I just got back from a total dream trip. A Twilight fan-girl-level, bucket-list, squeal-worthy adventure.
Yes, I said Twilight. Like Bella, Edward, and the sparkly vampire crew Twilight.
And yes, I dragged my daughters with me. And no, I don’t regret it one bit nor care if you judge me for it. 
We stayed in the actual Swan House (you know, Bella’s house!) in Oregon. It took over two years of planning to finally get a booking-and it was worth every second. From there, we road-tripped for four days through the lush forests of Oregon and Washington, tracking down filming locations and making the kind of ridiculous, joyful memories I know we’ll be relishing and laughing about for years.
(Did you know they didn’t film a single scene in Forks, by the way? Still charming to visit, though.)
But something happened on that trip that I didn’t expect.
Amid the cheesy re-enactments, road trippin games, and misty tree-lined drives-I felt completely reset.
Joy Heals (and It Doesn’t Always Look Like Meditation)
Here’s the thing: as someone who teaches and leads stress reduction retreats, I talk a lot about tools like meditation, breathwork, nervous system regulation, journaling, and somatic healing.
And yes, all of those things are powerful and important.
But sometimes?
JOY is the medicine.
I’m talking about pure, silly, unfiltered joy. The kind that makes you laugh so hard your stomach hurts. The kind that makes you forget you have an inbox. The kind that takes you out of your “responsible grown-up” identity and reminds you what it feels like to play.
Joy regulates your nervous system just like meditation does.
Joy gives your body a break from the cortisol cocktail it’s been marinating in.
Joy reconnects you with you-your light, your weird, your spark.
And guess what?
That’s exactly what stress reduction retreats are built for.
Why I Build Joy Into My Retreats (Yes, Even With Horses and Ice Baths)
When women come to our retreats, they’re usually overwhelmed, burned out, and exhausted from carrying everything and everyone. They’re not looking for another “fix.” They’re looking for permission to breathe, feel, and maybe even laugh again.
That’s why at our stress reduction retreats, we don’t just sit in silence. We do the deep work and the joyful stuff.
We:
Swing in hammocks
Share wine and stories under the stars
Do art projects, equine sessions, and movement that makes you feel alive
Take cold plunges and then warm up by the fire
Laugh, cry, breathe, and reconnect
Because joy is serious medicine.
And sometimes joy looks like a yoga nidra session…
…and sometimes it looks like fangirling over Edward Cullen in a mossy Oregon forest with your daughters.
Both count.
Your Joy Is Waiting for You
So if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or burned out, and “self-care” feels like another item on your to-do list-you don’t need more to-dos.
You need JOY.
You need a full-body, heart-wide-open exhale.
You need to be in a space where your only job is to feel good.
That’s what stress reduction retreats are for.
And I’d love to hold that space for you.
Because life’s too short not to visit the Swan House.
And life’s definitely too short to forget how good joy feels in your body.
