The 5th Annual Very Special Yoga Teachers’ Retreat is just for Yoga Teachers!
October 21-24, 2018
RETREAT IS FILLED. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST.
This year’s topic is:
Escape to Reality
“Once we are willing to be directly intimate with our life as it arises,
joy emerges out of the simplest of life experiences.” ~ Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara

In November, 2017 I visited the Mabel Dodge Luhan house and spent the night in Mabel’s room, which abuts vast wild land owned by the Pueblo Indians. I fell asleep to the crackling of the kiva fire in my room and woke up to see a fluffy grey wolf running across the prairie. Exhilarating!
Thick snow fell on my shoulders as I toured the grounds, followed by the high white winter sun which burst out just in time for my drive home to Santa Fe along the Rio Grande. I felt full with this experience and completely understood why Mabel’s friends — Georgia O’Keefe, D.H. Lawrence, Ansel Adams, Elizabeth Duncan, and many others — traveled across the US to visit her and be fed by this land and this house.
Here are the details for this retreat:
SCHEDULE:
Sunday
3:00-5:00 Check in
5:00 -6:00 Restorative Arrival Class
6:00 -7:00 Dinner together in the house dining room
7:00-7:30 Hello and introductions around the kiva fireplace
7:30-8:30 A fascinating and inspiring talk by wonderful house docent Judy, who knows everything about Mabel and the history of the house.
Monday-Tuesday
8:00-9:00 Breakfast in the dining room
9:30 Morning Practice
12:30 Lunch in the dining room
2:00-4:00 Mid-day Methodology — focus on “right view” for teachers, and unpacking all our technical questions about teaching, asana, and life.
AND/OR a possible field trip, outdoor walking meditation or surprise!
4:00-6:00 Late Afternoon Restorative, Meditation and Pranayama
Wednesday
9:30-12:00 (check out before class and we will practice together until noon.)


NOTE: Dinner is OUT, on your own, on Monday night. Take a 10-minute walk through Kit Carson park to have fun exploring the Bent Plaza with lots of cute shops (ie, Cashmere and Chocolate, Uncommon Threads, etc.) and great restaurant options. Sunday and Tuesday night dinners are IN the house.
PRE-HOMEWORK READING:
“Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience” by Sharon Salzburg
“Edge of Taos Desert: An Escape to Reality” by Mabel Dodge Luhan
This retreat will give you 30 CEU hours with Yoga Alliance.
COST:
Depends on room selection and double or single occupancy. Each price includes:
- 3 nights at the house
- 3 breakfasts
- 2 lunches
- 2 dinners
- and, of course, use of the gorgeous yoga and meditation rooms, free reign of the house library, grounds and the retreat program itself… which equals 30 Yoga Alliance CEU hours.
SPECIAL NOTES:
* You can check out the rooms at www.mabeldodgeluhan.com. The prices are different on the site than for the retreat, because the site price does not include meals and program.
* This is a residential retreat. If you live in the area and want to commute, contact me. At this time, we are not accepting non-locals who want to attend the retreat but do not want to stay at the house.
TO HOLD YOUR SPOT PAY A $500 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT.
When your deposit is received, I will be in touch with you to select your room.
Balance will be due February 15.
You will receive an email with a paypal button for your balance.
DIRECTIONS TO GET TO MABEL DODGE LUHAN HOUSE:
Options:
- Fly to Albuquerque and rent a car. Drive about 2.5 hours to arrive in Taos.
- Fly to Santa Fe and rent a car. Drive about 1.5 hour to arrive in Taos.
- Fly to Albuquerque OR Santa Fe and take the Taos Ski Valley Shuttle.
- If you like road trips, you could also fly to Denver and take a gorgeous 6-hour drive to Taos.
“An hour with Cyndi Lee is more valuable than an entire shelf full of yoga books.” – Alexa Mergen, yoga & meditation teacher, Washington, D.C.
“Cyndi tells the whole story — the good the bad and the ugly. She has been and continues to be the teacher who I can be myself with and work on myself. She is the real deal!” – Amanda Rubenstein-Stern, yoga teacher, New Orleans
“Cyndi’s (Very Special Yoga Teachers) retreat is where I feel free to be vulnerable, to not know, to be uncomfortable, and to be open to explore whatever shows up, all in the most loving and supportive environment. Each year I return from this retreat with a shift in perspective, deepened insight, and so many new friends. This is by far the best thing I do for me.” — Barb Halpern, yoga teacher, Charleston, SC
“I always walk away from the Very Special Yoga Teacher’s Retreats feeling open, filled with new knowledge, rejuvenated, and in love with yoga all over again. Cyndi is a genuine and gifted teacher who creates a powerfully moving and safe space for teachers to gather, connect, and share their practices.” — Amanda Sandos, yoga teacher, Lynchburg, VA