By Emily Merrell
A few weeks ago I hosted a Six Degrees Society midweek glamping getaway.
I planned it on a whim after visiting this gorgeous glamping spot in Healdsburg called Wildhaven Sonoma. They had super spacious tents, were located steps from the river and minutes from downtown Healdsburg – it was a no-brainer. I didn’t want it to be a big to-do; I wanted it to be an accessible and easy getaway for everyone to afford and attend.
It felt so good to hug, hang and laugh with these amazing individuals. We had all been Covid tested and the hugs were doled out like candy at Mardi Gras – everyone was getting one!
We floated the river on inflatable unicorns and mermaid tails. We made s’mores at the fire pit and laughed a bit too loud late into the night, (thanks Kobler Estate and Spirit Horse Vineyards)!
What started off as a loose choose-your-own-adventure agenda evolved into an adult version of show and tell (culminating in an IRL mastermind). Each attendee had a life skill to share and each lesson resonated with me. I couldn’t wait to share my learnings and experience from the getaway with you.
Self Defense: Self Defense Expert Jennifer Cassetta, the founder of She Warrior, led us through the general 101’s (we’re not black belts yet). If being attacked, go for the eyes, throat, and groin.
- If anyone wants to learn more “She Warrior Self Defense”, you can check out her online course here and use code: WARRIORLOVE for $20 off (normally $67). If anyone can use a boost of confidence, here is the link to her FREE online She Warrior Confidence Course
Composting: Do you compost yet? If not, composting is pretty simple when you break it down (compost jokes). Julia Santucci, founder of Go Emerald Green who specializes in composting, recycling and eco-fashion, led us through the 101’s of composting.
- Get yourself a Compost Bin for the kitchen (you can also reuse those green bags from the grocery store or buy bags).
- Anything that comes from the land can go in there including paper, napkins, food scraps, soiled/dirty paper towels, plates (that are paper), wood utensils, cotton balls, hair, used coffee grounds, coffee filters too (NO plastic or metal).
Fire Safety: Kate Ellis-Hill, the founder of The Disaster Gal, schooled us on our fire safety preparedness, and boy did we learn.
- Did you know that fire extinguishers expire? There is a little gauge to check the “health” of the extinguisher.
- Craft your printable emergency plans (here’s the direct link to the fire extinguisher guide – remember Pull Aim Squeeze Sweep).
We need to be prepared for an emergency. That includes an earthquake, fire or flood! Get 20% off code for kits, with code SIXDEGREESGLAMPERS, which is active until November 30th. It’s automatically applied through this link.
Clean Beauty: I’m familiar with “clean beauty” but SDS member Kim Starzyk took us down a dark rabbit hole on what is really going on in the beauty industry.
- Did you know that there are just 11 cosmetic ingredients banned in the United States? Comparatively, over 1,300 have been outlawed or restricted in the entire European Union.
- Clean beauty doesn’t mean just getting animal products out of your products. You’d be surprised to learn how sneaky animal products can be – toilet paper, soap, furniture and clothing are just a few of the many types of products that can contain animal ingredients or animal cruelty. The best way to avoid animal products is to look for “vegan” products.
- Some parabens have been linked to endocrine disruption, which may increase the risk of certain cancers. Therefore, we do not use any parabens, including ethylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben.
- Phthalates [i.e., dibutylphthalate (DBP), dimethylphthalate (DMP), diethylphthalate (DEP)] are plasticizing ingredients commonly used in fragrances as a solvent and skin fixative. Phthalates have been linked to endocrine disruption and may cause birth defects.
Breath work: We started off our final morning of glamping with an incredible pre-workout breathwork exercise led by Karishma Donde. If you haven’t tried breathwork yet, give yourself a chance with the practice below.
- Anxiety and stress is a subset of fear. If you’re one of those people who wake up already feeling behind, ask yourself what you’re afraid of.
- Once you’re aware of your thoughts, you can start to ground yourself by coming back into your body. *Take a break*
- Close your eyes, put your hands on your heart and notice your heartbeat. Reframe your thoughts to: “It is safe to feel, safe to be in my body.” “I love you, I am here for you.”
- Take a deep breath in through the mouth and let out a big sigh. Repeat this three times. *These are called grounding breaths.*
- Repeat again: “I love you, I’m here for you.” *Notice your heart rate. Is it different?*
- This breathwork can be done sitting or standing. It’s also refreshing to do outside and barefoot.
- Anxiety and stress are dissociative states meaning an out-of-body experience. Using the breath allows us to come back to earth and into the body.
- Want more breathwork? Join the waiting list for the breathwork membership, book 1:1 breathwork coaching (six month or 1 year programs here) or shop Karishma’s shop for cute clothes here.
Self Care: We learned that all we need to sweat and move our bodies is us. Claire Yanta-O’Mahoney led us in an a**kicking workout to bumping music. It hurt, but felt so much better in a community of women. I’ll be joining Claire for new classes here.
Wine Tasting: We tasted wine from our favorite female-owned winery, Spirit Horse Vineyard, and its owner Heather Rader. We learned that there are no right or wrong answers in wine, that wine tastes better with girlfriends and that giving back is a huge part of Spirit Horse’s mission.
- Try this amazing wine and join the Six Degrees Wine Club (powered by Spirit Horse Vineyard).
Or order at Spirit Horse Shop page with SIXDEGREES15 code for 15% off (one time purchase).
Healthy snacks: We noshed on some delicious and healthy snacks throughout the week as well! We built cheese boards and ate yogurt by Clover Sonoma, fueled our bodies pre-workout with Dehl Nutrition , snacked on Beccas Petites and mixed it within our yogurt, woke up our brains and got our focus with Braingear and stayed hydrated with our favorite mineral water Topo Chico.
It’s like we were all there together! Keeping my fingers crossed that we can put together more getaway experiences in the upcoming year!
