Retreating to Return: Reflections on Connection, Stillness, and Renewal

Fall is fully in swing as I sit on my porch watching my pup chew a bone in the crisp morning air. We are coming off of a full moon, the harvest moon, a moon that signals a changing of seasons. It is a time of action in preparation for winter. It is also a poignant time, to me, to reground in order to move forward into the next season with clarity.

Much like the clutter that seems to appear in the garage, seasonally I find myself in need of taking inventory of the past season’s experiences, lessons learned, the “good” and the “bad” in order to integrate what I want to keep with me, or, make space where energetic blocks have been dwelling.

I think back to the beginning of summer – when I hosted a women’s retreat in Bend, Oregon (something I’ve been planning for years!) – it seems like a blur.

No matter how rich or full or beautiful an experience may be, if we don’t give ourselves the space to integrate them into our being, we miss out on the opportunity to feel and embody it fully.

Can you relate?

I am finally taking the time to sit down and reflect on just how full, how rich, how beautiful this year’s retreat in Bend was. And although facilitating yoga retreats is absolutely the place I feel most connected, most in flow, most grateful to be able to do what I do, I’ve never reflected through words what this kind of experience means to me.

But the moment that is right now is the perfect one (the only one), always, for whatever we feel drawn to.

The retreat in Bend this summer was my 7th retreat, but the first I’ve been able to host in my hometown. Every time I host a retreat, it is a special kind of medicine. Each and every time there is some kind of magic at work to bring all the parts and pieces, the people and energies, together to be exactly what it’s supposed to be. I have to wonder, how can each experience be so different and yet always this beautiful amalgamation of elements that weaves together so seamlessly?

What is the secret ingredient?

That ingredient is the same thing I’m doing right now while sitting on my porch, feeling the cool breeze on my skin and admiring the changing colors of leaves on the trees surrounding me. It is the intention within the container. Every curated experience is inherently unique, but purpose remains the thread.

Which reminds me how powerful setting an intention can truly be.

It reminds me we can create our own “retreat” no matter where we go. What a comforting notion it is to be reminded that we already have all that we need.

And as I dive back into my memory archives of this past summer’s women’s yoga retreat in Bend, a few things come to mind – a few key ingredients in the retreat recipe – that made this experience so life-giving.

The base to this recipe is, of course, the yoga. Contrary to a class you can take anywhere with a set 60 minute window to pack it all in, our practices were spacious. That was very purposeful. I did not want to rush. I wanted to have time for meditation outside of asana yoga practices. I wanted time for myofascial release, restorative yoga, yoga nidra, dynamic practices that journeyed through layers of the body; I wanted the depth of the week’s experience to be rooted in practices that didn’t have to fit in a box or be checked off of a list. I wanted the richest flavor of the week to come from nourishment on our mats, with all the many flavor profiles that could exist.

An important qualifier to this main ingredient is that all other designed experiences needed to enhance the flavor of the main course. There could be no dilution through seasoning. And in my experience of hosting retreats, trying to do too many things ends up resulting in not being able to fully experience anything.

I was over the moon that I could collaborate with people who I know and love and want to support in the community in Bend to enrich each day of our retreat. A sound bath, acupuncture during guided savasana, and massages all offered by dear friends in the Bend community. Healthy, locally-sourced meals prepared by female chefs who own and operate their own small businesses. Each and every individual who joined us in the flow of each day brought something special; each wove a beautiful thread into the energetic tapestry of the week.

And perhaps most importantly, when there was not something planned, that spaciousness was in and of itself “planned” on purpose. We had space to be still. To journal. To laugh and play games. To take an impromptu run.

I am endlessly grateful for the folks and brand partnerships who supported me in making this week so special. Kate’s Real Food Bars shared bars for our adventures out on the water and hikes (truly my favorite go-to gluten-free energy and treat when I’m on the go!). Bend’s local Crux Fermentation Project provided No-Mo non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy with apps and dinner each night. Hydroflask equipped guests with to-go tumblrs to carry along on our many adventures, too. DAMDAM Tokyo thoughtfully sent us hydrating mist and moisturizer for our very dry Central Oregon summer days. Vacation made sure our skin was protected from the sun with travel-sized sunscreen.

The reason why I reached out to these brands in particular was because I wanted to include items that could genuinely be helpful, useful, or bring joy to guests during their stay with me in Bend. A little sugar and spice to the recipe, I wanted their goody bags to feel like a warm hug when they arrived — something that let them know they were taken care of.

And speaking of guests, ultimately, no matter what we do or don’t do on a retreat, regardless of anything I plan or menus I curate with the chef, it all comes down to the people who say yes to this kind of adventure. The people who hold space for each other, who show up fully, who are open to new experiences. In a society that nudges us towards individualism, the container of a retreat is a reminder of what we can experience, what we can create, as a collective.

I have no words to express my gratitude for each individual who has been on a retreat with me. As I reflect on this retreat and every retreat I’ve ever hosted, I know exactly why I host them. There is no doubt in my mind how potent our presence can be when we come into a space for intentional stillness.

I say this at the end of each class I teach and I mean it with my whole heart: this space would not have been the same without you.

Whether you’ve been on one of my retreats or been in class with me or not, I hope you feel that simple notion in your heart. And I hope this new season provides you with the space to integrate it into your being, to feel and embody it fully.

Upcoming retreats are always listed here.