A one-day restoration experience for Black women in leadership & service
Audacity
to Exhale
You've been carrying enough.
Come put it down.
A one-day immersive retreat for Black women who are ready to stop performing strength, release the pressure to always be “the strong one,” and experience rest without guilt.
I'm Ready to ExhaleYou know how to show up.
For everyone. For everything.
For everyone who needs you.
You know how to lead.
You know how to solve problems.
You know how to hold space.
You know how to keep going.
But when was the last time you had somewhere to put the weight down?
Maybe you're:
- Tired of being praised for how much you can carry.
- Successful on paper and exhausted in private.
- Craving rest but feeling guilty whenever you take it.
- Constantly pouring into other people while quietly running on empty.
- Done with wellness that feels like another assignment.
- Ready for a space where you don't have to be “on.”
If you're reading this and thinking, “She gets it.”
Audacity to Exhale was created for you.
Before you go any further
What are you ready to put down?
Check what you're ready to release, even just for a moment.
The big idea
Rest is not the reward for surviving.
It is part of how we survive.
The Audacity
I am allowed to want more than survival.
To Exhale
I don't have to earn rest by reaching exhaustion first.
Together: the Audacity to Exhale is choosing rest before your body forces you to stop.
What is Audacity to Exhale?
This isn't another retreat where you're expected to “work on yourself.”
It's a day to lay some of the weight down.
Audacity to Exhale is an intimate, one-day restoration experience created specifically for Black women in leadership and service.
A space to step away from responsibility long enough to remember that you are a person before you are a provider, leader, helper, healer, advocate, or problem-solver.
You won't be asked to optimize yourself. You won't be handed a 27-step morning routine. You won't have to network your way through lunch.
You get to breathe.
The experience
Four movements of the day
I.
Exhale
Release the pressure, expectations and emotional weight you've been carrying.
II.
Restore
Reconnect with your body, your needs and the parts of yourself that leadership often asks you to silence.
III.
Receive
Experience nourishment, care, beauty and spaciousness without having to earn any of it.
IV.
Return
Leave with practices, perspective and permission to practice sustainable rest beyond this one day.
Imagine arriving somewhere and realizing…
Nobody needs anything from you.
- Your phone can be quiet.
- Your shoulders can drop.
- You don't have to make a decision.
- You don't have to facilitate the conversation.
- You don't have to hold everybody else's emotions.
- You don't have to prove that you're tired enough to deserve the break.
Instead:
- You breathe. You move. You eat.
- You laugh. You reflect. You rest.
- You connect with women who understand.
And for one whole day… you don't have to carry it all.
The itinerary
What your day includes
Your exhale comes with a little nourishment.
01
Intentional Rest
Guided practices designed to help you slow down, settle in and create spaciousness.
02
Restorative Movement
Gentle movement designed for restoration, not performance.
03
Reflection
Prompts and facilitated experiences to help you listen to yourself again.
04
Nourishment
Continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks, thoughtfully selected with moments of care.
05
Community
An intimate gathering of women who understand what it means to lead, serve and still need somewhere to land.
06
Your Restoration Kit
Take-home tools and intentional gifts to help you continue the practice beyond the retreat.
The transformation
You're not leaving with another to-do list.
You're leaving with a different relationship to rest.
BeforeAfter
“I'll rest when I get through this.”
“Rest belongs in my life now.”
“I should be able to handle this.”
“I am allowed to receive support.”
“Everyone needs me.”
“I need me, too.”
“I don't have time.”
“I am worth making space for.”
“Rest is a reward.”
“Rest is a practice.”
The goal isn't to return home completely transformed.
It's to return home remembering yourself.
Who this is for
Audacity to Exhale is for the woman who…
Leads
You carry responsibility, make decisions and are often the person others look to.
Serves
Your work is connected to people, community, healing, education, advocacy or care.
Cares Deeply
You give a lot, and sometimes don't realize how much until your body starts asking you to stop.
Wants More
Not necessarily more achievement.
More life. More ease. More joy. More room to breathe.
You don't need to be burned out enough to belong here.
You just need to be ready to exhale.
Why this experience is different
This isn't wellness without context.
Audacity to Exhale recognizes that rest doesn't exist in a vacuum.
For Black women, being “strong” can become an expectation. Being dependable can become an identity. Being needed can become a source of worth. And sometimes even self-care becomes another thing we're expected to perform perfectly.
We're doing something different.
This experience centers culturally responsive, whole-person wellness while making room for something many high-capacity women rarely receive:
permission to receive.
Your host & facilitator
Dr. PaQuita R. Pullen
Founder & CEO, Ubuntu Counseling & Wellness
LPC-MHSP/S · NCC · RYT
Dr. PaQuita R. Pullen is a licensed mental health professional, wellness educator, yoga instructor and the founder of Ubuntu Counseling & Wellness.
Her work centers culturally responsive wellness and the belief that the people who spend their lives caring for others deserve spaces where they don't have to be the ones holding everything together.
Through counseling, retreats, speaking and wellness experiences, she creates spaces where women can move beyond survival and reconnect with the parts of themselves that leadership and service can make easy to lose.
Audacity to Exhale is an extension of that work.You don't have to earn your way into this room.
The offer
Your Day to Exhale
Audacity to Exhale
- Full-day intimate retreat
- Facilitated restoration experiences
- Restorative movement
- Reflection & journaling
- Continental breakfast, lunch & snacks
- Curated restoration kit
- Meaningful connection
- Practical rest practices to take home
$375
Only 10 seats available
Pay in full, or split your investment into two payments. Need support? You may apply for financial assistance through the Sisterhood Heals Access Fund. Details are available on the application form.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis while seats remain.
Ten Women.
That's it.
Not 50. Not 100.
10 women who are ready to stop waiting for permission to rest.
Because this isn't designed to feel like a conference. It's designed to feel like a room where you can finally let your shoulders drop.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do I have to be in a formal leadership role?
No. Audacity to Exhale is designed for Black women whose lives involve leadership, service, caregiving, community work or significant responsibility. You don't need a particular title.
Do I have to practice yoga?
Absolutely not. The experience is designed for all levels and bodies. Movement is restorative, accessible and optional.
Can I come by myself?
Please do. Coming alone may actually be one of the most beautiful parts of the experience.
Is food included?
Yes. Your registration includes a continental breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day.
What should I wear?
Come comfortable. Think soft clothes, layers and whatever helps your body say, “I can breathe here.”
Will there be networking?
There will be opportunities for meaningful connection, but this isn't a traditional networking event. You don't have to exchange a single business card.
What is the cancellation policy?
Because this is an intimate experience with a limited number of spaces, each reservation is a meaningful commitment. We also understand that life happens:
- On or before October 22, 2026 (30+ days out): cancel for a 75% refund.
- October 23–November 6, 2026 (15–29 days out): cancel for a 50% refund.
- November 7–21, 2026 (14 days or less): payments are non-refundable, but you may request to transfer your registration to another eligible participant with prior approval.
- If Ubuntu Counseling & Wellness cancels or reschedules: you'll receive a full refund or the option to transfer to the new date.
Unexpected circumstances are considered with care and good faith, reach out if something significant comes up.
Are payment plans available?
Yes. You can pay in full or split your registration into two payments. Financial support is also available through the Sisterhood Heals Access Fund. You can request this on the application form.
You don't have to wait until you're falling apart to put yourself back together.
You can choose the exhale now.
Audacity to Exhale
One day. Ten women.
A whole lot less carrying.
Your seat is waiting.
