I’ve had this blog post brewing for awhile, but then things keep happening. This year just keeps on coming. 2020 has been hard to sit with and process, hasn’t it?

My fall plan is to hunker down at home. It’s not what I usually have planned this time of year, but I’m hardly the only one coming to terms with changing plans. This is usually the peak of our Montana retreat season, followed by an October retreat in Italy. I miss that — all of it — the people, the preparations, the pace.

Despite disappointments, I’m trying to view staying close to home as a gift.

This is a time to turn inwards, carefully observe outwards (note: a news fast is definitely in order…), and focus on family, friends, and my herd. This is a time to rededicate time and energy to staying healthy: mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. That’s always been one of my favorite things — and it couldn’t be more important this year.

What do I have to say about the events of 2020?

They’ve made me more committed than ever to practice my passion: making health and well-being a top priority. How do we ride roller coasters like this year without practicing self care? We don’t. We fall off. (Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way.)

Sometimes it’s hard to practice self care when we feel like things are falling apart all around us. The irony? That’s when we need it the most.

So we have to adapt. Can’t go to yoga class? Roll out your mat at home, even if it’s only to sit on it and try and clear your mind with a few deep breaths. If you can’t go to the gym, go for a walk.

I get that it’s not the same. But something is better than nothing.

This is also a wonderful opportunity to explore new healing modalities. If you’re not meditating, try an app that makes it easy, like Calm. Recently, I even connected with an intuitive healer. Any other year, I might have been moving too quickly to stop and soak up something like that.

In these times, though, her work spoke to me so deeply that I invited her to join us on our final retreat of the season. She shared her gift with our group, and the results were spellbinding. (Find out more about Wild Betty Botanicals.)

There aren’t any miracle cures for everything that’s ailing us in 2020. But if we search, we may still find some answers and a way forward. We can’t give up on our well-being. We can’t give up on ourselves.

What about sharing my passion on retreats?

While we were only able to hold a handful of the yoga retreats we had originally planned this year, I’m incredibly grateful to sneak in the yeehaws and namastes that we could. Now, I’m not gonna lie — hosting events was nerve-racking. There were new protocols, new issues we never had to plan for before, and the inevitable “COVID cloud” casting a shadow on everything and everyone.

Our team went back and forth many times… should we? Should we not?

In the end, though, the Cowgirl Yoga retreats we held manifested an additional layer of magic. All of us were so grateful, so joyful, to be able to come together for yoga, horses, connection to each other and nature, good food and wine, and a respite from the world.

They were retreats in every meaning of the word.

These experiences made me realize, all over again, why bringing women together in this way is what we need and what we crave. Something as “simple” as a yoga retreat can be profoundly healing long after after everyone goes home, both for those attending and those providing.

What about 2021?

This is also the time of year when retreat reservations for the following year would already be in full swing. I deeply wish we could be sure of when things will turn around. I deeply wish our days could be spent making plans galore! If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, though, it’s that we can’t predict the future.

As we tentatively circle dates on the 2021 calendar, our international retreats remain on hold until Americans are allowed back into Argentina and Europe. We have high hopes that all of our Montana retreats will be possible. In fact, we’ve even added a January Winter Wonderland & Wellness Retreat to welcome in the new year with the best of intentions.

Have a look at our 2021 yoga retreat schedule and circle some dates on your own calendar. We’re staying hopeful that the universe helps conspire to make more magic happen.

Be well. Take care of yourself and others. We’ll see you soon!

Yeehaw & Namaste