Longevity logo

A Yoga Retreat in Catskills Mountains

Getting to know yourself better can assist in healing.

By Susie PinonPublished 2 years ago 8 min read
Like

In December of 2018, I was selected for a retreat through the Honor Yoga Foundation. I was encouraged to apply by the founder of my collegiate yoga club when she shared it in our community group chat. The retreat was designed to help people who suffer from anxiety and depression and who could use financial assistance to attend such a lavish four-day retreat.

You may be thinking, "how depressed could a twenty-something-year-old be?"

Truthfully, at the time I was still working on accepting my father's new life and mind. He was basically sentenced to life in a nursing home due to his vascular dementia. There were still remnants of resentfulness toward him for not taking his high blood pressure meds, which assisted in expediting his deteriorating mind.

I also always had a difficult time accepting his completely unhealthy lifestyle through the years, against doctors' orders. It was an ongoing challenge to wrap my head around putting him away after lots of trying and adapting to avoid just that.

I thoughtfully completed the application and could not imagine what kind of life experience I was signing up for. A few months later, I received a notice that I had been accepted. Tears streamed down my face as a sat in my musty dorm room.

----------------

This Retreat Was Nothing Short of Miraculous

I coordinated getting a ride there with a fellow attendee from South Jersey. Nearing arrival, we circled snow-covered mountains and darkened skies, with narrow roads so deserted it felt like we were somewhere very far away.

The home was large and isolated in what felt like the middle of nowhere. We were met with terracotta stone floors and warm orange walls, with a radiator that lined the wall beneath the coat hooks. We were advised to remove our shoes, and my cozy socks slid over wooden planks as I journeyed past the entryway.

With my mouth agape, I tried to take in every detail. I was happy to see amiable smiles and to receive a hug from one of the facilitators, Christina. A few women had arrived already and they held cups of tea near their chest while they chatted around the granite kitchen island. I was shown to my private room upstairs and was flooded with feelings of gratitude, warmth, and pure joy. I couldn't help but run my hands over my new comforter for the next few nights.

I happened to be the youngest attendee. That didn't stop me from getting to know the other ladies there, many close in age to my mom.

The food was plant-centered and they were able to accommodate my vegan needs to the dime. We all rotated with meal prep, cooking, and clean-up. At the start of each meal, we would circle the table and each woman would share what she was grateful for. One morning, we had a silent breakfast to explore a more intentional way of eating and communicating without the use of words.

The Workshops

We had various workshops that focused on everything from the stress response in our body and how our fight-or-flight system operates, to visualization exercises and mindful meditation. We learned how to identify what situations and words cause outbursts of anger, stress, fear, and other emotions within us. We talked about how to deal with severe conflicts with loved ones and even colleagues. We delved deep into what different emotions actually feel like when we experience them. We spoke in ways I hadn't yet encountered before. And as someone who struggles with anger, these conversations with wise women helped me to pave a clearer path toward what would eventually become a healthier me.

We were given an itinerary each day, but if we wished to opt-out of something, we could with no questions asked. I didn't miss one thing because I wanted the complete experience. I woke up at 6 am each morning, which is very early for me. I washed and dressed before I scuffled my way to the meditation room where the first bursts of morning light shone through the wide windows.

We had yoga classes with varying levels of difficulty. The restorative class was my favorite. We used yoga props, eye bags, essential oils, and singing bowls. One of the women I got to know experienced a spiritual and mental breakthrough during this class, as it was focused on opening up our heart chakra. She had finally forgiven her ex-husband for all the mental chaos he had brought upon her. She was flooded with tears and was unable to contain her emotions. It was moving to experience such vast types of healing among individuals I became fond of.

During downtime, I spoke with the ladies while we warmed our toes in front of the fire. I was sure to explore the snowy hills on the property, too. We enjoyed activities together like making mandalas and saying goodbye to our troubles by writing them down and burning them in the bonfire outside. At one point, eight of us squeezed into the sauna together as apart of our mental and physical detox. I was sure to spend some time with myself in the steam shower, and even enjoyed a bubble bath for the first time in years.

"Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu. May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to the happiness and freedom for all."

This is a love and kindness meditation that we sang while holding our mandalas. We repeated the mantra for each bead on the necklace. This was a challenging and time-consuming activity because it required self-commitment and focus. Despite this, it brought me peace and helped to restore my faith in humanity.

Over one dinner, one woman was getting excited over something seemingly minute. She had become abrupt, inappropriate, and targeted one of the black women there precisely based on the color of her skin. This woman had arrived a day late and had been sleeping through all of the activities. We only saw her at meals.

She said she was studying to be a psychologist, but this was certainly not reflective of how a mental health professional would or should behave. We all sat in silence at the long table and stared at her while she spewed angry words and profanity.

I knew this would serve as a valuable learning opportunity on how to manage conflict without reacting. So I listened and became a sponge.

Christina remained calm and responded to her with kindness. She spoke soft and slow, with an understanding smile, and had a way about her that was soothing. She used "I-statements" and remained grounded when the woman began to raise her voice. Christina appeared unbothered, which escalated the behavior of this woman even more. No one interjected besides the black woman she was attacking. She had begun to raise her voice, too. I would have done the same!

My mouth was wide open at this point, in disbelief of how compassionate someone could be. This woman had been ungrateful, disrespectful, and racist among other things at a place that was intended to be a safe and sacred space. She dared to claim she was feeling unsafe to share a room with this black woman. Shortly after, she proceeded to leave the house without further notice to anyone but Christina. We were all happy she left but wished this woman healing from the mental ailments she had disclosed to us.

This didn't take away from the retreat. It added a lesson of great value. When I spoke to the woman who was attacked for her skin, she told me this was nothing new and that remarks like these were inescapable. She taught me a lot about her first-hand experiences, and I took in every word as I stared at her intently. As a white person, I had never been attacked for my race before, and I admit I was oblivious to how frequently this occurs in non-white people's lives.

Then I spoke to Christina about how she handled the situation to gain some tactics I could utilize in my own life. She told me it was a product of lots of hard work, consistent awareness, practice, and empathy for others. I knew this already but was hoping for an easier way to be calm. Had it been me, I definitely would have told that boisterous woman to leave.

----------------

Above all else, this retreat helped me to feel reborn.

The Orenda Yoga Retreat Center served for me as a reset button and gave me tools to live the life I want to live. I will probably always remember it as one of my most favorable life experiences. And I genuinely think every person should invest in a short yoga retreat, even if they don't think they're "flexible" enough. It serves as a spiritual detox and provides a reprieve from the major stressors in life. Not only does it help you get back in touch with yourself, but it reminds you of the beauty and life, and that our body can feel amazing all the time. At Orenda, I was reminded that my body is my temple and that I only have one of them. So I started to treat it with more love than I ever had, and that helped me to feel my best and love myself.

Special thanks to Honor Yoga Foundation for the experience of a lifetime and Julie Bottini for spreading the word to me.

Orenda- An Honor Yoga Retreat Center

(It was all women, Christina's son came to help!)I want to take a moment to wish Christina, our primary facilitator (front left in blue) eternal peace in heaven, as she passed away roughly six months ago.

She was a beautiful and selfless woman who gave nothing but love to those she encountered. I'm grateful to have gotten to know her, hear her story, and experience firsthand her undying will to fight. She was a mother, a yogi, a spiritual practitioner, and an Honor Yoga retreat facilitator, among other things. She will always have a place in my heart and the thousands of other lives she has touched.

Wishing you wonderful yoga retreats in this lifetime.

Xo, Susie

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider leaving a tip. Thanks!✌️😊

yoga
Like

About the Creator

Susie Pinon

Italian chick with a New Yorker attitude. Free-spirited, eclectic by nature, vegan. I'm fueled by my passion for the art of words. I'm addicted to chocolate + love to heal through the sun's rays. Let's talk words

https://linktr.ee/xosusiep

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.