San Francisco: Retreat to Sonoma!
If you practice yoga in the city, chances are that you have been to one of the Yoga Tree locations. But did you know that there is another Yoga Tree location outside the city ... in Glen Ellen, Sonoma? It's actually not a studio but a beautiful country home (complete with a yoga room with hard wood floors, amazing views, and a hot tub!) that belongs to Yoga Tree owners Tim and Tara Dale. Aptly called Tara Bella Villa, it's become a prime spot for retreats with Yoga Tree teachers. Last weekend, I went up there for one of Chrisandra Fox's monthly one-day retreats.
I have been practicing with Chrisandra since about 2002 and she has always been one of my favorite teachers. It's clear that she has a beautiful asana practice (she's often modeled for Yoga Journal spreads), but what I truly love about her is her unwavering encouragement for her students (each of whom she always give loads of personal attention) and her unique way of transforming complex philosophical concepts into succinct and unforgettable phrases, some of which have stayed with me for years.
Tara Bella Villa is about an hour and 15 minutes away from the city, but the drive is easy and so worth it. We practiced yoga for a few hours in the morning and then had a divine lunch (prepared by chef extraordinaire Meredith Klein) that included lemon mousse-infused Israeli cous cous, a sweet beet and kale salad, gingerbread blondies (see bottom right pic), and homemade chai to die for. We intended to hot tub, as well, but we got so busy eating and chatting that ... we just never got around to it.
At the retreat, we focused on our sankalpas, which are sort of the yogic version of resolutions. Sankalpa roughly translates to "intention" or "affirmation" and Chrisandra talked about the 
obstacles (like physical ailments or idleness) to achieving our sankalpa and things that help us realize a sankalpa (including hatha yoga, meditation, and faith in the universe). We ended our asana session with a candle-gazing practice and journaling.
The whole day, which started at 10:30 and ended officially at 3pm (though several of us stayed later) was a welcome respite from city life and a meaningful way to approach 2008.
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Photos by Pao Chiu
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Comments
Hi there Karen at Yoga Journal, thank you for your postings!
I have a question. At what level do I need to be in my practice to attend these one day retreats and realistically benefit from them? I'm really just starting out and would like to explore other aspects of my yoga. I'm reticent to commit due to my skill but I feel I might be missing out. I rarely venture out of Level 1 classes.
Best,
Beauyard
Posted by: Beauyard Mar | January 10, 2008 7:53 PM
hi beauyard,
It is always good to ask about the level of practice on the retreat before you go, but most retreats accept students of all levels. Going on any retreat (the longer, the better) is probably THE best way to improve your practice and step into those level 2 classes!! :) Karen
Posted by: karen | January 19, 2008 8:06 AM
Chrisandra is amazing. Just from watching her! Being a Reflexologist I she has the most beautiful feet I have ever, ever seen. Shows how healthy her soul and body is.
Posted by: Mark | April 14, 2008 10:21 PM