Our Iceland Adventure
23 of us set out for an unforgettable mini retreat to the majestic island of Iceland. After 4 days of fitness, mindfulness, outdoor adventure and inner connection, we all left feeling full on what it means to align with our joy, our hearts and our truth.
All photos are taken by Anna Meyer Photography
We started off our retreat meeting at the airport, and set out for the Blue Lagoon. This was ideal after a red eye flight and we all got to bond over face masks, jet lag and morning mimosas.
We took off for our 45 minute ride into Reykjavik, settled into our rooms at Hotel Odinsve reconnected at the studio we would be using for the next few days. Our intention was to integrate slowly into the week and decided to offer a restorative yoga practice to reconnect to our selves before we opened up to some of the work we'd be doing. Post yoga was our "welcome circle" where we get to know each other, and introduce our journal everyone receives. Things got a little vulnerable and we welcomed the week with a sense of authenticity, openness and generosity.
Thursday morning, we began our day with our fearless leader, Esther on an invirogarating 3k. We moved together as a team, meaning no one was left behind. In the cold damp weather, we worked through our discomforts and awakened to the meaning of community and confidence. It didn't matter what pace you were running, just as long as you kept going.
Our run was followed by an invigorating power yoga class led by Dani. A fluid practice that tapped into a greater understanding of the fundamentals of the yoga practice, how to create a deep sense of stability on and off the mat as well as learning practical tools for mindful attention.
Thursday was whale watching day! We had fun getting dressed in our gear but were definitely confronted with our discomfort zone as the water was super rough and we ended up seeing no whales. A great lesson in non attachment and being in the process of whatever comes, or in this case, doesn't!
Friday morning we ran 2 miles in the rain to get to a local gym, where Esther, with all of her power summoned over 75 people to her spin class. There were hip thrusts, hair tips and lots of screams in this class and in true Esther style, she brought the fire!
We didn't run back to the hotel but took cabs which none of us felt ashamed of. We worked super hard and couldn't wait to get back to our warm hotel breakfast that was always abundant with eggs, fruit, cereals, pastries, you name it. Friday was our golden circle tour. Remember the rain I mentioned earlier that morning? Yep, well it never let up. We spent the whole golden circle tour cruising around in the rain but it didn't disrupt our spirits. We got to witness so much of this tiny islands beauty and learned about it's history with our local tour guide.
