The Self-Led Woman: An Internal Family Systems and Spiritual Leadership Retreat

How many times have you second-guessed your own knowing? For many women, the path to adulthood involves a subtle but profound erosion of trust in inner wisdom—replaced by patterns of performance, caretaking, and self-abandonment. This transformative retreat invites you to reclaim what was always yours: the capacity to lead your own life from a place of genuine clarity and authority.

Held at the serene Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA on Sunday, November 1, 2026, The Self-Led Woman brings together Internal Family Systems (IFS) psychology and spiritual practice to guide you home to yourself. Led by Sara Avant Stover—a Level 3 Certified IFS Practitioner and women's spiritual leadership mentor—this retreat is designed for women ready to distinguish between reactive impulses and truly aligned action. Through meditation, embodiment practices, sacred ritual, and authentic women's circle work, you'll learn to recognize the protective and wounded parts of yourself while reconnecting with a deeper, wiser Self.

This is not about acquiring new skills or fixing what's broken. It's about remembering what you've always known. Over the course of this retreat, you'll develop a tangible toolkit for self-leadership grounded in both psychological insight and spiritual wisdom—tools that translate directly into your daily life.

What to Expect

You'll arrive at Kripalu's peaceful Stockbridge campus and step into a container designed for genuine inner work. The retreat weaves together multiple modalities: guided meditations and IFS sessions help you map the internal landscape of protective and exiled parts; embodiment practices reconnect you with somatic knowing; sacred ritual honors the feminine and the sacred within; and women's circle work creates safe space for shared witnessing and collective wisdom.

Periods of silence punctuate the experience, offering time for integration and reflection. You'll also have access to daily yoga classes, nourishing meals, and the grounding presence of Kripalu's natural surroundings (the broader campus remains gently active, so expect a contemplative rather than completely silent retreat).

By the end, you'll leave with concrete practices for recognizing fear-based reactivity, tools for accessing your inner authority, and a renewed sense of trust in your own knowing. You'll understand not just intellectually but somatically what it feels like to lead from alignment rather than obligation.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts—a world-renowned yoga and wellness sanctuary nestled in the Berkshires. Wear comfortable clothing suitable for yoga and movement practices. Bring a journal and an open heart. The retreat includes accommodations, meals, and full access to Kripalu's facilities. For accessibility needs, contact the organizers directly through BrightStar Events.