Radiant Wellness Solutions

09/04/2026

This week, the world lost Wendell Berry, a writer, agriculture champion, and fellow tree lover.

His poem The Peace of Wild Things is one I return to again and again, and often share when I am guiding outdoor experiences. In fact, I created a walking meditation with this work. (I'll put the SoundCloud link in the comments--enjoy it and Wendell's words--may they be a balm when as he says, "despair for the world grows."

The Peace of Wild Things
by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
-Wendell Berrry

Bonus: Wendell's novels are also full of rich descriptions of the land. As a young mom, I joined a book club at our local independent book store in Raleigh, which met when my son was at preschool. The book group was called The Encore, and was meant for folks who were retired, or during the "encore" phase of life. I didn't realize this when I signed up, but they were kind enough to let me stay for many more months. They picked the best books, one of which was Berry's Hannah Coulter. Maybe I'll reread it as a way to honor his memory.

09/02/2026

Let's talk about Joyspan, shall we? If you've been in class with me for the last month, you've heard about this!

And you've likely heard of the terms lifespan and healthspan--joyspan is how joyful we are as we move through the years of our lives--not just how long we live, or how healthy we are--but how much we enjoy our lives.

The joyspan "buckets" based on research are: grow, connect, adapt, and give.

For now, let's talk about adapting. Now, I absolutely appreciate adapting--I guide it all the time in yoga. And, I'm usually game to change my plans and adapt on a moment's notice.

But in my most recent backpacking trip to the Wind River Range, I experienced adaptation on a whole new level.
For the first two days (12 and 10 miles), I found myself not really enjoying it, and was silently questioning whether I even liked backpacking anymore, or if I just liked the relief when it was over.

By day 3, I finally slept better, and we adjusted our mileage to closer to 8 miles (hello adaptation), which allowed me some nice chill time at our campsite, which including a midafternoon nap in the tent, some time drawing and painting, writing, reading, and just chilling by the creek.

This day of adaptation made me realize that I do, indeed, still like schlepping my pack up and down mountains in the middle of nowhere. I like the challenge. I love the scenery and the chance to unplug. I appreciate kindly pushing myself to do hard things. And, now at 53, I like enjoying myself too--in different ways, so that when I get home I'm not wrecked.

Discovering the magic of adaptation in real life can happen in surprising ways. It doesn't mean stopping doing the things we love, but finding new ways to continue to enjoy them.

Toward the end of our trek, we met some "joyspanners" on the trail--folks in their early 70s (if I had to guess their ages) who had backpacked 6 miles into their site, and then took day hikes up to some beautiful destinations--which were also quite challenging to reach. These folks were leisurely eating their lunch at a lake, and then quickly caught up to us on the trail. We had a fun chat and they joked about how they could hike more quickly because they didn't have their heavy packs on anymore, but they were happy to still be out enjoying themselves in the wild. I told my husband, "I want to be those guys when I grow up." And that's living the joyspan principles!

I'm curious--how have you experienced adaptation?

(The book Joyspan outlines this in greater detail, which I highly recommend.)

08/30/2026

Slowing it down Sunday!
The Autumn Yoga + Nature Retreat is just a couple weeks away!

These curated reset days are for the busy person who can't get your mind to quiet down, the high achievers who have a hard time setting aside the to-do list, and you big-hearted folks who are always caring for others.

I (Michelle Wilson) will be your guide for the day, bringing together decades of practicing and teaching yoga, along with experience as a nature and forest therapy guide, so you don't have to figure it out on your own.

You'll join me, a group of like-minded people, for an analog day to tap into your own wisdom, guided by the beautiful land at Lake Icaria, Adams County. People tell me they leave feeling refreshed, settled, and with more clarity for this next season of their lives.

If any of this sounds like you, I'd love to have you join us! We'll be joined by Bonnie Boswell, who is gracing us with her healing sounds on the Native American flute and percussion, along with a fabulous fall lunch by Dee’s Catering. (Dee does a great job with dietary restrictions too, by the way!)

I'll put the link in the comments below, and you can always reach out with questions!

08/26/2026

I had fun hosting the kids activity at the Creston Farmers' Market this week. We made back-to-school calm kits with over 12 different kid-friendly yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness practices that kids can do solo or with caregivers.

Did you know that RWS used to offer weekly kids yoga classes, monthly kids yoga workshops, and even kids summer camps? That was all pre-COVID. During COVID I created a kids online yoga membership and taught kids virtually, and even took my 95-hour advanced kids yoga training with Kidding Around Yoga.

Events like this make me curious about bringing kids yoga back in some capacity. Would that interest you?

08/25/2026

The Coping: How to Live in a World that Won't Slow Down workshop with Casey is Thursday. He’s bringing together ancient contemplative practices with modern psychology. I got to have a sneak peek at the workshop last week and it’s profound.

Note that there is no cost to attend—Casey’s just eager to share his gifts in this way for this class. We do ask that you RSVP so we can have the space and snacks ready for you.

08/24/2026

Did you know the Autumn Yoga + Nature Retreat on September 12 is now open for registration?

We offer seasonal day or overnight retreats once each season, so this is your chance to set aside a whole day just for you!

Dee’s Catering is creating the most delicious fall salads for our event.

And surprise--Bonnie Boswell will be gracing us with her healing sounds of the Native American flute and drumming.

Let me just say, it's going to be a great day of time in nature at the beautiful Lake Icaria, Adams County with a community of like-minded folks.

(I'll put the full retreat page in the comments below. And, you can always comment or DM to chat too!)

08/23/2026

Instructions From the Lotus

Don’t worry about the blooming just yet—
trust that it will come.
For now, sink your roots down deep—
travel downward into your depths,
the mud, the nourishing darkness.
Plant the roots deeply—in faith
that the sunlight overhead
will draw you upward when
the timing is right.
Until then, don’t waste your energy
on the timeline.
Let the rooting happen.
Let the slow, infinitesimal stretch
to the light be what it is.
Rest, knowing that the blossom of expansion will eventually be there.

-Michelle Wilson

Inspired by a writing prompt from James Crews’ book Breathing Room.

I wrote this poem earlier this month and then found the image of the lotus from a walk at Lake Icaria. Guess what? It was taken exactly 6 years ago today. 🪷

08/22/2026

Local folks! Bring your littles to the Creston Farmers' Market on Monday. We are making calm kits to start the school year, full of fun and accessible mindfulness tools for kids of all ages.

Monday, Aug. 24th, Radiant Wellness will host the Kids' Activity! Asian Quick Bites will be serving food and Simply Joy Homesteading (who also makes the fried pies) will be serving handmade Lemonade! Market goes from 4-6:30 on the SE corner of McKinley Park! JUST 2 MARKETS LEFT!

08/20/2026

“Walk as if your feet were kissing the earth.”
You may have heard this quote before. It’s often used in meditation retreats, and specifically during walking meditation.

But what if we tried it the next time we are walking down the hallway, or at the grocery store? Could we create a micro moment of presence right there in the midst of our busy lives?

Would love to hear your experiment with this!

(Photo: Arrowhead Lake, taking the climbers route out of Cirque of the Towers)

08/18/2026

Need a quick energizing practice? Try it with me now, and save it for later!

-Warrior 2 (start with the front leg straight, and then inhale into the pose, bending your front leg, and exhale back to the start as your front leg straightens): Move in and out of the pose 4 times, and then stay for 4-5 breaths. Repeat on the second side.

-Greeting the Sky-Greeting the Earth: With feet wide, take a breath in and reach your arms toward the sky; as you exhale, bow forward, crossing your wrists. Repeat 4 times, moving between the two shapes.

-Chest Opener: Clasp hands behind you, feeling space at the heart. Stay for 3-4 breaths, noticing how the inhale brings expansion in the chest, and the exhale softens your shoulders.

(Captured during a recent trip to the Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range, Wyoming)