RADICAL RECAP: Stories of our Radical Snow Gear Yoga Retreat
“And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know……”
- the one and only, Alanis Morissette
If you know, you know….
Fashion show
Hips don’t lie
Snowga
12 women in a barrel
Jagged Little Pill
Tribute by Tenacious D
Core Blasters
Devon Sawa, JTT, Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall
Let it Be
Breaking all the rules
Renegades & Rebels
It all started with -45 degree temps on Thursday evening. Our friend Ashley Bredemus, the retreat photographer, woke up on the edge of the Boundary Waters in her off-the-grid year-round cabin to begin her commute across the Seagull River and down the Gunflint Trail only to discover that it was so cold her snowmobile wouldn’t start. Her sweet husband offered to walk a mile across the river to start the truck and warm it up. Then they hauled her luggage in a sled across the river. Now this is commitment, people. I love having Ashley in our life. It’s so fun to know there are still people out there in the world who have to start their commute with a boat ride or a snowmobile ride across a river, then down the Gunflint Trail before they emerge into society with cell service.
The rest of us also began our commutes in wicked cold temperatures. Luckily (or unluckily) for us, no sleds were required.
“The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression.”
Kai with Stonegrove Saunas arrived with the barrel-sauna on wheels on Friday afternoon. The sauna exceeded all expectations and we loved working with Stonegrove Saunas. We can’t wait to bring back saunas to future retreats.
The retreat opened with a fun, soothing, and grounding practice co-taught by Bry, Amanda, and Stacy. All three of us were really feeling the energy of being back at Deep Portage, the site of our very first retreat in February 2017! The opening circle was very special to connect with this group of women who traveled as close as Walker, MN and as far as Olympia, WA to come to the middle of nowhere in Hackensack, MN.
Saturday morning we woke before the sunrise for meditation with Shaina.
Shaina reminded us that Feb 1-2 was Imbolc, or the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring Equinox. I think all of us felt this shift throughout the weekend- the longer days, the emergence out of -45 to balmy 30 degree temps, and the feeling of glorious sunshine on our faces.
When the temperature drops below 14 degrees Fahrenheit, snow doesn’t melt underfoot and makes a crunching sound. As such, the snow provided a delightful crunch as we marched toward the tower. Sometimes the sunrise eludes us, but not so this time. It was brilliant. We made it to the top, overcoming any fears about the gentle sway of the steel structure, to watch the sun emerge above miles and miles of forest canopy.
“When it’s really cold, the snow makes a lovely noise underfoot, and it’s like the air is full of stars.”
In my opinion, Saturday was a perfect day. We core blasted, we worked our hips in my vinyasa class, many of us hit the xc ski trails and hiked, we sauna’d our hearts out, we had an impromptu and absolutely hilarious snow gear fashion show, and we even did a little “snowga”. Some retreaters took full advantage of the snow and sunshine, and simply laid there in the great outdoors in the most wonderful savasana…absorbing it all.
It’s days like this that bring us to retreats repeatedly. We belly laugh, we indulge in nature and naps, we feel the highest highs of community and joy. We work our bodies until they are exhausted and sore, but in all the best ways. We find our edge. We remind ourselves who we are, what we enjoy, what makes us feel alive, and how we can be in alignment with our best self.
Can I also say that the fresh juice made by Jami Nelson at The Just Juice Co. made me feel like a brand-new human?! Thank you Jami!
On Saturday evening I sang “Let it Be” with Sonja Bjordal-Martin of Feeding Leroy. Sonja has been singing and playing at our retreats more or less since the beginning, six years ago. In about 2017 it occurred to me that after a lifetime of being musical everyday playing piano, flute, guitar, and singing in choirs and a band, I had neglected something so vital to who I am. I picked up the ukelele. I practiced here and there and over the years I improved. This year was the first time I had the confidence to ask Sonja if we could play together. We practiced once and when we sang together it felt synchronous and wonderful. I share this simply to say that these retreats can help us bring awareness to things we love but may have neglected. Are there things you used to love (dance, piano, biking, sewing, quilting, public speaking, theatre) that you left behind years or decades ago? Is there a way to slowly invite that activity back into your life?
One thing I love about playing music and yoga is that it gets me into my flow state. Our minds crave the flow state- when the rest of the world and our to-do lists melt away and we become singularly engrossed in one thing.
For my younger sister McCayla Groski of Selcouth Artistry, painting takes her to her flow state. She shared her love of art with us in a painting workshop Saturday evening. McCayla has upcoming virtual painting classes exploring the method of painting known as Brave, Intuitive Painting. It’s a lot of fun! You can’t beat her price either, $15 for creating art in community!
I love the idea of making art simply for the joy of making art. We can throw it away after completion. There is no need for perfection or an end-goal. Art doesn’t need to serve any purpose other than offering an outlet for our creative expression, an avenue to find our flow state.
My body was totally wiped by Saturday night. I’ll be honest, I did not want to walk to the fire pit. And boy am I glad I did. The special talents, conversation, and fun facts did not disappoint. I’ll leave the memories for those of us that were there… but if you know, you know.
Sunday, feeling nourished, restored, rejuvenated, and whole, we joined for one last practice in community.
I have come to think of the retreats as my little tune-up. We tune up our vehicles, and retreats are a way to tune-up my life. I engage in healthy practices like gratitude, yoga, building friendships, playing music, writing, and eating wholesome, nourishing food. These are things that can fall by the wayside in the busy-ness of my day-to-day life. These check-ins help me to remain aligned with the life I want to live. I may veer off my trajectory- the retreats help me course-correct.
I grew up thinking I was only allowed a certain number of friends. I also associated a lot of drama and toxicity to friendships. What a joy it has been to unlearn all of this. I’ve known many of you since our first retreat six years ago. I genuinely feel we want to see each other succeed. We’ve created epic and hilarious memories. We want to make each other laugh. There is no gossip or schadenfreude between us.
No schadenfreude, only freudenfreude!
*Freudenfreude is the joy we derive from others’ success!
I can’t tell you how much it means to me to watch the choreographed dance from your wedding dance, to hear you were accepted to a gallery show for the first time, or to hear about the keynote speech you just gave.
Keep crushing it. You can tell me all about it the next time I see you.
Final note:
I shared a gratitude practice I’ve found impactful in my life. This 5 person gratitude practice comes from the Ted Talk given by Amit Sood, which can be found here.
I also shared the core blasters, 10 minutes of intense exercise. Remember that even on your busiest days, you can make time for 10 minutes of movement. Throw on some music you love and do some yoga (no video necessary! Move in ways that feel good!) Or do some core exercises or lunges. What what!!!
“I recognized winter. I saw it coming (a mile off, since you ask), and I looked it in the eye. I greeted it and let it in. I had some tricks up my sleeve, you see. I've learned them the hard way. When I started feeling the drag of winter, I began to treat myself like a favored child: with kindness and love. I assumed my needs were reasonable and that my feelings were signals of something important. I kept myself well fed and made sure I was getting enough sleep. I took myself for walks in the fresh air and spent time doing things that soothed me. I asked myself: What is this winter all about? I asked myself: What change is coming?”
― Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
