Need some time for yourself before the holiday rush? This retreat weekend offers a full range of sensory experiences, filled with delicious healthy meals, relaxing sound bath meditations, restorative yoga, guided nature walks, plenty of unstructured time to rest, and meaningful human connection with fellow retreaters who are equally ready to slow down.

Leave the hustle behind and join us for 3 days / 2 nights in our peaceful forest haven, where the colors of autumn are your backdrop and rest is the only item on the agenda.

The optional $79 add-on to extend the retreat through Monday is highly recommended if you’re able to make this a long weekend. The additional 24 hours will help you fully wind down and drop deeper into the restorative experience.

Who is this retreat for?

Everyone who needs a real break is welcome!

October is a strange month. The year is winding down but everything somehow speeds up, the holidays are looming, the to-do list keeps growing, and the fleeting beauty of autumn passes by while you’re too busy to notice it.

This retreat is your permission slip to stop, look up, and actually be present for it.

If you’re the person that keeps things running for everyone else, this is the weekend that’s finally just for you to be cared for and nourished. Come as you are, rest as much as you need, and leave feeling like yourself again.

Activities

Every activity is entirely optional. You can join us for any (or all) of the following:

• Restorative Yoga with Essential Oils: Stretch and relax in restorative postures that relieve tension, while pleasant essential oils help you stay present in your body during the experience.
• Guided Sensory Forest Bathing: A mindfully guided walk into the autumn woods. This sensory immersion practice helps you slow down, notice what’s around you, and reconnect with the natural world before winter arrives.
• Sound Meditation with Live Instruments: Settle in on your back on a yoga mat and cushion, nestled underneath blankets, and let the healing sounds wash over you. Instead of words guiding you to meditate, you’ll have sounds to bring you deeper into a restorative experience. You’ll hear chimes, a gong, singing bowls, and other healing instruments played live. It’s the perfect way to end a day of wandering, resting, and connecting.
• Scenic Autumn Hike: We’ll take the beautiful purple trail loop together which leads to the top of the property, pause for photos at the gazebo, and soak in the fall landscape together.
• Mini Seminars on Everyday Restorative Practices: Learn simple, practical tools you can take home and use anytime you need to decompress. We’ll explore techniques like self-massage with rolling balls and other accessible practices designed to calm your nervous system and relieve tension.

Amenities

During your time at the Himalayan Institute, you’ll have access to the following:

• Simple, comfortable, quiet accommodations conducive to a peaceful stay and conscious simplicity
• 3 delicious, nutritious, and hearty vegetarian or vegan meals daily
• Tea lounge with unlimited hot tea beverages
• Complimentary Internet access
• Complimentary daily morning or evening yoga classes
• Independent meditation time at the Sri Vidya Meditation Shrine
• 400-acre wooded campus of the Retreat Center, including 4 groomed forest trails, pond, pavilions, Sacred Grove Cafe, and more
• You can also peruse the MarketPlace gift shop with an extensive collection of books, ayurveda products, yoga clothing, and gifts.
• Or, add on a massage or wellness service at the on-site PureRejuv Wellness Center!

Join us on your own or bring a friend

This retreat weekend is designed to be inclusive for people of all backgrounds.

If you’re new to the Himalayan Institute or have never attended a retreat before, this is a wonderful, welcoming introduction. You can explore mindfulness, restorative movement, and nature-immersion practices in a laid back environment with a supportive guide.

If you’re an experienced retreat attendee who’s always wanted more unstructured downtime to simply rest and enjoy the facility and grounds, this is a perfect low intensity option. You’ll have access to all the yoga, sound bath, and mindfulness practices you love, with zero pressure and maximum permission to do as little as you want.

If you have a friend, colleague, or family member who’s been running on empty and needs someone to finally say “you deserve a break,” invite them to join you. This could be exactly the permission slip they’ve been waiting for, too.

Who’s your retreat leader?

I’m Angela Watson, a productivity and mindset specialist who’s deeply passionate about holistic wellbeing and burnout prevention. I’ve worked for over 25 years in K-12 education as a classroom teacher and instructional coach. I’m the founder of TruthForTeachers.com and host of its podcast, author of 6 books, and creator of multiple courses and self-guided meditations, which all support teachers in work/life balance.

I speak at numerous events/conferences nationwide, and lead retreats which guide participants toward deep clarity and presence. I have accredited certifications as a Restorative Yoga Teacher, Sound Healing Guide, and Forest Therapy Guide. My retreats are designed to make evidence-based mindfulness, meditation, and nature-immersion practices accessible to people of all backgrounds and belief systems.