Begin 2024 with an Intentional New Year’s Retreat
Connect with your body, align your mindset and nurture your spirit in supportive community. Join writer/life coach Catherine Andrews and writer/yoga instructor Kelly Barrett, E-RYT 200 for a transformative retreat.
Shenandoah Valley
December 29, 2023 - January 1, 2024
How do you want to walk into the coming year? If you’re ready to do it gently, with intention, in a beautiful natural setting, by a fireplace in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this retreat is for you.
If you’re ready to be soothed by positive intentions and guides for the year and eager to embrace the ritual of the new year in a low-pressure environment with like-hearted women, this retreat is for you.
If you’re ready to have a soulful New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day experience, nourished by good food, nature, self-discovery and sisterhood, this retreat is for you.
Join Catherine and Kelly in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Maryland for a three-day retreat over New Year’s Eve weekend, December 29 through January 1.
Photo from Catherine and Kelly’s New Years Retreat in 2022-2023. A wonderful time!
We believe in ritual. And that there is something special about the threshold of the New Year combined with the intuitive cycle of nature that has nothing to do with harsh or restrictive resolutions or shame-charged should’s.
We believe in magic. And that spirituality can mean different things, and there is something special about digging into our innermost desires with the help of our journals, Tarot decks, crystals, yoga mats and the loving company of the forested land around us.
We believe in community. And that something powerful can happen when you combine a change of setting and scenery with a circle of kind and open-hearted women.
Where are you staying?
Our retreat space is Blue Mountain, a privately owned retreat center located on 27 acres of mostly forested land, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland, across from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. They are the Greater Washington community's first environmentally-friendly and health-conscious venue. Blue Mountain is convenient to both Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD - just about one hour driving time - yet after you arrive and settle in, you’ll feel like you have been transported to the midst of a forest. The secret is their 27 acres of mostly wooded land, which their family has landscaped and nurtured with love and organic gardening for more than 20 years.
More details about the Retreat…
Sample Daily Schedule:
7am: guided morning meditation
7:30-8:30am: morning yoga flow
9am: breakfast
10-1pm: Guided hike or group activity/workshop
1pm: Lunch
2-4pm: Free time
4-6pm: Workshops and activities (will include Tarot, yoga nidra, intentional journaling and more)
6pm: Dinner
8-9pm: Evening yoga nidra
What’s Included:
3 nights accommodation (shared rooms)
All meals - organic breakfast, lunch, and dinner cooked on site (vegan & vegetarian menu)
Daily yoga classes and meditations
An intention setting ceremony
A 2-hour workshop on how to discover and plan true to you and intentional goals for the year ahead
The option to book therapeutic massage or Reiki on-site (at extra cost)
A year ahead Tarot workshop
A New Year’s eve dance party :-)
What’s Not Included:
Taxes (based on your local state)
Airfare to and from the greater DC/VA/MD area
Transportation from airport to property (however, car rental/carpools to be arranged among participants)
Travel/trip insurance - which we do recommend! Learn more here.
Rates and accommodations:
Shared twin bedroom (you will share room with 2-3 other women): $1,030
Retreat is currently sold out. Please reach out through the form to be put on the wait list!
Due to the intimate nature of the retreat, please connect with either Catherine or Kelly directly or fill out the form below to express interest, and we will provide more details and how to hold your spot. We can’t want to see you!
Ready to join us?
Just fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch within a day with all of the deets.
About Your Hosts
Kelly Barrett is a yoga instructor (RYT-200) with seven years of experience teaching vinyasa yoga and meditation in Washington, D.C. and Arizona. She is the creator of Threadkeeping (prevously Om Weekly) a practical, reflective newsletter that examines ancient philosophy in a modern context through personal essays, featuring tools for self-exploration and self-discovery. Her yoga classes are designed to inspire a sense of strength, ease and acceptance—always with a touch of humor. She’s currently working on her first book, and loves using the practice of yoga to cultivate her own creative outlets.
Catherine Andrews is a writer and life coach whose expertise is in helping people discover who they really are, what they really want, and then take the actionable, practical steps to start making it all happen. She helps people to create, reclaim, and hone their narratives so they have the power to own and tell their own stories. She is an expert in holistic, compassionate personal development, and author and host of The Sunday Soother.
Q & A
Do I need to know yoga?
Absolutely not! All yoga instruction will be personalized and tailored to suit the needs of each individual on the retreat. That said, we will check in on any injuries or conditions so we can make sure that the offerings will best suit everyone, whether it’s your first few classes, or you’re a seasoned practitioner.
Is this for women only?
This retreat is for those who identify as women.
Will there be alcohol?
While we hold no affront against alcohol or those who drink, this retreat will be alcohol-free. We find it helps with clarity, spiritual inquiry, and overall relaxation.
Do I have to participate in the activities and workshops?
The activities are going to be awesome, so we hope you will, but no, nothing is required. Your time on this retreat is your own!
How do I get to this retreat?
The retreat space is located in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. We recommend flying into DCA or IAD and coordinating ground transportation from there. Carpooling may be available and coordinated among attendees!