Yahoo! Yoga horsemanship
retreats here at the ranch!
Click
here to read Christina's article about Yoga & Riding from the spring edition of
New Mexico's own Horsemen's Voice publication
I have found that my horsemanship, body awareness, and self-control has
improved dramatically since I have started practicing yoga! And I want to
share that experience with you & your horse!
These
retreats will offer morning yoga, a clinic style horsemanship-on-the-trail trail
ride where we will talk about the mornings yoga postures & breathing and how it relates to
our balanced relaxed seat & neutral pelvis while riding, afternoon yoga specific to your riding posture,
wonderful meals & nightly discussions by the fire about expectations, goals &
body awareness. The concept of the weekend is relaxation with your horse,
we want you to leave feeling rejuvenated
and invigorated!
This is a highly
integrated weekend. Your riding instructor will be learning yoga right
alongside you & your yoga instructor will be participating in the riding.
During the riding sections of the retreat there will be specific talk about the
yoga postures that we've already practiced, and the yoga postures chosen will be
specific to the body position and awareness that we are trying to attain in our
riding. Also, both of your instructors are with you 24-7 so when that question pops into
your head they are right there ready to help.
As part of your retreat you will be staying in the beautiful lodge of the
Pecos Bar X Bar Ranch, each room has a queen sized bed or two double beds with a
private bathroom with it's own water heater so no cold showers! Meals will
be prepared & cooked by our own private chef, and there will always be plenty of
snacks available so bring your saddle bags. 
This
weekend is WAY more than your average clinic, you're getting 4+ hours of yoga
instruction and hours upon hours of riding in a small group (a maximum of 8
participants) with individualized instruction (not 3 hours mostly standing around in an arena
with a ton of other participants),
there are no auditors or audience to critique your every move, just you, your
horse, the earth & sky! The small group offers the best situation for discussion both on & off your horse, and you'll meet other people looking to
learn the same things you are. So there will be great discussions too!
This weekend is WAY more than your average dude ranch weekend, you're getting
individualized attention, you are on your own horse, and your yoga classes &
riding instruction overlap. The poses & breathing you've practiced in the
morning directly relate to your riding posture later in the day. Your yoga
instructor is there for your riding instruction, and your riding instructor is
there for your yoga! We have a chef cooking meals for us & cleaning the
kitchen afterwards so we can relax & discuss the day in order to get the very
most of our time together. In order to keep the camaraderie of the group,
there is no date-rate available. The retreat cost includes your clinic
fee, lodging accommodations, meals, yoga instruction, horsemanship, guided
discussions, etc.
For A Tentative Weekend Schedule in Word
Click Here
You do not need any prior knowledge of yoga to participate in this Cowgirl
Yoga Weekend!
Heck you don't even have to be flexible or athletic!
But you
will need a steady mount. You are welcome to bring your own horse or rent
a solid mount for the weekend. Your horse must be trail friendly, and you
must be comfortable riding at a walk & a trot without an arena, over uneven terrain.
All of our horsemanship work throughout the weekend will be in open areas or out
on the trail, just like the cowgirls do it. A full packing list for you will be provided when you enroll for the
retreat.
Cost:
Each retreat is limited to 8 participants and their horses
(that makes 10 with Christina & your yoga instructor)
$1500 or $1250 when you room with a friend!
Vote now on the Buckaroo Balance Facebook page for your
favorite dates for June 2011
Contact Christina if you would like to host a Cowgirl Yoga
Retreat! I love to travel & give my hosts a gracious discount!! You
will need a facility with nearby overnight accommodations, places to eat meals
as a group, chef or catering, place for evening talks, overnight accommodations
for our mounts with direct access to riding (trails preferred) must be within a
10 min drive of lodging. Horses for rental are also preferred, but not
necessary, as long as you've got one for me to ride! Depending on
availability I can bring my favorite yoga instructor along with me, or I'd be
happy to work with your local certified yoga instructor (as long as s/he has
some horseback riding experience).
