After this weekend’s whirlwind of retreat activities, I’ve been left feeling blessedly balanced. A lot of people think leading retreats is the hard part – it’s not. I feel like I am spending time with friends I have known forever vs. only just met. The connections run deep and it’s an amazing dynamic. We do so much in our time together, but it never feels like too much. In fact, to me it is a healthy, balanced mix. From Friday to Sunday, we had 4 yoga practices, a hike to Beehive Basin that was 6 miles round trip and gained 1200 feet in elevation (meaning: a damn tough hike), did “woga” in the hot tub, enjoyed elaborate, 5 course dinners and other gourmet treats like Chuck’s homemade donuts, hiked to Ousel Falls on Sunday morning for our wrap up discussion of Eat Pray Love, AND wove themes and quotes and thoughts from the book into the entire weekend. Whew! It was also a spectacularly successful wildlife spotting weekend: saw a girl moose on the hiking trail, and a bull moose with the biggest horns I have ever seen from the car, luckily. We spotted a bull elk with a few of his harem (yes, it’s really called that); fall is elk mating season and you can hear them bugling too. So when everyone asks if I am exhausted post-retreat, the answer truly is no. I am invigorated and balanced and grateful. So thank you to the lovely ladies from this weekend, I am honored that you shared yourself with me and each other. Namaste.