In the Waterfall
The Waterfall at the Sacred Woman Collective retreat in Bali, July 2024
Bali. Day three. In the middle of our retreat, in the liminal in-between of things.
Our group goes on an adventure to a local waterfall. The refreshing water feels cooling in the Bali heat. We immerse in the natural pools and stand below the fall. Water pounds on our heads, shoulders. A hand reaches out to steady me as I make my way to the sweet spot of pressure from the stream of water pouring down from the mountain above.
The groundwork.
We have come together in our women's circles and gotten to know each other. In our group activities, we have opened up, slowly peeling back the layers and getting us to the vulnerable core as we share our stories. When we arrive at the waterfall, each of us, sistered by another, enters the portal.
Screaming in the waterfall is yoga.
How many times do you get to scream as if your life depended on it?
In some way it does. But you are safe, so it’s a scream that come from deep within, not out of fear or flight or fight, but from an incredible need to not hold back anymore, to let it all out.
And no worry about what you sound like because the noise of the water drowns you out.
You're supported by mother nature. You feel a continuous stream of water massaging your head, neck, shoulders and back. It's primal and surprisingly healing. You get to release tension from your body through your own sounds. The sound of the waterfall and your own voice blend and become one, union with your deepest essence. Yoga, the yoking of yourself with nature.
You're not self-conscious, but at the same time, you're being witnessed by the other people in the group. You feel safe and deliciously wild.
It includes power as well as grief.
I think of it like the painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. We hold so much in our day to day lives. There’s just so much holding all the time. We don’t even know how much we long for an unbridled release. There's nothing to hold us back anymore. There's no reason. You have this opportunity to scream and let it out. How good does that feel??!!
Like an exorcism.
Release it. Don’t carry it anymore. Let go of the pain, wherever it resides. Let go of all the betrayals, all the losses. Let go of being angry; let go of rage. Let go of being misunderstood. Let go of being silenced and not speaking up.
And a reclamation.
It's the reclamation of the voice, that's what's so transformative.
The joy of being alive.
In the evening, after our waterfall experience, we do some deep breathwork. Breathwork moves a lot of stagnant energy, such as stress, tension, and grief out from the emotional and physical body. Tears come, laughter bubbles up. We let go of anything that no longer serves us to make space for the new.
When you release, you have more spaciousness in your body. To know that you can do that for yourself is self-healing. It’s the ultimate self-care.
A collective tremble.
It's not just your scream, it's witnessing the other women’s voices. It’s so moving to see other people release what they have been carrying. You know how it feels, how necessary it feels. You see it in their bodies, a tremble. The act of trembling. The tremble itself is a prayer.
