Sisterhood at Osprey. Our First Women's Wellness Retreat
- Lynn MC Schuster
- Aug 10
- 6 min read
Some weekends feel good while they are happening. Others stick with you long after you return home.
Our recent women’s wellness retreat was the second kind.
It was our first gathering of this kind, and from the moment everyone arrived, it felt clear that something special was taking shape. There was openness. There was laughter. There were warm cups of tea, bare feet, deep breaths, and the kind of conversations that happen when no one is rushing to the next thing.
Set beside the water and surrounded by enormous pine trees and nature, this retreat gave us room to rest, reconnect, and remember how nourishing it can be to simply be together. What began as a weekend retreat became a restorative experience for body, mind, and soul, and we are already dreaming of making it an annual tradition.
A peaceful setting made for slowing down
We stayed in a 1901 farmhouse tucked into 700 acres of nature preserve. That alone set the tone.
There is something about an old farmhouse that invites the nervous system to settle. The creak of floors, the slowness of screened in porch, the comfort of gathering around a table, it all made the weekend feel grounded and personal. Outside, the land stretched wide around us. Trees, trails, open sky, and water gave us a beautiful backdrop for both movement and stillness.
So many women spend their days caring for others, keeping lists, holding families, supporting clients, managing work, and tending to everything that needs attention. A weekend like this offered a rare kind of permission: slow down, receive, and let yourself be cared for too.
Movement, meditation, and heart-centered care
Each day brought practices that helped us settle more deeply into ourselves.
Emy led us in daily yoga and meditation, creating a calm and welcoming space for all levels of experience. Her sessions helped us begin and return to the day with intention. The yoga was grounding, the meditation was centering, and the consistency of that daily care made the whole weekend feel more spacious.
Sara led us through heart openers and body movement, drawing from her deep knowledge of the physical body through massage therapy. Her guidance helped us move with awareness rather than force. The work felt thoughtful and intuitive, an invitation to release tension and connect with the body in a kinder way. - Honestly her 7 minute body movement routine reminded me any movement in the day counts. That even when not carving out dedicated blocks of gym time, body movement can happen anywhere. -Sometimes a workout just looks like climbing a flight of stairs.
These sessions were not about trying to be flexible enough, strong enough, or good enough. They were about paying attention. Breathing. Noticing what the body had been carrying. Letting movement become a form of care.
For anyone who loves massage, yoga, gua sha, or simply learning how to support the body with more compassion, the weekend offered plenty of inspiration without feeling clinical or complicated. Everything was shared in a way that felt warm, practical, and deeply human.
Facial massage, thoughtful gifts, and soft moments of self-care
Andi brought such a beautiful element of self-care to the retreat with her facial massage teaching.
She guided us through techniques that felt relaxing, accessible, and easy to bring home. Facial massage can be such a lovely ritual, not only because it supports circulation and softens tension, but because it asks us to slow down and touch our own faces with care. In a season when many women are craving gentler routines, this practice felt especially meaningful.
One of the sweetest surprises of the weekend was the gift Andi prepared for each attendee. She created beautifully wrapped boxes filled with facial tools and products, presented with so much care and attention. There is a certain joy in receiving a gift that feels personal, useful, and thoughtfully chosen. These boxes gave everyone a way to continue the retreat feeling at home.
It was a reminder that wellness does not always need to be grand. Sometimes it is a warm towel, a few quiet minutes, a favorite facial oil, or learning how to use a tool with intention. Sometimes it is the simple act of setting aside time for yourself without needing to justify it.
Nature walks, creative hands, and soul-filling connection
Lynn facilitated nature walks and affirmation card crafting, both of which brought a beautiful sense of reflection to the weekend.
The nature walks gave us time to notice the land around us. We were able to move slowly, breathe fresh air, and take in the details that are easy to miss when life is busy. The affirmation card crafting gave those observations a place to land. It was creative, peaceful, and personal, with each card becoming a small reminder of what each woman wanted to carry forward.
Throughout the weekend, the group filled the farmhouse with easy, meaningful activity. Attendees made dried flower bundles and nature crafts. Tarot cards were read. Tea was poured again and again. Puzzles came together piece by piece. Conversations started at the table, continued on the porch, and picked back up after a walk.
There was joy in the mix of it all.
Some moments were lively and full of laughter. Others were quiet and reflective. No one had to be “on.” No one had to explain why rest was needed. Together, we created the kind of girls trip that felt nourishing rather than exhausting, with connection at the center.
That is the heart of what made the weekend so lovely. It was not only the setting or the classes or the meals. It was the way each person contributed to the feeling of safety, warmth, and sisterhood.
Nourishment from the garden to the table
One of the great luxuries of the weekend was that we did not lift a finger for our homecooked meals.
Every meal was prepared for us with care, and that alone felt like a gift. To come to the dining hall, and simply enjoy food in good company is a rare pleasure. No grocery list. No chopping. No cleanup mental math. Just nourishment.
Even more special, many ingredients in our chef-prepared meals were harvested from the onsite no-till garden. We were fortunate to tour the garden and see it firsthand, which made the meals feel even more connected to the land around us.
There is something deeply grounding about eating food grown nearby, especially when you have just walked the paths, seen the soil, and met the place it came from. It made the weekend feel whole. We were resting on the land, moving on the land, walking through the land, and being fed by it. (Us, and the ground squirrels!)
That kind of care is hard to describe without experiencing it. It slows the pace of the meal. It makes conversation linger. It reminds the body that nourishment is not only about what is on the plate, but also about how it is prepared, shared, and received.
We want this to become an annual tradition!
Because this was our first women’s wellness retreat, we came in with open hearts and hopeful plans. We left with full hearts and a clear feeling that this experience needs to happen again.
The weekend gave us what so many of us are craving: time in nature, meaningful movement, gentle self-care, creativity, rest, nourishing food, and the company of women who are also choosing to care for themselves.
For our Minnesota community and those nearby in Wisconsin and Iowa, this kind of weekend offers a beautiful way to step away without needing a complicated vacation. It is close enough to feel possible and special enough to feel like a true reset.
We are so grateful to Emy, Sara, Andi, and Lynn for the care, skill, and heart they brought to the retreat. We are grateful to Heather for lending us yoga equipment (hello car full of yoga mats, yoga blocks, bolster pillows, and colorful yogi blankets!) We are grateful to everyone who attended and helped cultivate such a positive, restorative experience. Each person added something to the weekend, through conversation, laughter, creativity, stories, stillness, and openness.
If this sounds like the kind of getaway your body and heart have been asking for, we invite you to sign up for the waitlist for next year’s retreat. Space will be limited, and the waitlist will be the first place we share updates when plans begin.
We cannot wait to gather again by the lake dock. Next time, maybe you will be there with us.
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