I was absolutely delighted to start hosting yoga retreats. I wanted a way to extend the peaceful feeling beyond an hour class; to have days together for yoga, meditation, journaling, walks and conversation. These were going really well, but I realized not everyone has 3 or 4 days available. That realization was the beginning of day retreats.

Thoughts of a longer yoga session, quiet time for journaling, and conversation over a shared meal began to fill my head. All of this came to fruition when a friend told me about a beautiful venue available for day use. The first retreat was 4 hours, with the following retreats extended to 6 by adding restorative yoga and more journaling at the end. Two or three times a year we enjoyed all of this, as well as walks around the pond.

I would reserve the space several months out, marking the date on my calendar and sending out invitations with happy anticipation. These 6 hours together were a welcome reset for people with busy lives. This all changed when the email arrived. The owners of this beautiful place were closing it down at the end of the year. They kindly gave links to other venues, but none were as lovely and all in the area were cost prohibitive.

I am deeply grateful for my time there and for those who were able to join me. Perhaps this is the end of day retreats, and maybe that’s okay. There are still 3 multiday retreats scheduled each year and I have recently started teaching Sunday school. I can let this go and and focus on the many happy things that still fill the squares on my calendar.

But then, I had an idea. For now that idea is a seed that has been planted with a few people. I’ll let it germinate for a while and see what God does with it. I can look back and be grateful while also being hopeful about what my future may hold.