RETREATS
Grow your Yoga this Summer with an Evolution Retreat!
Join your favorite Evolution Yoga teachers for a nature-inspired weekend retreat in beautiful Starksboro, Vermont (photos courtesy of Common Ground Center).
Register early and save $50.
Scholarship opportunities are available. Please contact us on how to apply.
June 8-10
Branch Out! Yoga for Gardening with Andrea O'Connor
Cultivate Your Yoga Glow with John McConnell
September 14-16
Yoga and Stone Building with Charlie MacMartin and Janet Carscadden
Yoga and Nature: Connecting with your Inner and Outer Landscape with Martha Whitney
You’ll enjoy:
- the best yoga teachers for beginners to advanced students.
- four programs to choose from.
- 700 acres nestled in the Vermont mountains.
- a pristine spring-fed pond and streams for swimming.
- morning bird song, evening peepers, star-filled nights, campfir
e light. - cozy cabins with bunks or double beds.
- delicious refreshing vegetarian meals.
- a 60 minute relaxing massage (extra fee applies).
Branch Out! Yoga for Gardeners with Andrea O’Connor
June 8-10, 2012
Join us for a weekend yoga retreat created specifically for those of us who love to work in the garden or yard. Through specific yoga poses and sequences, we'll explore ways to move with ease and strength in our gardening. We'll also deepen our connection to the earth and our work with guided meditations, restorative yoga poses, and quiet time for reflection or journaling. Yoga for Gardeners will help you prevent and/or heal from injury/stress to joints and muscles that are common for gardeners. You'll increase strength and flexibility for more enjoyment during precious hours outdoors.
Our retreat with Andrea includes instruction in yoga alignment to keep our necks, shoulders, backs, hips and knees happy all through the growing and outdoor work season, while we cultivate new skills in yoga poses to expand our practice of the mindful work of gardening. We will specifically focus on a variety of fun yoga sequences to help cultivate new habits of lifting, hauling, weeding, bending, squatting and carrying - and of course sitting still to enjoy it all!
Find out about prices, registration options, and general retreat information here.
Cultivate Your Yoga Glow with John McConnell
June 8-10, 2012
Get away from it all and get into it! Join us for a light-hearted weekend of invigorating yoga right here in
Vermont. Take this great opportunity to deepen your practice in a weekend workshop with John McConnell. We’ll flirt with the edge and tickle the boundaries in a delightful and supportive atmosphere. Asana will include hip-openers, arm-balances, and backbends with an emphasis on safe alignment. These energizing classes are designed to help you learn about mind, body, and heart. And you’ll learn mindfulness techniques you’ll use all summer long.
All levels of students will leave this retreat with a deeper understanding of their yoga practice and a closer relationship to their yoga community. Rediscover the awesome that is you – just in time for summer!
Find out about prices, registration options, and general retreat information here.
Yoga and Stone Building – With Charlie MacMartin and Janet Carscadden
September 14-16, 2012
Join Charley MacMartin of Queen City Soil
and Stone to learn the techniques of stone building in your garden. We will be constructing, from start to completion, a stone walking path or culinary herb spiral. This weekend workshop focuses on the basic techniques for creating dry-laid stone paths or walls for a spiral using field stone and rounded cobbles. The workshop is hands-on, working directly with stone native to Vermont.
Working with stone is a meditative and physical experience. Learn how to keep your mind and body in balance by integrating proper body mechanics and yogic principles into your stone projects. During the weekend, Janet Carscadden, physical therapist and yoga instructor (owner of Evolution PT and Yoga), will lead you in a gentle yoga practice designed to keep your body in balance when working with stone. Start your day with an optional morning meditation and yoga practice. Learn the art of meditation with building small stone structures.
Find out about prices, registration options, and general retreat information here.
Yoga and Nature Retreat: Connecting with your inner and outer landscape with Martha Whitney
September 14-16, 2012
Enjoy a fall weekend to slow to the world, nourish your inner self, and connect with nature around you. Join Martha for a revitalizing nature-based yoga retreat. Mornings begin with walking meditations and breathing practices out in fresh air. Practice yoga inside in the morning on a mat, and in the afternoon out on the land with the earth, trees and sky. Explore finding your postures from the inside out to inhabit your body with greater ease and pleasure. Practice feeling the support and freedom of ground and space. This mindful yoga invites integration of body, heart and mind, an aliveness of your senses, and play.
There will be spacious open time to follow your longings for a solo walk or to write or rest, as well as to enjoy the company of others on the beautiful land of Common Ground Center. We end our evenings with the relaxing and healing practices of Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra.
Find out about prices, registration options, and general retreat information here.
General Retreat Information:
Each retreat weekend offers a series of yoga classes, sessions and guided mediations to build strength, bring enjoyment and relaxation. There’s plenty of free time to enjoy a stroll the meadows, hike the mountains or 
swim in the pond or streams. This will be the best weekend of your summer to renew, relax and re-energize!
All of Evolution Yoga's Grow Your Yoga Retreats take place at the Common Ground Center, located in Starksboro, Vermont, which is 30 minutes from Burlington and Lake Champlain. The site is located on 700 acres, nestled in the valley between the Hogback and Green Mountains.
Program spaces are beautifully renovated barn and farm buildings. For sleeping, choose a cozy Yestermorrow-designed cabin in semi-private or group accommodations. Common Ground’s rustic cabins sleep two to six in bunks or double beds. Beautiful, individually-unique light wooden, unheated cabins are nestled in the woods with windows, porches and views. Bring your own linens and sleeping bags. The Bathhouse has indoor and outdoor hot showers, sinks and toilets.
Weekend Retreat Rates:
Fees are per person and include delicious vegetarian meals and snacks (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch), yoga classes, workshops, meditation, swimming, campfire and evening activities.
- Rustic Cabins for two nights with 4-6 people - $399/weekend
- Semi-private Cabin for two nights - 2 people - $450/weekend
- Private Cabin - $500/weekend
Early Registration Discount - The first five fully paid registrants in the yoga retreats (excludes stone working) will receive a $50 discount - that’s $349 for the whole weekend! Click here to register online. Please call the studio at 802-864-9642 if you would like to upgrade to a Semi-Private or Private Cabin
Installment Payment Option - You can pay for your retreat in two payments. A 50% deposit will reserve your spot. Full payment is required three weeks prior to the retreat. A $15 service fee will be applied to your second payment to cover expenses for this option.
Reservation Cancellation Policy
A full refund minus a $25 service fee will be granted up to three weeks prior to the retreat start date. (May 18th for June Retreats and August 24th for the September Retreats). No refund is available for cancellations less than three weeks prior to the retreat start date.
Food: 
Enjoy delicious and healthy vegetarian and vegan meals produced by our onsite chef with fresh local ingredients. Meals will be provided Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.
Sample Menu:
Breakfast – Blueberry muffins, tofu scramble, granola, fresh fruit, toast, coffee and tea
Lunch – Salad of local greens, pasta e Fagiol soup, homemade veggie burgers, fruit cobbler
Snack – fresh fruit, lavender lemon cookies
Dinner – Tuscan bean salad, Chipotle sweet potato tacos with aioli, herbed rice pilaf and Homemade Berry Pie.
Massage:
Bliss out during your retreat with a relaxing 60 minute deep tissue or Swedish massage. Our two certified massage therapists will be offering indoor and outdoor (weather dependent) massage therapy sessions to help you fully release all of your tension. Leave the retreat a lighter and happier you.
Massage sessions are $65 for a 60 minute session. Massages are available Saturday afternoon 1-3 or 4:30-7 during free time. Limited sessions are available so book early to ensure you get a spot. We will assign the times based on your workshop schedule.
ABOUT COMMON GROUND CENTER:
Common Ground Center (CGC) is a cooperatively run non-profit arts, education, and outdoor recreation and retreat center. The beautiful site demonstrates a commitment to environmental sustainability. CGC is built and run in harmony with the outstanding natural surroundings, leaving the smallest possible footprint. For more info visit - www.cgcvt.org.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS:
Andrea O’Connor – founder of Workingwellvt and senior teacher at evolution yoga 
A certified yoga instructor and Gyrotonic trainer, Andrea has been helping students and clients to feel bettin their bodies and enjoy life through yoga and movement practice for over ten years. She thinks nothing could be more fun and interesting than that! For more info- www.workingwellvt.com
John McConnell – Founder of John McConnell Yoga and senior teacher at evolution yogaJohn has been practicing and experiencing yoga for over 11 years. In his classes John interweaves a combination of humor, light-heartedness, and intensity - while maintaining a keen emphasis on celebrating the true joy of life! When not on the mat, John and his wife Jane Taylor can be found retaining their breath while rolling kayaks on Lake Champlain. http://www.johnmcconnellyoga.com/
Martha Whitney – Founder of Living Yoga Studio and senior teacher at evolution yoga 
Martha offers a mindful, inspiring and welcoming yoga environment that fosters an enhanced self-acceptance and embodied well-being. Her in-depth training in anatomy, movement and breath allows her to artfully guide postures that access body ease and aliveness. Martha compassionately meets her students where they are while encouraging them to stretch beyond what they have known and to experience more fully who they truly are. Students leave class feeling more comfortable, confident and resilient in themselves and in their lives.
Martha has been studying yoga and body-mind therapy since 1991. In addition to group and private yoga classes Martha is in private practice supporting life change through Hakomi, a body centered psychotherapy. Martha’s other great passion is long canoe trips in the open landscape of Labrador, where, as in yoga, she feels vastly alive. http://livingyogavt.com/
Charley MacMartin – Founder of Queen City Soil and Stone 
Charley began Queen City Soil & Stone in 2005 to continue the stone and soil work he had done in Baltimore, Maryland, before moving back to Vermont with his family.
A 1988 UVM graduate, Charley's background in environmental studies and his experience working for a Vermont organic grower, David Miskell, guide the ecological practices Charley brings to soil and stone work. Charley has been offering one day stone building workshops each winter to help homeowners learn the fundamentals of building stone walls, garden structures and paths. His popular workshops book-up quickly. Don’t miss this fabulous opportunity to spend a week-end with Charley learning this beautiful art. http://www.queencitysoilandstone.com/
Janet Carscadden PT - Founder of evolution physical therapy and yoga
Janet took her first Hatha yoga class in 1995. As a licensed physical therapist Janet found yoga to be useful in improving flexibility, strength and clarity of mind. Gradually over time she discovered the healing art of yoga therapy and stared integrating yoga practices into her patient treatment sessions.
In 2000 she attended her first Jivamukti class. A whole new world of the eight limbed path of yoga was opened up to her. Janet traveled to Bali to complete her yoga teacher training. Classes include flowing vinyasa, music, chanting, pranayama and meditation all built around a central theme. Drawing on her expertise of the physical body, Janet offers her students detailed instruction in alignment and adjustments to bring their practice to a new level. She challenges students to remain focused on being in the here and now; meeting their practice where they are at that moment in time. www.evolutionvt.com
Sample Schedule – workshop times and activities will be individualized for each retreat.
Friday |
|
2-4 pm |
Arrive and settle into your cabin and explore the grounds. |
4:30-5 pm |
Retreat Orientation – Evolution Yoga staff will answer your questions about the weekend. |
5-6 pm
|
DeStress Yoga – a gentle session to stretch muscles after the workweek and begin to adjust the mind, body and spirit to a weekend of yoga refreshment and the peace of the outdoors. Free time to swim, hike, rest. |
7-9 pm |
Dinner |
Saturday |
|
7-9 am |
Breakfast and/or optional early morning meditation. |
9 -11 am |
Morning yoga session or stone building workshop. |
11:30-12 |
Guided Meditation – optional |
12-1 pm |
Lunch |
1-3 pm |
Free time to swim, hike, rest or receive a massage. |
3:30-5 pm |
Afternoon yoga workshop. |
4:30-7 pm |
Free Time/book a massage, Optional Restorative Yoga or Meditation at 6:30 pm to help absorb the benefit of the day’s practice while you transition to the relaxation of the evening. |
7-9 pm |
Dinner |
9pm |
Campfire gazing, songs, storytelling. |
Sunday |
|
7-9 am |
Breakfast and/or optional early morning meditation. |
9-11 am |
Morning Yoga Session. |
11:30-12 |
Guided Meditation - optional. |
12-2 pm |
Lunch, and Closing Ceremony |
|
|
Your Next Yoga Event or Private Event at evolution:
Make your next celebration truly unique. At Evolution you can gather to celebrate with others, while nurturing your mind, body and spirit. We plan events for couples, women, children, businesses and weddings, and our ceremonial and yoga expertise can be added to any type of custom event. Contact our Event Planner for more information regarding our services.
- Birthday Parties (Children or Adults)
- Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies
- Bridal Showers & Bachelorette Parties
- Baby Showers & Baby Blessings & Namings
- Conferences & Corporate Events
- Fundraisers & Neighborhood Gatherings
- Couples Yoga & Massage
- Yoga and Sports (hiking, kayaking, running)
What We Offer:
Birthday Parties for Adults and Children
Have a special day just for you or your kid! For your party, we will find a time to reserve the whole studio space just for you and your guests. Many of our parties involve an hour-long specialized yoga class (also for children and/or adults) tailored to your unique taste or themed for your party. You can invite as many or as few guests as you like (10-15 is standard). For another 1.5 hours, we can turn the space into anything you like. Often, guests bring food and presents, eat cake and dance!
Contact our event coordinator Jamie, jamie@evolutionvt.com, for more information and pricing.