From Spa Slumber Parties to Midlife Retreats

When I first began hosting in Volcano, I carried something familiar with me.

In Plymouth, I created Amador Wellness Cottage, my cozy wine country destination where women gathered for spa slumber parties, birthday weekends, and playful self-care escapes.

It grew organically. Women wanted connection, relaxation, and a beautiful place to land together.

That season was joyful.

But this space asked for something different.

And over the past year, I gave myself permission to explore what that might be.

What I Started Noticing

As I hosted women in the Self-Care Lounge, a pattern quietly emerged.

The conversations weren’t about celebration.

They were about fatigue.

Frustration.

Changing bodies.

I kept hearing:

“I don’t recognize myself.”

“I’m so tired of being the strong one.”

“My sleep is off and I can’t figure out why.”

“I feel like I’m in between versions of myself.”

These weren’t women looking for wine country energy.

They were women in midlife transition.

Perimenopause.

Menopause.

Caregiver fatigue.

Divorce.

Reinvention.

Children leaving home.

Parents aging.

The tone was softer.

More vulnerable.

More honest.

And it resonated deeply with the work I’ve always done, even when I wasn’t naming it that way.

Giving Myself Time to Get Clear

This past year, I intentionally slowed down.

I rearranged furniture.

Tested different formats.

Edited the website way too many times

Hosted small groups.

Hosted solo women.

Listened carefully.

I wasn’t chasing volume.

I was listening for resonance.

And what I discovered was this:

What fulfills me most is not spa-style abundance.

It’s containment.

It’s depth.

It’s one woman arriving tired and leaving steadier.

When I create something that feels aligned and soul-fulfilling, that alignment radiates into the care I give.

The experience becomes quieter.

More intentional.

More personal.

More me.

The Space Told the Truth

Volcano is not Plymouth.

There are no nearby wineries. No tasting-room buzz.

Here I have seven wooded acres.

Frogs serenading the stars.

Slow mornings.

Birdsong

Rustic calm.

When I stopped trying to recreate the energy of wine country spa weekends and leaned into bodywork-forward care, extended integration time, and intimate overnight containers…

Everything softened.

Including me.

What This Space Has Become

The Self-Care Lounge hasn’t disappeared.

It matured.

It deepened into private midlife retreats.

Intentionally limited to one woman or one small private group at a time.

Overnight sanctuaries.

Three-hour reset containers.

Bodywork-centered support.

Unhurried mornings.

Less about indulgence.

More about steadiness.

Less about performance wellness.

More about recalibration.

Why This Matters

Midlife is not a breakdown.

It’s a recalibration.

And recalibration doesn’t require more stimulation.

It requires space.

It requires skilled, grounded care.

It requires not having to hold everything together for a little while.

That’s what this space now offers.

And giving myself a full year to explore, refine, and listen has allowed me to create something that truly aligns …not just with a market, but with my own season of life.

If you are in that in-between place…

Tired.

Frustrated with your changing body.

Wondering what comes next.

This space was built for you.