The Healing Power of Retreats: How Stepping Away Can Bring You Back to Yourself

In 2021, I found myself craving a reset. I was a stay-at-home mom with two little ones, grateful but completely depleted. The world was slowly reopening after the pandemic, yet something still felt off. I couldn’t quite name it — I just knew I felt disconnected from myself.

One afternoon, in a moment of both hope and desperation, I sent a text to a dear friend: “Would you want to go to this women’s retreat I found online?” The space was called Elohee Retreat Center, nestled in the stunning North Georgia mountains. She graciously said yes — and that simple yes became the start of something that would change my life.

On the drive there, my mindset was simple: I just need some me time. I even remember saying out loud, “I’m not looking to make new relationships — I’m here for me.” That mindset was exactly what my weary soul needed. What I didn’t realize was that I was about to meet women who would forever become part of my story.

When I arrived at Elohee, I walked into the tea room and was greeted by four women I had never met before, yet something in me recognized them. I laughed and said, “It’s almost like I feel like we’ve met before.” One kind woman smiled and said words that I still carry with me:

“Well, we most likely have. I believe life is like a quilt, and the people we meet are all pieces of it — woven together to make the fabric of our lives complete.”

Her words landed softly but deeply. I took a breath and allowed myself to settle in. I didn’t fully understand what was to come, but I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Over the next three days, I reconnected with nature, nourished my body with wholesome meals, and gave my nervous system the rest it had been begging for. I laughed, cried, journaled, and sat in silence. I breathed deeply — maybe for the first time in years. In that sacred space, I met women who became lifelong friends and witnessed healing that was quiet yet profound.

When I returned home, life looked the same, but I didn’t. I felt awake again — steady, grounded, and alive in a way I hadn’t felt in so long. That retreat reminded me that healing doesn’t happen from doing more. It happens when we slow down enough to listen.

That experience planted a seed in me — one that has grown into a deep calling to share this kind of space with other women. Today, I have the honor of co-facilitating women’s retreats alongside Tori Tatum, founder of Counseling Reimagined. Together, we hold space for women to rest, release, and rediscover themselves.

The New Year’s Women’s Retreat at Elohee

This August, we'll return to Elohee for something truly special—Breathe Retreat: Return to Yourself, held August 27–30. It's an invitation to step away from the demands of everyday life and reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been waiting for your attention.

In a world that constantly asks us to do more, this retreat offers something different: space to simply be. Through quiet mornings, nourishing meals, meaningful connection, and intentional moments of rest, you'll have the opportunity to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember who you are beneath the noise.

Throughout the weekend, we'll blend yoga, breathwork, sound baths, Reiki, guided reflection, and creative practices designed to calm the nervous system and invite deeper healing. You'll also explore your Human Design, gaining insight into your unique energy, strengths, and the way you're designed to move through the world with greater ease and authenticity.

Because creativity is such a powerful part of the healing process, you'll have opportunities throughout the retreat to reconnect with your imagination, express yourself freely, and integrate what you're discovering in meaningful, tangible ways.

Breathe Retreat is a beautiful blend of rest, creativity, community, and somatic healing—a place to lay down what you've been carrying, reconnect with yourself, and be surrounded by women who understand the courage it takes to choose your own healing.

Sometimes the most transformative thing we can do isn't push harder—it's pause long enough to hear ourselves again.

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