Moab 2008 Retreat Scrapbook
Restoring Body and Soul at Exodus Women's Weekend Retreat in Moab
Traveling to Moab
Descending from the wintry mountains of Idaho, driving south through the ancient Lake Bonneville plain of Utah, I could almost feel the heat of the Moab canyons pulling me forward. I was headed south as fast as the speed limit on the highway would let me, taking me farther from the cold and snow as each mile clicked by.
I stopped at a gas station outside of Salt Lake and traded my down vest and boots for a sleeveless shirt and flipflops. Turning on the radio and singing along at the top of my lungs, grinning like a fool…. I just might make it to Moab in time for dinner, the first in four glorious days of relaxation and rejuvenation!
I was headed to a well-deserved break from the stresses of my daily grind: a long weekend just for women from Exodus Women's Fitness Retreats that promised to soothe my aching spirit, calm my anxious mind and restore my stressed-out body. Somewhere just outside of Moab, in the towering red desert canyons of southern Utah at the Red Cliffs Lodge, my resurrection awaited in the form of a four-day pamper!
Perhaps I should clarify that the meaning of the word "pamper," in the lexicon of Exodus Fitness Retreats, does not mean spa treatments and other forms of "being-done-to." While Exodus founder Robin Gerblick and her team, Margi McDaniel, Adrienne Miller and Kathy Sawdy, certainly appreciate well-appointed luxuries as much as any woman, the emphasis at Exodus is pampering through nutritious and healthy food that nourishes your body, exercise that makes you feel strong and powerful, and strengthening a personal relationship with God that succors even the most dispirited soul.
Arrival
I arrived Friday evening just in time to sit down to the group's first dinner together. The luscious meal – I chose wild salmon with a spicy red pepper sauce and seasonal vegetables – was expertly prepared by the Red Cliffs Lodge chef. For wine, I selected the Castle Creek Chardonnay. In 2002, Red Cliffs Ranch established Castle Creek Winery on the grounds of the lodge. It's a visual treat to drive through the vineyards to reach the entrance to the Lodge and a gastronomical delight to accompany your dinner with a vintage that is literally homegrown, local and organic.
Let me say here that Exodus retreats are far from Spartan endeavors. As much as these women believe in a good day's exercise, they also believe in the healing powers of good food and wine, as well as luxurious lodging – whether at Red Cliffs Lodge in Utah, the Banning House on Catalina Island or at Wapiti Lodge in Idaho, which is so far off the beaten path you must be flown there by a backcountry airplane! Bless them! I am of the firm belief that my spiritual journey must include visual beauty in my surroundings to remind me of the majesty of our Creator -- and a good mattress that will envelop me like a cloud of dreams at the end of the day!
We began Saturday morning with a stretch yoga class led by Margi, a licensed nutritional therapist. She took us through a series of lovely stretches that were just challenging enough to work out the kinks of traveling from the day before and to get our blood flowing from the tips of our fingers to our toes. At the end of the class I felt relaxed and energized, and ready to tackle one of Moab's famous mountain biking trails. I was also famished again! It must be something about the clear, sweet desert air and the multitude of stars at night…
Mountain Biking
Rim Tours Mountain Biking provided our bikes, gear and fabulous female guides, and drove us to one of the MOAB Brand trails. These trails, which are a short distance from downtown, are of varying difficulty. Because our group ranged from seasoned bikers to those whose athletic knowledge went as far as perusing an REI catalog, we headed down the Bar M trail, a newer trail for more inexperienced riders. Then we tackled the more challenging Courthouse Loop with its slickrock and short stretches of singletrack…and we were hooked! I felt like I was surfing the crest of the wave! The experience of pedaling on slickrock for the first time was flat-out exhilarating and I wondered what took me so long to try it! We rode under a cerulean sky, cheered the flatlanders from Chicago as they conquered the last few pedal strokes to capture the top of the hill, marveled at the arches that form Arches National Park gracing the distant horizon and joined hands in thanks to God before we tore into the wonders of our sack lunches!
One of the joys of an Exodus retreat is the very special camaraderie of the women that attend. Here is a mixed bag of women, most of who have never met before, who over the course of several days will coalesce as a group and form fast friendships through the sharing of physical challenges and heartfelt vulnerabilities. These women come from all parts of the country – Dallas, Chicago, Boise, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles – and their backgrounds are as different as kernels on an ear of Indian corn. What they have in common is a desire to challenge themselves through physical and spiritual exertion, and a willingness to venture beyond their individual comfort zones.
Linking the physical with Christian spiritual practice promotes Exodus' focus on strength and fitness in spirit, body and mind. Retreat participants are encouraged to find their inner strength by welcoming a personal relationship with God and discovering the fullness of who they are.
In a walk along the river, the group is led by Robin, who, while plucking rocks from the water's edge, shares a story of soul pain and how she overcame it. She hands her now-heavy backpack of rocks to each woman and asks her to shoulder it. When we realize that this sack of rocks is just like the bag of burdens we choose to carry with us every day, Robin challenges us further… Are we ready to let go of our self-imposed burdens and "lighten the load?" I won't give away all of Robin's magic formula, but darned if I didn't feel just the slightest bit lighter. As if I could lift my heels and dance on the soft desert air!
Inspiring Guest Speakers
That night, we celebrated our new-found freedom by listening to guest speaker, Sarah Mietzner, a gifted woman who guided us in examining our expectations of perfection…learning to find beauty and delight in our own imperfections. Sometimes easier said than done, but we had a lot of fun working with the materials she brought and listening to each other's stories of how we overcame fear through sheer courage and crankiness. Note to self: humor helps!
Sunday, we began with an invigorating Pilates class taught by Robin, a certified trainer and Pilates instructor (and yes, it was worth getting up for!) followed by a scrumptious breakfast buffet! The rest of the day was ours to fill as we chose. My roommate and I decided to take a drive up to nearby Arches National Park and squeeze in several hours of hiking before our afternoon massage appointments.
What a way to give thanks! We hiked to the top of a cliff admiring the iconic Delicate Arch as it stood in red splendor against the darkening storm clouds. Oblivious to the growing wind, we surveyed the high desert plain, littered with primordial cliffs and arches, which stretched as far as the eye could see. We were humbled in the presence of such natural majesty!
Rain and Full-Body Massages
Then, as the rain began to tumble down in big, thick drops, we arrived back at Red Cliffs Lodge just in time for what must be one of the true pleasures in life: a full-body massage from therapist Kathy Sawdy, another member of the Exodus team. As the rain drummed on the roof, my muscles melted under Kathy's firm touch and I drifted into a state of pure relaxation. Her healing hands, guided by the Spirit that flows through her and her quiet smile brought me another step closer to rediscovering that God-centered place of peace within myself, the one I so easily lose in the thousand little anxieties of everyday life.
That evening, as we walked from our cabins to the Lodge for our final dinner, the rain stopped as sun emerged from the clouds and shot a few tentative rays into the canyon. I looked up and gasped! A double rainbow spanned the entire canyon, touching one towering red cliff with its impossibly vivid colors before reaching across the mighty Colorado River to lightly touch another! It was a celestial gift to send us on our way and a poignant reminder that as we returned to the demands of our daily lives, God is everywhere, especially written on our hearts!
Exodus Women's Fitness Retreats are held twice a year in intriguing parts of the country that are conducive to physical exercise and spiritual examination. Each retreat is customized for its location, activities and season. Prices are all-inclusive and less than half of comparable retreats! Please call Exodus at 208.315.0475
by Cheryl Haas Visit Cheryl's Web Site
"From now on you'll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make that journey." ~Wisdom from The Princess Diaries
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