November 2023 SLU LIGHT House Retreat Recap
In 2015 I transferred from the University of New Hampshire to St. Lawrence University. I was placed in what they call an FYP (freshman year program) instead of joining the community as a stray transfer. The way FYPs work is you are placed in a small group of other first year students that you live in the same dorm with and take a class with during your first semester. It’s a really great way to feel integrated from day one.
I was part of the Outdoor FYP, and something they did before the semester started for us was a pre-trip. We stayed at Canaras (St. Lawrence’s traditional Adirondack camp on Upper Saranac Lake) and hiked for a few days in the Adirondacks before heading to campus to kick off orientation. On one of the hikes I remember chatting with Alida, one of our OLs (orientation leaders). She was a senior and I really looked up to her. She had such eloquent life advice on how to navigate the years ahead of me at SLU. I never would have imagined that nine years later I would be in a role similar to Alida’s, facilitating and leading yoga retreat weekends for SLU students needing a break from the demands of student life. Nevertheless, sometimes the best things in life are the most unexpected.
Now having hosted three retreat weekends for SLU through their LIGHT House theme house (Fall 2019, Fall 2022 & this year, Fall 2023), I can’t imagine my life without these weekends in them. The students head back to campus with such a rejuvenated and joyous energy, while I head home pondering all the growth I’ve observed, both in them and myself. It is hopeful and humbling to stand witness to.
On Friday when they all arrived, they arrived as a group of strangers caught up in the overwhelm of college student life, but after two nights in the Adirondacks, endless conversations, three yoga sessions, three meditation sessions, a workshop rooted in becoming our best selves, five farm-to-table meals (shout out to local farms Juniper Farm, North Country Creamery and Mace Chasm for all the fresh ingredients) and a hike through oodles of ADK mud, on Sunday morning they left as friends with a stronger sense of being grounded and present for the remainder of the semester to come. In fact, they enjoyed their time together so much so that most everyone highlighted the new connections they made with fellow friends as their favorite part of the weekend. The food and yoga were tied for second, and the hike landed third.
There were a few pieces of the weekend that stood out as my favorite:
Morgan Doyle, a fellow SLU alum who is a certified yoga teacher and Yoga Nidra practitioner, joined us on Saturday evening for a Yoga Nidra session after dinner. It was amazing to see her connect with the students in her own practice, and to reconnect with her after all these years.
My golden retriever, Loyo, joined me as co-host for the weekend and he had a blast of a time, although he was quite perturbed he couldn’t join us for yoga and meditation.
I am overjoyed that the mouse on the loose stayed upstairs, but I must say hearing the students work as a team in an effort to capture it was quite entertaining.
I will continue to consider the opportunity to host these weekends as a privilege and an honor, and am already looking forward to bringing an even better weekend to life next year for my St. Lawrence community. If there’s anything I’ve learned both from my time at SLU and since graduating, it’s that a career can look like whatever you want it to look like, and I’m thrilled that I have a community like St. Lawrence behind me in doing what I’m passionate in: helping people feel their best while also helping them be their best.
Retreatant Reflections:
“A lovely opportunity to rest …
This weekend was a lovely opportunity to rest and eat thoughtfully prepared meals with a like minded community!
-A.P.
“Anna goes above and beyond…
Anna does a lovely job integrating a rejuvenating lifestyle into three short days, whose benefits are immediately reaped and appreciated. Her flows are impactful but accessible and her cooking skills are chefs kiss!! Anna goes above and beyond and is super accommodating too!!
-L.C.
“This retreat was everything that I needed…
This retreat was everything that I needed, it was restful, rejuvenating, and instructional. Anna was very well prepared and incredibly knowledgeable and supportive. My yoga practice and my meditation and mindset really improved through Anna’s classes and workshops. The food was also amazing!
-C.L.
“Complete rejuvenation of the body…
This whole retreat was a complete rejuvenation of the body and mind and filled me with tons of gratitude and love!
-L.F.
“Cozy, laid back and connective…
This retreat exposed me to a diversity of new ways to get in tune with my body, mind, breath and spirit through yoga and meditation. Our practices were cozy, laid back and connective, and the way we grounded ourselves in the space of the house for the weekend created a beautiful community. Not to mention, the farm to table food was incredible!!
-S.W.
“Full of gratitude and joy…
This retreat was an excellent way to get back in touch with my mind and body and take some well-needed self care time. I left this retreat feeling full of gratitude and joy.
-R.P.
“A journey within…
This retreat was a journey within and left me with a profound sense of spiritual growth. The farm-to-table home-cooked meals were amazing too.
-A.K.
“Itinerary had a great flow…
This weekend felt like such a treat for my body and for myself. We had a group of amazing people, the house was beautiful, the food so good and the itinerary had a great flow.
-A.A.
