natalie pyrooz

Inside each of us is a wild woman, a wild man, or a wild child. 

Sometimes we can lose track of the wild inside… it can be tamed by the heaviness of responsibility, grief and loss, outside pressure to live life a certain way, by trauma, or fear, or unmanifested dreams. We can forget who we truly are at our core and before we know it, we move through life robotically going through the motions and out of alignment with the core of our being.

In our 6 day retreat into the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains we create a space for you to return to and reclaim your wild and free essence. 

Surrounded by pristine mountain landscapes and in digital detox, we remember what is important about who we truly are, beyond any self-imposed labels. Through immersive guided eco-therapy and mindfulness meditation practices you will reconnect to your inner nature: a mindset characterized by curiosity instead of fear, awareness instead of distraction, and engagement instead of apathy. 

Living in the wilderness, we experience a connection to nature on a deeper level. As our senses expand and our stress falls further away with each step, we discover a resounding peace, sense of adventure, and companionship - with the wild, and with each other. Our days are filled with yoga, hiking, swimming, and body-work. Our nights are filled with epic dark skies that enhance our view of the stars, the waxing moon (supportive energy for envisioning and creating change in our lives) and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower! Witnessing this awe-inspiring event can inspire personal growth, clarity, and spiritual awakening.

Through our pre-trip class, An Ayurvedic Approach to Backcountry Nutrition, you’ll discover how to plan and prepare your backcountry meal kit, using nourishing and medicinal spices, herbs, and plant-based foods. You’ll also learn tips and tricks from an ayurvedic lens to support your lifestyle that are applicable in the backcountry, and in your daily life, too!

Dates + Itinerary

August 8th-13th, 2024

Day 1: Get your hiking legs warmed up! We’ll meet at 9am and day-hike (no overnight gear!) Pinecrest Lake Trail to the amazing swimming holes at Cleo’s Baths for a Welcome Circle and Swimming (4 miles each way). 

After returning to the trailhead, we’ll caravan to Gianelli trailhead, dropping some vehicles at Crabtree trailhead where we will exit. 

At Gianelli Trailhead, we don our backpacks with all of our overnight gear and hike 2.5 miles to Powell Lake.

Day 2: After morning yoga, we hike a spur trail to Chewing Gum Lake for lunch and a guided meditation. In the afternoon we’ll complete our hike for the day to the vast and beautiful Whitesides Meadow, where we can explore all of the meadow flora and some eco-therapy practices. (6.5 mi)

Day 3: Hike to Buck lake for camping (7 mi)

Day 4: Rest Day! Enjoy morning yoga, and an afternoon bodywork workshop. Optional activities include day hikes or simply taking some time to relax and rejuvenate.

Day 5: Morning yoga, then hike to Piute Lake for swimming, partner yoga practice, and summiting a nearby viewpoint. (5 mi)

Day 6: After a short morning yoga practice, we hike out from Piute Lake to Crabtree Trailhead (8 mi). We’ll pick up vehicles left at Gianelli TH and should be sharing hugs goodbye by around 2pm.

Note: This is generally the planned itinerary of the trip, but as all things wild ~ may change due to circumstances: weather, fitness of the group, unexpected changes in trail conditions. Activities and workshops are not set in stone and will be finalized as the trip approaches.

What to expect

We will hike, practice yoga, enjoy shared bodywork and sit quietly in the presence of the great California mountains.

Encased in granite and painted in wildflowers, pierced by inviting lakes small and large, and varying between forested and subalpine landscapes, each turn of the sinuous trail brings a new and delightful surprise. 

This is a beginner to moderately rated backpacking and yoga retreat, so don’t be shy. Beginners with the appropriate health and fitness necessary for safe travels are welcome. This trip is also perfect for seasoned excursionists who would like to slow down and integrate a mindfulness practice into their wilderness adventure. 

Participants will carry their own backpacks weighing 30 to 40 pounds with distances of 6 to 10 miles daily over uneven, up-and-down terrain. 

What’s included in the retreat

Packing and Technical Gear Suggestions and Support
Backcountry Empowerment: Navigational Guidance and Wilderness Skills
All associated fees and permits
Daily Wellness Practices including:
- Morning Sadhana including: Yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, Mantra
- Contact Yoga and Thai massage workshop
- Guidance in Nature Tratak, Mindfulness and Mandala Meditation
Botanical Identification and Interpretation
First Aid kit + Wilderness trained guides
Water sterilization kit
Emergency Satellite Communication
Pre-trip Communications
Food Preparation Class: An Ayurvedic Approach to Backcountry Nutrition - Live or Recording from Zoom

Not Included

Food: Bring your favorite food to make your own meals / food package provided at additional cost (see below!)
Gear: Gear list provided / essential gear provided at additional cost (see below!)
Transportation to the trailhead
Personal Insurance 
Optional guide gratuities
Personal navigation device
Personal maps

Investment

• Super Early Bird: $495 until February 29th (Limited spots at this price!)

• Early Bird: $575 until May 31st

• Full price: $675 after June 1st. Deadline to register July 24th

• Book with a Buddy and get $50 off each

Deposit of $100 due upon application and registration. Remainder of funds will be due within 30 days or by July 15th, whichever comes first. Please inquire if you need help with a payment plan and we can work with you.

Optional Add-ons

All-inclusive Meals and Gear: $600 per person

Essential Gear Rental Package: $300
Don’t have all your backcountry gear? Don’t worry - we are happy to either guide you to put together what you need, or even provide rental gear for you to use! Just let us know in the comments when you sign up.

Mindful Meals - Backcountry Food Package: $300
Does putting together your backcountry pantry feel overwhelming? While we offer an empwering workshop specifically to talk about how to create your menu, including Ayurvedic tips and tricks, we will also prepare a food package for you that includes both pre-packaged and homemade meals, customized to your preferences and needs. Mindful Meals package must be requested at least 3 weeks prior to trip departure.

Private Yoga Therapy Session (with Sierra!): $99 per person
Wild and Sacred Soul Photography Shoot (with Natalie!)- message for details!

Retreat Leaders

Natalie Pyrooz (WFR, RYT-500, MEnvSt) is a yogini, artist, and botanist who guides integrated yoga and nature-based experiences to help you find a deeper level of connection and belonging, inner peace, and self-love. For years she worked seasonally in the backcountry and across a wide scope of landscapes throughout the west and internationally as a botanist and biologist, using her off-season to deep-dive into living yoga, exploring the world, working the land, and giving back. After deeply experiencing the raw and healing power of nature during extended periods of repeated immersion in wilderness, and the transformative power of yoga in body, mind, and spirit, she is following her dharma path to create opportunities for others to heal and grow. She shares her personal practice in her teaching, bringing together sound, movement, philosophy, breathwork, mantra, tratak, and guided meditation.

Sierra Wagner (WFA, E-RYT 200, CMT) is an experienced yoga teacher, body-worker and back-county enthusiast who seeks out inspiring natural locations around the world. After becoming certified as a Yoga Therapist in 2016, she has developed a private Yoga Therapy practice, Sierra Laurel Yoga, where she customizes her teachings to integrate the healing essence of yoga with the needs and abilities of her students in a practical way. Her styles range from deeply restorative, meditative practices to invigorating and mindful flowing sequences. Spiritual themes, building to a peak pose and in-depth explorations of anatomy are hallmarks of her teaching. Sierra loves leading groups into deeper experiences using partner yoga, self massage, and shared Thai massage to awaken our innate ability to love ourselves and each other more fully and become better caretakers of our world.