Theresa Polley of Dallas found her piney woods oasis in Wood County north of Mineola, Texas, in 2004. Not one to claim all the good vibes for herself, that same year she created Retreat in the Pines to give women a safe space to “be their authentic selves without apology while finding the healing and renewal they deserve.”
The retreat sanctuary includes a bright and airy yoga studio, a dining space with a community table, shared and private accommodations, multiple outdoor hammocks, and two decks beneath the trees.
Retreat in the Pines celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. What began with Polley teaching yoga classes to local residents and hosting a few retreats each year, has grown into a thriving business with day and weekend retreats held every week. Her all-women team includes a group of yoga instructors, rotating chefs, and a property manager among others. In April 2023, the newspaper and broadcasting company USA Today named Retreat in the Pines one of the 10 Best Yoga Retreats in the U.S.
“That was very exciting,” Polley says. “It was nice to be recognized after all these years.”
Women from all parts of the country find their “happy place” at the retreats. Looking back, Polley says, the journey in helping others find peace, helped her find her own.
“When I came up with the idea of hosting yoga retreats, it was more about bringing yoga to the world,” she recalls. “Yoga became the catalyst that brought guests together to find the true purpose of the retreat: to find connection, community, support and encouragement from each other. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was seeking the same in my life.”
It was important to her that the getaway weekends she created for women be fun and relaxed unlike other retreats she’d been to that had overfull, hurried schedules with no free time, little time for sleep, and highly restricted meals. Her dream was to create experiences where guests could indulge in wine, coffee, chocolate and delicious meals cooked from scratch, as a complement to yoga, meditation, time in nature, and free time to reset and that’s exactly what she did.
The usual routine for a weekend retreat varies by the number of days and activities. Parts of the schedule might include a wine reception, delicious meals, self love workshops, yoga suitable for all levels, nature walks, and aromatherapy.
So many good things stand out as rewarding for Polley from the last 20 years.
“Meeting incredible women at the retreat, I’ve been touched by stories of many of the guests over the years.”
She feels especially fulfilled when guests email letting her know that the retreat was life changing for them.
“All of the stories keep me motivated,” she says.”Every time I hear a guest share that she’s grateful that she came and discovered she’s not the only one who struggles with a particular challenge, that is powerful.”
She also takes comfort in the guests who come back multiple times and the difference she sees in them each time.
All kinds of women come to the retreats from sisters, friends, book clubs, and other groups, while many come solo.
The current Retreat in the Pines team includes chefs Claudine Boucher, Angelic Gabo, and Mackenzie Karg; massage therapist Jan Hauk; and retreat leaders/yoga instructors Cecilia Barham, Michelle Brazell, Dayna Henderson, Debbie Jaeger, Jennifer Wu-Ho, Tarka Sullivan, Keitha Spears, and Michelle Erby. Like most of the yoga instructors, Erby was a guest before she became a teacher. She is from Arlington and looks forward to coming to East Texas as often as possible.
“Its a mini vacation,” she says, adding she loves being in nature. “It feels like I belong out here — it’s a beautiful place.”
Erby’s next class is “Nurture” on May 10-12, promising to help women “escape your busy reality to find a fresh perspective and savor the rest and relaxation you deserve.”
Other upcoming classes include Mindfulness & Healing on January 12-14, New Year Detox & Yoga on January 19-21, Book Lovers on February 2-4, Love Yourself on February 15-18.
An anniversary celebration at Retreat in the Pines is in the planning stages with a day of yoga, meditation, snacks, chair massages, and more. Polley is also in the process of developing a leadership program specifically for women.
“There are differences in the way women lead versus how men lead,” she says.
Women can sometimes try to lead from their emotions, she said, and it’s better to lead with compassion without being reactive. Helping women become effective leaders in politics, corporations, and even in their personal lives is an important next step for her programs.
“Women often get the short end of the stick,”she says. “They need to be their own advocates and women need to stand up for each other.”
Wherever she goes from here, Polley says, she won’t do it alone.
“The day I realized I couldn’t do it all myself is when my business started to grow. Bringing in talented women who complemented what I do, freed me up to do the things I love — run the business (and my very favorite) visit with guests.
“I always tell people who are looking to change directions in their life to be open. That’s how I got here — being open to the possibilities that come your way is life changing.
To learn more visit www.retreatinthepines.com.
