By Joleen

The first time you consider attending a retreat, it can feel like stepping into the unknown. Retreats are meant to be restorative, grounding, and transformative. Yet, for many people, the anticipation of leaving familiar routines comes with anxiety. At Big Raven Farm, we have hosted hundreds of guests over the years, and we have learned what first-timers often worry about. Understanding these concerns can help you approach your retreat with curiosity instead of fear. This guide is for anyone feeling nervous about attending a retreat for the first time. We will explore common worries, how to prepare, and why these...

Gentle reflections from Big Raven Farm on slowing down, taking steady breaths, and remembering the importance of caring for ourselves and for one another.

Explore Big Raven Farm retreat season — peaceful countryside retreats blending yoga, creativity, nature, and mindful workshops to help you reset, reconnect, and grow.

When people imagine a retreat, they often picture warmth and abundance. Long days. Sunlight spilling through windows. Bare feet on soft ground. It is an understandable image. Warm seasons invite movement, expansion, and outward energy. Winter offers something else entirely. At Big Raven Farm, winter retreats are not a quieter version of summer. They are not designed to distract you from the season or make winter feel like something to get through. They are built around the truth of it. Winter is the most honest season we know. The Farm Without Ornament In winter, the land does not try to...

It usually starts with something tiny. You catch yourself staring at the same corner of the living room for the fourth time in a day, wondering why your own walls suddenly feel like they are leaning in. Or maybe you have that moment where you open the fridge even though you are not hungry at all. Sometimes it is snapping at a partner, or feeling weirdly emotional at a dog food commercial. I see it in people every winter. Cabin fever creeps in quietly, and by the time you notice it, the restless little beast has already pitched a tent...