The hedonic treadmill is a psychological theory that suggests people return to an emotional baseline despite major changes in positive or negative stimuli. For example, as a person makes more money or experiences success, their expectations and desires rise at the same time, which results in no permanent gain in happiness. Hedonic Adaptation Hedonic adaptation is the concept that humans quickly adapt to their new circumstances. Periods of extreme happiness and grief are short-lived, and we return to a normal, steady state- our emotional baseline. We think that a new job title, a new salary, a ..read more

Mindfulness is a stress-relieving practice that invites you to notice your surroundings and bring your thoughts to the present moment.  Mindfulness is a method of getting intentional, and without judgment.    Applied mindfulness practice: To practice mindfulness, bring awareness to your senses. Can you mentally note: 5 things you can see 4 things you can feel 3 things you can hear 2 things you can smell 1 thing you can taste Mindful Breathing Practice Practicing intentional breathing is a powerful tool for your overall health and wellbeing.  Try this effec ..read more

“Remember just how rich and full nothing or one thing at a time can be.” — Octavia Raheem Every winter we head to Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack, MN. A tucked away nature center nestled in over 6,000 acres of forest. The purpose? To disconnect, reconnect, move our bodies mindfully, journal, eat good food, RELAX, and enjoy. The theme of this retreat specifically was REST. We came to restore and rejuvenate. “Savor. Don’t Wait. Savor now.” — Octavia Raheem “Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” — Mark Black Our retreat team for this weekend, had so much fun bein ..read more

Hello Minnesnowtans! It’s a beautiful wintery wonderland out there in most of the state. I’m loving watching the flakes fall, but mentally I’m at the beach… We have a “little” something (potentially) in the works for March 2025! We are so excited we can barely contain ourselves. But we need to pull a few more details together before divulging the full awesomeness of this adventure. If you’d like to be the first to learn more about this exciting announcement, please sign-up for the email list! More to come in a few weeks. Subscribe Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates ..read more

March is Women’s History Month! At Boreal Bliss, we have a long-standing tradition of featuring women who inspire us in Minnesota every March. Without further ado… She’s been retreating with us since the very beginning folks. You know her. You love her. It’s the one and only….. Stacy Nightwine! She started with us as a yoga and essential oils enthusiast. She taught a succulent + essential oil planter pot workshop at our very first retreat. She has a very warm and welcoming presence. We clicked instantly! Stacy found that she loved attending yoga retreats. There was something more ..read more

Today we’d like to introduce you to a woman that inspires us- Lindsay Bjorkland, the Executive Director at Deep Portage Learning Center. In this role she is instrumental in helping women and children gain confidence and courage in outdoor skills, education, and leadership at Deep Portage. In her role as Executive Director, Lindsay oversees the 6,307 acre campus of the Deep Portage Conservation Reserve, the many buildings on site, dozens of staff, and thousands of visitors who come through Deep Portage each year. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your training, and how you got start ..read more

The Bear Trail at Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen in Knife River So, you’re coming to Duluth eh? Well, let me round up a few recommendations for ya! I am often asked about things to do in Duluth, so decided to formalize my recs here. These recommendations are centered around our core value- spending time in nature. Things to do Outdoors Brighton Beach No visit to Duluth is complete without spending an afternoon at the beach skipping stones, collecting interesting rocks, and wading in the water. Brighton Beach is a perfect place to enjoy a picnic on the shores of Lake Superior. Lester River L ..read more

March is Women’s History Month! At Boreal Bliss, we have a long-standing tradition of featuring women who inspire us in Minnesota every March. This week we’d like to share a little bit more about a outdoorswoman who inspires us: Pam Wright of Soka Outdoors! We recently had the pleasure of spending a very informative and full weekend with Pam, as she was our trainer for Wilderness First Aid + CPR training. We bonded over all things BWCAW & women in the wilderness. We are thrilled to share more about Pam Wright with you - here we go! Q: Pam can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your ..read more

My partner when I returned home: “So, how was the retreat?” Me:: Shows him drone footage of 60 women wearing radical snow gear perform the Barbie dance in the middle of a 6,000+ acre forest. :: Husband is speechless. Then finally finds the words: “Wow, this is like the Superbowl halftime show.” Check out the video of our barbie dance on instagram with music here. Yoga retreats. Yes, we do yoga, a LOT of yoga. We also do FUN, a LOT of FUN.  Our retreats offer a drama-free environment to cheer one another on, to shamelessly embrace our bodies and our silliest version of ourselves ..read more

“This is your enchantment, and I’d like you to do more of…..” Surprise! We have a surprise retreat happening at the beautiful Camp Bliss in Walker, MN this Spring! Limited space remaining. This is our smallest retreat, with only 20 available guest spots in total (now less due to early notification to alum). We opened up early registration to our Camp Bliss and Madden’s Resort retreat alum. Now we are sending the word to YOU! Enchantment May 31 - June 2, 2024 Camp Bliss in Walker, MN Camp Bliss is a plush “camp” for adults! Nice accommodations & beds, bedding provided, beautiful design and ..read more