Episode #387 – Power Pause: Insights from a Canyon Ranch Retreat

This is episode 387 of the Brilliant Balance podcast. Today, I’m sharing insights from a Canyon Ranch retreat.

Welcome back to the show! If you pressed play on this episode, I hope it’s because you are considering giving yourself the opportunity to create a retreat experience—one where you step away from the rhythm of your everyday life and settle into a new rhythm of rest, renewal, and reflection. I recently had that experience.

I was hosting a retreat in collaboration with Canyon Ranch at the Woodside, California, property. Having just returned about a week ago, I thought this would be the perfect time to sit down at the microphone and capture some of my personal insights from this experience.

I think retreats are something every woman leader I know truly needs. The women I work with, the women I take to Canyon Ranch every year, and even the women outside of my professional life would all benefit from regular time away. Canyon Ranch is the high-watermark experience—it is an exceptional, truly incredible collection of properties, and their ability to lead these retreats is extraordinary.

Today, I’m going to talk about the experience I had. I think this type of retreat can be recreated in a variety of ways, but the ethos of it—the spirit of it—can be pulled into any retreat experience you craft for yourself.

I want to share my experience, and I also want you to think about what it would be like for you to have a similar retreat—perhaps a version of it that you create yourself.

That’s my intention today: both to share my experience and, hopefully, to inspire you to have your own.

I want you to picture yourself arriving at a place that is truly different from your everyday experience. If you live in the city, maybe you picture yourself arriving in a naturally beautiful setting. If you live in a rural environment, perhaps you imagine yourself in an entirely different landscape. Even a city can serve as a retreat setting.

In this case, picture towering redwood trees, as high as you can crane your neck to see. Imagine misty mornings, where the fog gently descends into the area, making everything a little damp and cloudy. Then, as the day progresses, the warm, bright sunshine emerges. There are abundant outdoor spaces for deep conversation and the luxury of having time that is entirely for you.

The Woodside retreat center is just about 35 minutes outside of San Francisco. We flew into the San Francisco airport, and a car took us to the property. When you arrive, it feels very intimate. The retreat center is a single structure housing all the different amenities, surrounded by a ring of smaller structures that function as luxury treehouses. These treehouses have giant walls of windows that look out directly into the forest.

The entire stay is designed to follow your circadian rhythm. There are no window coverings because the backs of the treehouses have complete privacy. The design encourages you to align with nature—when the sun goes down, it’s dark, and you naturally feel tired. When the sun rises, natural light wakes you up. They encourage guests to embrace the power of resetting their circadian rhythms.

This retreat was about settling into a different pace because that’s not how we live at home, is it? At first, I felt that familiar urge to fill my time—how would I stay productive? How could I maximize the schedule? There were so many activities to choose from. But gradually, I softened into the rhythm of the retreat.

Since we arrived on a Thursday afternoon and stayed until Monday morning, we had a full half-day to adjust. Honestly, it took me nearly 24 hours—until midday Friday—to slow down enough to fully engage in the experience. Once I did, everything started to open up. The shift in pace allowed access to entirely different insights, turning off some of the constantly running mental channels.

At home, we can practice this, too. We can carve out intentional moments of slowness—maybe sipping that first cup of coffee without scrolling or checking emails, or taking a walk without listening to anything, just hearing the natural sounds around us. Being present with one activity at a time is a small way to cultivate the same practice that a retreat allows us to experience on a larger scale.

Another insight I gained was leaning into curiosity and trying new things. I arrived with an intention—certain personal reflections I wanted to explore. Outside of the sessions I led for the women attending the retreat, I had time to participate in the offerings on the property.

I wanted to give myself the chance to try things I might not normally do. For example, I joined a drumming circle—completely outside my comfort zone! I don’t play the drums, and I’m not sure I ever have. But I embraced the beginner’s mindset, and it was a powerful experience. Even the person leading the circle was a beginner—he usually led other activities but had stepped in that day. It was fun to watch everyone be beginners together.

I also signed up for a watercolor session. The experience reminded me of childhood, simply painting for the pleasure of it, with no expectation of creating a masterpiece. These experiences were magical because they allowed me to be curious and try something new.

If you’re considering a retreat—or even just a small shift at home—think about something you’ve been curious about but haven’t tried yet. Maybe it’s a single class, an experience that shakes you out of your routine and offers a fresh perspective.

Nature played a significant role in this retreat. Walking among the redwoods, I felt small in the best way. My worries didn’t loom as large, and my perspective shifted. We did an activity called Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, a Japanese tradition of mindfully being in nature. Even at home, stepping outside, opening a window, or taking a walk can be incredibly grounding.

Another powerful shift came from reframing things I usually dislike. I do not like rain—at all. But on the day of an off-property hike, it was raining. The staff’s enthusiasm changed my mindset. They assured me, “The forest comes alive in the rain.” And they were right! I reframed the mist as ethereal instead of something annoying. My shoes got wet, my hair curled, but the experience was fantastic. It made me wonder—what else in life could I reframe to experience differently?

This retreat also redefined luxury for me. The beauty of understated, effortless luxury—the freedom to show up exactly as we are—was profound. No performance, no polish, just presence. The simplicity felt deeply luxurious.

Finally, I was reminded of the joy of meeting new people. So many women came to this retreat alone, and within four days, they had formed meaningful connections. We thrive when we expand our circles and engage in deep conversations.

Ultimately, this experience reinforced that we don’t need permission to step away, to rest, to explore, to reflect, and to receive. A retreat doesn’t have to be four days—it can be two hours of intentional disconnection from the grind.

If you’re considering a retreat, I highly recommend Canyon Ranch. As a gift to listeners, they are offering a discount code—just use my first name at checkout for 10% off. Canyon Ranch has multiple locations, so you can choose one that suits you best.

If you decide to take this step for yourself, I would love to hear about it. Give yourself permission to retreat, reflect, and renew.

Thank you for listening. I’m always grateful that you tune in, share your insights, and engage in this journey. Until next time, let’s be brilliant.