The Retreats
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The Awareness Retreat
A step-by-step meditative, developmental journey where each practice builds on the last. This way of learning strengthens the capacities for awareness, compassion, and psychological integration in a way that is both grounded and sustainable. As attention stabilizes, many participants discover a quiet shift—from being swept up in experience to observing it with more space, steadiness, and choice.
The Belonging Retreat
Nature offers a profound and intelligent mirror for our human experience. Through guided time outdoors, contemplative practices, and shared reflection, we invite you to slow down enough to truly listen—to the land, to your own inner signals, and to the deeper rhythms of life. Many participants find that this kind of listening opens a renewed sense of clarity, vitality, and belonging within the wider living world.
The Understanding Retreat
A retreat for those who want a detailed map of their inner world. Before arriving, participants complete 3 validated psychological assessments. We use these insights to shape a retreat experience tailored to you—helping you understand the patterns that organize your thoughts, emotions, and relationships, and learn how to work with them more skillfully.
The Space
The environment where we spend our time shapes the quality of attention that becomes possible.
Our retreat takes place in the Lost Pines region of Bastrop County, a unique ecosystem of towering loblolly pines surrounded by oak and prairie landscapes. The setting is quiet, spacious, and intentionally removed from the pace of everyday life—an environment that naturally invites the nervous system to slow down and attention to deepen.
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Our retreat space is intentionally small and personal. With room for only five participants, the group size allows for meaningful conversation, individualized attention, and a relaxed pace throughout the weekend.
Rather than moving through the retreat as a large group, participants have plenty of opportunities for one-on-one conversation with the facilitators, quiet reflection, and spaciousness to follow their own rhythm.
Many people find that the small group setting creates a sense of trust and ease that allows deeper conversations and insights to unfold naturally.
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The property sits in a minimally developed area surrounded by thousands of acres of undeveloped land.
Tall pines and hardwood trees create a quiet forested landscape with walking paths, private sitting spaces among the trees, and a small pocket prairie visible from the house. Wildlife is abundant in this region. It’s common to hear great horned owls at dusk, foxes and coyotes calling at night, and a wide variety of birds throughout the day. Don’t be surprised if you run into a deer or rabbit on one of our walking trails.
Nearby state parks provide access to additional trails and ecosystems, which we often explore during the Belonging Retreat.
Being immersed in this landscape allows participants to experience the rhythms of the natural world directly—changing light, birdsong, wind through the trees, and the quiet presence of the forest.
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Participants can choose between several comfortable sleeping arrangements.:
Private Room
One fully private bedroom with a queen bed and an en suite bathroom.Shared Rooms
Two shared rooms accommodating two participants each, with full sized beds and access to a shared bathroom.
The retreat home was fully remodeled in 2022 and is designed to feel both modern and cozy—a comfortable space that supports rest, reflection, and quiet conversation.
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Meals are prepared by Ryan and Aliceanne and shared together throughout the retreat.
We focus on simple, nourishing food made with organic and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, and we are happy to accommodate most dietary needs.
Some meals will be enjoyed outdoors around the fire pit, while others are shared inside or on the large covered porch, which overlooks the prairie and forest beyond. Morning coffee or tea on the porch often becomes a quiet ritual for early risers.
Participants have access to coffee, tea, and light snacks throughout the day.
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Evenings in the Lost Pines are often one of the most memorable parts of the retreat.
Because this part of Bastrop County is much darker than nearby cities like Austin, the night sky can be remarkably clear. After sunset, participants often gather quietly outdoors—sometimes around the fire pit—to watch the stars emerge and listen to the sounds of the forest as the daytime animals put themselves to bed and the nocturnal ones emerge.
These slower moments are an important part of the retreat rhythm, offering space to integrate the day’s experiences and settle more deeply into the landscape.
Meet the Facilitators
Aliceanne and Ryan Schmidt are partners in life and the shared exploration of the deeper dimensions of human experience.
Aliceanne is an Organizational Psychologist with more than 25 years of experience helping leaders and teams understand the psychological patterns that shape behavior, relationships, and decision-making. Her work integrates modern psychology with contemplative practice and adult development, helping people see themselves — and their lives — with greater clarity.
Ryan brings a complementary background in spiritual care and grief support. For more than two decades he has worked with individuals and families navigating illness, loss, and major life transitions in settings such as hospitals, hospices, and faith communities. His work centers on presence, compassion, and helping people find meaning in life’s most difficult moments.
Together, they host the Remembering You podcast, where they explore themes such as consciousness, psychological growth, meditation, and the deeper forms of knowing that emerge when we slow down and pay attention.
Both Aliceanne and Ryan share a deep love of the natural world and spend much of their time outdoors in Central Texas — hiking, camping, and learning from the ecosystems that surround them. They are currently pursuing certification through the Texas Master Naturalist program and enjoy introducing others to the quiet intelligence of the living landscape.