• The Lodge
  • Heartwood House
  • Wellness Retreats
  • About Us
  • Blog
Snowgrass Lodge
  • The Lodge
  • Heartwood House
  • Wellness Retreats
  • About Us
  • Blog
Book

The Snowgrass Blog

Fall Wellness Retreats

9/5/2019

0 Comments

 
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
View Email in browser
Fall Wellness Retreats

Dear *|FNAME|*,


After a nourishing Summer at Snowgrass Lodge, we now look forward to Autumn, the season that teaches us about transition and letting go of whatever may be holding us back. We have some wonderful wellness retreats coming up this Fall to aid you in that process...
Genius of Anxiety Workshop

The Genius of Anxiety Workshop

September 27-29, 2019

 
Anxiety is a crucial roadblock on the path to success, health and happiness. In this workshop, Katie McKenna, LMHC, and Embodiment Coach Titus Kahoutek help participants rewire and transform anxiety on multiple levels (body, mind, spirit) through reflective action, integrated learning and advanced somatic techniques. Designed to expand emotional range and improve capacity to handle stress, this workshop includes daily movement classes, 5 active learning sessions, reflective time, and decadent nourishing meals in a luxurious setting. Learn more and signup!

Women’s Mountain Meditation Retreat

October 25th-27th, 2019


Clear Out. Clarify. Create! Join Amber Tande for a weekend retreat aligned with the arc of the new moon, focused on stilling the mind, accessing clarity in intuition and guidance, and visioning beauty toward the manifest. Each day we’ll spend several hours in silence, anchoring the practices of Meditation, Journeying, and Visualization, learning how, when, and why to work with each practice to support us through our daily doings, living in the present and creating a life aligned with our soul vision. We’ll also sing, move (very light, all levels movement), breathe, write, and connect. And enjoy local, organic deliciousness. Special dietary needs accommodated. To register or learn more, email amber@mysticliving.org or visit www.mysticliving.org

Fall Yoga Retreat 

Nov 1-3, 2019

 
Feel the message of Fall through nature, healing foods, and yoga in this nourishing weekend retreat led by acclaimed local yogi, Jennifer Isaacson. Ride nature’s rhythms by rising and falling with the sun, hiking beside the river, practicing yoga and soaking in the hot tub beneath a canopy of stars. Move strength and energy into the body using Vinyasa Yoga, settle into the slower pace of Yin Yoga and target tissue that’s been stressed by repetitive movement with Myofascial Release. Each of these techniques support meditation and provide space to deepen your inner relationship. We’ll have the entirety of Snowgrass Lodge to ourselves, chef Aria Peterman designing a healing menu and yoga tailored to your needs. No matter your experience with yoga, Jennifer supports and challenges everyone on the retreat. Learn more and register!

Fall Gratitude Gathering

Nov 22-24, 2019


Join Nathan Getzin and Ada Ketchie of Nada Wakes for a special autumnal Grateful Gathering! As the seasons shift with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it offers us a special occasion to retreat into cozy company, make space for rest and reflection, and expand our hearts through the power of gratitude. As musicians, sound healers, and yoga instructors, we use music, mindfulness, and movement infused with the practice of gratitude to shift patterns of negative thinking and nagging stress. We will gather in community to nurture this transformative practice of awakening appreciation through beautiful music, calming meditation, cathartic movement, deepening connection, nourishing food, and epic nature. All of our favorite things in one place! Beautiful people, immersive sound bath meditations, rejuvenating yoga, fireside folk music & storytelling, take-home tools & practices, family dinners, star gazing from the hot tub, and more awaits you. Wake up to your most gratifying life! To learn more, register, and snag the early bird discount ending Oct 1st, visit www.nadawakes.com/gratefulgathering. For additional questions email hello@nadawakes.com.

Snowgrass Lodge

You'll love our mountain-and-river-framed corner of nature. Offering both nightly vacation rentals and rejuvenating wellness retreats, the property is ideal for families and groups to celebrate togetherness, all within reach of Leavenworth’s many attractions. Get a 15% discount by booking directly through our new website! Also, please contact us for specials discounts on hosting yoga/wellness retreats, team events or other special gatherings.

About your hosts

Hailing from Seattle, Hernan and Angela fell in love with the natural beauty and easy pace of the Leavenworth area many years ago. In 2017, they bought Snowgrass Lodge to fulfill their dream of creating a mountain sanctuary and wellness retreat for people to enjoy and reconnect with friends and family in community with nature.







This email was sent to *|EMAIL|*
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
*|LIST:ADDRESSLINE|*

*|REWARDS|*
0 Comments

Summer & Fall Retreats

6/27/2019

0 Comments

 
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
View Email in browser
Summer & Fall Retreats


With the Solstice behind us, we look forward to the healing warmth of summer and fully immersing ourselves in the river and mountain beauty of Snowgrass Lodge. Read on to learn about some of the great wellness retreats and workshops we have lined up for you this Summer and Fall.

Alpine Yoga Adventure

August 16-18, 2019


Acro Yoga lovers and outdoor adventurers will enjoy a unique fun-filled weekend retreat with Brian Charlton & Gravity Lift at Snowgrass Lodge. Hike to an alpine lake for a dip, float a majestic river, enjoy 5+ hours of yoga with three experienced leaders, eat deeply nourishing meals together, and soak up the sweet acoustics of the beautiful timber frame Snowgrass Lodge that we'll call home for the weekend. Learn more and sign up!
Genius of Anxiety Workshop

The Genius of Anxiety Workshop

September 27-29, 2019

 
Anxiety is a crucial roadblock on the path to success, health and happiness. In this workshop, Katie McKenna, LMHC, and Embodiment Coach Titus Kahoutek help participants rewire and transform anxiety on multiple levels (body, mind, spirit) through reflective action, integrated learning and advanced somatic techniques. Designed to expand emotional range and improve capacity to handle stress, this workshop includes daily movement classes, 5 active learning sessions, reflective time, and decadent nourishing meals in a luxurious setting. Learn more and signup!

Women’s Mountain Meditation Retreat

October 25th-27th, 2019


Clear Out. Clarify. Create! Join Amber Tande for a weekend retreat aligned with the arc of the new moon, focused on stilling the mind, accessing clarity in intuition and guidance, and visioning beauty toward the manifest. Each day we’ll spend several hours in silence, anchoring the practices of Meditation, Journeying, and Visualization, learning how, when, and why to work with each practice to support us through our daily doings, living in the present and creating a life aligned with our soul vision. We’ll also sing, move (very light, all levels movement), breathe, write, and connect. And enjoy local, organic deliciousness. Special dietary needs accommodated. To register or learn more, email amber@mysticliving.org or visit www.mysticliving.org

Fall Yoga Retreat 

Nov 1-3, 2019

 
Feel the message of Fall through nature, healing foods, and yoga in this nourishing weekend retreat led by acclaimed local yogi, Jennifer Isaacson. Ride nature’s rhythms by rising and falling with the sun, hiking beside the river, practicing yoga and soaking in the hot tub beneath a canopy of stars. Move strength and energy into the body using Vinyasa Yoga, settle into the slower pace of Yin Yoga and target tissue that’s been stressed by repetitive movement with Myofascial Release. Each of these techniques support meditation and provide space to deepen your inner relationship. We’ll have the entirety of Snowgrass Lodge to ourselves, chef Aria Peterman designing a healing menu and yoga tailored to your needs. No matter your experience with yoga, Jennifer supports and challenges everyone on the retreat. Learn more and register!

Leavenworth Community Farm-to-Table Dinner

August 21, 2019


Join us for a magical evening celebrating local food and culinary delights in a stunning setting. The Leavenworth Community Farmer's Market (LCFM) Annual Farm to Table Fundraiser will be on Wednesday, August 21st. Local chefs from Visconti’s, Mozarts, Mana, Wildflour, Whistlepunk, Watershed, and Good Mood Food preparing a beautiful multi-course meal for you with wine from Eagle Creek Winery. Get tickets and more information here. In the meantime, see you at the farmer's market every Thursday from 4-8pm at the Lion’s Club Park in Leavenworth.

Snowgrass Lodge

You'll love our mountain-and-river-framed corner of nature. Offering both nightly vacation rentals and rejuvenating wellness retreats, the property is ideal for families and groups to celebrate togetherness, all within reach of Leavenworth’s many attractions. Get a 15% discount by booking directly through our new website! Also, please contact us for specials discounts on hosting yoga/wellness retreats, team events or other special gatherings.

About your hosts

Hailing from Seattle, Hernan and Angela fell in love with the natural beauty and easy pace of the Leavenworth area many years ago. In 2017, they bought Snowgrass Lodge to fulfill their dream of creating a mountain sanctuary and wellness retreat for people to enjoy and reconnect with friends and family in community with nature.

0 Comments

Spring Newsletter: Upcoming Events

4/18/2019

0 Comments

 
View this email in your browser
Snowgrass Lodge on the River
Snowgrass: Spring Newsletter
Spring Newsletter

What's New & Upcoming

It's thawing out here in Leavenworth, and we're looking forward to beautiful spring and summer seasons at Snowgrass Lodge. Read on to find out what's happening here in the upcoming months, from women's gatherings, yoga and body-awareness retreats, and health-focused workshops, to our local farmers market (Snowgrass is a sponsor!).

RISE: Reciprocity in Sisterhood Exchange
May 31, 2019 - June 2, 2019

This 3-day women’s gathering will offer lessons from various teachers in the areas of Nature-Driven knowledge, Arts & Expression, and Healing. Throughout the weekend, there will be a variety of workshops, yoga, healing and movement classes along with local, wholesome meals prepared in the lodge we’ll be sharing. Learn more and sign up! For any questions, contact risegathering@gmail.com.
 

Farmers Market Thursdays
June-October

Plus, join us for Benevolent Night @ München Haus

Tuesday, May 7, 2019, 5-9 PM

 
Snowgrass Lodge is a new 2019 sponsor for the Leavenworth Community Farmers Market, bringing you local food, crafts and music every Thursday, June through October. Stop by Lions Club Park on June 6th at 4pm for the kickoff of the season and be a part of the locals' experience. Donations are key to supporting LCFM's multiple initiatives and to serving thousands in the Wenatchee Valley. Join the community effort here.
 

You can also join us for a Benevolent Beer Night of giving at München Haus on May 7th, when 25% of all sales from 5pm to close will be donated to Leavenworth Farmers Market.

Alpine Yoga Adventure
Alpine Yoga Adventure
August 16-18, 2019
Acro Yoga lovers and outdoor adventurers will enjoy a unique fun-filled weekend retreat with Brian Charlton & Gravity Lift at Snowgrass Lodge. Hike to an alpine lake for a dip, float a majestic river, enjoy 5+ hours of yoga with three experienced leaders, eat deeply nourishing meals together, and soak up the sweet acoustics of the beautiful timber frame Snowgrass Lodge that we'll call home for the weekend. Learn more and sign up!
Embodied Anatomy Immersion
Embodied Anatomy Immersion 
August 28-September 1, 2019
This 4-day training retreat with Liam Bowler and Mike Hamm at Snowgrass Lodge will have body-centered practitioners learn via palpation, movement, meditation and anatomical insight. At its heart is common ground underlying all body-based disciplines. It’s not another technique to add to your bag of tricks; it's an in-depth examination & systems training on the bag itself: how you see, feel and imagine a human body. Learn more and sign up!
Genius of Anxiety Workshop

The Genius of Anxiety Workshop

September 27-29, 2019

Anxiety is a crucial roadblock on the path to success, health and happiness. In this workshop, Katie McKenna, LMHC, and Embodiment Coach Titus Kahoutek help participants rewire and transform anxiety on multiple levels (body, mind, spirit) through reflective action, integrated learning and advanced somatic techniques. Designed to expand emotional range and improve capacity to handle stress, this workshop includes daily movement classes, 5 active learning sessions, reflective time, and decadent nourishing meals in a luxurious setting. Learn more and sign up!

Women’s Mountain Meditation Retreat
October 25th-27th, 2019
 
Clear Out. Clarify. Create! Join Amber Tande for a weekend retreat aligned with the arc of the new moon, focused on stilling the mind, accessing clarity in intuition and guidance, and visioning beauty toward the manifest. Each day we’ll spend several hours in silence, anchoring the practices of Meditation, Journeying, and Visualization, learning how, when, and why to work with each practice to support us through our daily doings, living in the present and creating a life aligned with our soul vision. We’ll also sing, move (very light, all levels movement), breathe, write, and connect. And enjoy local, organic deliciousness. Special dietary needs accommodated. To register or learn more, email amber@mysticliving.org or visit www.mysticliving.org
Snowgrass Lodge
Snowgrass Lodge

Whether it's your first time here or a return visit, you'll love our mountain-and-river-framed corner of nature. Offering both nightly rentals and a relaxing retreat for small groups, the property is perfectly set up for families and groups to celebrate togetherness, all within reach of Leavenworth’s many attractions. Contact Us about hosting your retreat or, if you're looking for a nightly rental, Book Now.

About your Snowgrass hosts

Hailing from Seattle, Hernan and Angela fell in love with the natural beauty and easy pace of Leavenworth many years ago. In 2017 they bought Snowgrass Lodge to fulfill their dream of creating a mountain sanctuary for people to enjoy and connect, surrounded by nature yet within reach of Leavenworth’s many attractions.

Copyright © 2019 Snowgrass Lodge, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or stayed at Snowgrass in the past.

Our mailing address is:
8787 Icicle Rd, Leavenworth, WA 98826

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
0 Comments

Snow Till Spring

3/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Spring may not be right around the corner in Leavenworth, but that's okay--the extra winter means extended skiing, silent nights, and frosty walks through an icy kingdom. Here's a photo of the world outside, with evergreens and icicles and palatial mountains. Not bad, March. Not bad at all. 
0 Comments

Happy New Year!

1/2/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
We are so thankful for the Leavenworth community, for the wonderful guests we've had at Snowgrass Lodge and Heartwood House, and for the beauty of the Leavenworth area. We’re looking forward to an amazing 2019!

We wish you all the best and hope your year is filled with adventures with family and friends in the most beautiful places on earth. If you are looking to come to town for the winter season, please check for availability on www.snowgrasslodge.com

Big group? Snowgrass Lodge sleeps up to 12 and has private rooms for 4 couples.

Just a few? Heartwood House is perfect for two couples or a family of four. There are still several ski season weekends open this winter! ​
0 Comments

​Happy Thanksgiving from Snowgrass!

11/21/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Our loved ones may be far away from us geographically this holiday, but they’re still here in our hearts. In the spirit of the season, we're reminiscing about the fun times we've had with family recently. Here’s a blog post Angela wrote about taking her mom to Norway this summer. Hope you are planning lots of adventures with your loved ones.
-Hernan & Angela
​


Fjord Travels With Mom: Flåm, Gudvangen & the Sognefjord>>
Picture
0 Comments

Autumn Leaf Festival Parade 2018

9/30/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thank you, Leavenworth and the Autumn Leaf Festival Association for a wonderful parade yesterday! It was a fun spectacle! If you missed it, you can find out more about the Festival at http://autumnleaffestival.com. See a few pics and some videos below!
0 Comments

Fall’s Deep Learning

9/23/2018

0 Comments

 
Fall colors, salmon festivals, bird migrations & yoga meditations…autumn in Leavenworth inspires mindfulness about the natural world.
Picture
Fall returns to the Pacific Northwest like an old friend bearing gifts. The trees are gathering their bouquets: maples are turning heart red, aspens burnished gold. There’s a cool edge to the air, and the scent of campfire stirs the memory, playing with our sense of time. Autumn holds a poignant beauty, precious in its impermanence.

It's a nostalgic season. Back-to-school feelings still tug at us from the past, as do our deep cultural ties to the land, around which the public school year was originally designed. There is so much nature has to teach us in the fall, and I realized I'd better start paying closer attention. Here are a few recent experiences in which I found myself in the role of student again.
​
Salmon in Session 
Last weekend I visited the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, located a quarter-mile from Snowgrass Lodge. Built in 1940, the hatchery was one of three created as reparation for the Grand Coulee Dam’s devastating impact on migratory fish populations (salmon, steelhead) after the dam blocked access to spawning habitats in the Columbia River basin.

​The Leavenworth hatchery helps restore Chinook Salmon to the rivers and streams, and replenish Native American tribal fishing grounds. 
Picture
​As I toured the grounds, looking at young fingerlings in their tubs and full grown salmon born last year, I learned about the incredible the lengths they’ll go, traveling miles and miles of waterways to reach the Pacific Ocean, where they’ll live for years before returning (by scent) to the rivers of their youth. Back to this very spot.

​Their life is literally a journey, their marathon swim upstream a perfect metaphor for perseverance. Nature, I thought, is the best teacher.
 
This weekend, on the September Equinox, I returned to the hatchery for the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival. Featuring hands-on learning activities for kids, reptile shows, birds of prey exhibits, and Native American art, the free community day celebrated the return of the salmon to our Northwest rivers. 
Picture
Other Migration Lessons
I also recently went on a bird walk at nearby Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort a half-mile farther up Icicle Road. There, I joined more than a dozen early morning risers armed with binoculars. Led by retired U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist Heather Murphy, we spotted American goldfinches in the aspens, osprey on the wing, and dippers in the river, and we chased an elusive white-headed woodpecker through the organic garden, its call leading us down the primrose path. 
Picture
As we scoured trees and snags like detectives, searching for signs of life that hadn’t yet migrated south, I felt grateful for the thrill of discovery, and to be learning something new. It was the final bird walk of the season, and last chances are always exciting.

​Perhaps that’s fall’s hold on us, too—the last-chance splendor that feels like “a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."[1] Fall reminds us to be ever mindful, to not miss a thing.
Picture
A New Practice
Autumn is an ideal time for starting new activities, and not just outdoors. One of the founding texts on Hatha Yoga, the Gheranda Samhita, suggests starting a new yoga practice in spring or autumn, “for in these seasons success is attained without much trouble” and one “does not become liable to diseases.”[2] Sounded good to me.

​After the bird walk, I took in a gentle yoga class at Sleeping Lady led by 
Joanna Dunn. The transition from investigating the natural world to more inward observation felt like the right progression to me.
Picture
​Clearly, fall has already been working its magic on me. For me, the deep learning of autumn lies in paying attention to my changing world. I like to think of every trip around the sun as a metaphor and a microcosm of a whole lifetime, from the spring of our youth, to our ripe autumn years. The current season holds great lessons for us, not the least of which is to make the most of our lives with the vibrancy that fall knows best.

​What feelings does fall inspire in you? What activities are on your calendar? Share them below!
Picture

​[1] Voiced by a character trying to connect with an estranged family member, this line from Act II of Camus’ play, Le Malentendu (The Misunderstanding), seems to assert that life offers us second chances. The encouraging quote belies the play’s dark themes and Greek tragedy-style ending, but I still love the metaphor. You can read contextual dialogue along with one reader’s commentary here.
[2] The 17th century Gheranda Samhita, translated by Rabbahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu, is viewable online here.
0 Comments

When “Retreat” isn’t Defeat: Non-striving and the Strategy of Return

9/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him. 
- Lao-Tse,
Tao Te Ching [1]

Sometimes I feel like hiding from the world. The Pacific Northwest corner I call home has been veiled in smoke from long-burning fires in California, Montana and B.C. for much of the summer. Every morning, I check an air quality app just to see if it’s safe to spend the day outside. Then there’s the news. From natural disasters to equally inhospitable political climates, the news leaves me informed but depressed. Looking around, the planet feels like it’s suffering, and at times I feel that way, too. How about you?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by forces beyond our immediate, individual control—surrounded by battles that seem impossible to win. It makes sense, wanting to retreat. 

What I propose is reframing it not as retreating from, but retreating to: to a place blissfully free of overcommitted schedules, overextended energies, and constant media attention. A place where we can put ourselves back together after our nerve-racking world has shaken us apart. A place of solace, after having hitched our hearts to the things we thought would keep us buoyed in the storm of life—our health, our family, plans to buy a home or travel—only to be battered in the turbulent waters anyway, and to lose one or more of the things we were banking on. A place where the stress in our lives won’t overtax our nervous systems, or hide the joys that fill the spaces between our real and imagined crises. When we’re laser-focused on what’s hard, it’s difficult to see the good. And none of us can afford that.
Picture
Retreating to means finding your own space to experience the calm that returns our hearts, minds and bodies to equilibrium. It can mean literally escaping for a few days to a cabin in the woods, a shack on a remote shore, or a private “do not disturb” room in our own house—all of which can help us retreat to that quiet place in ourselves. Reading a book when there’s work to be done. Taking a slow, lavender-scented bath and staying in for the night instead of a quick shower before bolting out the door. Trying something slower, simpler, even if it feels boring at first. 

When I spent a month in China with my husband a few years ago, we learned about the Taoist concept and spiritual practice of wu wei. Literally translated as “no action” or “without effort,” it’s perhaps best understood as “effortless action” in which one moves through life in a natural way, without attempting to control or force a situation. One becomes fluid like water, and just as yielding and adaptive. A passage from Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, or The Book of the Way and of Virtue, uses the metaphor of water to express the concept:

The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao. [2]
​
The concept of doing through non-striving has been written about for millennia, as attested by the Tao Te Ching. I myself was introduced to wu wei in China in terms of tai chi. Originally conceived as a martial art and still practiced as such, it’s now especially known across the world for its slow, fluid movements that provide exercise as well as physical calming and mental clarity. It’s a practice that walks the middle path, where good health lies.

Movement and exercise are necessary for health, but pushing ourselves to the extreme—as I used to do as a professional long-distance mountain biker—can be hard on and even damaging to our bodies (just ask my arthritis-ridden left shoulder). It sounds like an extreme example, but how many of us aren’t currently preoccupied with some pain or stressor or worry that’s taking a physical and mental toll? Are we at war with our bodies, our neighbors, our coworkers? Perhaps it’s a sign that we need to hit the reset button, and practicing non-striving can do that.

Whether we are suffering with an ailment, anxiety or the general exhaustion of keeping the machine of our lives running, we can retreat to that still place in us where resilience dwells. Sometimes when we stop trying so hard, we return to ourselves. Things get easier. And better.
Picture
​Where do you go and what do you do to find stillness? If it's hard to find the calm within, escaping to a quiet place for the weekend can be a good first step. Here are some of my favorite retreats in the Pacific Northwest:
 
Locharie Resort, Lake Quinault
Shi Shi Beach, Neah Bay
Doe Bay Resort, Orcas Island
Snowgrass Lodge, Leavenworth
Chatter Creek Campground

[1] Lao-Tse, Tao Te Ching, Tr. James Legge (BN Publishing, 2007). Viewable here.
​
[2] Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, trans. By Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English (New York: Vintage Books, 1972) chapter 8, 1-3. I also like this very different translation from Derek Lin’s Tao Te Ching: Annotated and Explained (SkyLight Paths; 1st edition, 2006).

Photos: Top: J.M.W. Turner, Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps, 1812; Second: Personal photo of the Naerofjord in Gudvangen, Norway; Third: Personal photo of Wedge Mountain, Leavenworth, WA.
0 Comments

Seek Nature, Find Wonder

8/15/2018

1 Comment

 
How spending time in Alpine Lakes Wilderness can awaken awe and lead to health benefits and a stronger community. 
Picture
And O, ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves, 
Forebode not any severing of our loves! 
-William Wordsworth, Ode: Intimations of Immortality
 
He hears the song of nature; he has transcended his humanity, you know, and reassociated himself with the powers of nature, which are the powers of our life, from which our mind removes us.
-Joseph Campbell, The Hero’s Journey

 
We’re in a stolen world, with no other human creatures in sight. The sun is setting on Dragontail Peak, the rays turning its broad face a pinkish-gold and all below it to shadow. In front of us, Colchuck Lake, a deep aquamarine during the day, has darkened to slate, though it still reflects the gilded mountain above. Behind us, the larch trees and backlit valley ridge enclose what will be our borrowed home for several days. A light wind is dancing with the trees, rippling waves, and kissing our faces.
 
Enchanting Nature
​Colchuck Lake shimmers beside the gateway to the famed Enchantments Basin in Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The way to reach it is via the Stuart Lake trailhead, just a short drive from the Bavarian-style mountain town of Leavenworth. The hike demands a mere 4 miles and 2,300 feet of elevation gain to reach an alpine paradise, and what reward for such little labor.
 
We are among the few remaining here after an afternoon filled with day hikers. Some without camping permits turned back hours ago. Enchantment Area Permits (obtained through annual and day-of lotteries) are required to camp here overnight. Others have continued up Aasgard Pass beside the Dragontail to reach the Core Enchantment Zone before dark. But we have made our home here at Colchuck Lake, content to bask in the golden hour, when the light transforms every known thing into something magical. And, come nightfall, we’ll have other lucky stars to count.
 
The wilderness draws many into its fold, and its startling beauty is reason enough. But there’s something singular about the scene--the fleeting sunset, the remote peak with its living glow--that makes this moment seem more significant than the one before. A bit of its radiance remains in our soul, like lingering twilight. 
 
When we immerse ourselves in nature, it can alter our perception of time and place, ushering in a heightened sense of the world. And the deepest shifts may issue from feelings of awe. Being “awestruck” can feel like a flash of wonder that expands the world before your eyes, shrinking you in its vastness. You can feel deeply humbled, but at the same time as if you’ve never felt so alive.
 
Awakening Awe
​
Awe is a profound emotion that’s hard to pin down, for within its elusive and ineffable nature lies its power, pointing to something greater than what we can fathom or name. Still, researchers endeavor to study it, and some have documented the capacity of awe to increase “prosocial tendencies,” or altruistic behaviors that benefit other people or society. 

Picture

​One research study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2015) synthesized five experimental evidence studies to document how inducing awe in test subjects, including placing them in an inspiring nature setting, resulted in increased tendencies toward generosity and ethicality, and a diminished emphasis on the self. In other words, awe helped them care a little more about others’ needs and less about their own.
 
The researchers concluded that awe “serves a vital social function. By diminishing the emphasis on the individual self, awe may encourage people to forego strict self-interest to improve the welfare of others” (897).
 
Awe realigns us with each other and our community. It inspires our service, and it serves us in return: there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that serving others can lead to feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Probably because it helps us develop a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
 
For those of us already living our purpose (or following our bliss, as Joseph Campbell might say), seeking awe-inspiring experiences in nature may affirm our path and connection with the world. And for those of us still finding our way, nature can be our guide and teacher, as Wordsworth movingly avowed in his poetry.

There are so many reasons to seek nature: to reduce stress, improve mood, even minimize pain. The Japanese have a term, Shinrin-yoku—loosely translated as “forest bathing”—for spending time under the living canopy as a source of healing and preventive health care. But perhaps awe itself is the holy grail of nature experiences, an elusive feeling ever worth the pursuit, and so miraculous in its ability to inspire. When we find ourselves in nature, we also may find ourselves in wonder, marveling at a vastness beyond the world we know, discovering how good it is to feel so small before its grand immensity.
Picture




​

​

Want a little more awe in your life? More time in the “meadows, hills and groves," spellbound by sunsets or bathing in forests? You might find what you are looking for in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near Leavenworth. Here are a few links to learn more:
​
Visit Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Hike the Enchantments
Discover Leavenworth, WA
Stay at Snowgrass Lodge


1 Comment
<<Previous

    About

    Angela is a writer who loves sharing people’s stories. Hernan is a designer who creates uplifting experiences. Snowgrass Lodge is the mountain sanctuary they share with others.

    Archives

    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017

    Categories

    All
    Community
    Events
    Fall
    Hikes
    Holidays
    Nature
    Spring
    Summer
    Transformation
    Wellness
    Winter

    RSS Feed

Picture

Snowgrass Lodge

Phone: 206-399-1964
​​Email: snowgrasslodge@gmail.com
CONTACT US

    Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe
  • The Lodge
  • Heartwood House
  • Wellness Retreats
  • About Us
  • Blog