Ever stumble across the answer you needed and not know how you got so lucky? Almost as if you’d been trying too hard to find something, so you just couldn’t? That’s how Mount Shasta brought me in. A series of unlikely events that landed me exactly where I needed to be, exactly when I needed to be there.
Depending on who you ask, Mount Shasta has a certain type of magic. In some circles you’ll hear words like vortex, portal, chakras. Others circles may stick to hiking, scenery, beauty and a cute downtown. But in all of the circles I run in, I see people being pulled in.. and staying.
It’s as if the mountain offers exactly what you’re looking for but pushes you just a touch further to what you need.
For me, I have always needed mountains and trees to feel connected and grounded. I learned this years ago when I moved to Enterprise, Alabama and felt stuck and depressed in all the flat and skyless terrain… despite how much I loved it. And even now as I live in the sweetest California country town I’ve ever lived in, I still need mountains and trees.
So a few years ago when I was invited to a meeting to talk about a Mount Shasta retreat at the Hestia Retreat Center, I was all in. I agreed to drive 90 minutes for a 30 minute meeting to discuss a contract I would have no idea how to execute and with someone I had never met before. While the entire thing seemed unlikely and slightly confusing, I hopped in my car and drove anyway. And as I got closer and closer on the most beautiful drive, I began to feel inspiration and excitement. There was this burst of energy showing me what I wanted next in life and how to get there.
And when I pulled into the Hestia retreat property and drove across the bridge, there was no one there to meet me. My meeting was unknowingly running late. I felt both lost and at home at the same time. I looked around and didn’t know where to go, yet knew where to be. I knew I needed bare feet and slow breaths. I knew my meeting was more about me than it ever was business. In fact, that business never even happened… and I’ve never really left Hestia.
And that’s kind of how it works up there.
You hear about a retreat or event. You feel intrigued but not sure why. You sign up. You anticipate. You imagine how it will go. Then you go… and the closer you get, the bigger the mountain becomes on your drive, you feel like you’re headed to the exact place you are supposed to be. It feels like home. It’s exciting.
But the best part is what happens while you’re there. You become part of something you didn’t expect. You find a circle of unlikely friends that you love and belong in, if only for a short time. There’s always a table with a seat for you waiting. There’s an agenda you thought would give you one thing but blessed you with another. You reconnect with yourself. You find what you need.
And you go home different. Better.
I’ve supported several retreats over the years now. All of them are different in purpose and people. And what I know with absolute certainty is that each person that went, was supposed to. The changes they made can either stick for life or just make the passive shift they needed to recharge. Again, whatever they actually needed.
And depending on what circles you run in, you’ll hear it was the mountain that did that or maybe whoever you pray to that did it. But every circle I’ve run with has always used the word magic.
So, be brave and trust the curiosity you get when you’re invited to a Mount Shasta retreat. The mountain is calling you. Go see what it has to say..