Early May we visited the beautiful village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, where parts of the movie Chocolat were filmed. I have been thinking about life quite a bit lately and felt that, after a pretty hectic and busy few months, I wanted to spend more dedicated time to being present and living more mindfully. That is why I am starting something in June and I'd love to invite you to join me.
As promised in the video here's some more details about what we'll be doing:
I wanted to intensify my practice of ever finding more alignment. Making more time to be more present and connected to my soul.
In the months of June and July, we'll go on a "virtual" retreat. Retreating from our normal lives for some time, once a week. Virtually. Without leaving our home.
I believe you don't necessarily need to go on a holiday or to some fancy retreat center - although it is marvelous when you get a chance to do that.
I believe INTENTION is what drives our experience and creation.
Having the intention to once a week drown out the noise of your everyday life so you can focus on connecting to your soul and your being can make a huge difference to how you will experience your life.
Your soul and guides are going to be delighted that you are making the time! As you practice being more present, you will learn more about your true desires, your goals in life, the path you are meant to be on and the things you want (and can) change in your life to live more mindfully and soulfully. And you'll instantly experience more alignment.
We meet once a week online in a (small) group video call in which we share experiences, meditate and talk about alignment and the things we continuously learn about ourselves about how to find more alignment and live more fully.
I will also share my lessons on how to find alignment, how to understand your calling and how to manifest the things you desire in your life. I have been transmitting what I've learned about this since 2007 and am putting the best of what I have created over those 15 years together for this retreat in an online academy that you'll get access to. With videos, meditations and assignments.
Each week we will work on a specific assignment that helps you be more present, feel inspired and feel fully alive.
Fun assignments that will (re-)connect you to your true self, your soul and your calling for this life. Week by week you'll feel more aligned and you'll experience more clarity on who you are, what you are meant to be doing and what you'd like to change in your life, work or business.
We'll be doing this in a group and will be sharing our insights and experiences with each other. Although there is no individual guidance in this retreat, there is plenty of room for you to share your questions, experiences, ideas etc. I love making each session as personalized as it can be.
I have worked online with small groups for over 7 years and absolutely love how much happens in these sessions and how each person in the group contributes to all others' process in their unique way.
I am so looking forward to dedicate the months of June and July to this process for myself and for those who are joining in.
It is going to be such a pleasure to gift ourselves the time and dedication of living more fully and finding more alignment. I hope you'll join me!
When? How much? Where?
We'll start on June 4 with our first group session. The group sessions will be every week on Saturday (9 pm Paris time). Your investment is 250 euros excl VAT (VAT may be added depending on your country of residence and situation). You'll get access to the alignment lessons online in the academy which you have access to 24/7 and we'll do 8 weekly group sessions. The sessions will be on Zoom, a video call tool.
You do not need to have any experience in meditation or finding alignment nor do you need to have any specific knowledge or background. Come as you are and discover more about yourself, your calling and where life wants to take you during this virtual retreat.
Also if you have any questions or can't make yourself available on Saturday but you'd really like to join: do send me a message. I'd love to find a solution as I believe there is always a way when things are meant to be!
Sending you so much love and hope we'll be going on this journey together,
Marloes
We celebrated my 45th birthday on May 1st,
and that same week we visited the village of Flavigny-sur-Rose-Rhin.
And you may know that parts of the movie Chocolat, with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche, were filmed there.
The whole idea of the movie is that this woman, Vianne, comes to this village that's kind of lost.
It's lost for life, like the people in the village are kind of like in sleeping mode, looking on the darker side of life.
And she comes and starts this chocolate shop, which is a catalyst for bringing back joy to the village.
And I've been thinking a lot about this.
We've been so busy with all of our building works, and I felt like, even though I love everything that we do every day,
I did notice that we were getting kind of trapped in this hustle and work, work, work mode.
And I like to take more time to just be and be present.
And that actually inspired me to start something in June and July that I'm going to do for myself,
and that I've invited other people to join me, which I call a virtual alignment retreat.
And I'll talk a bit more about that at the end of the video.
Although the movie may be all about chocolate, the village is actually known for its anise sweets.
The story goes that Julius Caesar brought anise seeds with him when he came to the village in 57 B.C.,
as he thought it was beneficial for his troops, for that digestive system.
Later, an abbey was founded in the village.
And at some point in the 16th century, they started making these anise sweets in the village,
and they are still being made here today in this former abbey building that you can visit for free.
I learned that the makers of the movie chose this particular village because it wasn't as perfect as the other villages they had seen.
They figured that the village needed to be beautiful, of course, to evoke this French feeling,
but also not too beautiful.
It needed to have this maybe a bit gloomy side to it, because the whole story was about Vian bringing light to the village,
allowing people to reconnect with the beauty of life, their lust for life.
When you see the actual building that was used to film some of her shop images,
you can see that that is actually in a horrible state.
I think in life, it is so easy to get trapped in feelings of not being where you want to be,
maybe also in my case, despair about what's happening in our world.
And on the other hand, I think it is just as easy to shift your focus to other things,
to shift your focus to the beauty of your life.
Even when you think there's not a lot of beauty, there always is.
And it's just a choice to focus your attention on the things that you do feel grateful for,
and to, in that way, attract more of that into your life.
For me, this is how I continue to choose to see my life and to live my life.
And I really believe that our intentions and where we put our focus
determine what we create and what we manifest.
And I've kind of lost my little rituals of being more present and doing this,
and that is why I'm going to spend more dedicated time on that in June and July.
Once a week, I'm spending an hour of just focused attention on experiencing joy,
on experiencing this deep connection with who I really am, who I'm meant to be in this life,
and just being present with myself, with the world, and with everything around me.
Our life wants to be lived by us. That is all that it wants.
Our life wants us to enjoy life.
I would love for you to join me in this, what I call, the Virtual Alignment Retreat.
It's eight weeks in June and July.
I'll be teaching and transmitting everything that I have learned and been teaching since 2007
about living in alignment, knowing who you are, knowing what drives you,
knowing what makes you extremely happy,
and seeing how you can change smaller things and bigger things in your life
to experience more joy and fully live the life that you came here to live.
And we'll be doing fun assignments that are going to help you connect with who you truly are,
that are going to give you clarity on where you are now and where you want to be
and what you can change today.
It is really a gift to ourselves in experiencing the magic of this life,
because life truly is magical, if we're willing and ready and putting in the work to see it.
And it's going to be a fun and nourishing experience.
I have put some information about this retreat in the description.
I hope you will join me.
Thank you.
