A dream of mine has always been to host intimate groups of people, strangers or friends, in a comfortable setting to begin a deeper exploration of the self. Svadhyaya, meaning "ones own reading" or "self study" is exactly where my yoga practice began in adolescence. I was always curious how I could feel in control of my emotions, feelings, and reactions to the external world and my yoga practice helped me develop a strong foundation for this to support me over the years.
Hosting a retreat meant we needed to lead, create & hold space for others, make critical decisions, plan logistics for travel and lodging, plan & hire chefs for meals, build relationships with local hosts, plan and lead yoga classes & workshops, maintain structure of the itinerary, and overall make sure everyone on the retreat was OK.
There were so many moving pieces we considered and were prepared for and others that we didn't predict. After this first experience I am certain I learned and gained knowledge to be better prepared for more potential roadblocks in the future. From sickness from tap water, family emergencies, and energy draining, by day 5 it began to feel a bit like survival of the fittest.
For 7 days in May 2022, me and my co-host Hope Christensen, hosted our first retreat together. "Reset & Reconnect" was developed under the intention of guiding our students to tap back into self discovery, growth, and acceptance through daily yoga, meditation, and breath work. After the pandemic throwing us all off in so many ways, we figured it was time to offer a safe space to get back to our true authentic selves. We led personally curated workshops to dive deeper into the 8 Limbs of Yoga, Ayurveda, Breath work mechanics, & Yoga Nidra.
Comments