has so much knowledge on raw foods preparation, sprouting, and is a wealth of nutrition info. Tonight he guided a 15 minute mediation where you listen to the body, allow yourself the feel sensations in the body, and truly experience them.
For dinner, we ate a wrap consisting of a nut pate and chopped vegetables, with a miso dip and kale salad, which I brought with me from Oakland. Below is a picture of us at the dinner table. The meal was fantastic. After the meal we went for a walk on a trail by the house. The weather was beautiful. There were gray clouds in the sky and the city had this mystic feel to it. A picture is below.
The house also has a nice library with books on raw foods, body movement such as chi gong, etc. I read the “Raw Family” book in one sitting and was inspired. This book is amazing. You should read it if you get a chance.
Day 2
This morning I woke up at 6:15am in the most comfortable bed. I wanted to take advantage of this bed so I went back to sleep for a little bit more. At 7:30am I finally got out of bed and turned on my Carolyn Myss cd’s and prepared for the day. When I left the room, a small cup of wheatgrass was waiting for me. I didn’t really want to drink it but I knew that if I want to realize my full potential I needed to drink it. So I did, slowly. Afterwards we went on a 4-mile walk on the same trail as last night, only this time we went farther. I picked an orange from the orange trees along the path. It was fabulous.
When we returned back to the house we experimented and made a smoothie with strawberries, peaches, and red kale. It had a very interesting weird tasted, so I added some honey to make it drinkable. I knew that it was healthy and that is why I am here.
Tonight we went to see David Wolfe speak in Santa Barbara. It was pretty awesome to see him in person. Wyn actually won the raffle gift basket. I can’t wait to taste the raw cashews from the basket.
Day 3
This was the most wonderful day I think I have had all year. So many things happened. I woke up early to watch the sunrise, however, the sky had this haze. Instead, I finished Cynthia’s book. It was amazing. She is such a wonderful writer. From that moment I decided that I would pay the $120 and have a session with her. When I left my room, a cup of wheatgrass and celery was waiting for me. This time it was easier to drink. A little later, I made myself a smoothie with 2 peaches, 2 cacao beans, 3 Brazil nuts, water, and honey. It was amazing. I loved that it had a little crunchiness. I have decided since hearing David Wolfe to try including more juices into my diet. So we will see how it goes. After my amazing smoothie I went on a 4 mile hike and it was fabulous. I tried my best at being present during the walk so that I could appreciate the beauty of Ojai.
After the walk, I juiced amount a ton of oranges to drink during the day. I also ate the soup we prepared for dinner last night. It was fantastic. It was surreal to be on the deck looking over Ojai, drinking a glass of fresh orange juice, and eating the BEST SOUP EVER (my tribute to David Wolfe). Here is a picture of the view.
Soon after, I had my session with Cynthia. It was amazing. We mainly talked about my father and I learned about how I really felt about him and that I still need to learn what a father truly is. It was worth the money and I am so thankful for the opportunity to release these emotions. After the session I felt lighter and happier, and Cynthia noticed it too. Later that night we did a ritual where I wrote a list of all the things I have chosen to forgive my father for and we burned the list underneath the stars and moon.
Today was also very eventful because I met Storm, Jingee, and their family. It was amazing. There were also 2 girls staying with them. We had dinner and talked for a while. We talked about graduate school and how we could possibly work together in the future. The kids are as beautiful as they are in the film. I am so inspired by them all. Here are some pictures.
And to end the day, I talked to my friend Rufiena. And it was so fantastic to hear about her life and what she has been up to. Tomorrow, instead of going home I will drive to LA and spend some time with her. We will drive back to Oakland together.
Day 4
Today I slept in. After a very eventful day, I needed my rest. I woke up this morning and had my cup of wheatgrass and celery juice. I updated my journal and snacked on brazil nuts and gogi berries. Today I really wanted to relax and be lazy, however, thanks to Wyn I was able to fight it and go for a hike. The hike was just what my body needed. It was uphill and challenging. I haven’t sweated like this in a long time.
Here are pictures:
I ended my retreat with Wyn at a raw food restaurant in Ventura. The food was wonderful. I drunk a drink called ‘Mother’s Milk’ and ate raw ravioli. A picture is below.
I must say that this retreat was the best decision I have made in the last few months. It gave me an environment where I can relax and engage with others who are incorporating a raw food diet into their lifestyle, and a way to deal with the emotional issues I have been holding on to. Thank you Wyn, Cynthia, Jinjee and Storm for this amazing gift.
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