adventures at soul camp.

Friends! I am breaking my blogging hiatus today and it feels really good.

Last weekend, I had the incredible joy of being part of something epic: the first inaugural Soul Camp, an adult sleep away camp for the soul at Camp Towanda in the Poconos. Now, I’ve been on multiple wellness/yoga retreats before–from Kripalu on the east coast to Esalen out west–but Soul Camp is truly one-of-a-kind.

I woke up the morning of feeling a bit of social anxiety. You see, I decided to go to Soul Camp solo. I did try to coax a few friends to come along too. However, none of them were free that weekend… a sign that I should absolutely go on my own. As I walked up to find the bus that would take us campers from NYC to PA, I met my first Soul Camp friend, Jamie. We instantly connected and had lots to talk about.

Phew! Anxiety lessened by 50%. And as we entered the bus, I felt even more relief because everyone on it was so friendly and excited for the impending weekend. Naturally, any human interested in Soul Camp has to be awesome. The ride up was a breeze and as we pulled into Camp Towanda 3 hours later, we were greeted by dancing camp counselors in rainbow tie-dye t-shirts, fun sunglasses, and giant smiles. I immediately left adulthood at the bus door and jumped happily into this field of ecstatic people.

I ran up to the check in table and got my bunk assignment, #7/8. And walked up a hill to The Circle, where 14 little houses stood around a wide open grassy-nole. This is freaking awesome! My eyes landed on 7/8 and I scooted over to check out my home for the next 2.5 days. As I swung open the screen door, a giant room with about 20 tiny twin beds lined the perimeter. I know I’m short, but will I fit in these? I snagged a bed to the right, dropped my bags, and checked out the Soul Camp Program Guide, which detailed all of the amazing teachers and schedule of events, plus, a really sweet welcome message from Soul Camp co-founders, Ali Leipzig and Michelle Goldblum.

“This weekend you will be one step further in creating a life full of joy, play, transformation, and deep fulfilling relationships. Get ready to open your mind, heart, and let your soul play free.”

Yes! Let’s do it! I headed outside to sit and enjoy the sun, while everyone gathered for orientation and our tour of the campus. Let me tell you, this place is gorgeous! It sits on a big hill surrounded by tall trees, the air smells sweet, there are trails to explore, there’s a lake AND pool to swim in, and for some reason I was especially excited by the organic garden with chickens clucking around.

Later that evening, I had dinner in the Mess Hall (hehe) with the lovely ladies in my bunk, all of whom lead totally interesting lives. For example… Jackie had been traveling pretty much non-stop over the past year teaching kids with autism all over the world. Isabel was about to launch an amazing product for her health coaching practice. And Loren was killing in with her Sweet Loren gluten-free, vegan cookie dough and brownie mix line. I was super inspired and filled with admiration–these ladies were creating careers and lives for themselves that people only dream about. If they can do it, so can I.

Later, the whole camp gathered around the biggest bonfire I’ve ever seen for a Fear Burning Ceremony… oh, and s’mores. One of the fabulous counselors, Julie Santiago, led us in a group meditation where we considered what we were really afraid of in life, and how that was holding us back. Who did we want to be? What did we want to create? How did we want to feel? The next step was to write those things down on a notecard and release them once and for all by throwing it in the fire.

Although it sounds simple, it was one of the most powerful, freeing experiences I’ve ever had. What made it even more special is that there were almost 200 other people doing it with me. Without a doubt, this exercise set the stage for the weekend, making us all get real with ourselves, while feeling completely supported in the process. And then we roasted marshmallows and danced.

The rest of the weekend was spent bonding with new friends, swimming in the lake, doing yoga, talking to angels, and witnessing teachers and campers alike bear their souls to total strangers. It may sound crazy, but it was beautiful and made me feel incredibly connected to people I barely knew. One of the highlights for me was Nisha Moodley leading the most amazing Soul Sisters Circle, where over 30 women gathered to feel the utter awesomeness of a truly supportive sisterhood.

This day in age, us women often feel alone, unable to really share what’s going on in our lives. We want everyone to think we’ve got it all together, when in reality, there’s a lot going on under the surface that we don’t feel comfortable sharing. In a series of exercises, including eye-gazing, Nisha showed us the power that exists when women are present for each other with compassion and love, instead of judgement and pity. It allows us all to get real and be open with one another, which ultimately brings the healing and clarity we all seek.

It was so hard to capture this whole experience in photos. I was so immersed in everything that I often forgot to take pictures. But the last night, I made sure I had my camera in tow. Soul Camp concluded with a talent show and holy shit, it was probably the most love-infused talent show I’ve ever been to. About 15 campers braved the stage to sing, dance, improvise, and recite poetry. I’ll be honest. There were moments my eyes filled with tears because of how unbelievably vulnerable and brave these people were.

Following the talent show, Space (one of the few male campers) led us in what he called the Hug Matrix. We were instructed to hug someone for 7 seconds and then move on to the next person and the next and the next until we had each hugged 20 people. At first, I was like “oh god, this is going to get awkward.” But as we got into it, I felt incredibly happy. Space explained that hugging for this long allows humans to let down their guards and instinctually realize these other people are not going to “kill” them. Sounds intense, but statistically, humans need to hug for 7 seconds 20 times a day to get the allotted affection necessary to thrive. Amazing, right? Who knew hugs were so important!

Soul Camp was only 3 days of my life, but the people I connected with and interacted with throughout the weekend was indescribably rewarding. I was left feeling totally empowered, grateful that I gave this experience to myself, and excited to have all of these new friends. Hopping on the bus to leave was bittersweet, but I knew that I’d be back next year.

If this post resonated with you at all, you must go to Soul Camp in 2015. It will be one of the most nourishing experiences of your life! Thank you, Ali and Michelle for dreaming this up and making it real. You gave us all an amazing gift.