Her Wilderness is typically known for our success is offering hunting and fishing trips geared towards women, but that’s not all we do. In the last year the variety in our trips and events has exploded! We recently hosted a winter wellness retreat on the beautiful North Shores of Minnesota and it was a huge success. This certainly won’t be the last of these retreat style of trips! Women from all over the midwest headed North to Cook County, MN to dive headfirst into a retreat style weekend with 14 like-minded individuals. We were lucky enough to be accompanied by Amy Carrier Coaching for the duration of our weekend. Amy took the lead as our outdoor educator and wellness guide offering the perfect balance of fun and relaxation. Her teaching included a theme with the outdoors in mind. We touched on the elements; earth, air, water and fire. Her certifications and skillset in combination with her love for the outdoors couldn’t have been a better fit for this trip!
Our Wellness Guide + Coach Amy (left) and Her Wilderness Trip Coordinator Andrea (right)
We started our weekend gathering at a local watering hole, Voyager Brewing Company. Some of us enjoyed flights of local brews and indulged in their food menu. We then spent the rest of our evening immersed in a unique meditation experience, a sound bath. The intention with a sound bath is to help balance energy and allow each individual to let go and release. After the sound bath was completed we reconnected together as a group and opened the floor for women to speak their truth and set intentions. It was a beautiful and vulnerable time for many of us, you truly don’t know the weight of what others carry.
After some rest we were up and ready to tackle our full day of activities on Saturday! The weather here in Minnesota didn’t allow us to go snowshoeing so we laced up our hiking boots and hit the trails for some hiking! We spent sometime at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply to gather recommendations and insights on trail conditions. We drove up the Gun Flint trail to hike the Honey Moon Bluff overlook and George Washington Pines trail! While on the trail Amy lead a wonderful Forest Bathing or “Shinrin-yoku”. This is a traditional Japanese process of therapeutic relaxation where one spends time in a forest or natural atmosphere, focusing on sensory engagement to connect with nature. We sat below the tall pines on a fallen tree together while Amy guided us through the process with intentional breathing and calmly leading our minds to a place of relaxation. Everyone needs to give this a try! We made a quick lunch stop at Cascade Pub + Restaurant with amazing food and wonderful service! You should definitely check this place out if you are in the area. After lunch we took a quick hike up to the frozen Cascade Falls and then we were on our way to our next wellness activity, the sauna!
Sisu + Loyly offers two beautiful saunas that overlook East Bay and Artist Point. We rented the whole place to ourselves and let the girls go at their own pace. All fourteen of us braved the fridge temps of the Lake Superior water and took a cold plunge! Some spent more time in the sauna and others enjoyed time around the fire. Amy then lead us in a fire ceremony. We all took a moment a wrote down unhappy memories, fears, negative emotions, and anything that we were holding onto that doesn't serve us. We then threw those papers into the fire as a release. The accommodations of Sisu + Loyly provided us with an incredibly relaxing evening!
Our last morning was concluded with some gentle yoga and another incredible sound bath session led by Amy. She spoke on intentions, the group shared and spent some time in reflection. It truly was the perfect way to end an incredible weekend!
Guided Yoga Instruction from Amy Carrier Coaching
Kari wrote “This weekend we connected with nature, ourselves, and each other on an adventure I can’t recommend enough! The Winter Wellness Retreat through @herwildernessco in Grand Marais, MN was exactly what we needed to refill our cups! We hiked the Gunflint Trail, relaxed @sisuandloylysauna, polar plunged in Lake Superior, practiced meditation, forest bathing, and enjoyed a sound bath. We visited local breweries and restaurants, danced the night away, enjoyed some restorative morning yoga, and laughed …a LOT. 14 ladies ventured into the wilderness for one weekend and went home inspired, restored, and hungry for the next adventure!”
If you have looked at our trips and wanted to go, this is a great trip to start with. You can find all of our upcoming trips and events here. We would be happy to have your join us on our wellness weekend or any other trips that we offer!