What is unique about the Women’s Sacred Roots?

Women’s Sacred Roots Retreat is a one-of-a-kind spiritual retreat that involves traveling to the Greek goddesses' archaeological sites and offering experiential initiation in each one of them, together with self-insight and connection workshops. In times of uncertainty, it is essential that we grow deeper roots to give us the grounding we need to expand and grow higher. By weaving myths and truths of the women throughout time, we will be led to a deeper understanding of ourselves and our strengths. We will feel the empowerment in the temples of the Greek Olympus goddesses: Athena, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hestia. In the tradition of Sappho’s Circle, you will be introduced to and enjoy the same natural environments, herbal scents, traditional flavors, ancient music, words, poetry, dance, love, and body language from that era are introduced. Finally, we will explore, through our own experiences in an authentic Greek village, the wisdom of our great grandmothers’ agricultural life and artistic expression.

What is the experiential process in the sacred sanctuaries?  

The experiential initiation workshops within the sacred sanctuaries offer a unique encounter compared to typical guided tours. They aim to immerse participants in the unique spirit and energy of each sacred place, inviting them to deeply embody the archetypal feminine qualities represented by the Greek goddesses. At the same time we provide an array of different workshops and activities, to accommodate diverse skills. After our last trip all participants (including the organizers) reported significant personal growth, achieving long desired aspirations in their work, relationships, or living situations.  

How did that happen?

As we immersed in the empowerment of the Greek goddesses statues poses. As we embodied our common Greek alphabet roots. As we were holding hands grounded in circular dances. As our tears slipped into each other's roots of goodness giving new names. As our unifying laughter reached the root of our joy. As we performed our erotic poems delving into the root of our feminine love. As we realized the goddesses we are, grounded in sacred sites.  All in all openness to love will actually happen for all participants. Through the profoundness in our women circles, the grounded spirituality in the sacred sites, the embodied baptism in Artemis valley, the joy in our dancing and drum circles, the caring on our breakfast table and the laughter during our dinners. By the connection we create, our lives become interwoven, beyond time and distance, while the sacred roots energies continue streaming through all of us; nourishing indeed. Women connected through words, hugs, gazes, comments, laughs, trying to get used to the unusual that in the end brought novelty and more insight in our lives.  

Besides the visits to the sacred sites what other experiences will we have?

An array of experiences in Greece’s nature, both on places of the mainland as well as on an island, beaches as well as mountain, towns as well as villages, modern and agricultural life, mountain hiking and snorkeling, swimming in the sea and boat trip in an underground cave. Together with an introduction to local plants, their nutritional and healing qualities and their mythology.  Our workshops will include dance, music playing, singing, poetry writing, Greek language basics, ancient Greek board games. In addition, we we will offer healing sessions of Greek Alphabet yoga and hand pan drum sound healing.

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Will we get a taste of the Greek music and dancing? Music is an integral part of our retreat and we will offer a hand pan drum healing session. We love dancing and we will teach you Greek dances, particularly love dances. Also you will get the chance to play Greek rhythm drums and participate in a Greek rhythms drum circle. “It’s all Greek to me”.

Will we get a chance to learn any Greek? Jody will be teaching you the essential phrases you will want to know in Greece so you can experience some interactions with locals.  Also, in your “Women’s Sacred Roots” booklet we will send you there will be included some basic lessons on the Greek alphabet and on Greek words you may want to use in your daily communication with locals. During the retreat we will offer a class on “Greek you already know without knowing” and on the only Greek song we have from antiquity, Seikilos song. While doing Greek Alphabet yoga you will learn some Greek mantras, whose roots are used in English. We will also introduce you to Sappho’s poetry, which is the first poet in the world who talked about feelings and about her erotic desire for women.   

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Where are we going to stay during our trip?

We will spend the night of arrival and final night in Athens at the Athinais Hotel. Departures on the 13th are either to home or to Lesvos. We will stay 3 nights at the seafront Arion Hotel in Xylokastro and 8 nights at Sparta Gaia in Agios Dimitrios Zarakos village. There may be a few overflow single occupancy women that will stay at nearby private homes. Sparta Gaia guesthouse bears witness of Greece's architectural heritage, preserving also the traditional garden design and the hand-crafted furniture, while embodying modern amenities. Our workshops will be held here. There are no single rooms available, however,  we have arranged for you to rent rooms with locals in the village. Whether you stay at Sparta Gaia or nearby, we will spend our time together together and will shuttle you home and back in the morning for a group breakfast.  

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We want to make it clear that our accommodations are comfortable with all the amenities you need but are not your typical touristy 5 star hotels. Get prepared for an authentic, rural, yet comfortable experience.