COWGIRL YOGA
Yoga & Horseback Riding Retreats for Women
For all levels of yoginis and equestrians
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June 8-13, 2008
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July 13-18, 2008
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August 3-8, 2008
$2,750 per person based on double occupancy; we will place you with a roommate if you do not have a travel companion. Single accomodations for Cowgirl Yoga retreats are available at an additional cost, please inquire. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due to hold your reservation. Reserve online
Imagine a week of yoga and horses - a girl's dream come true. Explore how both can put you in touch with your potential and teach you a lot about yourself. We'll practice yoga, spend time with horses, and kick up our heels in the cowgirl-friendly town of Bozeman.
Come join a couple of Bozeman cowgirls for yoga and fun in and out of the saddle. We'll explore the link between yoga and riding to improve not only your saddle skills, but also your overall well-being. Through yoga poses and breathing techniques we will learn how to improve balance and body alignment. Best of all, experience how the horse-human connection deepens as you practice yoga. The indescribable experience of connecting with such an awe-inspiring animal is the memory we want you to return home with.
Retreat leaders Annie and Margaret (pictured above on Piper and Belle) have combined their respective skills in riding instruction and horsemanship and yoga instruction to create a unique program that includes:
- Daily yoga classes that build body awareness and help foster an openness of body and mind - the best state to be in around horses
- Specialized yoga classes that target common trouble spots for riders, such as the back and hips, and pay special attention to cultivating core strength (the center of the body's energy)
- Intro to "natural horsemanship" sessions at the stable, covering horse-human interaction, grooming, and handling basics based on Annie's unique teaching philosophy (required for all levels, from beginners to advanced equestrians)
- Riding sessions and bonding time: our time with the horses will be both in and out of the saddle
- Yoga and riding sessions: a focus on yogic breathing will foster a relaxed yet alert posture on horseback, and we'll explore a variety of yoga poses you can do when riding to instantly release tension and relax you (and your horse!)
- Outings to local places of interest including Bozeman Hot Springs, the Mint Bar & Grill - the perfect cowgirl hangout, the Gallatin County Fair & Rodeo (July retreat only), the Rocky Mountain Hat Company to get a custom-fit cowgirl hat, and more
- Evening programs to include health and wellness discussions, meditation, intention-setting, journaling and more
RETREAT LOCATION
Our home base will be the historic Gallatin Gateway Inn in Bozeman. The Inn is famous for its history - it's received Historic Landmark designation - and its delicious, healthy food. We'll have most of our meals here, and we'll practice yoga amidst its elegant surroundings.
Our time with horses will take place at Equineimity Stables, just minutes from downtown Bozeman. The facility is the birth place of Annie's Equineimity and Yoga for Equestrians sessions with Annie and Margaret. Each lesson horse on staff has been chosen for their disposition, responsiveness and willingness to communictae with all levels of riders.
RETREAT LEADERS
Annie Bolognino is a Bozeman-based riding instructor, horse trainer, farrier and founder of Equineimity. Her teaching philosophy employs "natural horsemanship", finding a common language with horses where willingness and trust can develop the foundation between horse and human. She has been riding since she was five years old, and her teaching style incorporates many different discipline backgrounds from dressage and jumping to trail riding and western pleasure. There is no specific "style" of riding taught here; rather, major focus is placed on developing body awareness and balance on horseback. Annie uses many different priciples to develop body balance while riding. With a Bachelor's in "Movement Science" Annie has dedicated her teaching to help her riders become more aware of how their bodies affect the movement of the horse and how to apply principles of balance to develop a secure seat no matter what "style" they might choose to ride in.
Margaret Burns Vap, founder of Big Sky Yoga Retreats, relocated to Bozeman in early 2007 and found Annie to help her fulfill her childhood dream of learning to horseback ride. Her lessons with Annie and horse Belle echoed her yoga practice so beautifully that both horses and humans decided to combine forces to offer retreats.
The Tao of Equus examines the horse-human relationship in detail, and how horses can awaken our intuition; in fact, it goes so far as to suggest that we cannot establish a meaningful interspecies connection without first being "emotionally congruent". In short, horses know when we are lying to ourselves and they won't tolerate it. Similarly, we won't grow in our yoga practice if we are not open to the process of self-discovery it causes. How wonderful to have another being be a mirror for our true selves. There are moments when I feel I have connected with Belle that have brought on powerful and pure emotion. These are moments where I am truly present and authentic, as when I am able to be present in my yoga practice. The parallels continue to astonish me.
The following quote from The Tao of Equus could be applied to either horse or yoga experience: "Ultimately the willingness to relinquish accepted concepts and respond authentically in the moment [leads] to an increasing ability to navigate through the unknown, to become more fluid and adaptable, to embrace all experiences and emotions as meaningful information." I love the idea that my horseback riding is an extension of my yoga practice, and that Belle is my teacher. I look forward to sharing this with you on a retreat!
PACK YOUR JEANS & YOUR COWBOY BOOTS (or we'll take you shopping for some) AND GET READY FOR A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE WITH US!
Yeehaw and Namaste.
does your daughter love horses too? check out www.girlshorseclub.com