Canada's Top 10 Yoga Retreats

Here are WorldWeb.com’s top ten yoga retreats in Canada.

YASODHARA ASHRAM: KOOTENAY BAY, BC

The grounds surrounding Yasodhara Ashram 1

SIVANANDA ASHRAM YOGA CAMP: MONTREAL, QC

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp 3

L’ERMITAGE RETREAT CENTRE: LAURENTIAN MOUNTAINS, QC

Serenely situated in the thick of the Laurentian Forest, L’Ermitage provides a setting for deep contemplation and reflection. Meals are taken in silence, talking is restricted within buildings, and conversations on the grounds are hushed. The quiet atmosphere provides space to be with one’s thoughts, to meditate and reflect.

While the atmosphere is not overtly yogic, a daily meditation practice features the repetition of OM as a universal sacred sound. Other daily sessions include yoga, breathing exercises, creative visualisations, and positive affirmations. Visitors are welcome to structure their stays as they wish, participating in as many or as little activities as they need in order to replenish their energy so that they may return to their everyday lives rested and inspired.

Salt Spring Centre of Yoga is ideally located on Salt Spring Island, BC. Well-known for its community of artisans, the island’s popularity has rewarded it with a direct ferry from Vancouver. Just off Vancouver Island, it is conveniently close to Victoria and Nanaimo, affording many visitors. And yet the island remains largely unpopulated with lots of natural spaces, such as the grounds of the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, which is located within 28 ha (70 acres) of forest, meadows and gardens.

This retreat centre is based on the Classical Ashtanga yoga tradition, which involves a series of postures that flow from one to the other. Established in 1981, Salt Spring Yoga Centre offers weekend retreats that include a variety of yoga classes to suit all levels of practitioners, including gentle and restorative hatha. Their Wellness Sanctuary, which houses a wood-burning sauna, is a centre for bodywork sessios. Stays include guided meditation, gentle breathing practices and vegetarian meals.

Also revelling in Salt Spring Island’s enchanting surroundings, Paradise Found Yoga is a retreat centre that focuses on Kundalini Yoga. It is a smaller retreat centre situated on the shoreline of Cusheon Lake complete with a private dock and outdoor hot tub. Its size ensures individual attention, particularly for those who are interested in private retreats that can be fully tailored to meet specific needs and interests.

	The waterfront location at The Yoga Garden, 4

Many courses are set throughout the year from a new age yoga angle. A mother and daughter retreat delves into ancestral relations using meditation to heal old wounds and strengthen shakti energy. The Mid-Summer Sanctuary program focuses on relaxation through Kundalini yoga, massage and activities that include kayaking and beachcombing. And the De-tox & De-stress program focuses on cleansing and healing the body from all its stresses.

THE YOGA GARDEN: WAKEFIELD, QC

Only 45 minutes from Ottawa, the Yoga Garden welcomes visitors to renew their sense of well-being through nature and yoga. The retreat centre is located near Wakefield, Quebec, and is affiliated with the Rama Lotus Yoga Centre in downtown Ottawa, both offering yoga from a variety of traditions, such as hatha and ashtanga.

Built on the banks of a private lake, there are some eight gardens on site including: the Peace Garden with a gazebo, stream and statues; the Spiral Garden, a labyrinth of healing perennial plants; and the Vegetable Garden, ripe with organic, seasonal vegetables and herbs that help sustain the Yoga Garden kitchen.

The Yoga Pavillion is the centre for the retreat’s indoor yoga practices, hosting a variety of workshops throughout the year conducted by a community of teachers that hail from Rama Lotus Yoga and from around the world.

SHANTI YOGA RETREAT: PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ON

For many, getting in touch with their true nature is best assisted within nature. Shanti Yoga Retreat, situated 2.5 hours from Toronto, is far from the busyness of the city at an 1870’s farmhouse in Prince Edward County. Guests can enjoy the waterside location at weekend retreats that offer yoga classes, yoga theory, afternoon meditations, evening satsang, vegetarian meals, and the space and time to enjoy nature. For those who simply need time alone for reflection, they are invited to come and just be, as programs are optional.

1800's farmhouse at Shanti Yoga Retreat, 5

Themed retreats also occur throughout the year, such as Yoga for Runners, Yoga and Chi Gong, and Kripalu Yoga. And Thai yoga massage is available for an additional fee with any stay at Shanti Yoga Retreat.

SAHAYOGA: PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ON

Also located in Prince Edward County, Sahayoga takes up 7 ha (16 acres) of Big Island. Newly constructed buildings are a bright contrast to the towering red cedar trees that surround it. Two hours from Toronto, Sahayoga trades in the sound of traffic for bird song.

Sahayoga specializes in weekend yoga retreats. People from all levels of yoga abilities are welcome to enjoy programs that are hatha-based, combining postures from classical and contemporary yoga practices. Workshops can include chakra study, Thai yoga massage techniques, Zen breathing techniques and many other practices in courses that are offered from a variety of teachers from many different traditions.

TANGLEFOOT LODGE: THE KAWARTHAS, ON

	Other Notable Yoga Retreats & Tours: Yoga West, Vancouver, BC Sacred Earth Journeys, Vancouver, BC Silent Ground, Vancouver, BC Milagro Retreats, Tofino, BC Nature's Tracks, Canmore, AB Riverside Glen, Brantford, ON Northern Edge Algonquin, Algonquin Park, ON Still Point Yoga Retreat, Prince Edward County, ON Heaven and Earth Yoga, Montreal, QC

Tanglefoot Lodge is a place of focused mindfulness through hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga, shamanic studies, and holistic healing. Breathwork, postures and a healing diet support individuals on retreat to further promote wellness, healing and human potential.

There’s an interesting mix of classes, including drumming and didgeridoo, shamanistic healing, and life transformation with the Demartini Method, a tool to help people release themselves from emotional bondage.

Located in The Kawarthas, Ontario, the lodge is situated by Stoney and White Lakes, affording magnificent views and sweet, fresh air.

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PHOTO COURTESY

1. c/o Yasodhara Ashram; The grounds surrounding Yasodhara Ashram, Kootenay Bay, BC, Canada
2. c/o Hollyhock Retreat Centre, Hollyhock grounds, Cortes Island, BC, Canada
3. c/o Sivananda Ashram, Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp, Montreal, QC, Canada
4. c/o The Yoga Garden, The waterfront location at The Yoga Garden, Wakefield, QC, Canada
5. c/o Shanti Yoga Retreat, 1800's farmhouse at Shanti Yoga Retreat, Prince Edward County, Canada