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STAYACTIVE

DestinationNourish yoursoul and push

your body at

one o these

unique yoga

retreats!By Lisa Moretti

Here are 6 destinations in

the United States focused

on yoga and a short list

of yoga gatherings (see

page 30). Expect to get

more than a physical workout: yoga

exercises every aspect of your being!

Yoga

Surprise! There are hills in Austin, Texas!

And second, you can learn to balance

your chakras, combine tai chi/yoga/

pilates, understand how to incorporate

yoga into your gardening, create a yoga

facelift, relieve your aching back, build

strength and endurance, use sound

to improve your workout and sculpt a

beautiful body in a spa thats like staying

in your best friends lake house; relaxed

and welcoming.Two ultra-cool features of the spa

are the spa deck over Lake Austin so you can do

yoga while being one with nature and the Barn Pool

housed inside a huge barn-structure.

All-inclusive packages include three meals a day,

accommodations and unlimited tness activities and

related programs. The resort also offers its Power of

7 Program, which includes a week-long personalized

tness program totally personalized, meals,

accommodations and unlimited tness activities forseven days.

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SKILL LEVEL: All

PRICE RANGE:

3-night $1,720 -

$2,680, 4-night$2,240-$4,405.

Power of 7: introrate $3,640

RESERVATIONS:

(800) 847-5637

WEBSITE:www.lakeaustin.com

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Founded by Sri Satchidananda, Yogaville is a

community dedicated to all six paths of yoga and

is located in Buckingham County, Virginia with

the James River and Blue Ridge Mountains as a

backdrop. People from all religions and walks of life

visit for guest stays and retreats. Your stay (you can

decide how long) includes three vegetarian meals

a day, two hatha yoga classes each day, tours/

chanting/a visit to the farm as you wish, meditation

classes and hiking/walking trails.

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Birdwing Spa on 300 lakefront acres in Minnesota (just west of Minneapolis) offers

allinclusive 5 to 7 day retreats, weekend retreats or quickie one-day retreats.You have unlimited options for their unique yoga programs: start each weekday

with a Sun Salutation, then try Yoga on the Ball, Meditative Yoga hikes, Abs and

Arms yoga, easy stretching tied with breath work, Yoga for Better Sleep and Hip-

openers Yoga; as well as other related activities like qui-gong and meditation,

along with the standard fare of kayaking, kickboxing, belly dancing and Nordic

walking. With less than 15 guest rooms, spa owner Richard Carlson encourages

guests to take time for themselves on the miles of hiking trails and waterways.

WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline o six dierentpaths, but we commonly ocus on the physical orms: Hatha andBhakti. In Sanskrit, yoga means yoke in the sense o joining or

uniting. So, practicing yoga helps us to unite our body, mind and spirit.

Former NFL tight end, Damian

Vaughn, discovered from personal

experience that the principles of yoga

help create better athletes, leaders

and business professionals. Vaughn

turned to meditation to help him deal

with the stresses and pressures of

the NFL. After retirement, he trained

with Deepak Chopra and and now

helps people cultivate a greater sense

of ow (engagement, productivityand enjoyment) both on the eld

whatever your eld may be and off

so you can live your true potential.

In 2012, Vaughn will offer three

Renew and Revitalize retreats, and a

new program he calls meditation in

action of quarterly weekend retreats

focused on yoga/meditation/high-

impact tness, each building on the

skills from the quarter before.

SKILL LEVEL: AllPRICE RANGE:

$50/day for tentspace to $140/day

for a private roomand bath

RESERVATIONS:(800) 858-9642

WEBSITE:www.yogaville.org

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

PRICE RANGE: $325/person perretreat

RESERVATIONS:(480) 621-0140WEBSITE:www.vaughncenter.com

SKILL LEVEL: AllPRICE RANGE: 5 to 7 Day Retreat: $1,315 - $2,225, 2 Day Retreat:

$515- $675 (2 designated spa services), Overnight: $315 - $400 (limited

spa services), Day Pass: $250 (limited spa services, no meals or lodging)RESERVATIONS: (320) 693-6064WEBSITE: www.birdwingspa.com

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Get away to the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts

at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, which offers

more than 800 programs a year in yoga, healthy

living, Ayurvedic medicine, healthy eating, as well as

personal and spiritual growth, coupled with their on-

going research on the effects of yoga. Kripalu offers

ve-day and weekend programs with accommodations

and meals, evening events, outdoor activities, daily

yoga and YogaDance classes as their signature R&R

workshops.

Procient already? You can create your own program

with a sprinkling of interesting add-ons. The base cost

includes meals, lodging and yoga classes, and then

you can add on services or related programs, many of

which are accredited for Continuing Education credits

for yoga instructors.

Executive Chef Deb Morgan has created a menu

of locally-sourced organic produce along with fresh-

baked breads and sh or poultry served at lunch or

dinner. This is a communal approach meals arebuffet style.

Find a lecture/program thats of interest or just focus

on you and yoga Kripalus got you covered!MS&F

Adventures On the Gorge is the dream-come-true of some boyhood

friends and a new guy they all happen to like. Bonded by their love

of whitewater rafting, they created their ultimate adventure resort

for people of every budget on the rim of the New River Gorge in

West Virginia. If you have outdoor ADD, theres literally everything

an adrenaline junkie could want.

Identify your budget and your desires, then the guys at On the

Gorge can help you make it work. Lodging ranges from tent space

to a rustic cabin (four walls, bunk beds and a light) to a house thehead of Homeland Security uses.

Every Saturday, youll hike to the rim of the Gorge for a yoga class

on top of the world. The cost is $10 with an expert instructor, and

youll get to know many of the locals. They also have yoga-rafting

weekends every quarter; youll head down the river and stop for a

nice yoga intensive, then raft on down the river some more.

In between, theres zip-lines, bridge walks, canopy tours, rock

climbing, horseback riding, Frisbee golf and an attentive staff of

more than 750 people waiting to make your adventure awesome.

There are three restaurants on the property using locally-sourced,

sustainable foods. Many of the cabins have efciency kitchens so if

you have special dietary needs or just dont want to hang you can

make your own meals easily. Bonus: the whole resort is pet-friendly!

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The goal o Integral Yoga, and the birthright o everyindividual, is to realize the spiritual unity behind all thediversities in the entire creation and to live harmoniouslyas members o one universal amily. This goal is achievedby maintaining our natural condition o a body o optimumhealth and strength, senses under total control, a mindwell-disciplined, clear and calm, an intellect as sharp as arazor, a will as strong and pliable as steel, a heart ull ounconditional love and compassion, an ego as pure as acrystal and a lie flled with supreme peace and joy.

His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda, founder of Integral Yoga

YOGAFESTSYOGISUNITE Bend, OR www.yogisunitebend.com

SQUAM ART WORKSHOP Squam, NHwww.squamartworkshop.com

WANDERLUST FESTIVALS Stratton Mountain, VA;

Copper Mountain, CO; Lake Tahoe, CAwww.wanderlustfestival.com

YOGA ROUNDUP Pendleton, OR, Umatilla IndianReservation www.yogaroundup.com

YOGA ROCKS THE BUTTE Crested Butte, COwww.yogarocksthebutte.com

SEYCHELLES INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

OF WELL-BEING www.seychellesmindbodyspirit.com

SKILL LEVEL: IntermediatePRICE RANGE: Prices for lodging range from $15 per night

for a campsite to $169-$219 per night for a Sportsman cabin to$419 - $479 per night for the Cabins on the Gorge (deluxe fully

equipped homes). The Paddle House (its presidential!)is $525 -$5,000 per night depending on season. Activities are all priced

individually many are free.RESERVATIONS: (888) 650-1932

WEBSITE: www.onthegorge.com

SKILL LEVEL: AllPRICE RANGE: Basic R&R Yoga Retreat:

starting at $164 per person per night for dormstyle housing to $422 for private room/private

bath facing the lake, DIY Retreat: start at $84per person per night for dorm style rooms plus

seminar or tuition feesRESERVATIONS: (866) 200-5203

WEBSITE: www.kripalu.org