Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Feathered Pipe Ranch.
Located on 110 pristine acres in the heart of the Montana Rockies,
this ranch has hosted yoga seminars since 1975, the same year its owners cofounded
Yoga
Journal
. You'll stay in a yurt, tent, or log cabin, eat organic food straight from its famous
cookbook, and study under experienced Ashtanga, Hatha, Iyengar, and Svaroopa instructors.
There's only one class going each week, so you won't be distracted by other seminar-goers
who are, for example, practicing primal scream techniques. In addition to its workshops, the
nonprofit Feathered Pipe Foundation offers yoga tours to India, Peru, Africa, and Europe.
Prices for a week at the Feathered Pipe Ranch range from $1,399 to $1,850 and include all
instruction, meals, and accommodations.
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
Someone once described a yoga retreat as a weeklong full-body massage. If you're
ready to take it up a notch, consider a vacation to a yoga ashram or what
Condé
Nast Traveler
called “zen dens.” An ashram usually centers around a guru, someone
willing to share a particular practice with seekers. In the case of yoga ashrams, the
guru is a master yogi who has devoted his or her life to spreading the practice of
yoga.
There are dozens of yoga ashrams in North America and because, like
everything else, these temples of devotion and asceticism have evolved with the
times, many offer public workshops, seminars, and special events. Some have man-
datory daily schedules and ask visitors to practice karma yoga (selfless service) by
helping with kitchen, gardening, or cleaning chores. Here are just five:
Barsana Dham.
You'll attend twice-daily
satsanas
at this ashram southwest of
Austin. It nestles on 200 acres and is devoted to the teachings of Jagadguru Shree
Kripalu Maharaj, a Hindu guru who helped his devotees find “Divine Love.”
400
Barsana Road, Austin, TX 78737, 512-288-7180, www.barsanadham.org.
Mount Madonna Center.
Inspired by the teachings of Baba Hari Dass, this ashram
in Watsonville, California, offers retreats in Ashtanga and karma yoga.
445 Summit
Road, Watsonville, CA 95076, 408-847-0406, www.mountmadonna.org.
Salt Spring Centre of Yoga.
Established in 1981 by the Dharmasara Satsang So-
ciety, this 70-acre center has yoga workshops as well as classes in the creative
and healing arts.
355 Blackburn Road, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2B8, Canada,
250-537-2326, www.saltspringcentre.com.
