Reflections on the Ananda Day Retreats

This past Saturday, the Feral Yogi and I hosted our very first Day Retreats. These retreats were initially scheduled for April but I know everyone is (overly) familiar with cancellations this year. I’m going to be honest, it’s been a pretty big mess to sort through each event cancellation, move guests around, lose some guests, you get the point, so I was more than ready to get back to hosting.

Doing this work feeds my soul. Watching others invest in themselves will never lose it’s luster. It’s inspiring. I feel like if this year has shined a light on anything, it’s creating the space for the things that fill your soul and I hope everyone keeps showing up for the things they want out of life.

If you’ve been a guest in any form, whether you had to reschedule, cancel, drove all the way from Chicago for four hours in the mitten, are reading this blog or have participated in multiple retreats, know that I see you and I deeply appreciate you being here.

The guests on this retreat were some of my favorite women and for the first time ever, more people came alone than with a friend and that nearly made my heart explode! I love when most of the guests are “strangers” because it keeps everyone more open-minded and more willing to interact with each other.

And of course I couldn’t do any of this without my amazing team! It had been almost a year since we were able to host and it was incredible to get the band back together ;) In case you’re new here, the Day Retreat team was made up of my bestie Jenn of Feral Yogi, my dear friend Elise of Mod Bettie and Naughty Bettie, and my sweet friend Chef Abbey of Abbey Dexterous and the Hot Spot and they are all stuck with me for life. Not only are they the best at what they do, but they are also so kind and funny and I love spending time with them.

Abbey crushed it per usual by creating not only delicious meals but multiple delicious drinks as well. She has as true knack for making you feel loved through her food. Elise makes everyone laugh a lot and has a knack for instantly making guests feel at ease. And she always captures the best moments, she took all of these incredible photos.

And Feral is always authentic. She is fully and truly her brand. She believes in empowering women to believe in themselves, to stand in their truth, and to embrace their wild. She’s one of my favorite yoga teachers and best friends, so I kept feeling grateful and humble to be there with her.

We couldn’t have had better weather or a better location at Fresh Coast Farms. We participated in cacao ceremonies, forest bathing, yoga, hiking, meditation, connecting around the bonfire and my favorite: crystal healing sound baths.

This retreat re-affirmed that I want to release and host multiple retreats with different themes because I keep seeing different needs. Retreat with us! We really have the best team and the best time!

We have an incredible line up for 2021 and we truly believe there is a retreat for everyone on our schedule!

My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am a certified yoga instructor with a passion for yoga, travel, and connecting with others.

I believe in trying everything once. My values lie in collecting memories over things. Though we desire adventure and authentic experiences, naturally our fear holds us back.

My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.

Anna VanAgtmael | Yoga Enthusiast | Travel Designer