B•W•B ISSUE NO. 86: What Happens When We Rest

A DIFFERENT KIND OF GATHERING

BWB group sitting by the fire at AKERA

Over five days in late April, something rare happened in the Catskills.

Twelve women from across the country (specifically: Colorado, Michigan, California, New York, and Connecticut!) stepped away from the pace of their lives and into a shared experiment: what becomes possible when rest is no longer earned, but chosen?

Hosted at AKERA in Woodbourne, New York, our Deep Rest Retreat created space not for performance, but for presence. From the very first invitation “everything offered is an invitation, not an obligation” the tone was clear: this was not about doing more, but about allowing more.

Across the week, participants moved through a thoughtfully curated rhythm of experiences designed to engage mind, body, and spirit. Days began slowly, with self-guided mornings and yoga, and unfolded into sessions like Enneagram reflection, guided walks, astrology readings, and embodied practices. Evenings brought shared meals, sound baths, and fireside connection.

And how could we not mention the surprise DJ we hired to lead the group through an epic dance party in the geodesic dome. Have you seen the new study from the University of Leeds emphasizing the mental health benefits of electronic music events? Yep.

But the true impact wasn’t in the schedule, it was in the spaciousness between it.

There was time to pause.

Time to walk.

Time to sit with questions rather than rush to answers.

REST AS A LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

Throughout the retreat, a central theme emerged: rest is not passive, it’s generative.

Participants explored what it means to redefine rest beyond sleep. To see it as a pathway to clarity, creativity, and sustainable leadership. Through guided prompts and reflection, they examined the beliefs that make rest feel “undeserved,” and began to replace them with something more honest, and more human.

This reframing has real implications for how we lead, build, and make decisions. When we operate from depletion, we default. When we operate from restoration, we choose.

In a culture that rewards constant output, gathering a group of women committed to slowing down is quietly radical. And yet, it’s in that slowing that connection deepens…around the table, during a walk, or in the quiet recognition that nothing needs to be proven here.

The dome at AKERA

WHAT WE’RE TAKING FORWARD

As participants returned to their respective homes, they carried more than memories. They left with new questions, clearer boundaries, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be well. Rest isn’t one thing. As the retreat reminds us, it “can be expansive or subtle, easy, or unfamiliar.”

When we make space for it, it has the power to change how we live, and how we lead.

If you’re curious about future retreats or bringing this kind of experience into your organization, explore more here: https://wearebwb.com/retreat

With lots of deep rest,

Casey & Cait

stone arch and rainbow at AKERA