An Om For All Seasons
SUMMER : FEATHERED PIPE RANCH, HELENA, Montana
Morning sunlight illuminating the walls of your yurt is the signature wake-up call at this 100-acre ranch in the mountains of western Montana. Roll out of your platform bed for a guided walk amid the evergreens, then practice your asanas under the tutelage of experienced Ashtanga, Hatha, Iyengar, and Svaroopa instructors. The ranch has hosted yoga seminars since 1975, the same year its owners cofounded Yoga Journal, and its much-lauded cookbook is the source for ranch dishes ranging from roast chicken and apple pie to Indian curries and African yam balls. Weeklong sessions on everything from astrology to shamanism run throughout the summer, culminating in the Celebration of Yoga retreat in August: $1,350 per person for yoga instruction, meals, and accommodations in a yurt, tent, or tepee. 406-442-8196,
Pura Vida USA Wellness and Yoga Retreat in Dahlonega, Georgia
FALL
FALL : PURA VIDA USA WELLNESS AND YOGA RETREAT,DAHLONEGA, Georgia
In September, blueberries line the wooded trails of this 72-acre mountain hideaway, where yoga students sip tea on the wraparound porch of a 1920s-style farmhouse. Pura Vida USA—a recent offshoot of the popular Pura Vida Spa, in Costa Rica, and Maya Tulum, in Mexico—is part yoga retreat, part day spa, and part classic southern country inn. Rooms in the house and barn offer wildflower-garden views; “bear den” cabins sit amid sycamores, poplars, and pines. The daily Hatha yoga classes complement the spa’s more passive treats, including aromatherapy steams and half a dozen flavors of massage. Round out your stay with some canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking in the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The Wellness Getaway Package for two people includes two nights’ lodging, yoga, breakfast, three spa treatments, and unlimited access to the outdoor Jacuzzi for $440–$536. 866-345-4900,
La Rinconada in Cholila, Argentina
WINTER
WINTER : LA RINCONADA, CHOLILA, Argentina
Escape the chillier latitudes by migrating to an 880-acre retreat in Argentina’s lake district, 130 miles south of Bariloche, where a new yoga studio with a red-eucalyptus floor overlooks the glacial peaks of the Patagonian Andes. Home is a simple four-bedroom farmhouse, and you’ll dine on organic homegrown vegetables, fresh rainbow trout, and Argentinian beef prepared by local and American chefs, and venture out for horseback riding on the property, fly-fishing in the Río Rivadavia, and hiking in nearby Los Alerces National Park. A weeklong retreat led by a Vinyasa or Anusara instructor costs $1,750, including lodging, meals, yoga, and transport from Bariloche. , kcanepa@aol.com
Harmony Ranch in Glen Ellen, California
SPRING
SPRING : HARMONY RANCH, GLEN ELLEN, California
Start some internal spring cleaning at a Harmony Ranch purification retreat, where four days of Raja yoga, meditation, and light hiking in the Sonoma wine country accompany “gourmet detox” cuisine. Fueled by carrot-ginger soup and grilled marinated zucchini, glide through gentle poses, meditation, and focused breathing with acclaimed instructors Michele Hebért and Mehrad Nazari. Then walk the Jack London Trail, which runs through hills and redwood forests to its namesake author’s private lake. Guest rooms in the mountaintop ranch house and a 1,000-square-foot cottage overlook the surrounding vineyards. Four-day retreats in March and April cost $685–$785, including instruction, lodging, and meals. Single-night stays (with yoga) cost $250 per couple year-round, including breakfast. 707-939-8887,