October 16–18, 2026
Hosted at Quarterdeck Beachside Villas & Grill in Summerville Centre, Nova Scotia
Facilitated by Jacqueline Milner, Registered Psychologist, Certified Menopause Lifestyle Practitioner, and Director of Breathe Mindfulness Centre
For women who spend so much of their lives caring, leading, supporting, and holding things together, and for those navigating the transformative tides of midlife, this is your invitation to exhale.
So much of life is spent holding family, work, responsibility, and the quiet emotional labour that keeps everything moving forward. In that constancy, it is easy to lose your own rhythm.
This fall, we invite you to the edge of the Atlantic to gently put the weight down. To be held by the ocean long enough to remember who you are when you are not needed, only present.
This retreat is grounded in evidence-based mindfulness, self-compassion, gentle movement, breathwork, deep relaxation, and guided rest, with particular sensitivity to women’s nervous systems and the physical and emotional transitions of midlife.
The intention is to support:
A guided sensory welcome introducing the practice of mindful savoring: lingering with what is pleasant and noticing what feels nourishing. Through taste, scent, pacing, and pause, the opening evening sets the tone for slowing down, arriving fully, and listening inward.
Grounding morning sessions of slow, mindful movement and breath awareness, designed with midlife bodies and varying energy levels in mind. All movement is optional and choice-based, and no previous yoga experience is required.
An optional, gently facilitated circle offering science-informed insight and practical guidance for navigating perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
Together, we will explore:
Listening is participating. There is no expectation to share.
Opportunities to slow down beside the Atlantic, walk the shoreline, awaken the senses, and reconnect with the restorative rhythms of the natural world.
Friday evening begins with Settling the Waters, a guided relaxation incorporating calming breathwork, progressive muscle relaxation, and body awareness to help release physical tension and prepare the body and mind for restful sleep.
Saturday evening offers Ocean-Inspired Yoga Nidra: The Stillness Beneath the Waves, a guided practice supporting nervous-system regulation, deeper stillness, and restorative sleep.
Intentional space for rest, reflection, ocean walks, the sauna, the pool, journalling, quiet connection, or simply doing nothing at all.
This protected time is not a gap in the schedule. It is part of the design, because restoration cannot be rushed.
Here, rest is not a pause from the weekend. It is the heart of it.
Set along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, Quarterdeck Beachside Villas & Grill offers a naturally calming coastal environment where the rhythm of the ocean supports restoration without effort.
Your booking includes:
Single-occupancy bookings are available. Oceanfront accommodations and rooms with private hot tubs are also available at an additional rate. Please ask the Quarterdeck about available options when booking.
Meals are not included. Guests may prepare meals in their private kitchen or reserve a table at the Quarterdeck’s oceanfront restaurant and order from the à la carte menu. Restaurant reservations are recommended.
View Package Options & Reserve Through Quarterdeck
This retreat is inclusive of all women and may be especially supportive if you:
Registration for The Ocean Pause retreat is managed directly through the Quarterdeck Resort.
Please contact the Quarterdeck and mention The Ocean Pause Retreat, October 16–18, 2026:
Telephone: 1-902-683-2998
Toll-free: 1-800-565-1119
Email: be*******@*********ck.ca