A Day of Embracing the Middle

A Soulful Retreat for Women in Their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are Curious about Navigating Midlife with Presence and Power

Are you in your 40s, 50s, or 60s and feeling something shifting inside—your roles, your energy, your priorities?

Midlife brings questions, transitions, and longings we can’t ignore.
It also brings a unique opportunity: to come home to yourself.

A Day of Embracing the Middle is an intimate, one-day women’s retreat designed to help you pause, reconnect, and realign with the wisdom of this life stage. This immersive gathering brings the philosophy of Embrace the Middle to life through meditation, movement, reflection, and community.

Limited to just 12 women, this experience invites deep connection, soulful conversation, and personal insight in a serene, retreat-like setting.

Is This You?

You’re moving through a life transition—career shift, empty nest, caregiving, relationship change, or internal questioning

You’re craving space to “just be” and reflect, without needing to wear any masks or have it all figured out

You want to feel more grounded, confident, and connected to yourself

You’re longing for meaningful connection with other women in this stage of life

If so, this retreat is for you.

What You’ll Experience

This day is built around the three foundational pillars of Embrace the Middle: Presence. Compassion. Wisdom.

Through a beautiful blend of guided and silent meditation, experiential learning, movement, and reflection, you will:

Learn how to approach midlife with more clarity, courage, and grace, through Shayna’s signature SOFTT method - a powerful, yet gentle process.

Discover what’s calling for attention, healing, or transformation in your life

Practice tools to cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion in everyday moments

Connect deeply with a circle of supportive women who are on a similar path

Experience the power of intentional pause in a peaceful, nurturing space

The Setting

Held in a private yurt on peaceful retreat land in San Diego, this event feels like a day away from the world—yet deeply connected to it.
Soft light, natural beauty, and cozy surroundings support a feeling of ease, openness, and quiet transformation.

What Women Are Saying

“This was a profoundly powerful day. I had no idea what to expect as it was my first women’s retreat. Little did I know that an invitation to spend a day in a yurt with ten other women was exactly what my soul needed. The location, the greeting, the content, and the exercises allowed for a beautiful ease and flow of a remarkable experience. It’s a perfect example of our feminine desire to gather, engage, and bond in an intimate and safe way. Shayna has a keen ability to hold space and create a nurturing environment where everyone can interact and share freely…or not. Thank you for sharing your presence, compassion and wisdom with all the amazing women who chose to embrace the middle!!! Count me in next time.” — Christine B.

"Shayna holds space in the most loving and effective way. Her workshops are full of great information that allows one to step inside with full authenticity while being held with the felt sense of love and acceptance. I walked away with insight that continues to feed and fuel me everyday." — Elizabeth S.

Next Date: June 14, 2025
Location: Private yurt in Vista
Time: 9-4

Spots are limited to 12 participants and fill quickly. This event sells out, so early registration is encouraged.

Thank you, Shayna! Your groups are always amazing and have a high rate of return on value and worth when the time, energy and vulnerability is invested!

Angela B.

Shayna holds space in the most loving and effective way. Her workshops are full of great information that allows one to step inside with full authenticity while being held with the felt sense of love and acceptance. I walked away with insight that continues to feed and fuel me everyday.

Elizabeth S.

This was a profoundly powerful day. The location, the greeting, the content, and the exercises allowed for a beautiful ease and flow of a remarkable experience. Shayna has a keen ability to hold space and create a nurturing environment where everyone can interact and share freely…or not.

Christine B.

Shayna’s workshop completely changed the way I think about my life—from blah and overwhelmed to YES!” Her SOFTT model is like giving myself a hug. Shayna’s daylong workshop literally transformed the way I process all that we, as midlife women, experience.

Anonymous

Thank you beautiful sister for such a magical gift of your day retreat yesterday Your softness and compassion shone bright and transformation happened

Jaks C.

I have found the workshops to be very insightful, and potentially transformative. It is a wonderful idea to have a workshop for women in similar places in their lives. It is beautifully lead by Shayna, who offers insight, guidance, and wisdom. I highly recommend these workshops!

Donna B.

Thank you so much Shayna Gothard Kaufmann!!! What a wonderful, positive, encouraging, supportive and enlightening experience! All of what you were saying were things I definitely can relate to, and your facilitated exercise was so very valuable. Thank you for creating this for our community of women and beyond. You really are amazing and I admire you deeply!

Shannon W.

Through her “Embracing” series, Shayna graciously extends her extensive knowledge, experience, insight, guidance, healing, zen-like leadership and obvious love for what she does with her fellow “middle” women. I gained significant insight about “me” in ways I hadn’t considered before, and that allowed me to begin a wonderful journey of much needed acceptance, forgiveness, healing and peace. I also gained a network of amazing, wonderful women! Thank you, Shayna. You are a trusted adviser and forever friend.

Kelly B.

Ongoing growth and development is a huge priority in my life, but I was having a difficult time finding the right context for creating it. Within the confines of Shayna’s group I found camaraderie, laughter, fellowship, connectedness, a feeling of interpersonal relatedness, a sense of safety and mutual respect, and an overall feeling of being truly heard without judgement. I trust Shayna implicitly and in her group I always feel comfortable and safe; a nurturing space to reflect, engage in lively conversation, explore new options and possibilities, and find new ways of thinking about old challenges. I cannot think of a better person to facilitate personal growth and development workshops than Shayna Kaufmann.

Claire Y.