The “Awakening Genius” workshop in France was even better than I had expected. Such an amazing group of people!  I’m fascinated by how deeply a group of relative strangers can bond in five days when they are doing deep work together.  We did a lot of writing, a lot of inquiry – into ourselves, our gifts, our desires, our choices, and what we hold sacred – and managed to have A LOT of fun, too.  

Mornings were for going inward, afternoons were for exploring the magical Dordogne under the expert tutelage of our hostess, Florence Lombard, who was born a few miles from where we were staying.  We visited Josephine Baker’s home, Chateau des Milandes (spectacular) then watched a Birds of Prey show in the chateau garden.  We stopped by the oldest vineyard in France, spent an afternoon seeing the prehistoric cave paintings near Lascaux (mind blowing), visited 500-year old villages, and took a slow boat on the Dordogne River. 

The proprietors of the 18^th century farmhouse and grounds where the retreat took place (Les Perchoir des Paons), Susie and Mike Home, were wonderful.  Four-course meals every night (one more delicious than the other) and generous hospitality made our time together very nearly perfect.  The students loved it!  David and I are definitely going doing another workshop in Gindou next summer.