10/09/2026
What happens when all your plans are thrown up in the air while running a retreat? How do you work around it?
For me, preparation beforehand is the most essential piece; I’ve run enough retreats, events and expeditions now to know that just about anything can happen - to hope for the best and prepare for the worst case scenario. It’s not ‘being negative’, it’s being professional and being as ready as you can be so that you don’t end up bankrupting yourself, running yourself into the ground and ruining the reputation of your business.
I think a big part of it is knowing the balance between structure, preparation and stability, alongside ease, flow, intuition and the ability to pivot, to change form and to allow the retreat / class / event to change shape however is required. It’s a delicate dance and for me, is months in the making.
For me this looks like:
✨ Having water-tight legally binding guest agreements & contracts (something I’m working on each year) that support them to know where they stand, and where I stand.
✨ Having support & a plan B!
Having somebody you trust there to support *you* is essential for you to be able to safely and cleanly hold space for guests. Having somebody you can talk things out with, who can be a second pair of eyes, who is professional, warm and ‘gets’ the energy of the work and of you is key. Not just anybody.
In this same vein, using a venue that really supports you and your work too is just as essential. Knowing that they have the structure and the support under both them and you so that you’re also able to easily step in and hold space knowing things like food, accommodation, cleanliness, H&S on their side, are all under control is so so so important.
✨ Being authentic with your guests - sometimes things don’t go to plan. The most honest thing you can do sometimes is to teach from where you’re at and honour your needs / let yourself be supported where you need to. It not only allows you to continue to hold space well, but also to do it in a way that shows your students what it looks like to really deeply love and honour yourself too.
Have all this in place and you’re ready to run, no
