Being in the wilderness for an extended period of time offers unparalleled experience to return to your your truest nature, your truest self. The aim of yoga is quite similar. By practicing yoga in all of its forms, while relying on the strength of our own bodies to carry us through the wilderness and experience pure and raw nature, we can invite a profound experience of deepening self knowledge, coming to greater joy, contentment, and love for ourselves and the world.

Our 3-day retreats are designed for beginners and intermediate backpackers who enjoy slowing down. The 5-day Lost Coast trip is open to intrepid beginners but is a step more challenging.

For our week-long trip in the high country, it is helpful to have some experience as a 7-day trip is a biggie for a first wilderness experience. Mainly you need to be in physical shape to carry a 30-40lb pack 5-10 miles a day and with +/- 2000’ of elevation gain/loss, at high altitude. If you’re not in shape already, you’ll probably want to train a little bit! It is also more important to be ‘comfortable with discomfort’, since once we get out there, it’s just us and the elements!

All levels and experience with yoga and meditation are welcome.

Most yoga at mainstream studios in the USA focuses on asana, or practice of certain postures. But actually yoga is a complex system and philosophy of how to live ones life as we each embark on our path of enlightenment. We will integrate yamas and niyamas (principles for living a good life), practice asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), dharana and dhyana (one-pointed focus and meditation) and other practices to fine-tune our minds while they are in a clear space and away from the busyness of the modern world.

You’ll be provided with a gear list well in advance to help you plan your trip. Backpacking requires quite a few specialty items that can be pricey. Depending on where you are in gathering your personal collection of gear, I’ll give you some suggestions on how to acquire what you need. Gear can be purchased, rented, or borrowed. Some group gear may be available too.

There’s several reasons for this.

At this point we don’t have the capacity to add food preparation to our tasks - as co-leaders we are focused on group safety and our energy is directed towards creating and delivering high-value content. Adding food preparation to this would begin to lead towards burnout; at some point I’d be interested to add an even more exclusive trip that is stock supported and includes a cook!

Also, I strongly believe that overcoming the fear of preparing backcountry meals can change your perspective and empower your self-reliance to be able to do trips like this on your own in the future. There is such a strong, fun connection of all being around camp at night and sharing different recipes and cooking in unison.

California in the summer is so beautiful but also can be unpredictable. Days are oftentimes sunny and warm; thunderstorms are not uncommon in the afternoons. Expect rain, wind, warm days, cool nights. The whole week could be perfect, or we may have to wait out a storm in our tents - you never know!

Physical activity at high elevation (above 8,000’) can be more challenging than at sea-level. If your trip will be at a higher elevation, you may notice differences in your physical body or your mental state. The amount of oxygen we take in is reduced as we rise in elevation, and can have a wide range of effects on the body: from nausea, to lack of appetite, to dizziness or lightheadedness, as well as more severe effects. If you live at low elevations it is advised to spend some time getting acclimated if possible.

Although wildlife is unpredictable, we could see anything from a range of birds, coyotes, marmots - even bears! We’ll camp ‘bear-aware’, keeping food and scented items in personal bear canisters, leaving any food-scented items from your car in a labeled bear-box at the trailhead, and be respectful of wildlife by keeping our distance.

No. This is the perfect opportunity to fully unplug.

I’ll be asking for emergency contact information, and carry an InReach so that emergency communications can be established. I’ve been Wilderness First Aid certified since 2012, and Wilderness First Responder certified since 2016, and have handled more than a few uncomfortable situations in the backcountry. We will take some time to cover safety topics at the beginning of the trip.

It probably won’t be! There will probably be too many mosquitos in the beautiful river corridor and around the lakes, and we may get drenched in a thunderstorm. Your legs will probably be dying, your back might feel extra stiff sleeping on the ground, and I bet most of us will get blisters. Who knows, the high altitude might make you nauseous or give your lips a sunburn on the day you forget to put on your SPF-chapstick, and climbing over that pass might take your breath away more than you want. Your pack might feel heavy and rub on your shoulders. During your meditation, some uncomfortable feelings may arise, and during yoga, you might feel like the most inflexible person in the whole group.

But if you are the kind of person who can take these things in stride, or at least have the desire to learn to, to strengthen your body and your mind, to find your focus, and to allow the absolute magic that kindles in the spirit of the wild to awaken your inner fire, then ultimately you won’t give a flying fuck if every moment of every day isn’t perfect.

Study of yogic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali have completely changed my life in a way that has helped me to find deep contentment, release attachments, and be at true peace … most of the time … and to be able to take a step back and understand and learn from my suffering when I am not in those positive places. Each unique trip will include sharing readings, recordings and/or facilitating discussion that prompts reflection into better knowing our own true nature.

These are a few types of yogic practices that we may be offering. Tratak is yogic gazing.Yoga Nidra is yogic sleep, a an extended guided savasana practicePranayama is controlled breathwork.