Recharged and Undone
A few months ago, Rachel (@rachelrecharged) reached out to me to discuss potentially partnering on a retreat. Retreats are something that had been on my bucketlist for a while. I feel like so many of my internet friends in NYC or LA go to them all the time! I on the other hand, had never ever hosted a retreat, let alone been to any, so when asked, I immediately said yes!
Rachel is from Chicago originally but lives in LA and wanted to bring a co-host and workshop/workout leaders from the city to an area that’s more rural, surrounded by nature and more peaceful — a great change of environment to give us all the comfort we were seeking! Last year, she hosted one in Michigan City, but this year, since we pushed up the timing to end of summer, South Bend was our best option to house the number of people we needed (20!) It was the perfect distance and perfect quaint atmosphere. We had two separate air bnbs, one of which was simply used for sleep while we did all of the activities and had a group sleep at the other.
Something about retreats that’s more appealing than events is how intimately you get to connect with one another. At my other events, I always want to connect and chat with everyone, but it’s typically super rushed and loud since everything happens within a 3-hour window. I was SO excited to connect with likeminded people and learn the individual stories of the ladies who attended. There’s nothing I love more than bringing people together, and between the attendees + leaders, we all formed such a special bond by the end.
To expand on the above, we wanted to bring a variety of different types of activities. I knew that I wanted to share the mindfulness practices I’ve been loving lately, which includes Cindy (@revealingsoul) and Lauren (@themodernastrologer). The two of them together significantly impacted the self-reflection I’ve learned this year. Cindy performs aura readings and channelings thanks to her gifts as a spiritual medium. Lauren is known for her mastery of astrological birth charts and human design. Thanks to the two of them, I learned why I am the way I am, how to play to my strengths, and how to find peace with life / what’s next for me. I was SO excited to witness others learn the same because it truly brings such a lightness and free feeling to you. While it provides guidance, it also provides for a release. Everyone was able to take home their beautiful auras, birth charts and crystals home with them.
For workouts, we kept it local to the Chicago fitness scene again. MaryKate Schmidt (@froyotofitness) led a bodyweight and HIIT style workout, based off of her guide, the FTFMovement. If you follow me, you’ve likely heard of MaryKate as shes not only one of the most inspiring and real people I know, but also one of my best friends! I was so excited to have her there all weekend – beyond the sweat sesh! We also had a yoga and inversion workshop with Katy (@sprinklesofkaty) who really allowed us to have some fun on the lawn, helping us face any fears and just let our inner child roam free. We also had co-host Rachel lead a moving meditation, which essentially was the group of us in a dark room (no room for judgments) moving, shaking, screaming, releasing, and repeating that WE ARE WORTHY. It was the most emotional and powerful thing EVER. I can’t recommend it enough and if I wasn’t in a high-rise apartment building, I would scream throughout the day more. Rachel also led a shadowboxing workout, based on her classes in LA at Box Union Studio, where you box to the beat. If you find yourself on the West Coast, go see her! I know I want to! Lastly, Aya, (@konnichiwaya) who is a Lululemon Ambassador and SoulCycle instructor led a goal-setting workshop. She started with a visualization meditation and wrapped it up with a discussion and journaling of our goals. We’re holding each other accountable to get there!
We also enjoyed AMAZING food, were treated to goodies of all kinds from amazing brands that were generous to contribute, and honestly had the most amazing time during our downtime, just talking to one another! I also laughed so hard I cried on NIGHT ONE. It really was the most special setting, as we were all so open, hoping to gain the same things, and left feeling lighter, with a greater sense of self, and clarity for steps to move forward. We already discussed hosting this same retreat (potentially in a different location) every year! I’m already counting down :).
Here’s a breakdown of our itinerary and some general questions you asked to give you a better idea! Rachel did such a good time strategically planning when everything would take place.
Friday: Arrived at night (after work), checked in, had a pizza party. We then did introductions, shared how we learned about the retreat and what we were hoping to gain out of it.
Saturday: HIIT FTFMovement workout followed by Birch Benders pancake buffet, group manifesting workshop and channeling session with Cindy, Revealing Soul. We then had a salad bar lunch, where people signed up for time-slots for aura photo sessions with Cindy and birth chart readings with Lauren. Had some downtime in the evening which was so nice! This was definitely the most emotional part of the retreat, but because it allowed us to dive so much deeper into ourselves. In the evening, we had the yoga and inversion workshop with Katy, which was amazing and SO fun. It was the kind of light activity we all needed at this time! We followed this with dinner, which was a group effort to cook taco night! We all had tasks and it was such a fun thing to do as a group while others showered. Dinner was followed by Rachel’s moving meditation as I mentioned, which was the most amazing release to wrap up the day. It allowed everyone to fully let go of anything left that had been weighing on them. We followed this by a dessert, courtesy of Fronen and Hu kitchen, and Eminence face masks provided by Lapiel Laser Center (where I get my facials!) the most ideal Saturday night ever!
Sunday: The last day came so fast! We started the day with a boxing workout with Rachel, enjoyed a toast buffet brunch, then did reflections on the weekend! We all shared what our favorite part of the weekend was (hard to pick), a word to describe how we felt in the beginning, compared to how we felt at the end (so many words like EMPOWERED, INSPIRED, PRESENT were used) and what our main takeaway is. Honestly, this is the moment where it really hit me how impactful just 2.5 days together can be. We wrapped up the weekend with Aya’s goal setting workshop, where we were given the physical tools to channel our new found clarity this weekend to visualize next leap!
Q&A
Is this open to the public?
Yes! It was shared on both of our instagrams and websites for months leading up to it, as well as in our Facebook groups. We also created a Facebook group to connect with everyone before/after the retreat. We capped the group at 20 total (leaders + attendees), but it will always be public, inclusive, and open to all :).
Cost
The retreat cost $350 total for the entire weekend, although if you were only able to attend part of it, there’s workarounds for that :). The cost included the place to stay, food expenses, and the cost of any leaders that we paid to teach and share their wisdom with us! Only thing not included was the aura photos (an extra rate) and transportation (Facebook group allowed for people to connect and figure out carpools!)
Brands that contributed:
So grateful for all of the amazing brands who we both love, that helped make this weekend amazing!
Suja juice, Vital Proteins, Tone It Up, Birch Benders, Jetson probiotics, Garden of LIfe, GoMacro, Fronen, Hu Kitchen, Tonic CBD, Nux Active + Avocado (outfits), Coola suncare, Eminence organic masks from Lapiel and the cutest waterbottles from Ello!
Final Thoughts
This truly was the most grounding, introspective – yet together, empowering, inspiring, impactful, heartwarming weekends of my life. This retreat was DOWN TO EARTH, inviting, open and so so special. I mentioned it before, but truly some of my favorite moments were when we were all in our cozy clothes, laughing, talking, sharing and connecting. While we documented and took photos for Instagram, we really were all together and present/disconnected the majority of the time. It was something we all signed up to do for ourselves, to dive deeper into ourselves and come out feeling all kinda of self-love and self-worth. By dedicating this time for ourselves, openly amongst our group, we all also grew closer together. Opening up to strangers in this setting emotionally, physically and spiritually is scary but we all immediately felt safe and supported, felt a release and felt connected. It was so powerful, I will never forget this feeling because this is why I do what I do, and why I love what I do. We’re already working on planning the next one – so be sure to stay in the loop to join us next time! More photos in the gallery below :).
During our inversion workshop, Katie said a special quote I want to share here:
