Stephanie Curran

Retreat Reflections 1/7

It’s been two weeks since I left Maui after three weeks in silence. I’m grateful for all that was experienced, and I’m still noticing what that time clarified.

Retreat and quiet reflection have a way of showing us what we’re still carrying that no longer serves us.

Sometimes moving forward begins with putting a few things down.

Hurt feelings.
Anger.
Disappointment.
Moments of feeling misunderstood, offended, or sad about how things unfolded.

But once something is set down, and a boundary becomes clear, space opens.

Right before retreat, I came across this line:

Stop choosing what isn’t choosing you.

That sentence has stayed with me.
And it still feels true.

Since coming home, there’s been a softening and a settling in me, and a quiet excitement about what is beginning to take shape.

Over the next while, I’ll be sharing a few reflections from retreat. Some tender, some surprising, a few that made me laugh out loud.

This is the first.

Heading into an annual three week silent retreat, self-guided and offline.

This time is restorative and reflective, not always easy…but always worthwhile. A chance to listen more deeply.

Grateful for the family and colleagues who make space for me to step away, and for the steady, wholehearted friends who simply show up.

I dropped off these beautiful flowers in appreciation yesterday. What a blessing to have dear friends who don’t step away when things are uncomfortable. And who are consistent, grounded, and trustworthy.

My heart feels full ❤️

Back in a few weeks.

💐

“Be kind whenever possible.
It is always possible”
~ Dalai Lama

Special thanks to our one-of-a-kind model and beloved dog, Bodhi.

He is the embodiment of unconditional love and kindness ❤️

And a good reminder on Pink Shirt day that kindness matters. It is a choice we can make in any moment, even when the moment feels hard…either inwardly or outwardly.

Happy Valentine’s Day. 💛

For some, today is flowers and dinner reservations.
For others, it’s tender. Or complicated. Or a quiet exhale of “let me just get through it.”

Wherever you land, cultivating love for ourselves is a steady foundation for offering love to others in healthy, balanced ways.

Two simple conditions help love and kindness grow:
• a sense of ease and well-being
• seeing the goodness in ourselves and others

You might pause and consider:

🍃 How am I caring for myself in this moment?
🍃 What would support a little more ease right now?
🍃 What is already beautiful within me?
🍃 What do I appreciate about myself today, even if it’s small?

I offer this reflection for today, too, from Lisa Buscomb ():

“It’s never too late to fall in love with yourself. To discover the parts that make you unapologetically you. To find the hidden beauty that is within. To discover those parts that others have always admired, but you are only now seeing. Shine your light. Be brave. Be open. Be yourself. Fall in love with yourself. Because the world needs the magic only you can bring.”

And I love this line from mediation teacher, Jack Kornfield ()

“It is up to each one of us to stand in our circles of kindness, love and awareness. I remind myself that every day I have a choice, and I choose kindness, love, joy and equanimity! Oh, and also Wunderbars.”

A small reminder that caring for our hearts can be both sacred and ordinary.

Sometimes it’s a hand on the heart. Sometimes it’s a boundary. Sometimes it’s chocolate.

If you’re reading this and today feels tender, go gently.

One kind choice at a time.
One breath at a time.

With love,
Stephanie

📸 Ann Cahill

Bell Let’s Talk Day 💛

If you’re on a fertility journey, the hardest “talk” is often the one happening inside.

There can be a whole inner soundtrack of scanning, bracing, hoping, protecting.

So much waiting.
So many mental loops.
So many moments where your body is here, but your mind is already at the next appointment, the next test, the next result.

If you’re feeling the weight of this, I want to offer something simple and doable: a tiny return to the body.

Not as a way to force calm.
Just a way to steady yourself for a breath or two and invite your nervous system to soften.

If you’d like short, guided support, there are free Ground to Grow practices you can access anytime, including:
• Grounding practices for everyday moments
• Egg Retrieval
• Embryo Transfer
• Waiting for hCG (beta) results

You don’t have to carry this alone.
And micro-pauses matter.

One steady breath.
Feet on the floor.
Hand on your heart.
A soft “I’m here.”

Link in bio. 🤍

__

If it would feel supportive to connect with community and receive some personal guidance, my winter 6-week series begins tomorrow (Jan 22–Feb 26). And if you’d rather move quietly on your own, on-demand courses are available anytime.

I was working away, then paused and looked down.

My cord had curled itself into a heart.

A small reminder that love can show up in ordinary places.

In small ways.
In the middle of everyday moments.

Even on a challenging day, with difficult news or a tender heart, love is still all around us.

Sometimes the only shift is becoming available to notice what’s already here, and letting ourselves be held and touched by it.

Where are you catching glimpses of love in your day? ♥️

If your heart and nervous system feel tired from your fertility journey, you’re not alone.

Ground to Grow winter cohorts begin this month, and you’re warmly invited to join us.

These 6-week series are built around short, practical tools you can use in everyday moments, especially the ones that tend to spike stress and anxiety: the two-week wait, appointments, triggers, tender conversations, and the quiet loneliness or grief that can creep in.

And we do it together, because community is a kind of medicine. Being with others who understand can soften the sense of “it’s just me,” and help you feel a little more steady week by week.

✨Trying to Conceive
6 Tuesdays • Jan 20 to Feb 24
5:00–6:30 pm PST / 8:00–9:30 pm EST • Online

✨Grief Support
For those healing after pregnancy loss or preparing to try again
6 Thursdays • Jan 22 to Feb 26
5:00–6:30 pm PST / 8:00–9:30 pm EST • Online
Includes the TTC curriculum, with added grief support and practices for a tender heart.

If it’s supportive, you’re welcome to use G2G20 at checkout for 20% off.

To read more, visit stephaniecurran.com or tap the link in bio.

“Friends, As we enter a new year, we’re invited not to fix or reinvent ourselves, but to arrive—right here, just as we are.”

I love this invitation from meditation teacher

May this year support you in remembering your belonging, trusting your inner wisdom, and choosing love in all of your precious moments.

With warmth and love,
Stephanie (and Bodhi 🐾)

If you’re trying to conceive, or carrying the tenderness of loss, you do not have to do the ups and downs alone.

Ground to Grow | Winter 2026 is now open for registration. These are small, live online groups that weave mindfulness, self-compassion, and practical tools to help ease stress and support you week to week.

✨Trying to Conceive
6 Tuesdays • Jan 20 to Feb 24
5:00–6:30 pm PST / 8:00–9:30 pm EST • Online

✨Grief Support
For those healing after pregnancy loss or preparing to try again
6 Thursdays • Jan 22 to Feb 26
5:00–6:30 pm PST / 8:00–9:30 pm EST • Online
Includes the TTC curriculum, with added grief support and practices for a tender heart.

If it’s supportive, you’re welcome to use G2G20 at checkout for 20% off.

To read more, visit stephaniecurran.com or tap the link in bio.