There's something no one really tells you about fear.

It doesn't go away before you take the step. It goes away because you do.

I've been sitting with this a lot lately. Because this retreat – the one I've been building, dreaming about, and pouring myself into – might not look the way I imagined it. The numbers might not be what I hoped. The room might be smaller. And for a while, that voice showed up right on cue: maybe this is a sign. Maybe it's not the right time. Maybe you should wait.

But here's what I know now, after years of studying the mind, the body, and what it actually takes to change: that voice isn't wisdom. It's a pattern. It's the nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do — keep you safe, familiar, and exactly where you are.

Jung called it 'the Shadow' — the part of us that holds everything we were taught to suppress, including our own desire to grow. It runs quietly in the background, disguised as reason. And if we don't learn to see it, it runs the show.

Dr Joe Dispenza puts it differently: as long as your body is living in the emotions of the past, it is your past — not your future — that is creating your life. Every time we choose the familiar reaction over a new decision, we wire in the old version of ourselves a little deeper. The brain doesn't know the difference between what happened and what you keep rehearsing.

So I made a different choice. I put this retreat into the world anyway.

Not because I was certain. But because the woman I am becoming doesn't wait for certainty to act. She acts and becomes certain in the doing.

And even if this first one is small, everything I'm learning — about community, about what women need, about how to hold space, and about myself — will shape every retreat, every session, and every circle I lead from here on. Nothing is wasted. Everything is material. That is the spiritual path: not the absence of stumbling but the willingness to mine every stumble for gold.

If you've been on the fence — if something in you wants to come but fear has been louder — I want you to notice that. Don't judge it. Just notice.

Because staying where you are is also a choice. And it's a valid one, if that's truly what you want. But if part of you is ready for something different, the only way is a new decision. A small, imperfect, brave one.

This retreat is that decision, made visible.

We gather on the 24th of May. There is still space for you, or anyone you know who could benefit from this experience.

It’s a small group, and the place is truly magical.

If something in you is saying yes, please don't wait. → See all the details here.

And if September/October feels more like your moment —

I'm also planning a second retreat at the end of September in Portugal again.

The details are still coming together, but the intention is the same: a small group, a beautiful setting, and the kind of time and space that most of us never give ourselves — but quietly know we need.

If you'd like to be the first to hear everything when it's ready, join the waitlist below. You'll receive all the details before anything is shared publicly, and your spot will be held for you first.

→ [Join the September Waitlist]

(Once you sign up, please check your spam folder — I'd hate for this not to reach you.)

I hope to see you there — next Sunday, in September, or whenever the time is right for you.

And if not this time, I'll see you in the next newsletter.

Thank you for being here. Truly. This community means more to me than I can easily put into words — it's one of my favourite things.

Until next time.
Renata

▶ Favorite topic: Revisiting the book - The Surrender Experimentyou or