Life! Busy, messy, sometimes dull, sometimes more excitement than we can bear… but truly a joy in all of its glory.

One consistent thing about life these days is the constant stream of
• e-mails, texts, Facebook posts
• things you need to do, things you should do, things not to do
• who needs your help, your love, your opinion
…the demand on our attention, energy and time is never-ending.

But you, yes you, can press pause. You can tell the world “I need to stop all of the doing. I need to refocus, regroup, and renew. I need to just be.” Take a moment to press pause and retreat.

Retreat…
• To your backyard.
• To a quiet place in your home.
• To a local park.
• To a yoga class.
• To a place where you can relax and renew and find you.

If you have time, and yes everyone has the time – sometimes you just have to make the time (instead of excuses), a yoga retreat is the ideal get away.
There are so many retreat possibilities there’s no excuse to not take one. Maybe you’re looking for a big getaway to a faraway place, to escape to a tropical oasis or mountain destination. Or maybe you’re looking for something closer to home and not as hard on the budget. Yes, Retreat in the Pines IS my favorite retreat get away, but I might be partial. I’ve been hosting yoga retreats since 2004 and I’m still awed by the beauty and peacefulness of nature and inspired by the hundreds of amazing women of met over the years.

Once you arrive at your retreat destination - even if it’s in your backyard - slow down and breathe. Take a moment to soak it all in. To discover what it is that drives you. Are you being driven towards joy? Or is everything driving you crazy?

Some Retreat Options
• Retreat in the Pines, two hours from Dallas, offers women’s yoga and wellness retreats almost every weekend. Prices start at $369.
• Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat in Playa Del Carmen, December 2-6, 2015 with Kathryn Templeton and Kendall Inman.

Oh the excuses… who will take care of your children, your pets, your partner, your plants, your obligations, your to do list? Reach out to your support group and ask for help. Maybe demand help. Tell them the truth, “if I don’t get away soon, something may fall apart. And I’m afraid it will be me.“

Know that all of those plates that you have spinning will be fine. You won’t come home to find them crashing to the floor. But you may come home to find that you are willing to put some away, maybe give them to someone else, maybe gently set them down to pick up later, or maybe you'll throw them to the floor because there’s no way you’ll ever need to pick up that plate again.

Know this universal truth: If you don’t take care of you, you will simply be unable to take care of anything or anybody else. And when that happens, who will take care of you?