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A Return to Joy

Yoga was an important part of my life, long before I ever realized. Worry and panic attacks peaked in my mid 20s. After making my health a priority, I found a passion for fitness classes. I loved how I felt after a yoga class, both mind and body.  When I was pregnant, I went to Blooma Yoga and continued their at home yoga dvd for all my trimesters. 

I continued yoga at home and didn’t think much about how it was shaping me, until my late husband was diagnosed with cancer. I searched for yoga poses to help both of us with physical and mental struggles.  Meditation and prayer with him became a daily practice for us. We met with our pastor for healing prayer every week. I read to him at night and recorded meditations for him to use when I was not with him. He loved to hear my voice, it soothed him, he said.

Yoga was not on my mind, but what was I doing all along? I was learning the principles of yoga. 

When the calendar neared the five year mark of my late husband’s death, depression was consuming me. I had lost who I was at my core. The constant companion of grief frustrated and overwhelmed my daily life. 

I restarted talk therapy and found Azitala offered Reiki which intrigued me. I was tired of being sad and was willing to try anything. After my first Reiki session, I released heavy emotions being held in my body. Discovered anger and fear living inside of me that needed to be released. Reiki became an important part of my daily life. 

I continued to learn about Yoga, both poses and breathwork and the positive affect they had on my mind and body.  In 2021, I went on my first Sweet Spirit Retreat. This was a stepping stone into my journey, completing both my yoga teacher and Reiki Master training in 2023. 

I remarried to my best friend on July 1, 2023, becoming both a wife and a widow. This new chapter of my life allows grief and joy to co-exist.

The combination of Reiki, Yoga, and using essential oils has been the turning point in my grief journey. I am passionate about sharing tools with others and helping them find joy again in life.

Join Julianna Wednesday, Oct 25 for an evening of Connection & Care for Grief & Loss. You’ll experience a gentle movement & breath practice to support better sleep, a mini Facial Reflexology session, herbal foot soak, refreshments, & time in community.

This event takes place in Otsego, MN.

Julianna Czech

Julianna Czech

Julianna shares Reiki and yoga with others in her free time. She is a mother of 2 boys, a wife, widow, and hobby farm enthusiast. Her chickens, goats, cats, and dog provide her with daily comic relief and therapy!

Can You See Yourself at a Yoga Retreat?

Picture the fire crackling and hot tea waiting… you check into your room and enjoy some quiet time before dinner, make a few new friends around the table, then end the evening with a tension-relieving class.

You enjoy a peaceful slumber then wake up for Morning Yoga to get your blood flowing. You linger around the table after breakfast, making the morning coffee last just a little longer. You head back to the yoga space for a workshop that deepens your practice and sends you home with Energy Medicine tools.

The rest of the day is yours for the making.. it may include a transformative session with one of the providers, or perhaps some time exploring outside, with a break for another goodness-filled meal made from scratch. Mid afternoon you might follow the sound of the drum up to the loft for a time of Intuitive Movement. You slip a nap in whenever it calls you.  

After the evening meal, you bundle up to stroll a candlelit path under the stars. The lodge warms you on your return, and you drift up the stairs to settle under your blanket for a Restorative practice with Healing Sound.

Sunday morning feels bittersweet… you feel the pull to return home but the cozy lodge begs you to linger. You meditate under the morning sun before the final shared meal. A closing circle leaves you with a blessing for the journey.

You return to “real life” changed, yet somehow even more you.

Ready to Retreat?

Winter Retreat at ARC 2/2-2/4

Spring Retreat at Minnesuing Acres 4/18-4/21

#1 Ingredient: Loving Intention (A Xanadu Recipe Recap)

If you’ve never set foot in the kitchen at The Hideaway at Xanadu let me just tell you- it is like stepping into Grandma’s kitchen! You are enveloped with not only the warmth and smells of our latest culinary endeavors, but also a sensation of being surrounded by all the loving hands that have prepared meals here.

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup welcomed everyone on retreat arrival night (Spoiler alert: Old Bay is the secret!). Shredded chicken is a nice addition if you’re a meat eater.

Nothing like waking up to an egg bake! Here’s one of the recipes we used this year: Dairy Free Breakfast Casserole.

I switched it up this year and held a workshop in the dining room: Mindful Connections Through Meals. I loved hearing more about everyone’s background and how it has affected their cooking and eating experience.  We chatted about the value of pouring love and mindful intention into our meals and how our children notice these things.

We also made one of my favorite recipes: Perfect Paleo Chicken Salad. (The homemade mayo is amazing!).

A simple salmon recipe with oven roasted seasonal veggies capped off our Friday evening after a chilly day of horseback riding adventures.

I typically make oats on the stovetop, but for a group this size we used the slow cooker so we could wake up to a ready breakfast.

For one person, start with

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 c almond milk (or preferred milk)

1/2 ripe banana

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of cardamom

1/2- 1Tbsp ghee

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. As the liquid cooks down, gradually add about 1/3 c water. I love to top mine with more cinnamon, a drizzle of almond butter, and a sprinkle of walnuts. Enjoy! (This sweet & simple recipe is from Sabrina Bawa).

Paleo White Chicken Chili is another favorite recipe I shared with the group, along with Quinoa Vegetable Soup (some people combined the 2 and loved it!).

The last morning of our retreat we all gobbled up the Maple Pecan Breakfast Bake, along with Nicholl’s incredible veegie scramble.

Food is one of my favorite parts of the Xanadu retreat each year, and this year the kitchen team’s support was no less than incredible! Endless thanks to Nicholl & JennieRuth for all their hard work!

Cooking for a group of women who truly appreciate it is an absolute blessing and I hope we have many more years of this to look forward to.

Enjoy!

Amber Perry

Amber loves sharing yoga & wellness tips & tools for everyday life. Find her at a retreat or sharing her skills in a cute little space in Otsego.

Sweet Spirit Home

Embodiment: A Fall Retreat Recap

Tracee Stanley defines embodiment as, “a sense of carrying the wisdom of the practice in your cells- you are in such a deep relationship with the practice that it becomes part of you… this is a key component to being able to ‘transmit’ a teaching to students.”

As yoga teachers, we need to/get to embody the practices and principles we wish to share with others.

I need to/get to practice deep rest

I need to/get to practice working with my body’s Energy Medicine

I need to/get to practice communing & meditating with nature

I need to/get to practice receiving & being vulnerable

In order to share these powerful practices & principles on retreat.

My hope & prayer for each retreat is for everyone to head home with a new “real life” tool and to experience some form of all of the above. And even while hosting a retreat this weekend, I got to experience each of these practices.

I rested in a sound bath my collaborators shared. I rested on my Bio Mat each night before bed.

I continued my daily Energy Medicine Yoga practice.

I walked barefoot whenever possible and spent extra time “scouting” our nature meditation spots.

I wept as I heard much-needed words that spoke to my heart. I received hands-on love from friends. I had the support I needed to step away for a day to take care of my people at home. I had a hand to hold while I made my way tearfully through the closing reading.

I have endless gratitude for the 17 Sweet Spirits who shared their weekend with me.  

Extra thanks:

To Tanya Rice for your hands

To JennieRuth Warren for your heart

To Nicholl Holas for your love

To Amy Miller-Strand for your energy

To Liz for your smile

To Kristy for your kindness

To Michelle for your openness

To Tammy for your grace

To Heidi & Rachelle for your dance (sorry for putting you together here but it was a historical moment)

To Sammi for your sweetness

To Jamie for your words

To Rachelle for your goodness

To Maria for your steadiness

To Jennifer for your generosity

To Melissa for your stories

To Arika for your spirit

To Nicole for sharing this magical island with us each year.

All my love,

Amber

Fall 2023 Itinerary- Mindful Connections at Xanadu

*We reserve the right to alter the schedule at any time without prior notice and YOU reserve the right to attend or not attend any of these offerings.

Thursday, Oct 5, 2023: Arrive 4-5:30pm.

5:30pm Welcome dinner

7:15pm Mindful Movement & Reiki with Tanya

Friday, Oct 6, 2023:

7am Energy Medicine Yoga with Amber

8am Breakfast

9:30 Mindful Connections & Meals Workshop with Amber

12pm Lunch

1-5:30pm Silver Sage Guest Ranch for horseback riding, walk, or outdoor yoga (your choice) & charcuterie

7pm Dinner

8 pm Community Bonfire

Saturday, Oct 7, 2023:

7am Mindful Morning Movement with JennieRuth

8am Breakfast

9:30am Minding Your Elements Workshop with Tanya

12pm Light Lunch + afternoon free for treatments

6pm Dinner

7:30 Sound bath (JR & Amy)

Sunday, Oct 8, 2023:

7:15am Nature Meditation

8am Breakfast

9:30 Closing Circle

Accessible Yoga Retreats in Minnesota

One of the questions I frequently get asked is “why did you decide to host yoga retreats in Minnesota?”

Several years ago I began to dream up these retreats. I spent countless hours poring over retreat locations online, focusing on areas that have already been made popular for yoga retreats, such as Joshua Tree. Somewhere along the way I started to wonder what I would have to offer that the locals in these locations weren’t already providing. There were so many incredible-sounding providers and offerings out there, and while it would still be a dream come true to teach in such a place, something wasn’t quite right.

Part of the challenge I saw for me personally was having enough time to fully “retreat,” while not being away from my family longer than I was comfortable with. A longer, out-of-state retreat also seemed out of my personal budget, therefore beyond the reach of the people I was interested in working with and providing retreats for.

Looking around me, the solution seemed obvious. This state I have called home for all of my 40 years has more to offer than many people realize. I find my spirit renewed each time I step on one of the nearby trails, take a dip in a lake, lie down on a snow-covered hill, or spend a quiet evening gazing up at the stars. There was a “ah-ha moment” as I began to see how the retreat activities could connect with our everyday lives.

My retreat location search shifted to the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, no more than a 3-hour-drive away. It wasn’t easy, but I found a handful of options that fit into my budget and dream retreat scenario.

Sweet Spirit Yoga was born (Under the name of “Sattva Spirit”! I kept the name for about a year or so until it no longer resonated and after many more brainstorming sessions Sweet Spirit came along).

I saw the opportunity to provide retreats that were affordable and accessible to more people, along with realizing what a major value that is for me. Many of my retreat guests are moms, employed full-time, and have other responsibilities that can make it difficult to get away. I love having options that they can enjoy guilt-free!

Our incredible Land of 10,000 Lakes is full of beauty and talented people. I find myself incredibly blessed to be sharing yoga retreats here.

***I recognize that while the retreats may be accessible to some, they are not accessible to all. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to explore other options with me.

Amber Perry

Amber loves sharing retreats in MN (& now Wisconsin!). She is passionate about sharing tools folks can use “off the mat” and in daily life. She shares her work through retreats, group classes, private yoga sessions, Thai Yoga Bodywork, & Facial Reflexology. Most of all, she just really loves people.

Sweet Spirit Yoga
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Same Me, New Place (yes, another move!)

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the location in Rogers where I recently hosted an open house is not going to be a long-term fit for Sweet Spirit.  

As of August 1, my private sessions for Facial Reflexology, Thai Yoga Bodywork, & private yoga will now be taking place at 9201 Quaday Ave NE #204. (Anyone who has appointments on the calendar for August or recently pre-purchased a facial meditation package should have already heard from me to let you know there will be no “interruption” to your service.) I am still on the hunt for an ideal spot to share yoga classes with the Rogers community, because I know it is needed here!  

Now that the “official business” is out of the way, can we talk about how hard it is to let go? If I’m completely honest, I am very tired of practicing this lesson. I have taught countless yoga classes themed around “Aparigraha,” or non-possessiveness, aka letting go. In The Yamas and Niyamas, Deborah Adele suggests the value of “Aparigraha” is “to let go and to pack lightly for our journey through life, all the while caring deeply and enjoying fully.” I have read that passage no less than 25 times, yet my heart still struggles to balance the two- I care deeply and enjoy fully, and then I don’t want to let go.  

BUT… I am a firm believer that the Divine speaks to us not only through the natural world, but also through the love and support of folks around us. The message I have continually been served in recent days is to let go and trust in the process.  Suzanne Begin, director of the ARC, shared these words that spoke to my heart: “Why do we struggle to let go knowing that the replacement is an upgrade. It is not as if we are in a cosmic game of ‘Let’s Make a Deal,’ where it’s a 50/50 chance if the value of the item we gain is greater than what we give up. There is a 100% guarantee it is of greater value to our Soul.”  

What are you struggling to release? There is a 100% guarantee the replacement is of greater value to your Soul.  

Please enjoy this photo of me letting go, trusting the process, & finding quite a bit of joy in warm parkakeet feet on my body despite the look on my face.

Amber Perry

Amber Perry

Amber loves sharing retreats in MN & Wisconsin. She is passionate about sharing tools folks can use “off the mat” and in daily life. She shares her work through retreats, group classes, private yoga sessions, Thai Yoga Bodywork, & Facial Reflexology. Most of all, she just really loves people.

Sweet Spirit
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Support Sweet Spirit’s Opening

Are you ready to Glimmer, Glow, or just feel downright Luminous?! I am THRILLED to be able to share these open house specials with you!

Jump in “at the ground floor” with my new offerings and/or join me for one of the upcoming preview classes July 31. {Extra-special rates will be available in person only at the open house Saturday 7/15 from 9am-12pm.}

If you’re new to the Pure Energy Facial Meditation experience, I can’t wait for you to try it! Each session is deeply relaxing, starting with a hot towel for the face and very gentle movements applied with hands or a reflexology tool. This protocol has honestly changed my life and been instrumental in my path of healing over the past year.

I appreciate your support more than you all can ever know and cannot wait to share this healing modality with you all.

Glimmer

Glimmer

1- 30 minute Facial Meditation Session

$49.00

Glow

Glow

5 Facial Meditation Sessions 1 Herbal Foot Soak

$245.00

Luminous-1-1

Luminous

10 Facial Meditation Sessions 1 Herbal Foot Soak 1 Fascia Release for the Face

$490.00

Check out open times here: sweetspirityoga.as.me

Come visit soon!

Take the best care of yourself this week,

Amber

Putting Down Roots

Big announcement this week… Sweet Spirit Yoga has its own space in Rogers! This all came together faster than I could have dreamed after a local business owner reached out with an incredible offer for me.

The walls went from black and yellow-ish to “Everyday White” seemingly overnight. Between Wayfair and garage sales the space is on its way to being cozy and Zen.

I’m still working out the kinks of starting a physical business while I ride this wave of gratitude and joy. For now, my offerings include The Pure Energy Facial Meditation (you will love this!), Thai Yoga Bodywork, and add-ons such as an herbal foot soak and fascia release for the face. In the future I plan to offer yoga classes in the form of mini series and special events.

In addition to the incredible retreats we have planned for this year, I would love to offer day retreats in this new space! Let me know if that interests you and I’ll keep you connected.

More details are coming soon on how you can support and come along on this new adventure… stay tuned!

And thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of you that has supported me along the way. I have been so blessed by this journey.

With Gratitude,                                                                                                                                              

Amber

Amber Perry

Amber Perry

Amber loves sharing retreats in MN and surrounding areas. She is passionate about sharing yoga-related tips & tools folks can use “off the mat” and in daily life. She shares her work through retreats, group classes, private yoga sessions, Thai Yoga Bodywork, & facial reflexology. Most of all, she just really loves people.

Sweet Spirit

Gratitude: A Spring Retreat Recap

“Thank you, thank you, thank you…” was the message I heard as I stepped through the gate of the labyrinth. It seemed I had stepped into a portal for a moment in time to feel held and reflect on the events of the weekend. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…” became my mantra as I stepped slowly and gently on each stone. I reminded myself not to look back and check how far I’d come or look up to see how far I had yet to go, even when the path felt long. Like so many moments of this Spring Awakening retreat weekend, and so many moments in our lives, the beauty and the growth was on the path right beneath my feet, not behind or ahead.

The forest bathing experience with David Motzenbecker was a continuous practice in being present to the beauty and life around us. Hearing the reflections after each invitation was quite possibly my favorite part about the experience. I felt like I got a “peek” into everyone’s personalities.

The yoga loft welcomed us once again for our variety of practices, from the more restorative moments to the more energetic ones that warmed and transformed energy. I always love sharing the space with one of my teachers, Tanya Rice!

We all raved over the made-from-scratch meals at the ARC. We were truly nourished by the heartfelt blessings over the meals and the freshly baked breads.

My hope and prayer, as always, is that the folks who were able to join me on this weekend-long journey walked away with at least one thing that will improve their lives for the better. A short drive and a weekend away was what so many needed to refresh and renew their giving spirits.

Our closing circle was complete with this quote from Douglas Wood’s, “Things Trees Know”:

When life is hard and you’re not sure what to do, reach. Reach for the light, reach for where you’re rooted. Survive and endure. Grow. Through whatever hardship comes your way. Stay rooted and strive. Even if you never grasp your goals (what tree actually reaches the distant sun?) you will find something greater-your true self. You will fulfill yourself and somehow add something of beauty and value to the world.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you” to the sweet, vulnerable spirits that shared themselves this weekend and to the many hands that make this all work. May we all add something of beauty and value to the world.

{Matthew Phillippi quietly captured the beauty of the moments you see here and so many more.}

Until next time!

Amber Perry

Amber loves sharing retreats in Minnesota and surrounding areas. She is passionate about sharing yoga-related tips & tools folks can use “off the mat” and in daily life. She shares her work through retreats, group classes, private yoga sessions, & Thai Yoga Bodywork. Most of all, she just really loves people.

Sweet Spirit