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Tour Overview
Our mission is to take you on a journey deeper into yourself through your yoga practice. Everyone needs to carve out time from their lives to discover inner truths that allow personal growth. This retreat experience is not about escapism; it is about excavating your inner self and finding the tools you need there to improve your health and well being. Yoga is the catalyst for this change.
Imagine a week of yoga and horses - a girl's dream come true. Explore how both can put you in touch with your potential and teach you a lot about yourself. We'll practice yoga, spend time with horses, and kick up our heels in the cowgirl-friendly town of Bozeman.
Come join fellow wanna-be cowgirls for yoga and fun in and out of the saddle under Montana's legendary Big Sky. We'll explore the link between yoga and riding to improve not only your saddle skills, but also your overall well-being. Through yoga poses and breathing techniques we will learn how to improve balance and body alignment. Best of all, experience how the horse-human connection deepens as you practice yoga. We'll take all that out on the trail and ride with new friends both human and equine on scenic mountain trails, immersing ourselves in nature and the cowgirl yoga spirit.
The natural beauty of Montana inspires peace and fresh perspective in a fast-paced world. Clean mountain air, sharing the surroundings with plenty of wildlife (who wouldn't be inspired when a bald eagle's flight path crosses yours?) and a gentle pace all come together here to offer you the opportunity to really experience your yoga practice. You know that feeling you have after a yoga class, where your mind clutter has been temporarily cleared? Multiply it tenfold and you will get a taste of what we intend to offer you here in Montana. Our yoga will be interwoven with outdoor activities that fill you with the exhilaration felt from being in touch with nature.
This retreat is based in Bozeman, and lodging and yoga practices will be at the historic Gallatin Gateway Inn. Bozeman is sophisticated Western chic meets college town. Great shopping, dining, and some of the best hiking trails in SW Montana.
Our time with horses will take place at Shamrock Stables, just minutes from downtown Bozeman. The facility is the birth place of Annie's Equineimity and Yoga for Equestrians sessions with Annie and Margaret. Each lesson horse on staff has been chosen for their disposition, responsiveness and willingness to communictae with all levels of riders.
Livingston is caught between very cowboy and very hip. Tons o' cute shops and restaurants, and celebrity sightings are common. They call its location "Paradise Valley" for a reason. A visit to nearby Chico Hot Springs is a must.
Margaret is mom to Morgane Sienna, who will be three in June 2008 and loves yoga poses named after animals. In early 2007, Margaret, her husband David, Morgane and their two Boston Terriers Lola and Rocco all packed up and moved to Bozeman, Montana. They look forward to an active outdoor lifestyle in their new home. Margaret plans to continue her life’s work of sharing yoga, while watching Morgane grow up learning to ski and horseback ride.
Margaret's relationship with yoga began almost a decade ago, in a bid to combat a hectic New York City lifestyle and a corporate career with cosmetics giant L’Oreal.
A few years and several hundred down dogs later, Margaret knew that the corporate world no longer held her future, so switching her designer suits for comfy pants - and NYC for Washington DC - she combined her business know-how with her passion for yoga and created Georgetown Yoga, one of DC's most popular yoga studios.
Now Margaret brings that same recipe for success to Montana. Margaret combines her fresh approach to teaching with a unique ability to create a nurturing, safe space in which to learn yoga. Her teaching will leave you calm and refreshed after a vigorous flowing practice, putting you in touch with your true potential and transforming your health and well being in the process.
Margaret has studied with many top instructors at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in NYC and Richard Freeman's studio in Boulder, CO; has attended David Swenson's intensive training in the foundation and teaching techniques of the Ashtanga yoga Primary series, and has done intensive practice and study of the Ashtanga Primary and Intermediate series with Dave Oliver from At One Yoga in Phoenix, Arizona.
Most recently, Margaret completed a 200-hour teacher training intensive with Yoga Works; this training was the result of a partnership between her studio Georgetown Yoga in Washington, DC and the renowned CA-NY based Yoga Works. In February 2007, Margaret traveled to Hawaii for Baron Baptiste’s Level 1 teacher training bootcamp. Margaret is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance; Margaret's photo "mountain dancer" taken in Big Sky was chosen for the 2008 Yoga Alliance calendar.
Margaret represents companies she believes in: she is sponsored by Athleta, outfitting women athletes since 1997, and is a product ambassador for LUNA bars and Manduka. Margaret has been asked to speak on career transition and, of course, yoga.
Margaret teaches weekly yoga classes at Be The Change yoga studio in Bozeman; she also volunteer teaches at The Wellness Community for cancer support, education and hope.
Margaret holds a BS in Business and Languages from Georgetown University and an MBA from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. She speaks fluent French, Spanish, and a little Italian and has lived abroad on numerous occasions.
Annie Bolognino is a Bozeman-based riding instructor, horse trainer, farrier and founder of Equineimity. Her teaching philosophy employs "natural horsemanship", finding a common language with horses where willingness and trust can develop the foundation between horse and human.
She has been riding since she was five years old, and her teaching style incorporates many different discipline backgrounds from dressage and jumping to trail riding and western pleasure. There is no specific "style" of riding taught here; rather, major focus is placed on developing body awareness and balance on horseback.
Annie uses many different priciples to develop body balance while riding. With a Bachelor's in "Movement Science" Annie has dedicated her teaching to help her riders become more aware of how their bodies affect the movement of the horse and how to apply principles of balance to develop a secure seat no matter what "style" they might choose to ride in.
Guest reviews
Christine, Petaluma, CA
What an amazing week! Time outside in nature and yoga - what two better ways to nourish your soul! Everything about this retreat was inspirational. The beautiful mountains of Montana were a perfect backdrop for yoga, and the hiking was breathtaking (sometimes literally!). Each day was better than the day before. I'll always remember the family of moose coming to the Lodge each night to give us a show. I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and give themselves a gift of nature and repose. The week was so awesome I didn't want to leave - it was a great way for me to kick-start my yoga and at the same time experience some of the most breathtaking scenery ever.
Tour Highlights
Yoga, Horseback Riding & Hiking Retreats for Women. For all levels of yoginis and equestrians.
Itinerary
RETREAT PROGRAM INCLUDES:
- Daily yoga classes that build body awareness and help foster an openness of body and mind - the best state to be in around horses - Specialized yoga classes that target common trouble spots for riders, such as the back and hips, and pay special attention to cultivating core strength (the center of the body's energy) - Intro to "natural horsemanship" sessions at the stable, covering horse-human interaction, grooming, and handling basics based on Annie's unique teaching philosophy (required for all levels, from beginners to advanced equestrians) - Riding sessions and bonding time: our time with the horses will be both in and out of the saddle - Yoga and riding sessions: a focus on yogic breathing will foster a relaxed yet alert posture on horseback, and we'll explore a variety of yoga poses you can do when riding to instantly release tension and relax you (and your horse!) - Outings to local places of interest including Bozeman Hot Springs, the Mint Bar & Grill - the perfect cowgirl hangout, the Gallatin County Fair & Rodeo (July retreat only), the Rocky Mountain Hat Company to get a custom-fit cowgirl hat, and more - Evening programs to include health and wellness discussions, meditation, intention-setting, journaling and more.
A RELAXED APPROACH TO HIGH-END CUISINE, A DELICIOUS FIT FOR YOUR YOGA RETREAT!
Are you wondering, what kind of gourmet food will I eat at a yoga retreat?? Well, guess again if you think eating healthy means eating sparsely. The food is Montana-style - plentiful and pure. Local produce and wild game are the house specialties.
Please let us know if you are vegetarian or vegan, or have any other dietary needs.
Please note that alcohol is not included in your daily meal plan, any alcoholic beverages will be at your own expense.
SAMPLE MENUS INCLUDE:
Breakfast Choices: *if you're lucky, Chuck will cooking breakfast, and you'll be in for a real treat!
- Eggs Benedict or Eggs Florentine - King Crab, Swiss Cheese and Scallion Omelet - Potato Crusted Montana Trout with Spinach-Tomato Scramble - Montana Wild Game Biscuits and Gravy - Sausage, Mushroom and Onion Quiche - French Texas Toast with Strawberries and Whipped Cream - Baileys-Espresso Waffles with Vermont Maple Syrup - Raspberry-Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Lunch Choices:
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - Southwestern Chicken Sandwich with Pepper Jack Cheese and Guacamole - Big EZ Bison Burger with choice of Cheese - Grilled Chicken or Shrimp Caesar Salad - Wild Game Mini Pizza with Smoked Tomato Sauce and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Dinner Choices:
Sample Dinner Menu 1
APPETIZER Lobster-Apple Salad on Toast Points
FIRST COURSE Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup topped with Red Bell Pepper and Bacon Salsa
SECOND COURSE Tasmanian Sweet Crab Cake with Roasted Garlic Country Slaw and Bourbon Sweet Corn Sauce
THIRD COURSE Grilled Bison Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Sauce, Parsnip Puree and Steamed Broccolini
DESSERT Oatmeal Lace Cookie Napoleon with a Duet of Raspberry and Blueberry Mascarpone Cheese and Fresh Berries.
PRE-RETREAT RECOMMENDED READING: (reviewed by Margaret):
The Tao of Equus examines the horse-human relationship in detail, and how horses can awaken our intuition; in fact, it goes so far as to suggest that we cannot establish a meaningful interspecies connection without first being "emotionally congruent". In short, horses know when we are lying to ourselves and they won't tolerate it. Similarly, we won't grow in our yoga practice if we are not open to the process of self-discovery it causes.
How wonderful to have another being be a mirror for our true selves. There are moments when I feel I have connected with Belle that have brought on powerful and pure emotion. These are moments where I am truly present and authentic, as when I am able to be present in my yoga practice. The parallels continue to astonish me.
The following quote from The Tao of Equus could be applied to either horse or yoga experience: "Ultimately the willingness to relinquish accepted concepts and respond authentically in the moment [leads] to an increasing ability to navigate through the unknown, to become more fluid and adaptable, to embrace all experiences and emotions as meaningful information." I love the idea that my horseback riding is an extension of my yoga practice, and that Belle is my teacher. I look forward to sharing this with you on a retreat!
PACK YOUR JEANS & YOUR COWBOY BOOTS (or we'll take you shopping for some) AND GET READY FOR A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE WITH US!
Price is $2,750 pp, based on double occupancy; we will place you with a roommate if you do not have a travel companion. Single accomodations for Cowgirl Yoga retreats are available at an additional cost, please inquire. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due to hold your reservation. To better plan your travel, we begin the retreat at 5 pm on the arrival Sunday and end at noon on the following Friday.
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