How to connect with an experience before it happens.

We’re one week out from hosting our first couples retreat in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

This has been months… more like years in the making.

It’s funny, I've heard this quiet voice in my head say “Don’t tell them it’s been years! You’ll show them how afraid you’ve been to do this!”

When I sit back and think about what it took to get here… YES there has been fear. But, it’s truly been about divine timing.

It FEELS like one of those situations that look like an "overnight success story” but you’ll see, it’s been years in the making.

3 years ago, I vividly remember sitting outside at a coffee shop in Rock Hill, South Carolina (about 20 minutes from where we used to live) and telling Hannes that I knew we would host retreats some day. 1.5 years ago, I vividly remember sitting across from Hannes, after a meditation we did together in Austin, Texas and he told me that he saw us hosting retreats, and even having our own retreat center some day.

Taken at the coffee shop in Rock Hill

1 year ago, we lived in Palma de Mallorca for 2 months and we both knew that that would be the place where we hosted our first retreat. There were so many reasons why we fell in love with the island, the city atmosphere being easily escapable, to beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, hikes with views from every angle. There was something so special about the island (to the point that Hannes and I both could see ourselves having our European home there eventually).

Completely in love with Palma

Throughout all that time, there was a lot going on in our personal and professional lives. Experiences and lessons that helped open our eyes to how far we have come as a couple, how we want to live our lives, areas for growth.

During that time, we started taking note of our interactions with couples. Seeing just how much of a need & want there is for a DEEPER, more soulful, connection with your partner.

Then, I woke up one day at the beginning of 2023 and said “F*ck it, let’s go for it.”

Clearly this was years in the making. Seeds being planted for years, waiting to be harvested.

But, there was a nudge. A feeling like “It’s time.” At the same time, it didn’t really make sense. Why now? Honestly, when those nudges happen, you HAVE TO follow them. They’re the clues you’ve been waiting for, the crumbs on the path that you are on that are guiding you to where you want to go.

Maybe you get a nudge to make a phone call, stop into a store you’ve never been to, or… start a blog (like I did today LOL!) and it leads you to a new contact for that project, or watch an interaction that inspires and confirms that your work is necessary. Or, to be completely honest… makes ZERO sense, until it does.

So, the planning began.

What’s the process?

Get clear on what you want.
For us, that was an epic, transformational, retreat for couples that were already doing the work, who viewed one another as best friends, and questioned what was “normal” because they know they want more out of life and love.

Visualize it.
SEE as much as you can, overtime it will become more vivid (whether it’s actually seeing something in your mind’s eye or a feeling you have!)

We started visualizing ourselves, the participants, and the feelings that we were all going have throughout the retreat experience. We “connected with” the participants before one soul had even reached out saying they were interested to learn more.

We visualized specifics, like seeing/feeling what it will be like to sit at a villa with the group, going out for dinner, laughing together. We visualized the essence of the experience, like the deep connection, love and fulfillment that would be felt in the room. We visualized the outcome after the retreat came to completion, having seen ourselves hugging them goodbye, all of us feeling deep gratitude for our time together.

Ask for guidance.
Ask the Universe, Source, God, the Divine, your spirit guides, to help you towards creating this in whatever way will bring about your highest and greatest good. Good for yourself, and good for others. Ask for guidance in releasing what is not serving you on your path to getting there (the stories, people, experiences, beliefs that do not support you). To guide you to discovering any and all things that will guide you to your greatest and highest good. Then, release the need to KNOW how they’re going to guide you there and trust that it will happen.

Take aligned action.
After the feeling, confidence and connection started to build from the visualization, we worked on the logistics and tangible things that we could take action on. Keeping in mind the feeling and experience we wanted to create, it made choosing the beautiful villa we rented, finding the private chefs and yoga teachers, designing our intentional excursions and workshop topics, EASY.

When you’re that tapped in to the experience of what you’re creating, you can feel the difference between something that is meant to be a part of the experience or not. Your intuition (or gut feeling) wants to guide you, if you let it (because it might not make sense in the moment, but in time it will!).

If there has been something on your mind for months (or years) know that it is there for a reason. You are MEANT to do it.

“If there has been something on your mind for months (or years) know that it is there for a reason. You are MEANT to do it.”

Trust the timing.
I talked about divine timing. Meaning sometimes, there are lessons and experiences we need to have before we are TRULY ready for what it is that we’re asking for.

Maybe you’re at the point where you feel like it’s time - truthfully, I don’t think that this “it’s time” feels like pressure or fear (like you’re going to jump off a cliff), it feels more like a nudge in the direction you know you need to go but have been avoiding.

If that’s you, then it’s about getting clear on what you want. Creating the vision inside of you before it’s even happened in real life, knowing how amazing it’s going to be, seeing it all working out. Building your confidence, and then taking aligned & inspired action to bring it to life.

Follow the nudges.

Like I said before, there will be nudges from your intuition. Ideas that seem to drop out of the air when you’re in the shower or driving to work. Just DO it. Make the phone call. Start the blog. Buy the website domain. Send the email. Whatever it is, it’s showing up for a reason. Trust that there is a bigger plan than you could ever know.

Months from now, you could be sitting in the same spot you’re in now, with butterflies in your stomach because you’re one week away from launching the experience that it going to change your life.

Xx,

Alex