Yoga District is proud to share this lovely piece by one of our practitioners, Sophie!

Day one was coming to a close: I stood outside in the cold, shoulder to shoulder with the other retreat yogis, gathered around a small but persistent fire next to our large log cabin in the Shenandoah River Valley. The sun had set hours before and we were sated from a delicious vegan meal. As we breathed in the mountain air and embraced the stillness of the surroundings, we set and shared our own New Years intentions – not resolutions, because that might imply that we were less than perfect, below the standard, under achieving in some way. Rather, by applying focus and setting an intention, we were adding to our selves that were already enough.

This was my first yoga retreat. I had been nervous, not sure what to expect. What I found was just a community of people who had come together for a few days of yoga and mindfulness in the mountains during the New Years long weekend. Day one complete, and my body felt strong, relaxed, rhythmic and reenergized all at once – my mind, calm and pleasantly surprised by my strength and ability. There was no pressure here. This retreat offered a variety of classes and meditations that you could pick and choose from, beautiful and energizing all-levels yoga practices set to amazing playlists, with time for relaxing in a comfy sofa with a book or in the outdoor hot tub with new and old friends. For the spiritually curious, there was even an astrologist for birth chart readings.

Three days of escape from the hustle and bustle and holiday craze of civilization – to a place away from it all where we could become closer to our true selves, to a place of peace. This is the way that the lovely and wise Cara George guided us into the New Year – a celebration of ourselves as a part of a greater community.