Mother Nature provided us with a beautiful gift on our yoga retreat this weekend–the first snow of the season. We were able to arrive on Friday night, practice over looking the lake as the sun set and experience a deep Savasana by candle light. I don’t know if you’ve ever had the opportunity to begin your practice while it’s light out and end when it’s dark, but I highly recommend it. Then Yafa treated us to a spectacular dinner of squash, ginger and carrot soup, followed by Moroccan tilapia, green salad, steamed asparagus and a delightful apple torte with lemon yogurt for dessert. We sat in front of the fire, said goodnight and awoke to a snowy wonderland. Morning practice felt cozy and we created a lot of heat with focus on the breath. Slow intentional movements with pace directed internally from breath A delicious lunch, and then a winter, snowy hike! Animal tracks…and even the spotting of a blue heron taking flight from a small tree aside the lake. Some indulged in a massage back at the Inn and we all prepared for our evening restorative practice. Another stellar dinner, fire and sleep. Sunday morning led to a hike, colder this am! We were treated to a beautiful view of the sun coming across the lake as it cleared the trees. We ended with another yoga practice, and said our goodbyes over brunch. Thank you to all the beautiful yogis who joined me and created such a special group to make one of my dreams realized. I’ve been thinking of a weekend retreat for about two years, and it finally came to fruition. And an open invitation to all for next year. If you are interested in a weekend away with yoga, meditation, amazing food and accommodations–I have the perfect spot. Blessings, Ali