A glimpse into Innerbloom retreat
Grounded Factory's writer Malin Nyström recently joined Sofie Kraft's retreat Innerbloom. Below she shares her experience of the therapeutic journey and explains the power of being able to heal yourself, with the help and support of an experienced space holder and sisters.
Innerbloom retreat
There is a health trend going on globally, and millions of people advertise themselves as healers, shamans and gurus. What I like, and believe, is that everyone has the ability to become their own healer. This is where I think Innerbloom and Sofie Kraft differ from what I’ve experienced before in my search for healing. Why? Let’s nose dive into the Innerbloom retreat weekend (deep diving feels unnecessary as you have to experience it yourself to fully get the impact).
Innerbloom retreat is a women’s retreat. Created by a woman, for women. Women that intertwine in sisterhood for a weekend. Creating bonds that will last long after the retreat. Innerbloom is about letting go of inhibitions and blockages that prevent us from reaching our full potential. It’s about opening up the heart and enabling growth, love, gratitude towards ourselves and others. Sofie takes us on a journey within ourselves that is done with such graceness and authenticity that it leaves no one untouched.
The space
Owned by the lovely Oona Lagercrantz. It felt like checking into a rehab castle for the soul. The energy of the place was feminine and grounding. On each bed was a beautiful bag from Grounded Factory filled with quality skincare and health products from brands I’ve been both curious about and brands I didn’t even know existed. Each product felt mindfully chosen.
Meeting all the beautiful women, the impressions of the beautiful houses and surroundings in the countryside made me filled with excitement, like a kid on Christmas morning. That intense energy got balanced in a heartbeat when Sofie opened the first sharing circle. There is something so present and grounding about her voice, aura and energy that can only be understood through experience. That first night we went into silence, as if she knew it was exactly what was needed for us to go inwards and remind ourselves why we’ve chosen to be there.
The set up
What strikes me the most is Sofie’s ability to set up a schedule so well thought-through that it gives you exactly what you need in order to bloom. The focus of day one made perfect sense when entering day two and so forth. A perfect mix of letting go, heart opening practices, journaling, taking and holding space combined with yoga, breathwork, cold bath and sauna.
The days were perfectly filled with activities and connections to inspire feelings of gratitude, self love and power, combined with free time to reflect and go inwards. Each day chefs Alva & Josefin cooked delicious homemade meals with so much love. The sensations of taste and smell were so intense that you could feel your entire body hugging you for nurturing it.
Innerbloom aftermath
As I said earlier, you are your own healer. And you can also heal in a group. For me it became so clear why Sofie chose the set up she did. Because something happens when you go inwards, journal, let go and participate in heart opening practices that shift the energy completely. I felt so close to the group of sisters, but also to myself. As my heart opened, my intuition got stronger. The powerful sharing circles that we had each day felt like magic. There we were, women of all ages, with different backgrounds, paths and wounds—but each and everyone was so powerful and needed to create unity. It dawned on me that everyone struggles with the same emotions, doubts and fears. That made me feel less alone, empowered, held and understood. The circle of sisters is still with me in my heart every day, and I can go back to that feeling whenever I feel like I am losing ground, or when my heart struggles to stay open. I feel that this weekend changed me as a person, I am more loving towards myself and I understand the power of female energy and sisterhood (something I’ve lacked my entire life). I got curious if I was the only one feeling this way, so I asked my fellow sisters from the retreat what they’ve learned, and how they are feeling now—a few weeks after our weekend. Their responses gave me faith that this article was on point. The retreat actually gives you the power to heal yourself and let go of old patterns. Some of the responses I got from the girls:
“It’s just a feeling of knowing I got all I need within myself. It gave me the insight to slow down from time to time when I start doubting again and instead connect with my heart and picture our loving circle of trust.”
“The power of saying my thoughts and emotions out loud and hearing myself saying it has a completely different effect than just thinking or writing them in my journal. The positive thing about it is that I now appreciate things and life more in general. The hard part was realizing how unfair and unempathetic I’ve been towards myself—but hearing myself saying it outloud made me realize it and that enabled a big change.”
“Especially after one session I’ve taken with me not to pressure myself into my own “potential” expectations of others. I try to be more in the moment, follow my heart and intuition on what feels right and then let my mind and hands get creative without any pre-set frames.”
“I definitely have grown and feel ready for new things, acceptance and more creativity in life. I’m trying to discover how I can recreate that safe space we shared within myself, it’s still a process and maybe a new chapter I am entering.”
“It really helped me to get clarity in some of the obstacles in my life and empowered me to make decisions centered around my wellbeing rather than what has been the norm prior (the wellbeing of others). Additionally it reminded me of the importance of sisterhood and being a part of a tribe in our everyday lives. Many of us have a habit of pulling back from other people, when this taught me that daring to share vulnerability gains strength and perspective”.
“Innerbloom made me more resilient. Now as I encounter “hard” stuff I think to myself: "If I can do ice bathing I can do anything!”
By: Malin Nyström
Photos: Clara Eneqvist