Be Where Your Feet Are
December 2022 St. Lawrence University Yoga Club Retreat Recap
I had never taken a yoga class before.
It was a Tuesday in 2015. I had just quit skiing the Sunday before and I was lost, so I figured I’d try a yoga class.
I walked across campus with my second hand yoga mat and left that class hating whatever it was I just spent an hour doing.
The next day, I went back.
I kept going back, and I didn’t know why.
Here I am seven years later not sure what I would be without this practice that allows me to connect with myself and others in a way I’ve only ever dreamt of.
And now, I understand why I kept going back.
Because it was my calling.
That place was St. Lawrence University (SLU) and that class was hosted by SLU CLub Yoga.
In 2018 I became certified as a 200 hour yoga teacher.
In 2019 I hosted my first retreat for my alma mater’s club.
After three years, we finally were able to make the retreat happen again for the students this semester, and this past weekend I cooked and taught and talked with some pretty incredible humans coming into their own.
I think they did just as much leading and teaching as I did, I am always so inspired by who they are and what unique gifts they have to share with the world.
Friday’s yoga practice by tree light
Book making with Erica
The full crew, all smiles
So what exactly did we get up to?
On Friday night when we rolled out our mats to begin our weekend with some mindful movement, I shared the words “you are where your feet are.” I encouraged everyone to hold this phrase close as we went through the weekend. As any human in this society, specifically students, it’s difficult to stay present when there are one million things to be thinking about, especially with finals approaching. But I was so impressed with how present they all stayed.
After a beautiful one hour yoga class to set the tone for the weekend, we ate our first farm-to-table meal: shredded chicken, kale salad, baked apples, homemade whipped cream and fresh bread (shout out to North Country Creamery, Fledging Crow and Mace Chasm farms for supplying us with the freshest, humanely raised and sourced food there is in the Adirondacks for the entire weekend!). We played my favorite ice breaker game around the dinner table - what’s your life story - and the way everyone showed up was simply put, inspiring. After jumpstarting getting to know each other with beautiful conversation, Erica, representative of the SLU Yoga Club at the retreat, led us in making our very own books, and into a lovely night’s sleep we went.
Silly ladies
Matigan enjoying some quiet time
Saturday morning we began with yoga. It was an intuitive and reflective flow, beginning with intention and breath work, and peaking with heat from an all levels vinyasa flow. Breakfast to follow was delicious and nutritious - coffee, eggs, yogurt, fruit, and oatmeal. Many students on the retreat remarked how surprised they were to feel so nourished after eating the meals, and that they didn’t crave seconds or snacks or sweets following meal time. That made my heart so happy because it told me that their bodies were soaking up every bit of nutrition from the food l was preparing for them. A real life example of how prioritizing quality is more important than prioritizing quantity, and that when we listen to our bodies, they will tell us what we need! All we need to do is listen.
After breakfast we left on foot with our rain gear for an outing to town. It gave the students a chance to choose how they wanted to spend a few hours of their day and spend a bit of time with each other and themselves. They perused shops, browsed bookstores, one even explored the local library. When we all made it back for lunch we dined on homemade butternut squash soup, oiled and seasoned bread, and leftovers from the night before. Food was not something there was ever a short of.
After lunch, we workshopped. I led every student through awareness of their physical wellness, where their balances and imbalances were, and what they could do to improve on their physical wellbeing as they went back to school and eventually home. This time led into even more reflection on how deep the practice of yoga is, much more than the westernized version of it.
The evening was relaxing, filled with more food - brisket taco bowls, kale salad, baked apples - and more crafting. Vision boards, book decorating, you name it. It was inspiring to see how each students’ brain created something so unique and beautiful while all somehow being connected by the activity.
And perhaps the most touching piece of it all? The silence. There were words and giggles, but the intermittent silence while we each focused on something nourishing to our souls, it was an energy of peace.
Once we had finished crafting for the evening, we moved into a Yoga Nidra practice to set the tone for another restful night’s sleep.
In the morning we flowed on our mats again to wake up, taking advantage of a slow wintry morning. And once we were all refueled with a fresh breakfast, we packed up, reflected together on the weekend and set out to carry what we learned into our daily lives on campus and beyond.
The ones heading back to campus weren’t the only ones who were leaving with places to work either. I took away the reminder to do the work for myself to continue showing up for my retreatants, students and clients. How can I expect to lead by example when I’m not putting into motion words of wisdom myself?
I will never not love hosting retreats for my alma mater and learning so much from each person who walks through the door. St. Lawrence will forever remain the place where I discovered yoga, holding a special place in my heart. These retreats are such a gift to me, as they are an opportunity to serve from a place of passion. And although I already can’t wait for the next retreat to come, for now, I am where my feet are.
Immense gratitude for the 20 students to date (between fall 2019 and this retreat) who took time out of their busy schedules to do a different type of work that they will carry with them for a lifetime.
You inspire me.
xo
Retreatant Reflections:
“A deep reminder…
This weekend was a deep reminder to be unapologetically me (highs, lows, trauma and all!)!
-E.K.
“An oasis that fostered balance…
From the meals, discussions, and activities, this weekend soothed the stress and strain of college life. It provided an oasis that fostered balance and reframed inner reflection. Something that is notoriously overlooked in the rush of life.
-L.B.
“My biggest takeaway…
My biggest takeaway from this weekend is that I need to honor my body's need for rest and downtime. Moreover, that taking this time is not selfish, but rather productive, as it is what my body desires.
-L.B.
“Time completely focused on wellness in whichever way was best fit for us…
My favorite part of the weekend was the freedom to spend time completely focused on wellness in whichever way was best fit for us. I loved how many conversations we had together and the time we could dedicate to creativity and relaxation.
-M.L.
“I will take it with me forever…
The conversations and advice on wellness in every aspect really reached me and I will take it with me forever.
-A.R.
“I feel more confident…
I feel more confident in myself to do yoga and it was really nice to put myself in a situation with people i didn’t know and get to know them.
-M.J.
“Amazing…
The yoga sessions were amazing!
-E.K.
“You are where your feet are…
“You are where your feet are” was my biggest takeaway. I wrote a list of notes of things I will incorporate into my life, and also a list of things that are more valuable to me than my phone, that I can do whenever I have free time and want to cling to electronics.
-A.R.
