Camp Flag

I am coming off an extraordinary weekend where so much happened. I am delighted to tell you about the first ever ADzenTURE Summer Camp. This is my third retreat through them. I didn’t know what to expect, and while different from the other retreats, it truly was something special.

All photos are my own.

View of the Pacific from Carmet Beach

Day 1

I started my day by meeting two other campers for a pre-hang. We met in Bodega Bay at The Birds Cafe. We had a late breakfast/early lunch and just chatted. One of the women I met was my roommate when I went to Scotland, so it was lovely to catch up with her. After some food, coffee, and chatting, we headed to Carmet Beach. I love the beach so it was a highlight for me. We had fun just walking along the beach, talking, and putting our feet in the water. It was a great way to set the tone for the retreat.

After some chill time, we headed to our retreat destination Autocamp Sonoma. Located in the town of Guerneville, California, an autocamp is a glamping experience where you can stay in a nice canvas tent or an airstream. Once we arrived, we had to wait a bit before our accommodations were ready. Luckily, some other campers were there so we got to meet and chat. Once our accommodations were ready, my roommate and I got settled and ready for the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony was a great ice breaker. We learned each other’s names and what we hoped to get from the retreat. We did some gentle movements and then more upbeat movements. Our Chief Energy Officer Shantani really brought everyone out and made us move and loosen up. It set the tone for what this retreat would be like.

Once the opening ceremony was done, we had a lobster boil dinner! It was delicious and such a different and fun way to start a retreat. And a camping experience wouldn’t be complete without s’mores! We were able to make some s’mores over a fire and just chat with everyone! It was a lovely way to start off this retreat.

Looking up the redwoods in Armstrong Natural Reserve

Day 2

We started off our day with some somatic movement. A way for us to get out of our head and into our body. This was led by Shantani and the energy was fantastic. She made the group feel comfortable enough to be ourselves and just show up with no judgement. After a lovely breakfast, we headed to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve for a walk and meditation. We were surrounded by the tall redwoods and beautiful nature. We saw Colonel Armstrong, a roughly 1400 year old tree. It was inspiring to see a tree that has lived and seen so much. We made it to the amphitheater where we sat and meditated. It was interesting because as soon as we did it was like the forest went silent for us. The breeze stopped. The animals were quiet. And the leaves stopped falling. It was truly magical. Once we returned, we had a lovely lunch of sandwiches before heading to our first workshop.

Fifty Shades of Play led by Shantani was truly something spectacular. She got us moving in our bodies and just made us feel the movements. We did a mirror exercise, where we partnered with someone and we took turns making movements that the other person had to mirror. We couldn’t speak to each other through the process. Then another duo was brought over and the quartet had to do the same thing. We were laughing a lot and just vibing!

When our workshop was complete, we were invited to do some craft. There was painting, color, and bracelet making. There were some drinks and snacks. It was a great time to just sit with each other and get to know everyone better. During this time, I had my big three astrology reading by the lovely Ashley of Awake in Wellness. I know some basics of astrology, so it was informative to learn more about who I am. Everything that was said made so much sense. I felt very seen and that I learned more about myself. After a delicious dinner of tacos, we had a yoga nidra session with Kelly Smith of Yoga for You. It felt a bit silly through some funny instances, but a relaxing experience to end the first full night.

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Workshop folder

Day 3

We started the day with an invigorating yoga session and a calming meditation with Kelly. After breakfast, Ashley led us through a workshop on the moon. She taught us about the different phases and how it goes along with astrology. It was a fun workshop that was informative and I can’t wait to incorporate it into my life. For lunch, a number of us went to Korbel for some sandwiches. They were delicious. I also had their raspberry lemonade which is by far one of my favorites!

After lunch, I made my way to the local bookstore Russian River Books and Letters. It was a cute little shop with some great book selections. While I did not buy anything, it was nice to see another independent bookstore, especially in a small town.

My next stop was meeting up with the others at Johnson’s Beach along the Russian River. While the beach was rocky, it was fun to get in the water, hang out, and do a bit of reading. We stayed for about four hours and had a grand time. One of my lovely campers was nice enough to even buy me a popsicle! After our day at the beach, it was time for our final dinner.

For our last dinner, we had woodfire pizza and oysters! They had someone come with an oven to make the pizza on site! While I did not partake in the oysters, everyone who did found them delicious. The pizza was my favorite, and I had the war pig which was park, onion, and a chili flake paste of some kind with a white sauce. Truly delicious. After dinner we played some games.

Somehow we ended up doing bracket style games. We started by playing rock paper scissors with a twist. The loser then became the cheerleader of the winner. It ended with the last two and whoever was on each team was whose team you were on. The next game was a combo of dizzy bat and a small obstacle course. So, we spun four times with a fire poker, picked up a small mandarin orange, put it on our head, then walked around some bean bags in a zigzag pattern. When we reached the end we had to run back and place the orange in a frying pan. Because each team won one game we had a tie breaker…wheelbarrow race! It was so fun! And my team one! They gave us gold medals! After the invigorating game we went for our closing ceremony.

The closing ceremony is always bittersweet. We went around and said what our favorite moment was and what we would take with us. You could feel the love, energy, and gratitude from everyone in the room. There were also camp awards. I actually won most camp spirit! I was truly shocked that I am pretty sure it took me a moment to recognize my name when it was called. It was a great end to the first ever ADzenTURE Summer Camp.

Beautiful flowers I took home

Day 4

On our last morning we had a gentle yoga/movement with Kelly and Shantani as just a way to gently go back into the real world. After breakfast, we all headed out. This experience is one that I will never forget.

Finally I want to say a major thank you to a number of people who made this retreat special and unique:

To Azma and Daniela, co-founders of ADzenTURE: Thank you for creating a space for women to gather and be who they are. These retreats are comfortable, fun, new, exciting, and so many other adjectives. You have truly created a community that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

To Kelly, Chief Zen Officer: Thank you for bringing your calm energy but also a fun side showing everyone that you can be multifaceted just by being yourself. You truly make everyone feel seen and heard.

To Shantani, Chief Energy Officer: Thank you for your energy! You are full of life and really brought that to this retreat. You made us get out of our comfort zone and made us feel comfortable.

To Ashely, Resident Cosmic and Astrology Coach: Thank you for your spirit and kindness. You brought this spiritual energy that is hard to explain but could be felt wherever you were. You brought a fun and light energy with you that felt magical.

To Natalie, Head of Fun and Vibes: Thank you for helping to make this trip truly magical and fun. You brought everything that made camp fun and an experience no one will forget.

Thank you for reading all the way through, it means a lot to be able to share this with all of you.

💙 Jacquelyn

Hello everyone,

I am back. The first half of this year has really hit me hard. I lost my passion and my drive. This fell on the back burner because of it. But I am now back with a new travel blog. At the beginning of June I went to Vancouver, British Columbia to attend another retreat through ADzenTURE and I am so excited to talk about it. I did spend two days before the trip exploring the city a little bit. But first let me talk about the retreat.

According to the ADzenTURE website, this retreat is “a journey to balance through fire, water, earth, and air…” The retreat is a place to “reconnect with your inner nature through the sacred elements of fire, water, earth, and air in this 3-day immersive yoga and meditation retreat on the lush, serene grounds of Nectar Yoga on Bowen Island.” This retreat was run by my favorite yoga and meditation teacher Kelly from Yoga For You! I went on her retreat to Scotland last year and couldn’t wait for this one.

Want to know about Scotland? Check out my write up here.

Note: All photos were taken by me

Day 1

The day started out with everyone meeting at the airport and being picked up in a party bus! We drove to Horseshoe Bay (any CW Nancy Drew fans??) to wait for the ferry. We were able to get off the bus and walk over into town to get some coffee and a snack. Once back on the bus we embarked for a 20 minute ferry ride. We got some gorgeous views of Vancouver and the coastline. Once we arrived at Bowen Island, it was just a quick drive to Nectar Yoga. There we entered a beautiful location among the trees.

There were multiple buildings there and the housing was three A-frames (Sunstone, Jasper, and Opal), 3 cottages (Amethyst, Jade, and Quartz), Moonstone Cottage, and three rooms in the Onyx Lodge (Emerald, Amber, and Turquoise). The Onyx Lodge was also where we took all of our meals. I stayed in the Jade Cottage and it was beautiful! So simple, but the details were done so well. There was even a window seat looking out onto the forest. My favorite feature was an outdoor shower, which I did use, and I wish I had one.

After checking in and having some snacks we went to the yoga dome for a slow movement practice and welcoming circle. Kelly and ADzenTURE gave us the lovely gift of an ADzenTURE tote bag, Kelly’s book You Here we did just some slow movements to help loosen the muscles from a long travel day. Then the welcoming circle was a way for us to set an intention for the retreat and to meet everyone officially. We then went on to dinner.

We had a beautiful dinner and dessert. The meals were all vegetarian and/or vegan and were delicious.

To end the night we did a yoga nidra and sound bath (ether). It happened to be raining, so we practiced to the sound of the rain hitting the yoga dome. It was a beautiful practice and a nice way to end the day.

Day 2

We started day two off with a pranayama practice (air) and a yoga (fire) practice. The pranayama practice is where we learned different breathing techniques including: bellows breath, box breathing and bumblebee breath. I loved bumblebee as it was a bit different from what I have learned. We then headed to a delicious breakfast. Our next practice was a walking meditation.

There were a few trails near the retreat center and the one we went on was lovely. It was raining a bit, but I think it enhanced the practice. A walking meditation (earth) is a way to focus on just walking and being. It is slow and methodical. We did ours in the rain in the forest and it was a magical experience. Once our walking meditation was completed we were broken up into groups to enjoy the sites Mist Thermal Sanctuary.

I was in the first group that went just after the walking meditation. There we were given shoes, robes, and towels. They have three private sanctuaries for each group. In each spa there is a room with tea and water, towels, a small changing room, and a place for rest. Once you are ready you can go through the circuit. The way this works is you start with a hot/cold shower with their lovely smelling products. Then you go into the wood burning sauna that has a large window where you can look out into the forest. After the sauna you can take a cold plunge for a short amount of time, then go into the transition tub. After you have completed the plunges, you can go rest down by the fire just below the building. The time you are given allows for about 2-3 circuits. Of course, you can do what feels right for your body and skip aspects if you like. I did skip the cold plunge the first time because my body does not like extreme temperature changes. But my second time around I sat for 30 seconds. I also did not last too long in the sauna, again for the same reasons as the cold plunge. It was a lovely and relaxing time with a couple of the retreat attendees.

After Mist Thermal and lunch, I had some free time. So I walked along the two trails on the property. One was an easy trail by the creek. The other was an uphill trek in the forest. They were both beautiful and a great way to spend some of my time. After my invigorating walk, I found a lovely spot outside to just sit, read, and enjoy the beautiful weather. It had been raining on and off and was in the mid to high 50s, so I wanted to enjoy it before I headed home to hot summer weather. The venue is a perfect place to find yourself and enjoy some much needed time outdoors.

After everyone who wanted to go enjoy Mist Thermal we had a Sun Salutation Workshop. Here, Kelly went through each position/move that makes up a sun salutation. We went through each one and talked about proper position, little hacks to know if you are doing it right, and even worked with another person to make sure we were doing things in a way that would not hurt ourselves. I love doing workshops like this because I feel like I learn so much from it. It makes me conscious when I am doing a sun salutation to make sure I do it right. Though by the end my arms were killing me! After a full day we had another beautiful dinner. We ended the night with a fire ceremony. We gathered around the fire pit and wrote out what we wanted to release once we left the retreat. After writing down what we wanted to let go of, we tossed them into the fire. It was a lovely ceremony and a nice way to end a retreat. We stayed around the fire, chatting and just having a good time with new friends.

Day 3

Our last morning ended with a lovely yoga and meditation (earth and air) and a lovely breakfast. We were picked up by the party bus again and made our way back to Vancouver to head home.

This retreat, while quick and I wish was longer, was a beautiful reset for myself. I made new friends, saw some old ones, and enjoyed being out in nature. I love going on ADzenTURE retreats and can’t wait for my next one. Spoiler: That will be in July when I go to camp!

I cannot recommend ADzenTURE enough for people who want to go on a trip with beautiful people in beautiful locations. The retreats are great for any level of yoga and meditation. If you want to book make sure to check out the retreats for 2027, and more are still being planned!

Thank you for coming on this journey with me!

💚 Jacquelyn

P.S. Want to see more? Check out my Instagram for videos of the trip.

Growing up I always heard stories of Newfoundland. My family immigrated from there in the 1960s to California. But they never forgot where they came from. My dad even told me stories of them twice driving back to Newfoundland from California. I have been lucky to visit twice now and loved everything about it. Here are some of the things I loved during my trips.

Fun Facts

Before we get into what I love about Newfoundland, here are some fun facts about the province.

Newfoundland is home to the only confirmed Norse site in North America (outside of Greenland). The site is a Canadian UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Newfoundland has its own time zone. It is half an hour ahead of Atlantic Time (GMT-2:30).

The first transatlantic wireless message was received on Signal Hill by Guglielmo Marconi on December 12, 1901.

The first permanent transatlantic cable went through Heart’s Content. My grandpa worked at the cable station there.

You can travel to France by visiting Saint Pierre or Miquelon, French territorial islands about 12 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.

Gander Airport used to be one of the busiest airports in the world as a stopover for transatlantic flights. It became well known again when after the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, 38 planes were diverted to Gander.

George St. in St. John’s is home to more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in Canada.

My Background

As mentioned above, my dad’s side of the family is from Newfoundland. My dad was born there and we can trace our ancestry there to about the late 1700s to early 1800s. My grandparents were each one of 10, so I have a lot of family, some that still live in Newfoundland. My grandpa worked in the transatlantic cable station till it closed down in the 1960s, when they moved to California. I had always heard stories and was so excited when my dad planned a trip there for my college graduation. These are some of the places we visited and what I loved about them. We spent our time on the east coast, so I don’t have any information about the western side, though I would love to visit there sometime.

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St. John’s

St. John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and located on the Avalon peninsula. A vibrant city with many fun places to visit. First is The Rooms, a museum located on a hill overlooking the bay. Here you can learn the history of the island, see some art work, and do research in their archives. I did my research for my master’s thesis here. Next take a drive to Signal Hill where you can get an amazing view of the bay and the city. Then there is the neighborhood of Quidi Vidid (most common pronunciation Kiddy Viddy). A cute fishing village with vibrant houses. Make sure when in St. John’s to get Screeched-in!* St. John’s has so much to offer that you can’t go wrong with anything. Make sure to take a walk around downtown to see what is affectionately called Jellybean Row, where you will find colorfully painted houses.

*What is screeched-in? It is a ceremony to become an honorary Newfoundlander. A ceremony conducted by a Newfoundlander where you say a phrase in old cockney english, take a shot of screech (Newfoundland rum), and kiss a cod fish! There are some variations and such but this is the general gist of it.

Heart’s Content and Winterton

There are these three little towns on Trinity Bay called Heart’s Delight, Heart’s Desire, and Heart’s Content. My grandpa is from HEart’s Content. It is a cute little fishing town that is the location for the first transatlantic cable station. You can visit the station and learn about it, and even see the cables coming out of the water. There is also a lighthouse that is red and white. Here we got to visit family and friends and see a beautiful view of Trinity Bay.

In Winterton, you can visit the Wooden Boat Museum. Here you can learn about how fishermen would make their own boats. Being isolated they had to fend for themselves for most things. Fishing being a top job for people along the coasts. Winterton is also a cute fishing village.

If you drive to either of these two towns, you will pass by the town of Dildo. And yes, that is its real name!

Cape Spear

Cape Spear is the farthest point east you can go in North America before hitting Europe. There you will find a lighthouse with a red top and a gorgeous view. Who doesn’t want to visit a fun location.

Why have you possibly heard of Newfoundland?

There was a Broadway play that was touring called Come From Away. If you were lucky enough to see it, you learned the story of how a small Newfoundland town doubled in size overnight when planes were diverted there after the 9/11 attacks in New York. The town (and other neighboring towns) came together to help care for the passengers (and some animals) until they were able to leave. The play is a story about hope, sadness, togetherness, and so much more. It even touches on racism that amped up after the attacks. The play is a show of just how Newfoundlanders can come together and help anyone in need. If you have not seen it, I believe you can stream a performance on AppleTV, and I highly recommend it.

Newfoundland is filled with history, kind people, colorful places, and amazing food. If you get a chance to visit, I hope you enjoy your time there and have fun stories to share when you come back.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little piece of my families history and a place that will always have a piece of my heart.

💙 Jacquelyn

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California is one of my favorite states. But I am a bit biased as I was born and raised here. California has so much to offer. We have just about any environment you can think of: from the deserts of Death Valley, to the Pacific Ocean, to the Mountain of Tahoe, California can be anyone's playground. So today I am going to share my favorite places to visit in my home state. So come on this road trip with me and see the beauty that is California.

Placerville/Apple Hill

Nestled in foothills of the Sierra Nevada’s7, Placerville is an old mining town which is now a California Historic Landmark. You can walk their main street and do some shopping and find some great places to eat. It is a cute town along US Route 50. But what I love about this place is just past the town, and it is called Apple Hill. Apple Hill is a large swath of land where apple orchards have come together in an association to offer guests chances to visit their farms, pick apples, and other offerings. Fall is the most popular time of year to visit. There is apple picking, apple donuts, apple cider, pumpkin patches, and many other fall related activities for people of all ages. There are many farms to pick from with all different offerings. There are a variety of apples you can find; my favorite being winesap apples! This is one of my favorite places to go in the fall.

Now let's travel a bit south on State Route 49 to another foothill town.

Sutter Creek

Located on State Route 49, is the former boomtown of Sutter Creek. Here you can walk along the main street and see old buildings, shop in cute antique stores, eat at some great restaurants, and do some wine tasting. My favorite event they host is Wildflowers and Wine. Here you get wine and food pairings at 5-6 different wineries. You move along to the different wineries and along the way can do some shopping as well.

Let’s go next to the state capital.

Sacramento

Sacramento is not only the state capital, it is also the oldest incorporated city in California. Sacramento has a rich history and you can visit many places to learn about it. Visit Old Sacramento, home to the Railroad Museum and Sacramento History Museum, or to see 19th centuries buildings. You can go visit Sutter’s Fort and California State Indian Museum to learn about the gold rush, Native Americans, and the history of early California. Sacramento is a robust city with so much to offer. It is also considered the Farm to Fork Capital, so there are many amazing restaurants you can try.

Continuing our trip, let's go over to the Bay Area.

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Courtesy of Town of Colma website

Colma

Just south of San Francisco is the city of Colma. A small town of just around 1,500 people. But that is not what makes it special. This is the city of souls. The town boasts more dead people than alive. Home to 16 cemeteries, including a pet cemetery, the town offers a resting place for people of all backgrounds. This is a city I grew up driving through because my family lived not too far in South San Francisco. The town has some famous residents including: Wyatt Earp, William Randolph Hearst, Joe DiMaggio, and Levi Strauss. Why I love this place is because my Nana instilled in me a love of cemeteries. How visiting them keeps them alive. Also just a funny anecdote, when I was learning to drive I asked my Nana to drive her new car, she said I could only do it at the cemetery because if I hit someone they were already dead.

Let’s go down to another coastal town.

Monterey/Carmel-by-the-Sea

Nestled in Monterey Bay is the town of Monterey. Monterey is one of my favorite places to visit. I am a person who loves to be near the coast. If I could, I would live by the water. Visiting Monterey is a way for me to do that. When I go I make sure to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is an amazing place to learn about the ocean and local plant and animal life in the Pacific Ocean along the coast and in the bay. They have exhibits on sea otters, kelp forests, and my favorite jellyfish. Canary Row is a fun place to walk down. Yes it is touristy, but it is still fun.

About a fifteen to twenty minute drive from Monterey is Carmel-by-the-Sea. An adorable coastal community that is fun to walk around. They have an adorable independent bookstore I always visit. It is a bit hilly, but still easy to walk around. And you can take a quick trip to the beach!

Let’s end the trip with a place that is filled with nostalgia for me.

Disneyland

While I have not spent a lot of time in Southern California, I have spent a lot of time at Disneyland. I have been going to Disneyland since I was around 4 years old. This was something my dad and I did together. Walking into the park makes me so happy. The rides, the food, the atmosphere, all makes me feel like a kid again. My favorite rides are: Alice in Wonderland, Mad Tea Party, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, The Haunted Mansion, and the Jungle Cruise. My favorite snack to get is a churro! Or a giant pickle. Disneyland is a place where anyone can be a bit childlike. Enjoy the rides, meet the characters, and/or dress up.

Fun fact: my goal is to visit all the parks with my dad. We are already half way there!

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I hope you enjoyed this trip around California. There are still many places I have not been and want to visit, so maybe someday I will update this list.

Let me know in the comments where your favorite places in California are to visit.

💙 Jacquelyn

Photo courtesy of me

Hello Friends,

In early May, I traveled from California to the Highlands of Scotland to participate in a yoga and meditation retreat. This retreat was put on through a company called ADzenTure where, according to their website, they “specialize in curating exceptional yoga retreats and wellness experiences in breathtaking locations worldwide.”

I first heard about this company through my favorite meditation and yoga teacher and podcaster Kelly Smith. I have been listening to her podcast Mindful in Minutes for years now, and have heard about her retreats but they never fit into my schedule. Until 2024, when she announced her Wild and Wonderous Woman Yoga and Meditation retreat to Scotland.

As soon as I heard about it, I knew I needed to go. I have been on and off practicing yoga and meditation but really wanted to make it part of my daily life. This retreat was a perfect reason to restart that practice. By having to meditate and practice yoga everyday for six days, it really solidified for me why this trip and these exercises are important to me and my daily life. They make me feel better and more in tune with myself.

This retreat was the perfect first retreat. I met some amazing women, connected back to my yoga and meditation practice, and enjoyed breathtaking views.

Below, read all the details for each day of the retreat, and maybe you will feel inspired and called to take a retreat.

Note: All photos are my own taken on the trip.

Day 1

I arrived at the Glasgow airport and met up with the rest of the participants. We boarded a bus that took us to the house which was about an hour and a half away. We stayed just outside of the town of Killin in a house named Stucktaymore.

This gorgeous house boasts 13 bedrooms, a library, snug, large kitchen, amazing outdoor seating with a view, a hot tub, and more. I shared a room with another woman and we had one of the best views. After getting settled, we went outside on the back lawn to do an opening ceremony.

We all gathered in a circle, introduced ourselves and why we were there. Afterwards, we settled in to do a little meditation, intention setting, and some light movements. Afterwards we went up for dinner prepared by Ryan of Flourish by Ryan. We were all pretty tired, so we went to bed soon after.

Day 2

Each morning we started off with a yoga and meditation session. Taught by Kelly, she took us through different positions, and led a meditation afterwards. Then it was time for breakfast.

Since it was the first full day, we had some divine laziness time to just relax and explore the property. There are walking paths, and you can walk down to Loch Tay.

After lunch, we did a mindfulness walk. Here we all walked silently down to the Loch. This is a way to just take in your surroundings, the sounds, the smells, and to just be in the moment. We walked at a faster pace then Kelly usually does because we were walking through a sheep pasture. We didn’t want to linger too long since there were babies, and also sheep excrement. Once at the water, we talked about how we felt about the silence, and then we got in the Loch!

The water was very cold, the lakebed slippery and you sank into the sad pretty easily. I made it up to me knees before it got too cold for me. After walking back to the house, we had a little free time before our next workshop, breathwork.

The workshop focused on the connection between breathwork and energy. We talked about Nadis and the different channels (Ida and Pingala). After learning a bit more about these channels we went into different styles of breathwork you can use. We did alternate nostril breathing, staccato breathing, longer exhales, and spinal breathing. Each is a different technique to either bring energy into the body or to relax the body. (Let me know if you would like more information on the different breathworks).

After a delicious dinner we had a bonfire. Here we wrote down what we wanted to let go. While you can do multiple things, it was recommended to us for just one so that we can let it go. After it was written, we put the paper in the fire to release and let go. And that brought an end to day two.

Day 3

The day started with yoga and meditation, which is honestly a great way to start the day. Afterwards we had breakfast and then broke up into two groups. I was in group two, so I had a bit more time to get ready. Then we went off to Loch Tay Safaris, where we boarded a boat to get a tour of Loch Tay.

The tour was fun, and while we didn’t see a lot of wildlife, it was beautiful. And of course, a tour of the loch would not be complete without talking about the Kelpie. It was fun to get local history as well as mythology. The boat is considered the fastest on the loch and it was fast! After, we were picked up by the bus and group 1 to go for lunch in Aberfeldy.

Before going to lunch, myself and two other attendees walked to a bookstore, which was adorable. We then went to Three Lemons. I had a chicken BLT sandwich which was delicious. We had a lovely time eating and talking. We all met at the bus and headed to our next adventure, a castle tour.

We went to Castle Mezies (pronounced Ming-iss) one of the most haunted castles in Scotland. We had an amazing tour and learned the history of the area and the clan from this castle. I did not feel anything, but some of my fellow attendees did. The proprietor even had snacks and drinks for us at the end of our tour.

On the way back to the house, we got stopped because the only road back was closed due to an accident. So we waited an hour in the town of Kenmore. Sometimes, life doesn’t go as planned and you have to find the best in the situation. I went with three other attendees and we walked around. We ended up in a church cemetery, which I love! And then we met a lovely woman Susan who let us into the church and told us the history. She was a hoot to talk to. After an hour, just like the police said, we were back on the road back to the retreat.

After dinner we did a session of Yoga Nidra. It was a perfect way to relax after the day.

To learn what Yoga Nidra is listen to this episode of Mindful in Minutes (Apple Podcast or on Spotify).

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Day 4

When we arrived, we received a massage ball and in this morning's yoga session we got to use it. We learned how to use it to work on the fascia. Think of it as the connective tissues between bones and muscles. So we went through different areas and massaged them out. It was a lovely way to start the day.

After breakfast we all got ready and headed on the bus to the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. We were given a free day to do whatever we wanted. I went to Edinburgh castle and walked around. It was gorgeous and had some breathtaking views of the city. They have a few museums inside, some great displays, and the oldest building in Edinburgh, St. Margaret’s Chapel.

After walking around for a bit, I went to dinner at Cold Town House. I sat on the rooftop with a view of the castle. I had some delicious fish and chips, some of the best I have had. After lunch, I walked around and made my way to Waterstones, which is a bookstore. I, of course, found some books. I then enjoyed a coffee and a treat.

I walked around for a bit before making my way to the meeting point. We all made our way to the bus and made the drive back to the house. We just relaxed once back as it was a long day.

Day 5

Our last full day started with yoga and meditation. Then after breakfast we did our next workshop, Reclaiming the Womb Space.

It started off with learning more about the womb space and the sacral chakra. How this area is the “source of creative power, intuition, and emotional depth” (from ADzenTURE website about retreat). After learning about it we went through a guided meditation/visualization, going into our womb and seeing what was there and clearing it out. This could include: past partners, past traumas, stagnant energies, emotional blocks, and whatever else you see there. We then reclaimed the space for ourselves and what we wanted. After we talked about what we saw. Personally, mine was a void, I saw nothing. I wasn’t sure if it worked for me or not. But, now this might be TMI for some people, after the workshop I went to the bathroom and I started my period. This would end up being the heaviest period I have had in a very long time. I guess this was my womb’s way of clearing itself out.

After lunch we had a self love workshop with Jess, the founder of Solasta Skin. She brought us a sample of her nourishing rose facial oil and with this oil she taught us a facial that would help to clear out the lymphatic system. This was such a lovely self care ritual that I will be trying to add to my routine. She also led us through a meditation about the wilds of Scotland that was perfect!

Free time commenced and I was able to get a massage that was set up. Then we had dinner. This was a five course meal that was delicious. For dessert, our chef made a gluten free cake because one of the attendees was doing this trip for her birthday. So we celebrated her! We also brought in a bagpiper! It was a joyous and wonderful way to end the retreat

Day 6

Our last day. It was such a sad and heartfelt ending. We did one last yoga and meditation. Then we sat around and talked about what we were taking away from this retreat. We had breakfast. Said our goodbyes and headed out to the next adventure.

This retreat really felt like a reset for me. A way to get back in touch with myself, my yoga practice, and my meditation practice. I hope to continue these practices.

I stayed a few more days, but that will be another letter.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my retreat. Check out ADzenTure to see what retreats are upcoming and maybe you will find your next adventure.

If you did love this, please share with a friend! I would be eternally grateful if you did.

Refer a friend

💙 Jacquelyn