07/01/2026
In contemplation of writing about our upcoming retreat, Back to the Roots in Lago Atitlan, Guatemaya from July 22nd to the 26th, I’ve really been sitting with the intention of going back to the roots and what that truly means.
For me, it means returning to where I come from - the land upon which I was born - the family in which I was born into - the ancestors that I come from, the human and the more than human ones. It means learning how to foster and steward deeper relationships of care, compassion, understanding and respect with these roots that are the bedrock and the foundation upon which me, the human being known as Arielle, is built upon.
How do I tend to and address the imbalances, the disharmonies that come with the territory of exploring where I come from, where we all come from?
When I’m talking about our roots, our families and our ancestors, I’m not just talking about humans. I’m talking about our original ancestors, our ancestors of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water. I’m talking about our ancestors of the animal Kingdom and the plants, the green nation, the ancestors that even if we don’t recognize or want to realize, are indebted to for our sustained and ongoing existence, survival and thriving on this planet.
How do I tend to and nurture my vessel, my mind and my spirit in a way that honors the symbiotic nature of the relationships that I share with all of the roots of where I come from?
I’m realizing more and more that the answer is not in the solutions posed to us by the most of mainstream mainstream or spiritual mainstream approaches. Or by mechanisms that attempt to create “success” through a palatable, socially or financially profitable image. Instead, it is through real, transparent introspection, self reflection, harmonization, and relationship building between us and all of the living beings past, present, future that are a part of our roots. For ourselves and for life.
This for me is what it means to go back to the roots, and this is the energy that I wish to invoke within our upcoming Back to the Roots retreat.
We look forward to connecting with you and sharing in this journey with us.
