Arkansas Hiking Retreat

Over Thanksgiving week of 2018 we travelled to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Late fall was still warm and sunny. The Ozarks are old weathered mountains with high bluffs, waterfalls and  interesting rock formations. It's mellow nature and the season of giving thanks set the tone of this retreat.

Through daily backcountry adventures, nature meditations in the morning, sharing circles in the evening, yoga, personal coaching, and free time in the tranquility of nature, participants gained clarity, new perspective, new energy and created action steps for the path forward with courage and confidence.

Every participant had their own story which was unfolding throughout these 5 days.  They all have real names, but for the sake of privacy I am not using them. 

Participant N never hiked before, but did really well on a long hike, discovering amazing strength and stamina. When asked, she attributed it to being vegetarian. She now schedules regular hiking vacations with her family.

Self-care was really important for participant A. It was a huge compliment to hear from her in the end that she really liked herself in the mirror and it was a "beauty trip" for her.

Participant K felt lost and confused in her relationships and over the course of the retreat gained clarity around which relationship to keep and which to end. 

For two other participants it was about their financial independence. It was the first travel experience they could afford in a while and it felt empowering for them. It also felt like an investment in themselves. 

The most touching story was the one of participant R who lost their spouse to cancer just a few weeks before, felt depressed, and couldn't eat or sleep. A renewed appetite for food showed up after hiking and deep healing sleep came back after being outside for the whole day and doing yoga in the evening. As we were hiking along Buffalo River this participant mentioned that it would be nice to kayak this river one day. It was the first desire experienced  since the death of the spouse. And on the day three when we came to the waterfall R was trying to catch water dancing in the wind and broke into laughter.  Seeing them laugh was a highlight of the day for the whole group.