02/01/2026
Last weekend, I attended Inner Bliss NY very first yoga retreat with one of my besties, Michelle Oppedisano Diamond 🥰
Initially, I said YES to going because it meant time with Michelle. I didn't care what we did, I just wanted to do it with her!
Little did I know just how much I needed this weekend deep in my soul. (We BOTH did... because yes, we both cried on the way to the retreat, for separate life reasons lol)
Upon arrival, there was a lazy meet and greet with people as we passed each other in the halls of the absolutely gorgeous The Stockade Inn, Schenectady, Ny Everyone was getting settled into their spaces, and getting to know faces. The whole building runs deep with history, and it added to the charm of the weekend, for sure.
We spent the first day getting to know each other, opening some breath channels, and softening our souls in preparation to receive whatever we each needed. We participated in an incredible sound bath experience (which has solidified my desire to start sound baths in my new space at Tranquil Waters Spa & Wellness so stay tuned for those!!) And ended the night just catching up for hours with my girl.
Saturday, we awoke before the sun and quietly poured in to the studio space (which is lovingly tucked right into the second floor of the Inn, so you don't need to travel but just a flight of stairs and you're there!) We practiced Prana Yama together and slipped right into some purposeful gentle yoga, as we witnessed the sun crest and explode into the room with gorgeous light.
We were fed all weekend with love and purpose. Food that evoked all your senses while also making you feel good. We slipped in and out of tea and coffee times as we needed.
We practiced some somatic releases, there was even a dance class (that I missed because we went to get baby snuggles with my sweet thaaannggg 😍😍)
We continued learning little bits & pieces of knowledge as it's been passed down through storytelling over the centuries, checked in with our own egos, reformulated how we felt as we received new sensory info, changed our minds about some things as we felt them, and transformed a little bit more as we expanded self.
I personally came to a few very important reflections of self that I have needed all week to let settle into my soul. Big things to feel.
One of the most transformative things I learned was the importance of allowing Self to expand large enough, so that I can create space for all the things I don't like about myself to exist alongside the things I like. (How often do we shove that s**t alllll the way down lol) I also discovered that when poses get hard to hold, I want to move my body.
Which then led to me understanding that when things get hard in life, I want to move. Run. (My yoga practice mimicking my life practices lol who'd a thunk...) Insert abandonment issues here! 😅
And just when I was about to cry from uncovering THAT shadow work, we were gently instructed in class to push at least one more breath past the moment we want to move/come out of the pose, and to discover what is waiting for us there.
And BOY let me tell YOU what... waiting there for me are so many stuck/held emotions about not being good enough, about my need for perfection in my own life, and about self worth. Ew. I knew I would find some stuff. But I was a little surprised at how quickly it came up for me.
We ended Saturday with a yoga nidra practice that made me feel so deeply safe, loved, and connected.
Sunday we were gentle with ourselves as we prepared to leave early because of the snow. We took in one last practice with each other, then filled our bellies, shared social media so we could stay connected, and cried a little as we parted ways. Because when you spend even just 3 days in such close, quiet connection to souls, a bond forms that I can't quite explain.
We need each other. We need experiences like this. I already cannot wait for the next retreat they hold. I will absolutely be attending again!! And I hope to see some of YOU there. Because it's not every day you can travel 30 minutes from home, stay in the city next door, and feel like you've gone on a week long vacation lol
This space is needed. This work is necessary.
