Grow with the Flow - day retreat recap!

On June 1st, we had our first day-long yoga + hiking retreat at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Two Harbors, MN!

Stacy Nightwine led the day, with the assistance of Colombe Anderson. Thank you ladies - you created a perfect outdoor day for this crew! Read more about their recap of the day.

When I (Stacy) left my house in the morning to head to the retreat, it was blue skies and a sunny day. What a great day for a retreat!

As I drove closer to the lake, dense fog was rolling in. The temperature landed around 50º.

We went through the whole gamut of weather throughout the day: fog + clouds, sunshine + blue skies, and even a little splash of quick rain!

We setup the venue at Gooseberry for the guests; moving benches, sweeping, starting the fires, setting up merchandise, and tea. 

We had a wonderful time greeting and welcoming everyone as they arrived.

We started our day with an opening circle, setting and  sharing our intentions for our retreat. Some retreaters were just ending the school year, seeking some much needed space to decompress. Most were seeking some grounding before the rush of the summer.

During the first yoga class, Stacy incorporated a gentle flow with balance postures and twists.

Next up, Colombe picked up delightful lunch from Madeira Bistro for the group!

Madeiras is a cute little bistro in downtown Two Harbors. Their food did not disappoint! All food was gluten free and they were able to cater to our dietary needs. Lets just say the gluten free cookies were a hit!!! If you are ever in the area this is a must try place. As we ate our lunch we were entertained by all the ground squirrels begging for food. Cutie little pipsqueaks ;).

After lunch, some people chose to hike on their own and explore  Gooseberry Falls State Park!

Others opted to get massages by the Heavens Earth Massage. Chelsie Grayhawk, massage therapist, has a magic touch!

We also offered guided meditation and journaling with Colombe. During meditation we had ground squirrel visitors that came right in and almost onto the yoga mats and then got in a fight at the door! We still managed to find our peace and relaxation. :)

A handful of us took a hike up the falls. This was great because most people have never hiked this route before! Typically, if you park by the visitor center, you just hike right to the falls and go up. On our route, we started at the mouth of the river and made our way up to the middle falls. It was a beautiful hike of the river along our side, HUGE birch trees and cedar trees to make anyone happy.

Once we got to the middle falls, everyone had an hour to kind of do their own thing.

After hiking and exploring, we all met back to enjoy a nice relaxing yoga class. Very gently, we used blocks and blankets and really sank in our poses. 

At the end of everyone looked relaxed and ready to continue their weekend or make their way home. It was a perfect day that went by so fast. It really shows that a little bit can go a long way. 

The beauty of Gooseberry can't be measured and was the perfect backdrop for a little free time for the retreaters.

Thank you Stacy Nightwine and Colombe Anderson for your leadership! Thank you Madiera’s Bistro for the beautiful food. Thank you retreaters for coming out to Gooseberry for a wonderful Saturday!