Whitewater kayaking, yoga, massage… awesome!  The Whitewater Goddess Retreat is all about fun, confidence-building and relaxation.   We started on Friday afternoon/evening with massages and dinner at Relia’s Garden.  After the meal we met in our Goddess room to sit in circle together and practice guided meditations led by Sharon.  We learned how to use affirmations to facilitate change in our lives on and off the river, preparing us for our whitewater adventure!

Saturday morning started off with a gentle yoga class.   After breakfast we headed to the lake where we introduced the beginners to the wet exit and basic concepts while the more advanced students worked on their rolls with Anne.   The Tuck through town section of the Tuckaseegee was our afternoon river run.  Eddies, ferries and running rapids filled our afternoon and we were excited to see a big, beautiful Bald Eagle fly overhead!  Pretty amazing and not very common for that particular section of river.

We returned to circle after the river where we revisited affirmations, talked about our challenges and successes that day and practiced a new guided meditation with Sharon.  That evening after another delicious dinner at Relia’s more of the women were treated to their massages.

Sunday started with another yoga class, a bit more rigorous this time to wake us up!  After breakfast we headed to the Tuck Gorge for the day.  Fun, friendly, scenic  whitewater.  It was a great day on the river where we continued to work on our river running skills, rolling and just enjoying the experience.  A few more massages, dinner and then farewells.

The Whitewater Goddess Retreat is my favorite program because it combines many of my passions:  Paddling, yoga, massage and personal transformation.  The retreat atmosphere allows for challenge and growth in a fun, friendly, supportive and holistic environment.  It takes into consideration the fact that kayaking is much more than the physical act of paddling down a river.  There are important mental and emotional aspects of kayaking that are just as, if not more important than the physical component. The Whitewater Goddess Retreat takes the time to address all parts of kayaking.

I’m grateful for each and every one of the nine women who joined the retreat this year. Each one brought something unique and special to the program.  Enjoy the photos below, most of which were taken my Mary Stager.  Happy Paddling!