Wellbeing Voices
Of all of my years of Coaching, teaching, facilitating retreats, this May my dream to serve women leaders at the highest level became reality as we launched the first Wellbeing Voices residential program to serve the women who are serving our world to become a better place, at the highest and most dangerous and tenuous levels.
It was humbling and a deep honour to be present and seek to offer solutions for a Nobel Peace prize nominee, Vice president of an exiled political party who is seeking to inspire her country to create inner-peace.
Wellbeing Voices was born of shared visions, initiated by Silje Agustson, Vital Voices Board Member, our Ibiza Retreats client since 2015 and now-collaborator and my own dream to serve women leaders with vital tools and techniques to nourish their own physical, emotional and energetic needs.
As a former CEO, Silje knew, firsthand, that self-care and holistic health is the vital key to sustaining energy levels and enabling success in high pressure situations. She invited me to create a bespoke program design the first Wellbeing Voices program to offer an integrated wellness experience to release stress and tensions, to maximise inner strength, inner-peace and fitness of body, mind and heart. And through this process, with workshops and experiences to allow the women space to deepen connections with themselves and each other, to empower the Vital Voices beneficiaries to rewrite their script for a sustainable future that starts with THEM filling their cups first, so that they have more to give.
With the invaluable support of Sagra Maceira de Rosen, Chair of Vital Voices Europe and Alyse Nelson, CEO and President of Vital Voices internationally, together we sponsorship was gained to fly participants in from around the world. And together, with combined intentions, we realised the transformative power of coming together in a cohesive sisterhood to recharge and super-charge each others projects, political campaigns, international and internal peace-making.
“The women leaders that Vital Voices supports around the world carry entire communities and countries on their shoulders. The Wellbeing Voices Program in partnership with Ibiza Retreats could not have come at a better moment. The world is craving more women leaders but so often these leaders sacrifice their physical and emotional health to heal those around them. Over the course of six days, I watched these leaders release, exhale, focus on themselves and rejuvenate their mind, body and spirit. Many of the women who participated told me that this was one of the most valuable investments Vital Voices had made in them as leaders. I know each of us will carry the insights, practices and love from the week to fuel this important work forward.” Alyse Nelson CEO Vital Voices
We welcomed beneficiaries from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mumbai, Washington DC, leaders of countries, humanitarian peacekeepers, incredibly articulate, movers & shakers, socio-economic innovators and bright-eyed, lion-hearted peaceful-warriors. As we shared stories, I learned about a whole other level of stress – these incredible women have faced all sorts of adversity – including life-threatening situations on many occasions. And still they continue…. to be the change the world needs to feel, hear and see.
“In the face of a global emergency to stand for women’s rights, many of us have committed so fully and deeply to the struggle that we have at times forgotten to care for the ever so beautiful invisible energy that moves us day after day.
Wellbeing Voices is a powerful, integrative space for body, spirit and mind that allowed me to pause, connect, recharge and return to the essence within me. Much like an air filter, it helped me clean up, to fiercely share myself and work with the world again.”
Xiomara Diaz, Founder of UPNicaragua
Founded by Hilary Clinton in 1997 and US Secretary of State Madeline Albright, following following the United Nations Fourth world conference on women in Beijing, these leading ladies created Vital Voices to make space for women to be heard. The founders knew then what has now become a universal truth: that women are essential to progress in their communities. Our world cannot move forward without their full participation. Today, the organisation is the product of the women who have been involved, their insights into leadership and adapting to our changing world.
Under the guidance of CEO and President Alyse Nelson and integrated leadership boards, Vital Voices identifies a Woman Leader with a daring vision, and then the organisation partners with her to make that vision a reality Through long-term investments that expand her skills, connections and visibility, Vital Voices accelerates her efforts. This groundbreaking approach is divided in to four areas of focus:
- Individualised Investments
- Signature Programmes
- Network activation & Global Advocacy
- Thought Leadership
Vital Voices invests in leaders because they take the responsibility to improve societies. They strengthen laws, create jobs and defend political freedoms.
Our investment in one woman leader impacts hundreds and thousands more. Vital Voices partners with women who demonstrate leadership that unites and inspires people, who exhibit visionary thinking and take risks to innovate. Each leader in their global network believes in mentoring the rising generation and shares her knowledge, experience and influence with others.
Our work with Vital Voices has only just begun – because we are all, as women leaders, vital voices for all those who cannot yet speak, due to trauma, fear of self-expression or political or religious repression, through working together, we co-create, we stimulate, we envision and dreams for peace and wellbeing for humanity, can begin to truly unfold
Life success can only happen when teachers, students, leaders, all of us are embodying “SELF-CARE” as THEY key to sustainable health and happiness. We are seeing it and feeling it.in the blossoming yoga studios and wellness centers, in the kids on facebook and instagram going on strike to raise awareness about the damage we are doing to our planet to create wellness at the level of mother earth, in attitude and in proactive responsibility for our world.
Wellbeing Voices has also served as the launchpad for expanding our offerings for Corporate retreats.