We arrived yesterday and one can’t help but RELAX here at Mission Bay in San Diego!  Everything about this place lends to an atmosphere of retreating!  The house where the retreat is held is a spacious luxurious beautiful villa right on Mission Bay.  We look out at the bay while we do yoga in the morning and in the evening!  Next door is the Catamaran Spa where we have access to daily swimming in the pool, soaks in the hot tubs, outdoor gym looking out at the bay, and saunas. A hop and a skip away are some of the best taco stands (we are about 11 miles from the Mexican border), coffee shops, and the boardwalk along the Pacific Ocean.  People here are relaxed and friendly.  And (I hope Joyce is reading this…) hardly anyone wears black (as we do in Seattle).

This is the first time Rick has been to San Diego since he was stationed here in the navy during the Viet Nam War years!  Rick is 10 years older than I am.  When he was here in 1971 getting trained for warfare and learning to be a sonar technician, I was a 10 year old little girl, back in Merrillville, Indiana, eating spaghetti and roasted rabbit that I thought was chicken!

I don’t mean to make anyone sick with envy, but truth is temperatures reached 78 degrees today!  We had most of the day to play around since the retreat didn’t officially begin until 3:30 pm today!

I can’t believe I forgot to pack shorts.  It’s like my brain could not fathom how warm it would be here.  I couldn’t think past the rain and recent snow!  Last year at this time, I gave the same retreat and had packed all warm weather clothing and a cool torrent of  rain fell the entire week of the San Diego Yoga Retreat.  I was chilled the whole time. Funny how these things work out.

After breakfast, Rick and I went for a long walk and first things first, we went shopping for summery clothing.  We then walked along the boardwalk marveling at the swimmers and surfers and friendly happy people soaking up the California sunshine!  Tom and Ursula arrived at 3:30 and we all went next door for a swim and soak.  Then we came back, did yoga overlooking the bay, watching the sun set, and watching the moon and stars appear brighter and brighter.  I have a super early morning tomorrow and should be asleep by now.  Every day for the next 7 days, we will begin each day with a 6:30 a.m meditation followed by yoga from 7-8:30.  Our group is small which is nice.  We can really enjoy a week of renewal, relaxation, and I can guide everyone in their yoga and meditation practice.  We have some fun outings planned and massages booked next door at the Catamaran Spa.  We also end each day with evening yoga followed by dinner!  All of our yoga sessions are done outside under the big sky overlooking the bay!  I am very excited about this week.  Already, it is exactly what I had hoped for!

Beautiful sculpture mounted on the wall near the dinner table.  Sometimes I feel like this horse, galloping through life at full speed.  It is good to stop and slow down as we are so wonderfully doing at this retreat!

This fruit plate is so beautiful that I feel guilty each time I reach for a cherry or some other wonderful piece of fruit!  Oh, how I love fruit!

Reflections from the outdoor glass of “our” villa:

Our two little retreat mascots, Jeanne’s Cocker Spaniels Diamond and Lala:

Miss Diamond:

Miss Lala:

The Pacific Ocean boardwalk near the villa (all within a few minutes walk from the villa):

Evening yoga overlooking Mission Bay (photo by Rick):

Rick took these yoga  photos sans flash and the coolest thing happened:

Off to bed now.  I really shouldn’t cut myself short on sleep!  I need to be the best I can be for a full day of retreating (and leading this fabulous group) tomorrow!  I have to say I already look forward to another day of full sunshine and warmth in sunny southern California!!

With love from Villa on the Bay!!  www.SanDiegoYogaRetreat.com