Reflections on
the Huna Retreat Experience

The 4th Annual Huna Retreat at Oceanstone, Nova Scotia, called to itself those who would become ‘ohana’ for this time. Each arrived with their own intentions and each left with a much greater clarity of their capacity to live those intentions. Below, three of the participants share some of their experience with you that you might awaken to more of yourself.

Amy McNaughton

I knew a year ago that I was going to be at the Huna Retreat not even knowing what it was about; not fully understanding why it called to me. I knew that I was going there for myself and no one else. This past year has been quite the journey for me and this was an opportunity to slow down and connect completely with the signal that I am in the world. What I now realize is that I’m always connected - I’ve just chosen not to listen.

Something that I found powerful for me was that on Saturday evening when I took part in the Higher Self Connection, I felt very alone within myself. It was incredible! Although I was in a group, my focus was on me and the signal that I am in the world. I understood that being alone is only a figure of speech and nothing else. It’s not about being lonely, it’s about being alone so that I can hear the signal and respond in a way that is meaningful to me.

So many times over the weekend what came up for me was the fact that I am kind and gentle with others without any question however, when it comes to myself I never allow myself to slow down. And that is where the dis-connect takes place for me.

As I felt more and more at peace with myself, I realized just how often I “hear” the signal from my Higher Self (i.e. my intuition, impulse, instinct, great cosmic thought - whatever you want to call it) and so often ignore it and then wonder: what’s wrong? Why am I so tired? Why does my wrist hurt? And the list goes on.

I decided after I made the connection with my Higher Self, that I would no longer ignore the Signal that I AM in the world. When I feel the impulse move through me or come into my awareness, I act on it and my world changes.

My life has changed forever because of my Huna retreat experience. The weekend was magical! Louise made the weekend one that I will remember for a very long time. Since coming home, I have honoured myself like never before. I become aware and notice and then I take action to do whatever it is that I am pulled to do by that impulse. Sometimes the messages seem strange but I don’t stop to question them because then my intellect gets involved and that is totally crazy-making! If I stay true to what moves me and not question it, my life unfolds in an absolutely incredible way.

Cathy Saunders

As I sit and try to write words around my experience of HUNA, I struggle to frame the language versus the essence. Here is what I have come up with.
 
My experience of HUNA: LOVE
Profound experience of love / truth
 
L
Letting go and letting come; opening the body to receive
Self as source, power and truth
 
O
Outcome: Connection, as awakened to WOW, the knowledge and wisdom that is in me, surrounds me in people and nature; learning that without connection with Self, I cannot truly connect with others and that leadership and emergence require connection. I am never alone
 
V
Validation of knowing I was / am in the right place and on the right path!
 
E
Excited/Energy/Expansive: NO KIDDING energy, you call the "edginess"; what is next - Play, Laugh, Joy
 
I have truly been on an intentional journey for the past year of learning, playing, challenging and exploring. HUNA was a not-to-be-missed event and yet, I didn't know why I was going into it. I just trusted that was where I needed to be.
 
It has launched the next phase of my journey that feels a bit scary, unsure and yet I feel more confident than ever!
 
Thank you doesn't even capture for me the gratitude I feel for having experienced HUNA and the joy I feel when reading your books and listening to your CDs.

Lori Walton

The Huna Retreat was so huge for me. It is very difficult to put into words what I felt and experienced. I know that each experience is so very unique and personal and yet at the same time… while being very unique and personal… there was the power of the collective very much present in room. The awareness, the feeling of each individual as they remembered who they were… as they felt that in their own skin… added to the already powerfully moving experience within my body. Without sight… eyes closed… knowing as each of the people in the room was connecting with the part of themselves that is us all.

Prior to the Huna retreat, I had many things on my mind, running through my thoughts. I was feeling and suppressing many waves that were presenting themselves because I was pulled taught with stress from not saying “No” when I was already overwhelmed. I was writing about and thinking about notions of duality… of being and feeling one way when I am thinking of myself as the woman I have become and yet, feeling a very different way when I was considering my “whole healthy me”. The waves of emotions that came up when considering having those conversations were so intense and huge I was afraid to let them out. I kept them down inside waiting… waiting for the invitation to engage in the conversations we would be having with Louise surrounding my weight, my eating and my control issues.

When I arrived for Huna and we began our opening conversations, I quickly discovered my issues were ready to present themselves here and the time to engage in them (honour them) was in the here-and-now. My intention shifted that night from using Huna as a base for the next chapter of my journey to allowing this weekend to be about R & R… Release and Reconnection. From that choice point my weekend unfolded in a much different way.

Excerpts from my journal from my Huna Experience;

It is not something I don’t already have or know. It is simply awakening to the experience and listening to the wisdom within. Awakening myself and giving myself the space I need to stand in my majesty. Full out… unapologetic. My reality is full of godforces who will recognize and welcome me, who will notice that I have arrived. Who cannot?

Mahalo, Louise… and to each of you present and sharing my homecoming.

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