The Power of Women Gathering: Ancient Roots, Somatic Truth, and the Healing We Need Now
- Michelle Gallagher Escobar
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
The desire for female connection isn’t just a nice idea. It’s in our biology.
When our nervous system senses threat or stress, most people know about the big three: fight (confront), flight (escape), or freeze (shut down). In somatic work, we also talk about a fourth: fawn—that instinct to appease or please so we can stay safe.
What’s often overlooked? Connection itself can be a regulation tool. When we reach for people we trust—especially other women—our bodies can shift out of high alert and back toward safety. Breath deepens. Tense muscles soften. The world stops feeling so daunting.
Some researchers also talk about how, under stress, our bodies release oxytocin—the “bonding hormone”—which encourages us to care for others and seek out support. When we answer that urge and actually spend time with supportive women, the connection itself triggers more oxytocin. Cortisol (the stress hormone) drops. Anxiety eases. Our mood lifts. We remember in our bodies that “I’m okay.”
Ancient Roots of Women Gathering
Our ancestral grandmothers knew this.
For thousands of years, women gathered in forests, around fires, at riverbanks, and in villages. They shared food. Raised children together. Passed along remedies, sustenance, and stories. These circles often followed the cycles of the moon, the turning of the seasons, or the transitions of life.
They weren’t just social visits. They were survival. Resilience. Wisdom.
Somewhere along the way, that rhythm was interrupted. Patriarchal systems elevated competition over cooperation. Cyclical, relational ways of living were replaced with more linear, hierarchical ones. Women’s spaces were dismantled, and those who carried wisdom were silenced—or worse. Burned. Banished. Forgotten. Erased.
Healing the Sister Wound
The loss of women’s community left a scar. What many now call the “sister wound” is that inherited mistrust, comparison, or guardedness we sometimes feel with other women. It’s not our true nature—it’s an adaptation to disconnection.
The good news? We can unlearn it.
When women gather with openness, honesty, and empathy, the old story of competition fades. What comes forward is the even older story of connection. We remember that another woman’s light doesn’t take away from ours—it helps us see the path ahead more clearly.
Why Women’s Community Is Medicine
Time with other women isn’t just uplifting—it’s linked to more benefits:
Lower stress and anxiety through oxytocin release
Improved physical health via reduced inflammation and stronger immunity
Greater confidence and self-esteem from being seen and believed
A deep sense of belonging that nourishes emotional well-being
Making time for these connections isn’t indulgence. It’s preventative care—for body, mind, and spirit.
How We Hold Space at Wild Women Hawai'i
Each gathering has its own theme, but the roots don’t change:
Sisterhood & Emotional Wellness – A timeless circle of multigenerational care and belonging.
Connection with Nature & the Wild Woman within – Often gathering in wild places that mirror our untamed spirit.
Freedom to Be Ourselves – A brave space, rooted in authenticity, kindness, and truth.
We don’t gather for sightseeing or spectacle.
We gather to listen. To remember. To come home to ourselves.
Whether this is your first circle or your fourth retreat, you are welcome here.
A Personal Invitation
If you’ve been feeling the ache for deeper connection, trust that. Your body is wired for this. Your spirit remembers it.
Gathering with women isn’t about adding one more thing to your calendar. It’s about feeding the part of you that’s been running on empty for far too long.
When we come together, we remember that we are not alone.
And from that place of belonging, anything is possible.
With warmth,
Michelle
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