Fall Retreat: Yoga for a Healthy Nervous System – Oct. 6-9, 2022 Ely, MN

Posted by on Apr 6, 2016 in Retreats, Travel, Uncategorized | 1 comment

Join us for our 16th Annual Fall Yoga Retreat:

 October 6-9, 2022

  We invite you to join us for our 16th annual Fall Retreat:)  The retreat will be held at the pristine Camp du Nord, 20 minutes outside of Ely, MN, a stones throw from the Boundary Waters.    The retreat will feature two yoga sessions and two delicious vegetarian meals each day. There will be plenty of free time for hiking, canoeing, sauna, massage, reading and relaxing lakeside and fireside, and enjoying quiet reflective time or the company of friends.  Our intention is that this retreat is not just time away. Retreat is sacred space from which to view yourself and your life clearly.   We will explore the practices and wisdom teachings of yoga, as a means to realizing your innate capacity for meaning, freedom and joy within life.  

The Place: Camp du Nord, near Ely, MN.  A stones throw from the Boudary Waters, Camp du Nord is set amongst the pine, maple and birch forest alongside Lake Burntside.  It has been a natural place of retreat, relaxation and reflection for more than 50 years.

The Yoga: We will practice for two hours each morning and afternoon.  Morning sessions will consist of an invigorating asana, pranayama and meditation practice.  Afternoon sessions will focus on the subtler aspects of yoga, including: restorative postures, pranayama, meditation, self-reflection, yoga philosohpy and dharma.  

Lodging & Meals: Our lodging will be communal in modern wooden cabins, beautiful and simple.  Each cabin features a full kitchen, indoor bathroom, central air & heat, fireplace, living & dining room, bedrooms and sleeping loft.   No T.V.’s, no phones, no distractions- essentially everything you’ll want, nothing you won’t.  We will share two delicious vegetarian meals for breakfast and dinner, in the camp dining hall- a beautiful 15 minute hike through the trails of the forest.  We can accommodate special dietary needs, and we may be able to arrange private cabins for families.  Preference for lodging requests will be given in the order in which registrations are received.  To view one of the cabins, please click here

Activities: 

Hiking, Canoeing + Kayaking,  Sauna, + Lake Plunge, Massage, Relaxing lakeside and fireside    ( *massage not included in the price of the retreat)

    This year’s theme is Yoga for a Healthy Nervous System: Balance, Vitality and Ease.  The human nervous system is the culmination of nature’s miraculous power of evolution, unfolding over billions of years. As our operating system, it profoundly influences our physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual states, and is responsible for essential and diverse functions.  

  Yet we are not given an owner’s manual to the nervous system, nor are we well educated in its languages (sensation, emotion, thought).  This lack of intimacy with ourselves causes a great deal of (unnecessary) suffering and stress in our lives and our world.  In these times of challenge and change, learning to feel and respond skillfully + compassionately to our nervous system is foundational to human well being, and the renewal of life on our planet.  In this retreat, we will explore the nervous system experientially, including:

  • What is the nervous system?  What are its aspects and functions?
  • Modern science of the nervous system and poly-vagal theory    
  • Learning to feel and respond skillful and compassionately to our nervous systems – as a foundation of healing   
  • Essential yogic + ayurvedic practices for cultivating balance, vitality and ease
  • How specific practices influence the nervous system, including: posture, breath-work, meditation, guided relaxation, witness awareness, mantra, kriya and more
  • Wisdom traditions view on the relationship of breath, energy, mind and spirit 
  • Tools for stress relief and lessening its shadows of anxiety, depression and trauma
  • Being held with care: tools for self and co-regulation                                                                                                                                                             

Transportation, Arrival & Departure

The retreat will begin Thursday Oct. 6 at 2 pm with our welcoming, opening practice and ceremony.  It is about a 4.5 hour drive from the Twin Cities.  You are responsible for your own transportation.  We encourage carpooling, and will assist in finding you a carpool if you like.  For Directions, click here.

Covid Safety Protocols

Your safety and enjoyment of the retreat is our highest priority.  We will continue to monitor the conditions of Covid and adjust safety precautions accordingly.  As of now, we will be requiring proof of a negative PCR test, or 2 negative antigen home tests taken within 72 hours of the beginning of retreat.    We will have air purifiers as an additional layer of protection for the practice space.    We will re-assess all safety precautions based on the CDC guidelines and the state of the pandemic in MN at that time.

Rates & Registration:

Based on past years, we expect the retreat will fill up this year. If you are planning to attend, please send registration and deposit as soon as possible to reserve your space.  Thanks!

The cost of the retreat includes:

  •    All yoga classes
  •    Recordings from all our sessions for home practice
  •    Vegetarian Breakfast and Dinner (Thursday evening through Sunday Morning)
  •    Lodging in accommodation of your choice
  •    Use of canoes, kayaks and sauna.
  •    All the fun you can have, with new and old friends!

Accommodation Options + Rates:

Shared Loft Space (Twin Beds): $625                                                                               Shared Bedroom Space (Two Twin Beds or Queen for couples) : $725                           Private Bedroom w/ Queen Bed: $850 

All rates are per person.  There are a few private cabins which can be specially arranged for families or those desiring more privacy.  Email [email protected] directly for more info or to reserve a private cabin.

Early Registration Discount –  $50 off  when you register + pay in full by July 31.  Early registration discount does not apply to private rooms or cabins.

To reserve your space: please email your Fall Retreat Registration + Waiver to [email protected] and submit a $250 deposit per-person (non-refundable).   Payment can be made by: Venmo (@vincent-yoga), PayPal ([email protected]), check (see directions below), or CC. There is a 3.5% fee for paypal or CC to cover costs.  Contact us directly to pay via CC or paypal.

Checks are payable to:

Angela or Ben Vincent (not Vincent Yoga)                                                                           5354 40th Ave S.                                                                                                       Minneapolis, MN, 55417

All payments are due by Sept 2. There will be a $50 fee for payments, payment plans and registrations received after Sept 2.  For those unable to pay-in-full before Sept 2, payment plans are available through paypal credit. All payments are final. The non-refundable $250 deposit covers the costs for room and board to camp du Nord in the event that the retreat should have to be cancelled for unforeseen reasons.  If you’re unable to attend the retreat due to covid exposure, you may receive a 50% credit to future Vincent Yoga events good for 1 year.  Other discounts and scholarships are not available.

We would love to have you join us for the sacredness of fall retreat in the northwoods:)  Please email [email protected] with any questions.

One Comment

  1. Looking forward to the Fall event

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