Colleen Harshbarger is a life-long nature, yoga, and adventure enthusiast who has been leading women’s wellbeing retreats since 2017 and facilitating groups for over 20 years. Her inspiration to lead women’s groups came after years of being the ‘retreat leader mom’ for her daughter’s cross-country teams.

After seeing kids have so much fun bonding with each other in nature, she decided that adults need that kind of fun too. From her experience as a full-time working mom, she knows the challenges of carving out personal time, and mindfully crafts experiences that leave participants feeling restored and rejuvenated.Colleen’s mission is to inspire women to claim their power, and to heal our world. She is especially enthusiastic about guiding women who work in demanding careers to balance their passion and purpose with self-care. Her belief is that a well-crafted retreat can be the necessary transformation to leave participants not only well rested and nourished, but more likely to retain a sense of ease and flow back home. Though it may seem counterintuitive, taking time for a wellness getaway is essential for staying at the top of your professional game and for deepening meaningful relationships.Colleen’s background includes over 30 years of experience as a wellness professional, helping people optimize their performance and potential. She is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach, and serves as the Director of the Wellness Inventory Certification Training for international health and wellness coaches. Colleen has been teaching yoga since 1994 and is an experienced registered yoga instructor and certified education provider with Yoga Alliance (ERYT-500, YACEP). She loves weaving together evidence-based strategies in her areas of expertise: yoga, mindfulness, exercise science, and whole-person wellbeing to help others grow. Colleen’s professional roles in organizations include creating and directing comprehensive wellness programs at Reebok International, the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, and West Virginia University.

Colleen represented the City of Morgantown in a one-year exploration with the Blue Zones Project, assessing readiness in becoming a certified Blue Zone Community.Her volunteer roles align with her values and include serving on the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run of North Central West Virginia, mentoring Afghan women refugees who are college students at West Virginia University and contributing to environmental health and beauty through her Master Gardener’s certificate.

Colleen’s most joyful moments are times with family and friends, whether laughing around the dinner table or hiking, biking, skiing, running, and playing in nature. Her current goals are to run a ½ marathon in under 2 hours, and to embrace her inner artist and learn to draw and paint.

Current Trip

Hiking, Wellness, and Adventure in the Dolomites