Dear Reader,
Decades ago, when I was in my early 30’s, I was traveling in South East Asia and went trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal and Northern India. I always dreamt of going back to those mountains. There is a saying that the Himalayas start where all other mountains end, and for me, being a traveler, they brought a sense of awe, inspiration, and reverence.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
And so there I was, flying into Leh this August to go on a trek in Ladakh and Zanskar, which are in the Northern India Himalayas.
During the trek we had local Ladakh villagers, many of them Tibetan refugees, with horses and donkeys carrying our things over the mountains and setting camp. Every night they waited for us with bright beautiful smiles, hot chai, a warm meal, and with the greetings you hear all over the range, “Julley-Julley.”
Ladakh, home to a variety of Tibetan schools of Buddhism, has shown so much respect to the Dalai Lama. Their devotion and faith in the Dalai Lama is unrivaled anywhere in India.
The Himalayas are immense and powerful. We hiked around 10-15 miles a day, at high elevations of 12,000~14,000 feet, crossing passes at 15,700 feet. The altitude was hard to navigate, as every step seemed to take so much out of me. It was super challenging, and at times, I wondered if I was brave or insane, while asking myself ‘what was thinking… (I wasn’t ;).
I was for sure the oldest in my trekking group and guides, and often made it to camp many hours after everyone else.
A sweet touching moments on this journey was when I was apologizing for being so slow and one of the locals guides told me how inspiring it was that I was trekking at a similar age to his grandmothers who could hardly walk let alone trek.
It was difficult and challenging, and definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I am so glad I did it! It was a transformative experience and an opportunity to turn a breakdown into a breakthrough.
I needed that time away. 2024 has been a difficult year. Pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, discovering new landscapes externally as well as internally, and fostering new meditations and understandings.
This week is Rosh H’Shanna, the Jewish New Year. Shanna Tova. May this year bring safety, healing, and peace to ALL.
We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.
George Bernard Shaw
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
Helen Keller
Valentines Day ’25 in Costa Rica
And speaking of pushing an edge, after more than a decade of offering our Hold Me Tight® Couple workshops here in Northern California, we are offering this breakthrough retreat in Costa Rica.
If you and your partner are looking to adventure this next Valentine Day, to push the edge of your relationship, to take risks and explore heights and the depths, come with us! I am excited and inspired to announce our Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat at the Imiloa Institute in Costa Rica for Valentine’s Day 2025 (February 11-16).
At this Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat, you and your partner will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into your relationship:
- Affirm strengths in the relationship through understanding, communication, and bonding.
- Address negative cycle patterns; Learn why they show up and how to get out of them.
- Learn how to repair and forgive injuries and become vulnerable with each other.
- Enhance emotional, physical, and sexual closeness and intimacy.
Processing is done as couples, and when we connect as a group, sharing is optional.
Included
- Accommodations – five nights and six days at Imiloa Eco-luxury Retreat Center
- Charter Flight from SJO (San Jose Costa Rica), airport to an small airport close to the retreat center
- IMILOA Shuttle Service All-inclusive luxury SUV ground transportation
- Plant-based, organic, locally sourced, gourmet meals, created each day by a master 5-star chef
- A campus devoted to our retreat, tucked in the Costa Rica jungle
- Access to a private waterfall, miles of nature paths, incredible flora and fauna, and an ocean view infinity pool
- Yoga classes taught by the local instructors
- Access to an online resource library
- A workbook full with conversations and communication exercises, skill building toolkit, and much more
- Special excursions
- Magical surprises
Co-Facilitator
Owen Marcus, MA, author, workshop facilitator, co-founder and creator of the EVRYMAN Method, co-founder of MELD, and TEDxTalk presenter on Masculine Emotional Intelligence, will once again be co-leading this workshop with me. (Owen’s TEDX talk)
With a rich background in leading men’s groups and trainings across the country, Owen specializes in guiding men to embrace vulnerability. His expertise extends to working with couples, and he has shared his methods with a diverse audience, including therapists, NGOs, and major tech firms like Google. Owen’s deep experience and innovative approach, honed through co-founding EVRYMAN and now co-leading his latest venture, MELD, promises to significantly enrich the dynamics of the workshop.
We keep our workshops small to ensure privacy, safety, and personal attention.
Space is limited. We welcome all couples!!
(Please FORWARD to anyone you think will benefit from this work.)
In gratitude and love to all of you,
~Dalia
P: 530-692-0680
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Hold Me Tight® is a registered trademark of Sue Johnson, founder and originator of Emotionally Focused Therapy.