Testimonials - Fertility Enhancing RetreatsDr. Randine Lewis has created a program to gently balance the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being in order to deal with the heartbreak of infertility. Though one in six couples experience infertility, she believes that very few women are actually infertile. Her retreat process goes deep into the emotional and spiritual aspects of this life-crisis along with a treatment process that incorporates diet, nutritional supplements and herbs, acupuncture, massage therapy, energy balancing and Asian bodywork. Read below the experiences of those who have worked with Dr. Lewis at her retreats on this revolutionary path of healing and about the transformations that have occurred. “I came home from the retreat at the ''end'' of my luteal phase, took a pregnancy test and, for the first time ever, it was positive!! I had it confirmed via blood test yesterday - my HCg is 105, which is good for 15 days post-luteal. I still can hardly believe it! It is early, but I am very hopeful:) I really believe that this has occurred because of the retreat. I was there during the implantation phase and the retreat afforded me a calm, meditative place where I was able to look inwardly, and to connect with myself and others. I also think the breathing into my organs and the accupuncture were perfectly timed. (I'm still breathing and letting my belly hang free and proud!) I cannot thank you all enough for your help and guidance. I wish everyone were fortunate enough to be led to your retreats, to be surrounded by all that empowering female essence. In describing it to others upon my return, the only phrase that somewhat captures it is ‘life-changing’. Thank you for being the guides to that change!" -Natalie C. “ … Randine also affects lives beyond helping women to conceive. She somehow is able to remind us of who we are, and all that we are capable of. With her help, we are able to crawl out of our sadness and into a stronger, more confident and aware self. I can honestly say that after three of Randine’s retreats, I have found a state of happiness and peace that I forgot was possible last winter and spring – (and I am not even pregnant, yet!)." -Kristen O., Boston, MA “Randine- Hope you had a happy Mother’s Day too! I had a different perspective this Mother’s Day after spending last week with you, Mary Jane and those courageous women. I can’t thank you enough for one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The group acupuncture session was especially moving for me. It’s interesting because my favorite word (and as a journalism major, it’s not easy to pick just one word) has always been HARMONY. The retreat helped me to recognize the importance of achieving harmony in my life on many different levels. Thank you." -L. Kallen, Washington, D.C. Several months later, the same patient sent this update: “It’s a healthy BOY! We are thrilled! And relieved, as everything looked good on the ultrasound. I feel like I can relax a little now and enjoy the rest of this pregnancy. It amazes me every day that I was able to conceive this baby, especially after what I was told by doctors. I thank you so much for your guidance and wisdom because if I hadn't picked up your book 7 months ago, I know I probably wouldn't be carrying this life inside me now." -L. Kallen, Washington, D.C. “The Fertile Soul retreat was a means for each of us to be "bolstered by the awareness" that we are being prayed for. Also, through our experience together we have cultivated a "special solidarity" together, from which a restoration of the knowledge that the power lies within us has been borne. Wouldn't it be great, the next time you were waiting in a doctor's office, to join the other women in prayer?" -M.O., Chicago, IL “Beloved sister...There is so much to say to you..and yet the greatest beauty has been knowing that the unspoken words seem to have the greatest power . I am in a profound state of grace...Your gifts, your endless love, and your willingness to travel deep into the soul, to make room for the life force to flow in and out of the portals....Weaving your craft and allowing the wisdom of ancient healers to come through you...the transmission of universal love and light. My gratitude feels timeless.. I've known you forever. I am reminded that the ability to heal comes in so many forms…I am a healer...I can heal myself. I am healing myself. Thank you for mirroring back to me my own divinity. Happy mothers day to you ......today and everyday!!!!" With all my love, -J. Gelman, Boulder, CO “Jodie (Randine’s assistant), This morning we saw the heart beating of our little baby. So tiny and precious. It was awesome! My OBGYN walked into the exam room and was just so happy to see me, and still so incredibly surprised! She was like, "I have to eat my shoe! I have to eat my shoe!" She's always been very supportive and kind...and geniune. But, I think like a lot of people we shared with (especially doctors) they gave this look of... 'uh-huh...good luck with the program' -- with little sincerity or hope. Like, "fat chance." Now I'm getting the looks of awe... I even called my former infertility doctor's office and told them... the same office that told me, "at BEST with doing injections you might have a 5% of getting pregnant, but I doubt it. Your best bet is a donor egg." Ha! I don't want to sound vindictive or anything, but our bodies are so amazing, aren't they? And, Life is even more -- a miracle! I've been telling EVERYBODY about Dr. Randine and this program..... I hope some how the message gets out even more... I would love for Fox to or CBS (whichever) to see all the babies that will see as a follow up piece. Thank you again, Jodie, for being so warm and encouraging to me.... for helping me take that leap of faith and renew the spirit of hope within me that never wanted to die!" -Christine P. “Hi Randine! I'm pregnant!!!! Our first attempt with fertility drugs since the retreat in June and we have a success! Thank you so much - I believe it would not have worked if I had not found your book - it is truly a miracle. My HCG levels are a little high - so I will find out next week if I am having more than one. Please let the girls at the retreats know I was told by my R.E. that I was not a candidate for IVF and my best hope for having a baby was adoption or donor egg. I had two failed cycles of fertility drugs prior to finding your book. After the retreat and 4 months of acupuncture, herbs, and diet - I am pregnant and possible carry twins (I had two to three follicle that fully developed before ovulating). This does work - there is hope! I will keep you updated." Thanks again! -Kim T. “During this retreat, I learned that fertility is NOT about having a baby. It is about embracing your femininity and loving who you are. It is about discovering what you are about and shaping who you want to be. It is about a lifetime journey of self-acceptance. Randine and her retreats opened my eyes to this incredible lesson. It is something I will forever be grateful to her for. What an incredible gift." -Becky G. “Dear Randine, You are the first one to know. Even my husband does not know yet. I am PREGNANT. I just got a call from my doctor's office. I will come for another test in couple of days to confirm it. Today is the 27th day of my cycle. I have so mixed feelings. I am very happy but cautiously optimistic for now. I understand that it is my task now to preserve it and hold it for 9 long months. I think that it would be great if you wrote a book something like "How to stay pregnant after getting pregnant". Thank you so much for being so excellent doctor. It is a real blessing that I met you. Without you I would still go to all kind of doctors that would tell me the same story all over again that I am old and my eggs are old. We will see how it will go from now. Thank you very much. Without you it would never have happened." Kind regards, -Lina K. “Dear Randine I want you to know how much you mean to me and to all the other women fortunate enough to cross your path. You are a blessing and no matter what happens, I will (already am) a much better person since I met you. I can't wait for my child to meet you!" -Denise N. “For A Moment You shared your soul and opened my heart, You put words to my unspoken feelings, And for a moment there was no separation. For a moment time came to a halt. For a moment, we were one, You and I and all of these lovely souls Without our bodies Without our differences Without any problems And for a moment, We were whole... Randine, I wrote this moments after you shared a piece of 'your story' with us. I felt as if I'd received what I had come here for. It seems that you've not only learned to use your medical wisdom to heal, you've learned to let Spirit, the true healer of us all, flow through you to all of us. And in that way we all take one step closer to "home" together. Thank you, Randine." Love always, -Kristina K., Wheeling, W.Va. “Thank you for following your heart, for writing your stories, for reinterpreting fertility to so many beautiful women, and caring so deeply for my precious fertility and future children. You are a 21st century wise woman.“ -Erin N., Denver, CO “Dear Randine Thank you for leading us through this journey and teaching us to find the fertile souls that lie within us. Your willingness to open up yourself to us and share all that you have learned throughout YOUR journey is helping me to open myself up to the possibilities that lie in tomorrow. For that and for so much more, I thank you." -Marcia G. Austin, TX “Dear Randine, I wanted to send a note of thank you and to tell you how inspirational the retreat was for me. You have touched me and affected my life in such a positive way. I feel so blessed to have met you and been treated by you. I haven't felt this good about myself or the future in years. God has given you such a gift of healing and I can only say thank you for sharing it. You are my saint and healer." -Danielle D., NJ Thank you for sharing your gifts. You have ministered to both my heart and soul deeply. You have offered a new path of hope and tools to grow in our acceptance of who we are. I thank God for you and pray that I too will be able to truly "Let Go!" I love your spirit and joy. From the bottom of my soul, Thank you!" -Andrea S., Phoenix, AZ “Deciding to go on the retreat was the best decision I have ever made for myself. I still can't believe how much I learned about myself. It's all processing in my mind and sinking in. It's been a long, long time since I have felt this way. It's such a wonderful feeling. Thanks again!!" -Suzanne A. “I returned last night from the London retreat and awoke early this morning still awestruck by the emotions Randine, Sadhna, Hilary and Engracia stirred-up in me. I suddenly feel I can conquer anything. I have a whole new sense of appreciation for life ..... a heightened sense of being that is almost inexplicable. I feel like a newborn baby must feel ..... marveled by a whole new world with unrelenting eagerness and unconditional receptivity to learn all that the Universe has in store for it. For the first time ever, I feel at peace with the Universe and more than ever before I am grateful for being ALIVE. Like a child yet untouched by life's experiences I marvel at the beauty of all things in our beautiful, wonderful Universe and like a child, I have an untiring desire to experience and to learn about Life. I embrace this new "state of being" with all my heart and soul and know .... thankfully and without a shadow of a doubt that I will never be the person I was just a week ago. Thank you Randine, thank you Sahdna, thank you Engracia, thank you Hilary and thank you Michelle for facilitating this most gratifying process of life. Forever Grateful, -Beatrice L." “Learning so much from Randine and experiencing her healing energy was a very remarkable experience. I found the bonding and sharing with my fellow “Fertile Soul Sisters" to be priceless. I came away with tools (physical and mental) and information to help me follow a more centered, healing path towards becoming a mother. I don’t think I’ll go back to doing IVF. The retreat gave me a stronger belief in my body’s own ability to create life and helped me to see the importance of letting go and healing myself in order for a child to come into the picture. And, being in a relaxing setting like Lake Austin was an excellent get-a-away. I really felt like I was in a sacred space on this retreat." -Heidi S. “I gained so much from this experience that I would love to encourage others to embark on one of the greatest journeys. When I reflect back I am still in awe at all of the changes I have experienced since my first retreat in Aug. It feels great to have my life back, as well as the numerous things I gained and learned from my time at Miraval and Lake Austin. I would love to share my thoughts and experiences with others who are making the decision to go. I also really appreciated getting to talk with a few woman when I was thinking about doing this or not and just want to give back." -Dawn B. “The retreat was incredible!!! I am still glowing and trying to slowly maneuver my way back into life at home. It was a shock to my system to wake up having to cook and clean again!!! Thank Goodness for the holiday weekend so I could wind back into work!!! Dr. Randine is a phenomenal woman. I met so many amazing women that I feel blessed and healed. I just had to tap back into my power, and the retreat was perfect for that. I look forward to my return at the end of July!!! I am so thankful for finding you ladies. And, I look forward to keeping in touch with all of the women I met at the retreat. Thank you again." -Tanya M. “HI girls, MIRACLES HAPPEN! Two days after getting home from Austin I took a pregnancy test to ease my mind before doing the massages, and to my complete shock it was positive!!!!!!! I am 8 weeks along and have a very very confused doctor. All he can say is it is a miracle. He said medically there is no way to explain this. He has actually come a little more clean with me and told me straight forward how desperate my condition was, "Your ovaries were completely shut down in Feburary, there was NO WAY you could get pregnant." Keep believing and praying, God definitely hears our prayers! All my best for each of you!" -Chanel “WOW !!! Just WOW !!! Jodie, thank you so much for helping me finally get to a retreat. You will forever be in my heart and prayers. I don't have words to describe what I felt this weekend and the new sense of hope I feel today. I am already crying just writing this note. I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, because it was through you that my journey to meet Randine and attend a retreat started. I don't know how to tell you what my thoughts were of meeting Randine or how she made me feel. You were so right. I have never met someone (besides my mom, who is my best friend) with such love, and compassion. If I can be half the person she is someday, I will be happy. Randine, Michelle, Heather ... you are so blessed to work with such wonderful people. I consider you all like family now. I know that thank you is not enough, but that's all I have to give right now. I am blessed to be surrounded with such wonderful people. I am going to try my very best to make it to another retreat as soon as finances allow it. Thank you again, and I look forward to also meeting you someday." -R.E. “Before attending the retreat I was at the end of my rope. Everything I was being told and everything I was reading was so negative. I felt completely out of touch with my body and my fertility felt completely out of my control. I left the retreat with the tools to be proactive and make a difference in my fertility. I left with an amazing support group of other women with similar experiences. Perhaps most importantly I left with new hope and renewed faith in my body and my ability to get pregnant." -Britta H. “Dearest Randine, How can I even begin to say thank you? The fertility retreat really has started a process that I feel is altering the course of my life. I loved meeting you and feel blessed to have 'discovered' you and your book. You are such an inspiration... I am sure that your work is often intense, but I wanted to send a special thank you for giving so much of yourself (in many dimensions!) during my acupuncture particularly. That, indeed, was an out of body experience! I thank you for being my guide in that session and an angel, and helping to open my heart and free some energy. The journey has just begun, but I am already feeling better. As I told you, I want to be one of your star patients and am very committed to getting there! My husband, Nick, sends his love and appreciation too, and he will be sending me back for another ‘dose of retreat’ soon! He loves the outcome." With love,Terri “Dear Randine, My heart overflows with gratefulness and blessings because our paths have connected. You've looked deeply into my soul and seen the intensity of my pain so transparently... my thick shame covering me... and you love me anyway. You have penetrated through my dense, steel wall of protection, continuously and faithfully pouring your healing water over my dark, shameful, burning wounds. You've taught me how to let God breathe me... to open up... you've stepped with me as I've gathered courage to take risks... you've taught me so much about friendship. I've left our times together before so thankful... but doubting that I meant very much to you. Time and again,, you pour your love into me... and now I'm in a stronger place... a place where my heart doesn't have big gaping holes, but boundaries that hold your love.. and know it's full.. and that I'm worthy of it - just as I am. I love you, my friend. You have helped me begin, and make more progress in healing the deepest, most painful wounds of my life than any other person I've known. God brought me to you. Thank you for staying by my side and pouring His love into me until I could receive it." With a new heart overwhelming gratitude, -Kathi “I am a 38-year old woman with severe endometriosis and a host of other imblances that were preventing me from getting pregnant. When my husband and I first began to try to start a family, we were sent immediately to fertility specialists due to my age and condition. Fertility specialists told us that if we were going to get pregnant on our own, we would have already -- multiple times over -- and that the only way for us to overcome infertility and have a baby was through IVF. After 2 failed IVF procedures, I turned to Randine's work, mainly as a way to bring my body back to health after having taken so many fertility drugs. I immediately felt improvements in my general health and then began to believe in the prospect of pregnancy. I attended two retreats in 2004, followed Randine's recommendations, and made significant yet meaningful changes in my lifestyle at home relative to diet, exercise, and relaxation. Then, in October, we learned that I was pregnant. I now sit holding my precious 6-week old daughter and continue to be amazed at the miracle of health and birth. My daughter is a blessing ... some even say a miracle. We are eternally gratelful for all that we have learned from Randine & her colleagues about mind & body health. Our lives are different today as a result of those learnings and this baby girl that I hold today is by far the best evidence of that! Blessings to all of you who have struggled to make similar changes in your life and who continue on the journey.” -Maria G., Austin-TX “Randine, I wanted to let you know that I had a healthy baby boy (John Ryan) on June 14th. He arrived 4 weeks early due to my water breaking but was completely healthy. He weighed 6 pounds and 6.5 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. He is 12 weeks now and weighs over 13 pounds - he is the love of my life! I am so blessed to have this little guy as my son - he is truly an angel! I want to thank you again for all of your help and support in my efforts to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. Your book and the retreat gave me hope when it seemed that all hope was gone. With your guidance, my persistence and Gods grace, I now have a healthy baby boy. Thank you!” Sincerely, Kim T. “I am thrilled to let you know that our little girl was born on August 31st at 5:36 p.m. weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. Her name is Julia Mira. Mira is short for Miraval and miracle because Rob and I truly believe she is our miracle baby. We know we would not have Julia without the help that all of you provided. Words can not express the joy that we are feeling. We will be forever grateful to you. It was just over a year ago that we went to Houston to see Sadna and just under a year ago that I left for my first retreat. As Rob and I say all the time now, "What a difference a year makes." Love Always, Katharine C. “It's really unbelievable to me, but I just found out I'm pregnant!. I can't believe it happened so quickly after our seminar. I've been trying for 6 years, my last miscarriage was 3 years ago and I just turned 44!!! OH MY!!! Since then, I've had NO response of being pregnant, even through IVF! Both times when I got pregnant it was natural and using herbs. It's just so amazing!!! I'm taking this one day at a time and being very cautious. Whatever happens, I know that Randine's program has made a difference with my overall being. I just want to share this with you, to give you HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT and to let you know that WE CAN PREPARE THE WAY!” Love, Susan O “I put my wife on a plane to go to the first retreat, somewhat apprehensive of what she was going to do now for her fertility. She came back without the forehead crease that she had had for years. But more than that, she was actually glowing. I got my wife back. She is happier than I have ever seen her, even before the fertility struggles. I went with her to the third session for the couple's retreat, and much to my surprise, I feel a similar transformation within me. I am excited about sharing this process with her, and within other aspects of my life. This isn't just about having a baby, it's about having a life!” John G (wife now pregnant!) “Good news from Pamela Orvis (Class of Miraval Sept, Nov & Lake Austin Jan.) Just found out I'm pregnant. Had an hcg of 231 today, 13 days post transfer. I just underwent my first ivf. They got 18 eggs (a bit much) and 11 fertilized normally--put 2 back in. I'm convinced the herbs and acupuncture made it all a lot easier on my body, my emotions, and my mind. I've been really at peace with it all. It's been a bit bumpy getting here, though--they recently found and removed my second uterine polyp, found a uterine fibroid and evidence of endometrioma in my ovaries--but none interfered with the ivf. The fibroid may make a difference in the delivery if it grows or blocks the path out for the baby. I know I'm not out of the woods yet, but for the first time in 36 years, I can say that I'm actually "pregnant." I'm gonna celebrate every damn day--and trust myself and the universe with this one. Thanks so much for your invaluable roles in this amazing journey to myself and a child. My heart is full of so much gratitude. I love you all so much and honor this most important and meaningful work you're doing. It is about SOOO much more than getting pregnant. It's about living from the heart, here and now, in gratitude, and release. I'm doing well, and loving the hell out of the world.” -Pamela O. |
