Cosmic Haven recently brought together women from Lenasia, Finetown, Ennerdale, and surrounding areas in Johannesburg south for a gathering at Misty River.

The event honoured the journey of womanhood, with a focus on self-love, healing, and empowerment.

Founded in 2018, Cosmic Haven has spent the past six years running various initiatives aimed at helping women reconnect with their true selves and heal from trauma, including abuse, rape, and limiting social norms.

At the heart of its work is the commitment to creating safe spaces where women can share their stories, access tools for emotional and spiritual growth, and build lasting support networks.

The first half of the day featured workshops and group discussions, encouraging deep and meaningful conversations.

“It was inspiring to see women share their journeys and connect on such a personal level,” said Leola Rammble, director of Cosmic Haven.

The morning brought together powerful speakers who offered guidance, insight, and encouragement. The event was one of reflection and strength, with a shared message to the women to embrace self-worth and prioritise inner well-being.

Powerful talks from inspiring voices

Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the theme of personal growth.

Sister Dipty of the Brahma Kumaris opened the event with a talk titled ‘The Foundation of Self-Care’. She spoke about the importance of rest and self-reflection, comparing it to recharging a phone – vital for keeping one’s energy and emotions balanced.

While women are naturally strong and nurturing, she reminded the audience that caring for oneself must come first to avoid burnout.

She used the image of a diamond buried in mud to describe a woman’s inner value. Life’s hardships may hide this brilliance, but healing and self-awareness can bring it back to light.

She encouraged the women to release emotional burdens through forgiveness and to guard their thoughts as if they were precious gems, because a positive mindset shapes life and opens new opportunities.

Ronel Cara delivered a message on ‘Reclaiming Your Identity’. She encouraged women to look beyond social roles and past pain to rediscover who they really are.

Sharing her experience, she explained that her challenges did not define her, but led her back to her true self. She invited everyone present to reconnect with their divine essence and recognise their unique light. As a tool for healing, she offered affirmations such as, ‘I am worthy of love’, and ‘I am love’.

Leola Rammble, director of Cosmic Haven, shared her journey in a talk called ‘A Journey to Transformation’. She spoke about how intentional healing and self-awareness helped her reclaim her power, and how her programme, The Power of Self-Love, was born from this experience.

Rammble shared three key lessons that helped guide her:

• Acceptance: Healing begins when we stop running. Accepting what happened is not the same as agreeing with it. It means saying, ‘This is my reality, and I choose not to be held hostage by it’.

• Self-love as rebellion: Self-love isn’t just a feeling, it’s a daily choice. It’s choosing to be kind to yourself, to set boundaries, to forgive yourself when you fall, and to celebrate your existence.

• Authenticity: We cannot be authentic while trying to be someone else. Embrace all of who you are – even the parts you hide.

She ended by calling on the divine feminine energy within every woman, invoking symbols like Mother Kali, Quan Yin, and Mother Mary, as powerful sources of healing, truth, and strength.

Her final message was a call to radical self-love and complete self-acceptance.

A gentle afternoon of movement and stillness

The second half of the day invited the women into a more inward, embodied space.

Participants moved from discussion to stillness with a calming yoga session, a deeply relaxing sound bath, and a gentle qigong practice – a traditional Chinese method combining breath, movement, and meditation.

“The energy in the room was special as we found a different way to quiet our minds and nurture our spirits,” said Rammble.

“The gathering was not just a day of talks and activities, but a reminder of the strength, beauty, and resilience within every woman and the importance of spaces that allow that power to shine,” she added.