The whole retreat, start to finish.

There was a fire near Sisters earlier this summer, but it was northeast of town. Suttle Lake Lodge is northwest of Sisters, and none of the areas where we'll be staying or spending time were burned. That fire is now out.

There are other active wildfires in Oregon, but they are not currently located where we will be. I'm actively monitoring fire activity through Watch Duty, and I'll keep doing so as we get closer.

October was chosen in part because fall is beautiful here, but also because wildfire risk generally ends by then. Cooler temperatures and fall rain — or snow at higher elevations — typically close out the active fire season. We saw the same seasonal shift last year.

I'm in nearby Boise, so wildfire conditions and their seasonal patterns are something I pay close attention to. Fires are never entirely predictable, and I won't offer a guarantee that conditions cannot change. But there is a general seasonal cycle, and by October the threat is typically much lower than in summer. I also have a contingency plan for alternate lodging nearby if conditions ever threatened the lodge, and I'd keep everyone informed and decide based on current conditions and safety.

Most women come to retreats alone. You do not need to bring a friend, know anyone beforehand, or be especially outgoing. The retreat is intentionally small, and the experience is designed so connection can develop naturally through shared meals, activities, and conversations. You will not be walking into a room where everyone already knows each other.

You also will not be expected to spend every minute socializing. There is room to connect, and room to step away when your system needs quiet. You get to be part of the group without performing for it.

I know. There may never be a completely convenient time to leave your responsibilities for four days. Work will still be there. People may need things from you. Your brain may produce a very convincing list of reasons this is not the right week.

For many women, that is part of the pattern we are interrupting. You do not need to wait until everything is handled, everyone else is settled, and you have reached the absolute end of yourself before you are allowed to step away. This is four days. Long enough to come out of the daily pace, but short enough to fit inside a life that already holds a lot.

That is a fair question. This is not simply lodging and a few scheduled activities. You are investing in a small, thoughtfully facilitated experience that brings together the different layers affecting your capacity: your nervous system patterns, your body, your boundaries, your identity, your energy, and the way you have learned to carry responsibility.

You will receive your Survival Archetype profile and retreat nervous system map, guided nervous system and body-based practices, facilitated workshops, meals, shared outdoor and adventure experiences, and time at Suttle Lake Lodge.

But the value is not in how many things I can fit onto an itinerary. The value is having four days in which you are not responsible for holding everything together, while learning what has kept your system in constant readiness and what will help you begin changing it. Payment options are available if spreading out the investment would make the decision more workable.

You do not need to be falling apart to come. In fact, this retreat is especially for the woman whose competence has made it easy to overlook the cost of her current way of living.

Maybe you are still performing well, but everything requires more effort than it used to. Maybe you are more irritable, tired, disconnected, restless, or easily overwhelmed. Maybe your body has started getting louder. Or maybe nothing is dramatically wrong. You simply know you do not want to keep living at this pace until something forces you to stop. That is enough.

You will not be asked to disclose your deepest experiences to a group of strangers. We hold space for you to do that if you want to, but it is absolutely optional.

This is a grounded, educational, and experiential retreat. You will learn how your nervous system responds under sustained pressure, recognize the patterns that keep pulling you back into overfunctioning, and practice ways to work with your body rather than continually overriding it. There will be meaningful conversations, but you choose what you share. No forced vulnerability. No expectation that you tell your whole story. No pressure to manufacture a breakthrough.

This retreat may be a fit if you are a high-capacity woman who has spent a long time being the reliable one. You may be leading a team, running a business, caring for other people, navigating a transition, or simply carrying more than most people realize.

You are not looking to abandon your responsibilities. You want to meet them without abandoning yourself. You are willing to be honest about what your current pace is costing you, and you want practical ways to build a more sustainable relationship with leadership, responsibility, rest, and your own body.

This retreat is not appropriate for someone needing crisis stabilization or intensive mental health treatment. It is a structured retreat for women who are ready to understand their patterns and participate in changing them. If you're wondering whether Sisters is right for you, book a call. I am intentionally curating this group, and I absolutely will not try to talk you into attending if I don't believe it's the right fit.