This summer, the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC, is debuting its new Yoga Immersion retreat. Participants will spend 24 hours communing amongst the trees as they unwind and challenge themselves with yoga flows, breathwork sessions, workshops, and more.
The retreat provides an opportunity for participants to slow down and look inside of themselves. Instructor Kirsten Gum knows firsthand the importance of this practice after hitting rock bottom in her own life.
She spent her early adulthood living a dream lifestyle. Kirsten moved to Charlotte in her 20s to be a Fox News anchor; then she covered NASCAR for two seasons; then covered events like Tour de France and world cup ski races; then had her own show on the Travel Channel; then owned a raw vegan cafe; then became a yoga instructor; then started competing in adventure races. She was always looking for the next adrenaline rush, she said, and her sense of worth was tied to her productivity.
She felt like she had it all – until she hit early menopause at 42.
It shattered Kirsten to her core. At first, she tried to double down and exercise more – her entire life, that seemed to be what worked. But this time it didn’t. She realized she had nothing left in the tank.
“I tell clients all the time that there are gifts in this world that don’t come in pretty packages, and I truly believe early menopause was my gift,” she said. “I believe it set me on the path to slowing down, focusing on what’s real, and having gratitude for all the things I’ve been able to experience in this life.”