🌟 Are you ready to break free from old patterns, reconnect with your true self, and experience profound healing in a supportive circle of women? Our Sedona retreat showed us one thing: when women come together with intention, incredible transformations happen. ✨

👉 Ready to be part of the next chapter? Join the waitlist now for our 2025 Colorado Retreat, where healing, sisterhood, and empowerment come together in nature. Join the Waitlist!

In the breathtaking setting of Sedona 🌄, surrounded by its famous red rocks and sacred energy vortexes, we crafted an experience of sisterhood, healing, and self-reclamation that changed lives. Our Roots Reclaimed Retreat combined the powerful practices of breathwork, microdosing, and community 💫, inviting each woman to step fully into her power, release past pain, and reclaim a future of limitless possibilities. 🌌

🎧 Desiring to dive deeper?

Listen to my latest podcast episode on RAW & RADIANT:  Sisterhood & Healing in Sedona: Breathwork, Microdosing Retreat Journeys 🎙️, for firsthand reflections, powerful moments, and the transformative power of Sedona. Listen Now! 

The Power of Sisterhood in Healing 🤲💖 

There’s something incredibly transformative about connecting with other women who are walking a similar path. At our Sedona retreat, each day was a chance to dive deeper into self-discovery and empowerment 🌱, surrounded by women who understand and uplift each other. Through powerful group sessions and soul-deep conversations, each woman shed the old stories she carried and felt the support of a sisterhood that will last a lifetime. 🌸

In Sedona, we laughed, cried, and celebrated each breakthrough together 🎉. This was more than a retreat; it was a homecoming, a return to the woman within who has always been strong, beautiful, and worthy. 🌺

Why Breathwork & Microdosing Are the Keys to Transformation 🌬️🍄 

Healing on a deep level requires more than talking about your past—it’s about feeling, releasing, and embracing. Our approach combined two potent practices: breathwork and microdosing 🧘‍♀️✨, each enhancing the other to create a profound journey of self-discovery.

Breathwork allows you to reconnect with your body and emotions, helping you release stored pain and trauma. In every session, women experienced powerful releases, letting go of what no longer served them, and creating space for self-love and self-acceptance. 💖

Microdosing added another layer to the journey, supporting the mental clarity needed to move past limiting beliefs and amplify the effects of breathwork 🌈. Together, these practices broke down barriers and helped each woman experience her true self—unfiltered and unapologetic. 💪

Every breath was a step toward liberation, every session an invitation to break free from old patterns and step into a new version of yourself. 🌻

What’s Next: Join Us for the 2025 Colorado Retreat 🏔️💫 

If your heart is pulling you toward this experience, we’re excited to invite you to our next life-changing retreat in the stunning mountains of Colorado in 2025 🏞️. Building on everything we created in Sedona, this retreat will have a special theme: Naked with Nature 🌲💧.

Imagine yourself surrounded by breathtaking nature 🌄, releasing old fears, and feeling more liberated than ever. This retreat is an invitation to step outside your comfort zone, shed the layers that have held you back, and connect deeply with yourself and the world around you. With new breathwork sessions, microdosing experiences, and transformative ceremonies, we’re creating a retreat designed to unlock the next level of your growth and healing. 🔓✨

Whether you’re new to breathwork and microdosing or already on a journey of self-discovery, this retreat will empower you in ways you’ve never experienced before. The magic is waiting for you. 🌠

✨ Join the Waitlist Now for the 2025 Colorado Retreat! ✨ 

Let 2025 be the year you step into your power, surrounded by a sisterhood that sees, supports, and celebrates you. Imagine what’s possible when you say yes to yourself.

Will you answer the call? 🌈💫

TRANSCRIPT:

Victoria Starr:
Welcome to Raw and Radiant, the podcast that ignites your spirit and empowers your soul. Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey? Here, we give other women permission to embrace their truth, to find the courage to choose themselves first. Because guess what? You are not alone. Join us in this massive journey of empowerment and courage. Together we'll illuminate your inner spark, empowering you to embrace the radiant light within and show you how magical you are. It's time to unleash your potential and make a difference in this world. Are you ready to step into the raw and radiant version of you? Welcome back to another episode of Raw and Radiant. I am so, so freaking excited that you are here. I am here with my soul sister, Ashley D. Adam, as we are just coming off the high. Maybe we're still riding the high of our Roots Reclaimed, a sacred journey in Sedona retreat that was November 1st through the 5th of 2024. We had six amazing, beautiful souls that were there in Sedona with us for this retreat in the vortexes and the frequency of Sedona. And in this episode, we just want to be able to articulate and bring you some sort of frequency over podcast of how this retreat went, how we experienced from our standpoint of holding space for these women, and then also the amazing comments and beautiful thoughts and experiences that our guests received from this podcast. So this podcast is going to be super freaking juicy. It's going to be high vibe. It's going to be all the frequencies of Sedona as we are writing this high. But before we go into this episode, I generally with each guest I have on the show before I hit the record button, I connect and I sync our energies together. And so I want to do that with you for this episode. So If you are anywhere near an opportunity to sit down, that would be really super juicy. If you're driving, please leave your eyes open as we go into this experience. Do not do this while your eyes are closed and you're driving. But if you're able to sit down, I invite you to just ground into the earth beneath you. If you're driving, just go ahead and just notice your sitz bones onto your chair. And connect with your breath. Connect with the inhales as they come in and out through your nose and the exhales as you gently soften and surrender. Fully receiving the magic of the breath, fully receiving the inhale as your diaphragm inflates from the front to the back, to the left, to the right, fully receiving this breath. And then on the exhale, when you're ready, open mouth, audible sigh, let it go. Keep breathing in and out in that fashion to slow down the nervous system, to slow down the monkey mind, to slow down the thoughts, to connect with my words, to connect with the energy, the frequency, the vibration that Ashley and I are bringing into this space. And then as you connect to your roots, seeing your roots traveling down deep into the earth, holding you, nurturing you, loving on you, begin to see the breath as it settles in your heart space. Breathing in and out through the nose, allow your heart space to open. Maybe you sit up just a little bit taller. these confines that we tend to put around our heart to what we think is to keep us safe. Can you allow those confines, those chains, those shackles to open just a little bit, that hardening around your heart to open just a little bit, to allow your light to shine, to allow your light to shine within the space? And as you breathe in and you're focusing on that light coming into your heart space and your chest opening up just a little bit more, notice this light as it comes through into your heart and begin to see it as it travels out of your heart. From the front side of your heart, connecting to your breath, connecting to the wisdom, connecting to my voice. My voice being a conduit. of your higher self, your soul self, the you that is aligned with your highest frequency. Seeing this light coming out from your heart space, begin to see it as it comes in through the podcast recording and through the Zoom room as Ashley and I are recording. Seeing this light as it connects from my heart to your heart. knowing that we are all interconnected, our energies, our frequencies. Ashley and I are here to hold you. We're here to support you. We're here to be this conduit, this conduit of a higher power, this conduit of a higher frequency, allowing you to see the light that's within you, allowing you to expand just a little bit more during the show. And then as your light connects to mine and to Ashley's, begin to see the light as it travels from your heart space, up through your spine, up through the crown of your head. Noticing this high vibration, this high frequency, this golden light as it shines from the top of your head. Up and out, almost as if it's a lighthouse, a beacon. Connecting to God, Source, Universe, Divine, whomever you believe in. Connecting your light, your light with your highest frequency. Breathe in. Breathe out. Feeling the energy, feeling the potency, feeling the vibration as we are all interconnected. Interconnected with our highest being. And with that, bring a gentle smile to your face. And if your eyes are closed, slowly flutter open your eyes. Connecting us together. Thank you for taking this little journey with me. And I just want to reintroduce, she has been on the show many times already, my retreat co-host, my soul sister, Ashley D. Adam. Thank you for being here.

Ashley D'Adam: Hi, thank you for having me for, I think it's the third time?

Victoria Starr: Third or fourth time, I'm not sure.

Ashley D'Adam: Third or fourth, I think fourth actually, because we did a two part last time.

Victoria Starr: Yeah, yeah. So I just want to bring into this space, like you and I are riding this high off of our retreat, this high that we have held the space for six beautiful women in Sedona. And we also had this amazing chef that filled and nurtured us with her creations in the kitchen and fed us with such love. But I want to ask you to bring into the community, bring into the Raw and Radiant tribe, like what were some of your highlights from the retreat that you experienced that you were able to hold space for? these women?

Ashley D'Adam: So many, literally the whole thing. I mean, the first thing that stands out to me, and we've had this discussion of when We did, I think it was the second breathwork session and the woman, we'll just call her F, right, and she was in front of us and she was having her experience with breathwork and you were walking around and just like offering the light touch, the grounding energy to people and I went back to like the front of the room and I can just feel I'm going to try really hard to get words that totally illustrate what I'm thinking and what I want to communicate, but that's so hard because I felt so much at this experience that human words are sometimes really limiting, but I'll do the best that I can. So I was just transmuting all of this energy from holding breath work, and I closed my eyes and was just connecting to all the women breathing. And I opened my eyes up, and the woman, F, was sitting up, completely took her top off, and it just totally caught me off guard. But it was so beautiful to witness, because for me, the way I interpreted that, she was fully liberating herself. Right, like taking off the top was like a physical illustration of her internal emotional energetic liberation that had just happened for her. And in that moment, I remember I think I teared up a little bit and just like smiling because Yes, they're doing the work, but you and I co-facilitating together allowed for that to happen almost, right? Because not anyone's just going to do that. Like the body wants to feel safe enough to be in a healed frequency and safe enough to feel liberated and like safe enough to take your top off amongst what, like eight, nine women that you like just met. So it was a really big reflection for me that you and I have the capacity to hold women through their healing on such like a deep level, like not just superficial and meditations and la la and you know like all the things. It's like I just, our energies combined is so, and obviously I know I'm biased when I see this because it's me and you, but like, I think we truly are like better together when we're facilitating because we just compliment each other so beautifully. And that was just, that was like the first time that was reflected back to me when I witnessed. F just have her top off and then she was hugging everyone after and like I had a conversation with her and there was no shame, no nothing about being topless. Like she fully owned it and I feel like it started the whole topless trend that happened at the end of our retreat because by the end of the retreat, we're all topless at some point. Yeah, yeah. That was the first time that really just hit me. I was aware of the power that you and I hold together to create a really safe space for women to just reclaim. Like reclaim everything that they feel like has been taken from them or that has been lost or that has been like given away. And for F, for her, like liberation just keeps coming through. Like she liberated herself from the internal suffering, right, that she was experiencing. And she did that, right, all on her own. Like, yes, we held the space. She reclaimed her power. So that was, I think, the first time where I was like, whoa, like we're doing really deep work.

Victoria Starr: Yeah yeah and I want to just drop into the space too that I know that it's okay for me to share but F had experienced a lot of childhood sexual trauma growing up and for 50 plus years she has kept it in she has kept it locked into where her intimacy with friends, her intimacy with her husband, her intimacy just simply with life had kept her trapped in this pseudo safety because technically her body is trying to keep her safe. But with you and I holding this retreat, when she said yes to her, when she said yes to choosing herself to join us on this retreat, it allowed me to know that there was so much trust that she had for me because she never knew you. and I have been holding space for her in Breathwork. For her to say yes and to trust me to know that she can step into her divine feminine essence, her power, her liberation, her freedom from all the past to release it and to let it go was so much of a gift for me to know that I am on my soul's mission, truly and really on my soul's mission. So thank you for sharing that. That was so, so beautiful to witness too. Hmm, I wanna say like my most impactful is witnessing you on the second day. So we held a couple of breathwork sessions and being with these women, like we did microdosing, we offered microdosing for them before their breathwork sessions. And in my journey, microdosing and breathwork combined has really been a catalyst to stepping into my next highest evolved self. And it has had a profound impact on me to release a lot of limiting beliefs. And of course, this human journey, there's always more that we can grow and we can shed. But for me to witness in the second Breathwork journey, We'll call her V and witnessing you hold V in the space, the space that she had a lot of resistance on. This was the first or this was the second time on day two that she had a microdose B. received breath work from us in person. And to witness you holding her in such a profound and impactful way to release the energy. So if you could see me right now, and I know you can't cause you're listening to this podcast, but simply Ashley had leaned over V and she had her mouth near V's ear and she was whispering into her, I don't know what, but she was whispering into her, like just pouring love and peace and Gratitude and safety into V so that she could release a lot of control that she has been experiencing with her life with her children with her husband with all the shackles that life has given her, that has trapped her. And so to witness you taking this energy, this dark energy out of her throat and to like simply pull it out of her throat as she's like moaning and you're flicking it away, pulling it out of her throat and you're flicking it away like over and over and over, to me it seemed like at least five minutes. And then witnessing too that I need to hold you in a space, I need to hold you in this grounded space and And just without even thinking, I came up to you and I just held you on the back to allow you to stay within your body so that you wouldn't get trapped within that negative energy. So as you're pulling out the energy and you're flicking it away, I'm keeping your backside, specifically your heart space, in alignment with where we were in that moment. for, like I said, it was at least five minutes. And so for me, that was probably the most impactful thing for me to see, feel, witness within the person receiving, within V's receiving, and witnessing, like, the energy, that dark energy coming out of her mouth as she's moaning, as she's releasing, and you flicking it away. Like, that was so powerful for me to know that you and I are both in alignment with what we're supposed to be doing.

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, I mean, I wish you could like attach the image because the image is so beautiful that was captured of yeah, you having your hand on my back and me kind of working with these energy. And I want to bring this into like, You never know what you're going to experience in a breathwork journey, just the same as we never know what we're going to experience facilitating a breathwork journey. And so a little bit of that history, V has been a client of mine, I don't know, probably six, seven years. Like she was a client of mine right when I went into practice. And so I know her backstory. So I was able to just gently remind her that like, it's safe. Like you are so safe to release whatever you need to release. And then I'm, I can just feel things. I don't necessarily always see things. So I just felt like this stuckness in her throat. And then once I started doing what people know, I guess is like Reiki probably, like in the throat area, that's when she started like the moaning. And so it wasn't until I was doing like the Reiki over her throat that she did that. And her eyes were closed, so she can't see that I'm doing it. Yes, she may have been able to feel it energetically, but yeah, I wasn't ready to walk away either because I realized I was there for quite some time. And I'm like, oh man, Victoria is like guiding this whole session now because I'm over here just working with V, but like she Her energy just needed it. And that's where, once again, I know I'm biased, but you and I really do have a gift of combining our magic and facilitating together. Because how many facilitators would have had to have a verbal conversation about that? Where you and I just like, you know when I need support, and I know when you need support. And literally, we don't talk. telepathically like, no, like, okay, I'm going to go do this. So that means you have to go do this. And if Victoria is doing this, then Ashley has to do this. Like, it's just this inner knowing that is just so easy and made the whole entire facilitating process with you, like beyond breathwork, like literally creating the retreat. So fucking easy. Yeah. Because Because it just was. I'm not even going to say there's a reason, like it just was easy. But that was very impactful for me too when you came over and like put your hand on my back because I knew exactly why you were doing that. And I just felt so, just so loved. Like so loved and taken care of in that moment because Um, okay. So for the listeners, so I, I do this thing, it's called merging, um, where I just like feel people's pain and I can just like merge with their pain and like take it on. And I don't always know how to release it from my body. It's something I'm working on. Cause obviously that's not the best for my soul or my physical body. And obviously Victoria knows that. So the fact that you were able to like, see that and like still still create the groundedness in the breathwork session, but also like extend your hand to me and like support me. I think like that's such a fucking skill set and just like honoring you for having that skill set because that's it's almost like energetically multitasking.

Victoria Starr: Yeah, I mean, because there were five other people, five other women that were experiencing their own journey, like each one of them were on their own micro dosing journey while they're doing this breathwork session. And I mean, honestly, if it's a skill set, it's not a known skill set. It's an intuitive skill set. It was just simply listening to my higher self, whomever you want to speak to, like receiving the guidance and not questioning it and just allowing myself to be that conduit to do what needed to be done in that time. So it was truly, I mean, I know that V experienced so much profound shifts and changes after that, because honestly, even the first breathwork session, she was so resistant She was so resistant to the plant medicine. She was very resistant to the breath work. And that second session, I mean, it was just, it was magical night and day. And what I want to drop into, so you had this beautiful gift that you were able to bring forth for the retreat guests is that you knew to take a photo of them before any microdosing, before any breathwork. I think it was after or it was the morning after our opening ceremony. So we held this beautiful space of this opening ceremony and then we did an earth altar where we Thank the land for holding us. We thank the frequency and the vibrations of Sedona. And then you just took them aside and you took photos of them on your phone. And to witness the before photo, before they went into any vortexes of hiking, before they went into any any of the ceremonies after the opening ceremony, you just knew this. And then witnessing the change afterward, we had a closing ceremony and a closing meditation before we left the retreat house. And then you took the photo of them again in the same place, in the same location. Can you describe to the listeners, Ash, like maybe even W's change?

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah. Yeah, so I experienced that at a retreat I went to. So that's kind of like where I had the idea because my before and after like, whoa, like you can it's, it's not just energetically like you can physically see shifts in people's faces. So yeah, the one woman that we held space for at the retreat, call her W. Hers, in my opinion, was the most physically obvious change where there was almost kind of like a lot of stagnation in the face, like kind of like puffiness, just more of a fuller face. She looked more like depleted, like lower life force. And then, yeah, we took her after and like her face literally turned from like a circle to like an oval, right? Like the facial structure was so much different and there was just like a lightness to her and like a brightness. And then the other woman, F, on like closing ceremony, I remember like leaning over and whispering to you and being like, okay, she looks way different. Like, she looks way different right now in closing ceremony than she did when, like, I first met her on the first day of the retreat. So, like, you can visually see, like, physical changes in people's physical body. Like, it's not even just like, oh, Ashley's reading energy, like, write no proof behind it. Like, you can literally see physical proof, like, before and after, because when you're when you're letting go of like, you know, we'll call it the dark energy, the past, the shit that's holding you back, the shackles, the suffering, like all of these lower frequency, like emotions or like states of being like that's projected through in the physical body. Like there's no doubt about it. And so then when you allow yourself to even release some of that, like you can see the physical changes. I mean, the work that I do and you do too, Victoria, like it's very, It's very much on the energetic realm. And I know some people don't think that like, you know, energetic or emotional imbalances create physical imbalances. Well, like literally with the work that we did at this retreat, like I feel like that like proves it for the people that need it to be like prove like black and white need to physically see shifts, but. Yeah, the one woman it was very clear like night and day and maybe she'd be open to us sharing that like through social or something because I think that's so cool to like just look at and like see with your eyes being like, oh my God, because that's almost like evidence for you that like changes are happening. Because when you do work like this, like what we did, like the sacred ceremonies and microdosing, and breathwork, you may not actually feel something like right away, just because, you know, the healing process, you're moving through a lot. So it does take time before there's noticeable changes where you can be like, oh yeah, like this is totally different or this is improved. But I feel like when you see photos like that, it's almost evidence for your brain that like, no, I am shifting, I am changing. And it's in a trajectory that's gonna benefit like my life force the most.

Victoria Starr: which in turn benefits like when you say like there was light there was actually I could see in that second picture like light rating radiating out of her face and here's the most powerful thing is that she may not in the moment feel it but it's the people around her it's that ripple effect that feel it it's her going back to her life, her going back to her husband, her going back to her family and the people that she's in contact with is that light becomes the ripple. And I know that for me, like, that's my mission. That's my purpose. That's why I'm doing this is to create this massive ripple of change, of evolution, of rising of women stepping back into our fucking power. Like that is my mission and I know that's your mission also too. So thank you for sharing that. Thank you for, yeah, I'll reach out to W and see, I'm sure like she's a longtime client of mine. I'm sure she would be open to us sharing it. But before I say I will, I wanna get acknowledgement from her that it's acceptable to do that. So let's talk about the guests that we brought in the second day. Was it the painting? Yeah, let's talk about the painting. Because honestly, like our second day, we had completely scripted to go a different way. 180 degrees, it had to change a because the Sedona weather decided to just like, it actually it gave us the invitation to stay inside because we had hail we had Thunder. We went on a morning hike where we went to the seven sacred pools and we were able to ground in that bottom pool, but when we got back to our Airbnb, it turned outside a hot mess. And we were able to have this beautiful woman from Sedona, her name is Penny, come in and do this light language painting meditation. I don't know how else you want to describe it. So would you offer your perspective of what this was for the listeners?

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, so you and I experienced this when we visited Sedona in July. So that's what I'll speak to. It sounds like she went a little bit further with our group with some sound that she brought in. But to my understanding, Penny is a retired therapist. She did some type of counseling therapist work. And since retiring, she's incorporated a more intuitive component into the work that she does and like more artistic component as well and she just like blends it all so beautifully. So what I remember receiving was yeah she took us both on like this guided meditation But the way that she did it was, yeah, it reminded me of light language and just transmuting what she was able to access with the soul's being, the energy of the soul. And so then she takes you through this guided process. And then after that, you're still receiving the energy that she's just accessed and that she's transmuted through from the energetic to the physical realm. And then what she has you do is, I think it's three colors, right? You choose three colors. You have like a canvas. And you layer the paint however thick you want, whatever height, and you just pour it onto the canvas. So how I interpret this was that it was almost like bringing all of the energy into a physical form. So you and I chose different colors, but I think we poured the same way. We literally just went up at the center, poured at a similar speed, but the way that the paint landed on the canvas was completely different. And same thing with the women at our retreat, like there were six of them that partook in it and it was completely different. And so once again, I feel like that's just proof that like energy does transmit into the physical form. And then what she does, I think she went around individually because you and I were kind of in the other room. We recorded the session though. It looks like she went around physically and just helped everyone interpret their painting. What did it mean? How can it connect them with their highest self? Does it point them to a certain timeline, a possible future outcome? And I think she just helped them all interpret it. It looked like quite a few women were crying throughout the process too. So I'm just assuming based off of that, it was super transformational and very profound. And then after she had them all laid down in like our ceremony setting and she had this beautiful, it looked like a crystal, like triangle. It made this beautiful sound when she hit it with her little instrument. And then she took them through kind of like a closing meditation with that. And I mean, the feedback was just phenomenal. And Pani is just great. Like her energy, I don't think it matters what she does and her work. Like she's going to be great at it because at the level she's able to meet you at with like her intuitive gifts and just like her knowings. She's very safe. She feels very safe too. I feel like you and I felt like best friends with her like after we only had one session with her. So yeah, I think that's something that we'll probably always bring to our Sedona retreats because she's in Sedona and I don't anticipate her moving anytime soon. Like she loves Sedona.

Victoria Starr: She loves Sedona. Yeah, it was such a gift to witness and to like just sit in on like maybe the last session that she read. So just for clarity to like you pour the paint on this canvas and then with your hands, like there's no paintbrush, there's nothing. You're just simply lift up the canvas and you tilt it and you move the paint in, in a direction that feels good for you. Everyone's different. And then when you're done, you're done. And that's when she brings in that beautiful interpretation. But she's not telling you what she sees. She's asking you questions that guide you through an interpretation of the artwork. And that's what's so beautiful. And she was definitely a gift. I know that all the women including our private chef, was so in tune with her. And so I'm so grateful that she came on the second day because, like I said, we had a completely different schedule for day two, and we were able to alter it and we were able to shift it. Thank you, Sedona Weather, for guiding us into what our participants really, actually, truly needed.

Ashley D'Adam: I think a lot of things, I shouldn't say a lot, but a few things had to be shifted and altered just because of timelines and switching things up and bringing people in and sticking and adhering to the timelines. I don't think anyone noticed, though. I think you and I did a really beautiful job at just being like, OK, this is what we're going to do. This needs to change. OK, we're good. Now go execute. Like it just flowed together so flawlessly. It really did.

Victoria Starr: Yeah, and I said this to you before, it's like I had been doing it for eons and it was just so comfortable doing it with you also. So thank you for that gift. If we've done it before, thank you for coming back and doing it with me.

Ashley D'Adam: I mean, I think it's pretty clear we have done this before because it was just so effortless and I believe that life doesn't really have to be hard. I think when things are easy, for me, how I interpret it is that means you're in alignment with what you're supposed to be doing because I don't think things have to be hard. And if they're hard, they're hard for a reason. It's just depending on what that reason is. Yeah. But no, I have no doubt that we've been doing this forever. And like, that's that's the feedback we got to at least the woman that I talked to, like, personally, they were like, oh, my God, I would have never guessed that this was your first retreat.

Victoria Starr: Right. Right. Yeah. I mean, let's let's talk about the amazing private chef that we had in our space that really, really full circle brought everything together and tied the whole entire retreat with a bow. and she was such a life force energy within that space too that honestly like we could have done a great retreat without her but having Anne-Marie Hadley there We did a fucking amazing retreat with her there because she was able to support us and to guide us and to offer some insight. And also like she, when you and I needed to step away so that we could recharge our energy, like she filled in the gap.

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, she was she was great. I'm really hoping she can also be at all of our Sedona retreats because yeah, I agree. I think it was pretty fantastic you and I but she was like the cherry and the sprinkles on top of the Sunday that like we created. I would agree. I want to bring into her and I talked about this. I don't I think you were there. I don't remember but She brought a very like motherly energy. And I think a lot of our retreat guests, like myself included, like have that mother wounding where it's like we're just not we're not super connected to our like earthly blood mothers. And that can create a lot of disconnect and trauma and limiting beliefs and false narratives that we tell ourselves about ourselves and like our healing path. So I remember it was on It was closing ceremony. That's what it was. It was closing ceremony. I think you already went into the bedroom. And I was saying goodnight to everyone. And Anne-Marie was in the room. And she just looked at me. She's like, how did it go? I'm like, it was so good. And she was in her bed and her PJs. And I just went over to her. And she just held me and snuggled me and told me how amazing I am and what a great job I did. And I was sobbing as she was just holding space for me because she's I mean I think all women have a motherly energy but like you can tell she just like loves you so fucking much and like you're not even like related to her like you're not blood and she just purely sees you on like this Just like, of course, you're my daughter. Like, of course, you're my soul daughter. It's like just that energy. And that's so healing, being recognized by another woman like that, especially to, like, just speaking to myself, right? I'm a daughter of someone. And we don't have a relationship. And that hurts from time to time when I want the validation, right? Like, I just hosted my first retreat. So it would have been lovely for my mom to be like, oh, my god, I'm so proud of you. Like, this is amazing, right? That's not my reality. I'm not going to receive that from her. So receiving it from another woman um that just recognizes you and sees you like I don't know it's hard to put words to that like it's just so it's just so validating and we all say like we don't need validation but okay we're humans and we like really love validation especially from an energy of someone that we want it from, but we're not going to get it from. So for Anne-Marie, I think she knows this, like she had such a profound effect on myself and a lot of the other women. Like I know she connected a little bit deeper with some of the women at the retreat, but it was that same thing. Like she's just, she just has such good energy and she's always there to just love you and nurture you. Yeah. Right. And it's just like, that's hard to find. I feel like in people nowadays, that's just like accept you just because you exist. Yes. I feel like that's Anne-Marie. Like just loves you just because you exist.

Victoria Starr: Thank you for articulating that because I don't know if I could have articulated her presence as beautifully as you did. Yeah, she definitely is this beautiful gift. And she cooked all the meals for us. She was literally in the kitchen from seven to seven, if not earlier and later. And she infused every meal with love, just with love. There's no other word that I can put into how the food felt. she really brought into the Roots Reclaimed theme of the food that we ate also and she was very cognizant and aware of like when we were doing breathwork because before breathwork you don't want a full belly so she was very aware of that and everything she made was homemade like literally she homemade the majority of the food and for me like that's such a gift living in a van like I eat so minimal right and to have these home-cooked meals and for the women to not have to cook for other people like that was such a gift for them to receive too. So I know that I am so eternally grateful for Anne-Marie Hadley for stepping up into her power because she She had told me she had never done this before, but we reflected back to her. Yes, she had. She had just done it on a different level. And so she really stepped into her power, into her worth. And yeah, I just want to show my deepest gratitude for her and to the community also.

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, I want to drop one more thing in too that I think is really important. She genuinely wanted to do this for us. Whereas I feel like if we hired a chef off of some random internet site or something like that, I don't think it would have went as flawlessly as it did. Because she genuinely wanted to do this. So I feel like when someone genuinely wants to do something, obviously the outcome is just going to be so much better because it's their energy that they're infusing into it. And yeah, I was reflecting on that. I'm like, you know, if we hired some random person, I don't know that it would have went as well. And you and I would have had to explain a lot more. Like, hey, you need to be quiet during this time. You need to be out of the kitchen at this time. Whereas I think me, you, and Anne-Marie, our energies just, once again, worked very beautifully together, synergistically. There was no awkwardness or having to like, discuss something in full detail. It's just like there was this inherent knowing amongst the three of us. And I think that's why it was so seamless, like it was so easy because she, I mean, I know she's been in this space like with Breathwork and the work she's done with her daughter and hosting retreats too. But I was thinking about that. I'm like, wow, that went so well. And I don't know if it would have went as well if we hired some random person to do it. So yeah, everything happens for a reason, like the way you met her was so divine and us seeking out a chef for the retreat and I'm so grateful she said yes.

Victoria Starr: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you for that. So I want to bring into the space, and I don't know if you know this yet, but another one of our retreat guests, I'm just gonna use her first initial as A. We've been connecting after the retreat and Hmm a has had a actually has been on the podcast before she has had a role where she has had to nurture everyone else in her life and her herself her own being has taken a far far backseat and So during this this time together that I really saw her step out out of that shell I really saw her the light and shining from her eyes, her eyes became even more bright by the end. When we when we said goodbye at the airport, like I really saw the brightness in her eyes just like transmute so much more than when we first picked her up. And so having the conversation with her after she had given us a beautiful gift of tallow as our, our gift from her soul. and she makes this tallow and I had this receiving of this information where I reached out to A and I'm like, this is your purpose. This is what you're here to do because this is so magical. It's so clean. It lights you up. So I'm encouraging you to step more into that. And she's been sitting with that and she's like, yeah, there's been somebody else that has reached out to me and asked me to collaborate. So what I'm getting at with this is that Just because you're in this space for five days doesn't mean that the expansion doesn't continue to happen after the five days together. The expansion continues as long as you keep yourself open to receiving the downloads, the information far outside of our time together. Wouldn't you agree?

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, 100%. I mean, I think healing is always what you're willing to allow in because it can be so easy to just like return back to your day-to-day life. I think all of the women, yeah, all of them, well, all of them but one were mothers, right? And like that, you and I have chatted about that. Like, I mean, that's the population I primarily work with as moms because I think they're so underserved, but they're not even, there's just no support for mothers because we live in this society where, you know, women just have to have it all figured out and they need to play all these roles. They need to be wife, mother, partner, doctor, healer, like you need to play all these roles for your children, your husband. And then you're so conditioned to be like, well, I guess I'll just, put it on hold for myself, put it on the back burner. So that's why these women saying yes, that's such a big freaking deal to say yes to yourself and leave your children for x amount of time and trust that your husband's got it or your partner for an x amount of time. And so I was reflecting on that, too. Just like, wow, that's pretty awesome that you were able to quiet the limiting beliefs, because I guarantee you it was like, oh my God, I can't be away from my kids for this long. Like, what are they going to do without me? Like, it's all these just beliefs that we allow ourselves to adhere to. And I'm not a mother, so I can't actually speak to it. You probably could better than me, Victoria. you can like put yourself first and like also still be a great mom and like also still really care for your children and care for your husband. Because I mean, so a lot of what I see, at least with my clients is there's this, it's just a false narrative. Like I know that's hard for some people to hear, but truthfully, like that's just what it is. You're telling yourself false stories where you can't heal because your child has to heal and they have to go first or the husband has to go first. And it's like, who the fuck told you that? And like, why are you believing that? Like, literally, both can coexist at the same time. Like, you can heal, and so can your family. Like, it's not one or the other. And like, I understand why women think that way, because if you look at society, like, and how they program you to think, like, yes, it makes sense. But sometimes I'm just like, man, like, can we just break this down? Like, who said that? Like, you are the only one that's enforcing it at this point. Right. So getting back to what I was talking about, though, and just witnessing and honoring all the women that said yes, Because that was a big deal. And the ones that I work with personally that were clients of mine, I know what a big deal that was. And continuing that integration process once you get home, because I know, at least for the ones that are clients of mine, it's going to be so easy to slip right back into it. I mean, even me too, like I experienced so much profound healing just facilitating this with you and just witnessing you and myself and how we like interact together, but it was so healing for me and it's like, okay, well, how am I going to keep the integration going? Because I'm in a completely different physical space now, like I'm not with you. I'm not in Sedona. I'm not with all these magical women. I'm not like riding on my life high, right? in the western suburbs of Chicago, it's dark and gloomy and like I have to drive if I want nature. You know, I just wake up and it's a concrete parking lot versus waking up in Sedona and it's like the magic of these vortex and you can just feel the potency of the environment. So it's like you are the creator of your reality. So like how are you taking it with you? I feel like I'm going on a tangent, so feel free to stop me.

Victoria Starr: No. Well, what I want to bring in, it's a beautiful segue because one of the women, we'll call her M, she brought into such a beautiful space for all the guests to have this 14-day challenge, to have this 14-day challenge, to continue this journey, to continue filling your feminine soul, to fill your feminine cup, to love on you. And what I'm witnessing, because we still have the Voxer group that we all connected in before the retreat, during the retreat, which we weren't on our phones, but after the retreat also, is that is that I'm witnessing each one of them fill each other's cup. I'm witnessing this sacred sisterhood of love and connection. I'm witnessing these quotes. I'm witnessing that they're dropping into that space, this longevity of this sisterhood that I'm 100% sure will go beyond this month, beyond this year. It's so beautiful to see these women that would have never been in their realities aside from being in this space together. There's some that would never have known the other. And so to see them connect on such a deep level, to share their stories vulnerably and authentically, and then to support the sister that's sitting next to her as she shares her story, authentically with vulnerability and knowing that she's so trusted and held in love. So this sacred sisterhood, this bond that they've created is so beautiful to witness and to know that you and I have been, we've been a conduit to be able to hold that space for them.

Ashley D'Adam: I was literally just going to say that. I'm laughing. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I was just going to say, like, Victoria, that's the ripple. That's the Mexican ripple. Like, look at us. Like, we don't have to get into, like, our history separately, but, like, how it's very similar and just, like, our healing journey, like, the synchronicities and, like, there's a big age difference between us. Right? So I feel like if we just like met out, like, I don't know, at a bar or something, I don't know that we would have such, you and I have a very deep connection. So like, I don't know if that would have happened if we weren't in Breathwork, right? Or weren't in some type of, because that's how we met, for those of your listeners that don't know our little backstory. Yeah, so it's just like, it's the ripple, right? Like Jess and Corey, hosting breathwork training like that was their ripple we received that ripple and then you and I met and we're like fuck it like we're awesome together let's start hosting breathwork together like let's have a retreat together like why not and then I think we've all we've both I think what I really appreciate about you is you and I are able to reflect onto one another. Um, what we like see in one another and like improvements and just like gently hold up the mirror. Um, and I think it's received beautifully on both ends. And so just witnessing It was M and F that I think have a very deep connection. And there's a big age difference, like me and you. And so that's why I'm bringing this full circle. They connected so deeply. And once again, if they met outside in just a bar, I don't know that they would have created this very deep, profound sisterhood.

Victoria Starr: Right.

Ashley D'Adam: like you and I have. And I mean, yeah, it being a conduit, being an example that like women don't have to like be jealous of one another, like women can just simply like love and support each other. And I think the more that women do that, I think women are going to. I think women could like take over the world. Like there is for sure like a possibility of that. And this reality is designed the opposite. And I think it's designed that way for a very specific reason. But when women are able to put away like the ego, the jealousy, and just like fucking love each other, like, oh my God, there's just so much power in that. Like there's so much more power. Yeah, when you do it with your sisters by your side. I literally feel unstoppable when I'm hosting Breathwork next to you. Literally, nothing is going to bring me down. Nothing is going to ruin my day. They could tell me that my favorite matcha is out of stock and it's never being supplied again. That would not bring me down because when I'm next to you, you just reflect to me the power I have and you're just so fucking embodied in it. That for me is just like, okay, well, you can be embodied in it too, Ashley. Like you're just a beautiful reflection for me of what's possible, like as a healer and a facilitator. And yeah, there's no one else I'd rather host retreats with and like walk this path with.

Victoria Starr: Thank you. Thank you. I feel the same. I feel the same. And I know that the impact that we made on these women's lives that are supporting one another now on their journeys and going to be making A big, profound hit into the universe. I just see this huge wave in the universe of going, oh shit, what's coming? So that's so beautiful. Totally. Go ahead. I feel like you have something you want to say before I tap into the next thing.

Ashley D'Adam: I do. I do real quick. I was just going to say a part of the experience of the retreat was we did private like soul activation readings and it looks a little bit different for myself versus Victoria but going back to like the power and the ripple effect like I can just I can feel the power that some of these women hold. And some of them were not as embodied in their power. And that's OK. Right. But like one woman that I did a reading with, like it's right there. It's like so much. And it's just like just waiting to come online. Like it's just so frickin eager. And I can like see it and feel it. So I think if she chooses to really lean into that, like her life is going to be Fucking phenomenal, like so different and like the best way possible. So for me, that's, I don't know, it's really fulfilling to like witness that in someone and like see it so clearly and then just reflect it back to them. Because I think a lot of us feel our power, but like we don't actually believe it because we don't have it reflected back to us always. Quite literally, like it's the opposite that happens with a lot of people in like your family or your relationships, like you're knocked off of your power. So when you can have another woman like reflect that back to you, It's very validating. It's like, oh, permission is given.

Victoria Starr: Yeah, it's that permission slip. Here you go. Take it, bot. There you go. Take off. Yeah, exactly. Go fly. Go spread your wings. Go be the magic that you were so meant to be in this world.

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, yeah, I just want to drop that in.

Victoria Starr: We're reaching subject. Yeah, yeah, thank you for sharing that. So, all right, this is first the foundation, the groundwork of a lot more to come. And we already know where the second one's going to be. So before we drop into the space where the second one's going to be, we want to state 100% wholeheartedly that this Sedona retreat will always happen. This is our, this is, this is like the feet getting wet. There have been already people that women that have already reached out that want to join the next Sedona. So stay tuned. That will, will be in November. I feel like that's a really beautiful time. And also the next one, the next one was brought to us within this last retreat. And, um, It's going to be in the mountains. It's going to be in the mountains of Colorado, exactly where in Colorado that is yet to be seen. But it is percolating. It is brewing. And we already have a intention for this retreat. Do you want to share that intention?

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, we decided naked with nature.

Victoria Starr: We're going with that.

Ashley D'Adam: We decide that, yeah. I think we decided that because literally at the last day, We were like, most of us were topless and we were just taking photos. Um, so they were really beautiful. If you check out our social, it's just like our backs. Right. And then like the silhouette of the vortexes, I mean, it was bright, so it was more than a silhouette, but you could very beautifully see like just the power of the red rocks in the background. And then us like locking hands with the woman that we took the photo with. And it's just like, it's such. It illustrates such power. And I think when you're able to physically feel comfortable, like not in clothing, and this is purely my interpretation. I know that not everyone sees it this way, but like, I feel like clothing is sometimes very limiting in this reality because Because, like, you have to dress a certain way, right? You have to look a certain way. You have to wear the color that, like, looks good with your skin tone. And if you don't, then, like, you don't look good and it's drownded out. And then matching your makeup with your clothing and, like, your jewelry with your clothing. And it's very It's just kind of superficial the way that I see it. Don't get me wrong. I love to dress up and wear beautiful clothing and allow that clothing to be like an authentic expression of my soul. But I think when you allow yourself to strip down and just be at your bare and your roots, like with nothing on your body, like it's very liberating. And it also allows you to be like temporarily uncomfortable so that you can get comfortable like with your body. Right. And like I I witnessed some of the women and just how they express like they're not comfortable in their body. They like don't like their body. And personally, I cannot relate to that. Like I've always loved my thin body. So I have no problem always being naked. But also to like being a ripple for that. Like that's really cool for me that I can stand in my power and be like, I fucking love my body. And then allow other women to see that. There's nothing wrong with being nude, being naked amongst other women, regardless of your body type. Because the way that I see it, it's just a meat suit we occupy. It's just a physical thing that our soul inhabits and we're just so conditioned to be like, oh my God, I'm so fat or like I have extra weight. And once again, I know that I can't relate because I'm just a skinny girl. I don't know. Sometimes I get nervous talking about that because I can see how people would have a judgment based off that. Like, oh, the skinny girl saying like, accept your body. But of course, there's parts of my body that I don't like love. And I've shared that with some people. Like, I don't love my lips. I've knocked my teeth out when I was younger and I have like a bunch of scar tissue in my upper lip. But it's like it just is what it is. So I don't I personally don't see the point. in being angry with a body part or being dissatisfied with your body because it just simply is what it is. And you know what? If you want to change it, you honestly can in today's day and age. You can get surgery, right? You can lose the weight. You can be very committed to working out, being healthy, whatever you need to do. Coming back to, I know we say this all the time, but your powers and your choice. Yeah. Yeah. So getting back on track. I know.

Victoria Starr: I'll go. Reeling you back in.

Ashley D'Adam: Thank you. I will go on a tangent. Naked with nature.

Victoria Starr: Naked with nature. And know that, ladies, if you're listening and you're feeling a little uncomfortability with this intention for this retreat in Colorado, know that I am 100% uncomfortable with it. It is going to be a stretch for me also. It is the opportunity, the invitation. It is something that you can step into so that you can evolve even more. So it's… I'm going to share this right here right now. It is not going to be 100% naked. No. Yeah, no. We will have ceremonies where there will be clothing optional, topless optional, but know that it isn't a must. You have to be naked. like that this is the power in your choice this is where you get to stretch yourself this is the gentle nudge the gentle whisper to do maybe something that's uncomfortable that you wouldn't see yourself doing but know that you can feel the liberation and the freedom on the other side of releasing that. So stay tuned for details about that. We're looking for spaces. I know there's going to be a hot tub or there's going to be hot springs or something involved. I know 100% Ashley's going to want a cold plunge and That will not be my thing, but that's okay. It doesn't have to be your thing either, but there's going to be so many beautiful ceremonies that we will be offering into this next retreat too. So stay tuned for the details. I want you to, if this is something that is really calling to you, even if it's just a gentle, Ooh, I want more information. Please, please, please drop myself or Ashley. an email and you can reach out to us on Instagram too. Drop us your email, tell us that you want more information about our upcoming retreat. There's so many avenues that you can connect with either one of us. Ashley, share your Instagram and your email here so the listeners know what that is and I'll drop it in the show notes too.

Ashley D'Adam: Yeah, Instagram is probably the best way to get in contact with me. It's the, period, breathwork, period, homeopath, H-O-M-E-O-P-A-T-H. The Breathwork Homeopath is how you can reach me. And then my email is my first name, ashley, at evolvehomeopathy.com, which is my business. E-V-O-L-V-E H-O-M-E-O-P-A-T-H-Y. I have to close my eyes and visualize the letter.

Victoria Starr: Well, it is a lot. It is. It's a long domain name. Yeah. So please know that her Instagram and her email will be dropped into the show notes. There will be a link that you can drop your email for a waitlist because I know that's coming too. And you can reach out to me on Instagram at Victoria Lee L-E-E-S-T-A-R-R. You can send me an email at Vicki, V-I-C-K-I at VictoriaLeeStar.com. We're here to hold you. We're here to support you. We're here to show you how MFing. Powerful you are. And anything else you want to share at this time, Ash?

Ashley D'Adam: No, I think you did great.

Victoria Starr: We're good. Well, thank you so much for listening to this episode. If it's something that resonates with you, please, please, please like, rate, and review. Share this episode with your girlfriends, with your sister, with your partner. know that the more people that listen to this episode, the more people that review this episode allows me to continue to bring this magic and medicine out into the universe. Because like I said, it is my mission and my passion to create change for us women to evolve to a higher level. So thank you so much for joining. Thank you so much for being here, Ashley. And until next time. You are the heart and soul of Living Raw and Radiant. Take this energy, this courage, and infuse it into every moment of your life. Remember, you have the permission to choose you. I invite you to stay connected, keep shining your light, and continue to embody the essence of Living Raw and Radiant. Together, we are igniting a movement of empowerment, authenticity, and soulful living. Until next time, my friends, keep living your soul's desires.