Support Yourself Retreat Recap
This was our 4th year traveling to Lanesboro, MN for a glorious annual fall retreat! The transition of the season cues the perfect time to begin to focus inward. This retreat was all about supporting yourself: on and off the mat.
Our retreat included yoga classes that creatively used props (blocks, blankets, straps, chairs) in one’s yoga practice. Some classes were gentle and physically soothing, while some classes were invigorating and physically challenging. We also included a book club on boundaries. We love and highly recommend the book: Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab.
“It’s hard to change your habits if you never change the underlying beliefs that led to your past behavior. You have a new goal and a new plan, but you haven’t changed who you are.—James Clear”
― Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
A favorite highlight at Eagle Bluff is our sunrise hike to view the bluffs and valley as the sun begins to wake up for the day.
We also love the exhilarating high ropes course, hiking through bluff country, and the indoor rock climbing opportunities.
The campfire at this retreat was boisterous and well attended! The weather was oddly warm and we enjoyed a balmy 68 degrees even after the sun went down. A group conversation topic was whether or not individuals had a tattoo?! Many of us did not, and those who did had some funny stories to share. After that “table topic”, we moved on to a Boreal Bliss tradition - hidden talent time! Bryana shared her go-to single eyebrow raise, Steph shared her beautiful loon call, Nora braved the ground with her “worm” (with cheers from the group), and a hilarious crowd-pleasing finale involved Alison demonstrating how she can put on pants without hands (a second pair of sweatpants was delightfully offered up from another group member). Many other guests enjoyed the campfire without contributing to the tattoo discussion and hidden talent display - good job practicing your boundaries ladies!! lol! :)
Boundaries to Consider I say no to things I don’t like. I say no to things that don’t contribute to my growth. I say no to things that rob me of valuable time. I spend time around healthy people. I reduce my interactions with people who drain my energy. I protect my energy against people who threaten my sanity. I practice positive self-talk. I allow myself to feel and not judge my feelings. I forgive myself when I make a mistake. I actively cultivate the best version of myself. I turn off my phone when appropriate. I sleep when I’m tired. I mind my business. I make tough decisions because they’re healthy for me. I create space for activities that bring me joy. I say yes to activities that interest me despite my anxiety about trying them. I experience things alone instead of waiting for the “right” people to join me.”
― Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
Overall, it was another beautiful fall weekend shared in the driftless region of Southeast Minnesota.
Thank you Rohana Olson Photography
We loooove working with you and look forward to our annual fall collaboration.
Thank you Stacy Nightwine, Jessica Baumhofer-Frank, Colombe Anderson for the amazing teaching this weekend!! And thank you to Nadia Guenette for sharing your talents of massage therapy and teaching yoga, as well as Alison Olson Cox for sharing her incredible Thai Yoga Bodywork private sessions. We are so fortunate to work with incredible professionals across the state of Minnesota.
Last minute change is hard for us personally as co-owners of Boreal Bliss, and everyone was SO AMAZING about unexpected changes for this lovely getaway. Amanda is our counterpart co-owner of Boreal Bliss, alongside Bryana, and we made the decision on Wednesday prior to the retreat to have her not attend and co-lead with Stacy because she was still sick with RSV after two weeks of the virus running through her family. A very difficult decision that was made easier due to Jessica Baumhofer-Frank quickly jumping in to join the team seamlessly. We could not be more thankful for that Jessica! Everyone rolled with the changes and we are soooo thankful to you ALL for coming together as such a solid team! We plan each retreat carefully about a year in advance, so it’s difficult for us to “let go” of our vision for these weekends at the last minute. Ultimately we knew it was the right decision, and we do have to take care of our health first and foremost (there is that practice in boundaries again!). This is a practice in life for us for sure!
Thank you to Eagle Bluff for being such lovely hosts to work with. Shout out to our liaison Claire! You were so kind to us. And special thanks to Sheila our coordinator for always doing an incredible job with details and pre-planning for the event.
Thank you to everyone who came out to Eagle Bluff to participate in one of our favorite fall weekends of the year!
“The ability to say no to yourself is a gift. If you can resist your urges, change your habits, and say yes to only what you deem truly meaningful, you’ll be practicing healthy self-boundaries. It’s your responsibility to care for yourself without excuses.”
― Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
