We made pilgrimage this week. Doesn't matter where we traveled. Doesn't matter how we traveled. We made pilgrimage. The part that makes my heart swell is we just made it happen. Every part of this past five days was a surrender and an acceptance. We made the decision to take a quick restorative trip. We did it.
Kim and I needed a few days away. We wanted a few days alone. We took five. We took five days and made pilgrimage to Point Reyes Station, California.
We chose Point Reyes Station for three reasons.
There is yoga here. A lovely studio. A wonderful community. World class teachers. All to be found tucked in the back corner of a feed store.
There is hiking here. Miles of trails. Hills and beaches. Sand and rock. Meadows and deep cool forests. All to be found within a few miles.
It's an easy trip. There's a direct from BNA to OAK, which cuts the travel day in half compared to taking a layover in Denver or Dallas.
So that's the criteria. Yoga. Hiking. Easy.
The easy travel part is more important on short trips that longer stays. It's not a deal killer, but I hate losing a full day on either end of a trip when the trip is only five days.
What we stitched together here out of whole cloth, is a personalized yoga retreat. Five different teachers. Three different hikes. Several lovely meals.
Again my heart swells at the notion of manifesting this brilliant experience. When I say manifest, I'm not implying we just sat back and envisioned it and it came true. We planned (Pretty quickly, but we did plan.) I purchased tickets (Actually got them on points an a companion pass). I rented a car. I booked lodging. I mean we planned. But the trip was so much more than the sum of these parts.
On our arrival, we were lucky to take in a practice with Nick (MC Yogi). We didn't plan it that way. It just worked out. The next night we happened into a class with Amanda (10,000Buddhas). We didn't plan it that way. It just worked out. Friday we had an amazing yin class with Wendy. We didn't plan it that way. It just worked out. Saturday a gentle flow with Melissa. Again, no plan. Just happened that way. Our last day in Point Reyes we took in another yin yoga session with Debbie. Again, just happened.
Here's the thing: All of these teachers are on top of their game. Each one brings something personal. Each one brings a wealth of yoga experience and love to the mat.
Here's the other thing: The community of yogis in this little town is nothing short of awesome. It's a rag-tag group of locals who obviously have a love of the practice. Each day we met someone new. Each day somebody offered a suggestion for a hike, an invitation to a party, a simple good morning with a genuine smile.
I have a notion that the self crafted yoga retreat is an idea that has legs. Give it a whirl.