Yoga Retreat and Hiking Adventure in Wild Alaska 2023

This stunning yoga and hiking retreat in the Scenic Splendor of Haines, Alaska is a real adventure, mental detox vacation, and restart for your body and mind.

Overview: 

Join us for endless summer days between the mountains and the deep blue sea in southeast Alaska. A remote fishing village will be our home base for this yoga hiking retreat. Disconnect from to-do lists and endless errands and sink into a simpler way of being. This retreat will provide a mental detox, refreshing your mind and recharging your body. Replace anxiety with serenity, and leave with a positive attitude that allows you to cultivate a more fulfilling life.

Celebrate the long days and wild trails of Southeast Alaska with a local guide and two internationally renowned yoga instructors. Every day will reveal new land and seascapes. Enjoy epic mountaintop vistas, energizing morning yoga sessions, relaxing evening yoga classes, and delicious local plant-based meals.

The hikes cover a variety of terrain, including a wild coastal ramble, and two mountains. Some previous hiking experiences will enhance your adventure.

Appreciating the scenic splendor of Alaska and using our bodies is our doorway to mindful living. We will cultivate joy and positivity as we navigate breathtaking scenery and occasional challenges like mud, rain, and devils club. This yoga and hiking adventure in Alaska will leave participants energized and relaxed and provide tools for bringing yoga, meditation and mindfulness into your daily life upon return home.

This is an active rugged adventure based in a small fishing village in remote Southeast Alaska.

The retreat center is located 3 miles/4,8 km from Haines on a breathtaking piece of land along the Chilkat Inlet: we can watch bald eagles and occasional whales from the main lodge. Transportation into town is limited. This adventure is best suited to people who can embrace a group experience, as the remote location makes independent exploration challenging, expensive and inconvenient.

The accommodations are more akin to glamping than luxury. We will be sharing two shower houses, which are a short walk from the yurts. There is only one flush toilet in the retreat center, the rest of the facilities are outhouses- charming facilities with no running water and composting thrones.

Location:

Haines is called the "Adventure Capital of Alaska" and it is located on the Lynn Canal, a 98-mile long fjord surrounded by snowcapped peaks and glaciers, perched on the edge of the largest protected wilderness on the planet. Brown bears roam the rivers, bald eagles cruise the skies, orcas and river otters are frequent visitors.

Book your flight to Juneau International Airport, Alaska.  A ferry or a seaplane will bring guests to Haines from Juneau. The flight is an exciting journey in a small craft, the ferry is a four-and-a-half-hour ride through gorgeous scenery. We can pick guests up at either the ferry terminal or the airport in Haines, a local shuttle may be required depending on arrival times.

Situated at the end of a peninsula at the 60th degree north, the weather in Haines is variable, even in summer. We may experience sunny days of 24 Celsius/75 Fahrenheit or heavy rain and temperatures of 13 Celsius/55 Fahrenheit. Please come prepared for this variety with layers that allow you to enjoy a range of daytime temperatures from warm to chilly.

Host, hiking guide, and yoga teacher in Alaska is Leonie Sherman

Leonie is a certified yoga instructor, experienced vegan chef, and adventure athlete. She lived in Haines for several years and maintains strong connections with the vibrant community there.

She has been practicing yoga and meditation for 30 years. She loves to create space for people to connect to their bodies and breath. She also enjoys cooking plant-based meals, leading hikes, and sharing her love for natural history and geology. Her boundless energy, the joy she finds in contributing to groups, and her ability to figure out what needs to happen and jump in and do it, make her an excellent addition to any team.

She created an award-winning mindful movement course that she offers to a thousand school children each year in her hometown of Santa Cruz.

Highlights of the retreat:

  • explore southeast Alaska with local guides who have intimate knowledge of the place
  • a variety of yoga classes
  • delicious plant-based meals made with local ingredients
  • optional guided meditations and yoga philosophy discussions

Program: 

Day 1
Arriving. Pick up, settle into accommodation, introduction, meet other guests, dinner.
Day 2 
Energizing morning yoga session, breakfast, pack lunch, climb almost 2000 vertical feet to the top of Mt. Riley for panoramic views. The hike passes through old-growth forests, subalpine stunted trees, and alpine bogs. After the hike, we return to the yoga studio for an afternoon session and then enjoy an oceanfront dinner.
Day 3 
Strengthening morning yoga session, followed by breakfast, pack lunch, and snacks. Today's hike starts at Chilkat State Park and follows the shore, crossing through meadows carpeted with wildflowers and berries and passing towering Sitka spruce trees. We will enjoy secluded coves and beaches and outstanding views of the Davidson Glacier. Guests can choose how long of a hike they want this day. After the hike, we return for a restorative yoga session and a delicious meal in an oceanfront lodge.
Day 4 
Morning yoga, followed by breakfast and pack lunch. Climb over 3000 vertical feet along a gentle trail through a variety of different ecosystems before arriving at the summit of Mt. Ripinski, the highest peak on the peninsula, where you will be rewarded with views of peaks, glaciers, and the ocean. Afternoon yoga session followed by a delicious meal in the oceanfront lodge.
Day 5 
We will enjoy a final morning yoga session and breakfast in the oceanfront lodge before guests depart.
This itinerary is subject to change depending on participants' comfort level and the weather.

Accommodation: 

Lodging is at the Chilkat Inlet Retreat Center in charming but rustic yurts with ocean views and thoughtful details like local artwork. Some double occupancy yurts have one queen bed and a chair that folds out to a single bed: two of the yurts are best for a single occupant or two people who don't mind sharing a queen-sized bed.

The yurts include an electric heater, which must be used carefully, electricity and supplies to make coffee or tea. Food must be stored in the main lodge to deter wildlife.
Cell reception will depend on your carrier: WIFI is available at the main lodge. We encourage people to sink into the present moment and use technology mindfully during this magical experience.

You will share the outhouses and shower houses with other participants.

Food: 

  • Vegetarian
  • Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Organic
  • Lactose-Free
  • Whole food
If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know when making a reservation

Your investment: 

Early bird price until March 01, 2023:
A shared double yurt for 1 person 1950 USD
A private yurt for 2 persons 3290 USD
A private yurt for 1 person 2950 USD

Booking after March 01, 2023:
A shared double yurt for 1 person 2050 USD
A private yurt for 2 persons 3390 USD
A private yurt for 1 person 3050 USD

Booking and refund options: 

  • A reservation requires a deposit of 300 USD.
  • The deposit is refundable if the booking is canceled 60 days before the retreat starts.
  • The rest of the payment should be paid 60 days before arrival and is non-refundable.

Payment methods: 

  • Credit or debit card
  • Bank transfer
  • Wise
  • PayPal (an additional charge of 3,8% of the transferred amount will be charged)

What is included: 

  • 4 nights' accommodation in a shared or private room (oceanfront yurt)
  • 4 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches
  • 3 guided hikes
  • Optional guided meditation sessions
  • Yoga sessions
  • Yoga mats and props
  • Pick up and drop off at Haines airport or ferry terminal
  • Personal attention, motivation, care, and enthusiasm

What is not included: 

  • Flights
  • Transportation from Juneau and back
  • Insurance
  • Dinners - we have a wonderful local caterer: please bring $150 cash for this expense

 

Additional Information: 

The weather will dictate our activities and participants need to be flexible with the itinerary. Sometimes the electricity or hot water stops working for an hour or several; a bear or moose may wander through the front yard. Crystal blue skies and warm days can bring mosquitos; slashing rain can change our plans. Because so much is beyond our control in this setting, open-minded people who can embrace unpredictability and new experiences will get the most of out this adventure.
Participants need to bring sturdy rain gear and hiking shoes and be moderately fit. Hiking experience will add to your enjoyment of the experience. Yoga mats and assorted props are included.
Alcohol is not provided; those who enjoy a culture of alcohol consumption or prefer to be pampered in a spa setting will find other retreats in other locations more suitable.
Alaska Fjordlines website to book Juneau-Haines-Juneau ferry tickets is here.
Alaska Marine Highway website to book Juneau-Haines-Juneau ferry tickets is here.
Alaska Seaplane website to book Juneau-Haines-Juneau airline tickets is here.
We recommend taking a seaplane to Haines departing at 3.30 from Juneau or the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry departing at 2.45 pm from Juneau.
On the last day of the retreat, we have a morning yoga class and breakfast. We recommend booking your ticket back to Juneau at 11.50 am by seaplane or at 4.15 pm by Alaska Marine Highway System ferry.
Read a blog post about what to wear when hiking in Alaska here.
Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
YOGA RETREAT ALASKA
$300.00
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