Relish in all of the beauty a Minnesota fall has to offer while at our weekend immersion of yoga and meditation in the north woods.
“You sense it the moment you start down our 2.5 mile driveway...”
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Yoga and Meditation Classes | 2 Nights and 3 Days Lodging | 4 Green Scene Market & Catering Meals | Workshops | Book Club | Indoor Climbing Wall | 11 Miles of Trails | Meditation | Hiking | Journaling | Campfire | Wood-fired Mobile Sauna
One of our most popular fall retreats is finally returning!
Reconnect to yourself, each other, a retreat experience, your yoga mat, your breath, a relaxing group getaway in the woods.
We haven’t retreated in the fall at Deep Portage since 2018. This location has always been one of our most sought after amongst returning retreaters.
Boreal Bliss Yoga Teachers + BB Team
Bryana Cook
LICSW, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP
Bryana co-owns Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats with Amanda Imes. She’s passionate about yoga, nature, and lifelong learning.
Her teaching style is soft and fluid. Incorporating mantras, mudras, meditation, and pranayama, Bryana brings a complete package to your yoga class. Not only will you move and feel good, but you will also interweave ancient practices that bring about a full experience.
Stacy Nightwine
RYT 200, Yin Certified
Stacy is inclusive, warm, and inviting. Her approach to life centers on laughter. To know Stacy is to love her.
She teaches gentle, lighthearted and accessible yoga classes. Prepare to smile and find ease in your practice with Stacy.
Stacy lives in Two Harbors, MN and teaches weekly yoga class through her business: Lake Effect Yoga. She also owns and operates a mobile sauna in Two Harbors: Silver Creek Sauna Co. with her husband Phil.
But she doesn’t stop there! Stacy is a full-time Financial Service Representative at the North Shore Federal Credit Union. She helps people with opening new accounts and taking consumer loans. Consumer loans are for personal loans, or vehicle camper loans etc. Stacy says, “I enjoy helping people budget their money and balancing their accounts. I wear a lot of hats at the credit union. My favorite part is as a teller. I love helping people with their transactions, and making sure they have the best products that support them.”
Last but not least, Stacy supports her husband Phil’s small business: Nightwine’s Land Services. This business specializes in brush clearing, excavation, building site prep, driveways, snow removal and lots more. Phil Recently got certified in pest spraying for yards and events. Stacy helps with bookkeeping on Phils business and any odds and ends he needs: i.e. holding the flashlight and handing him tools. :)
Jessica Baumhofer Frank
RYT 200, Yin Certified
Jessica’s bubbly personality will make you feel so welcomed! She knows how to engage you and include you in a group.
Jessica teaches gentle, lighthearted and accessible yoga classes. She has a passion for sound bowls and yoga Nidra and helping people understand Yoga is for everybody!
Jessica lives in Zimmerman MN and is teaching pop up Yoga in the park in the Twin Cities and teaches in Cottage Grove with community education.
She is a graduate of the first Yoga Teacher Training with Boreal Bliss and will be forever grateful to them!
Elizabeth Sorensen
RYT 200, Yin
Elizabeth lives in Lino Lakes, MN with her husband, teenage daughter and loyal old dog. She & her husband also have a grown son who lives on his own in St. Paul. Elizabeth loves being outdoors, always down for an adventure and her favorite activities range from camping, kayaking, and paddle-boarding in the summer to snow shoeing and XC skiing in the winter. If you do find her indoors, she's probably reading a book, painting, or finding a project to work on in her home.
Elizabeth completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with Boreal Bliss and the process has truly changed her life for the better. She loves teaching and her hope when attending a class guided by her is to help you feel connected with yourself, grounded with your energy, and all around balanced and calm. If you are in the Twin Cities area you can find her teaching a Vinyasa 1 Candlelit class at 8:30pm on Tuesday and Thursdays at Pressed Hot Yoga Studio in Blaine.
Gabriela (Gabe) Kaiser
RYT 200, Certified in YogaFit and MOSSA Centergy
Gabriela lives in Apple Valley, MN with her husband, David, and cat, Fluffy. Her daughter, Kara, lives in Dallas, TX, and her step-son, Craig, is the owner of Crybaby Craig’s Hot Sauce located in Faribault, MN.
She has been a group fitness instructor at the YMCA in Burnsville since 2007. Although she teaches many other forms of fitness, yoga is her passion. “From a fitness perspective, yoga is so versatile--cardio, strength, flexibility and balance.” Gabe says, and then adds: “But yoga is so much more! It’s also learning about yourself, tapping into your inner strengths, and balancing your entire being. It’s a journey for the mind and the soul as well as your body”.
Her first Boreal Bliss retreat was at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Center. Gabriela was so inspired by the natural setting, the relaxed attitude of the yoga instructors (if you’re breathing, you’re doing yoga), and the challenges provided at the retreats to push boundaries – both body and mind – that she wanted to dig deeper into the Boreal Bliss philosophy. She was accepted into the 200-hour teaching training and graduated in April 2023 with increased knowledge, new perspectives, and a bond with an amazing group of individuals. Her style is a vinyasa flow, but with many options to make it accessible for everybody.
Jill Jacobson
Massage Therapist
Jill grew up in northern Minnesota. She went to college for Horticulture, Floral Design, and Massage Therapy. In 2014, she married into the Jacobson family who owns Hiawatha Beach Resort on Steamboat Bay of Leech Lake, 8 miles north of Walker. She is currently a stay-at-home mom of three little ones.
Massage is where she finds peace and relaxation; a way to ground herself and connect with the energy of others. Jill has been doing massage for about 9 years. She loves to be able to provide a modality where people can begin to heal and restore their mind, body, and spirit.
Alison Olson Cox
Thai Yoga Bodyworker, RYT 200
Alison is a yoga teacher, Thai yoga bodyworker, attorney, and had a past life experimenting with all kinds of exercise and sports activities!
She completed her yoga teacher training through Devanadi School of Yoga and Wellness, fell in love with Thai yoga bodywork and pursued TYB training through Devanadi as well.
Alison is a pure treat in session! She helps you to feel so comfortable and relaxed. Thai yoga bodywork is an incredible experience while on retreat!
Rohana Olson
Long-Standing & Beloved Retreat Photographer!
Rohana has been retreating with us every fall since the beginning! She captures an unbelievable story of our weekends. Enjoy her images, included in your retreat!
More on Rohana Olson Photography Here: rohanaolson.com. Her work is incredible and we highly recommend her.
Study + Retreat
13 Continuing Education hours available for Yoga Teachers!
Are you a yoga teacher seeking continuing education hours to maintain your certification? Option to add 13 continuing education to your retreat registration! Yoga teachers can contribute these training hours toward maintaining your Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher requirements.
Do I need to be a yoga teacher to attend this retreat? No. This is just an option for yoga teachers while on retreat. If you’re not a certified teacher and would like to register for this Study + Retreat piece you are still welcome to join us.
Only $50 dollars for this Retreat + Study Optional add-on
Continuing Education Components
Book Study: purchase and read Breath by James Nestor.
Virtual Session on October 3 from 7:00-8:30 pm includes: pranayama (breathwork), asana (physical practice), journal prompts, and discussion based on book study.
We prefer you attend the virtual session live on zoom. If you cannot attend live, we will send the recording afterward.
The final component of this offering is to register, attend, and ENJOY our October Vitality Yoga Retreat. You will have a few options to participate in throughout your weekend to earn your continuing education credit.
Yoga Alliance Education Categories and this Training
Techniques, Training, & Practice (TTP): 4 contact hours
Teaching Methodology (TM) : 1 contact hours
Anatomy and Physiology (AP): 1 contact hour
Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle & Ethics (YPLE): 1.5 contact hours, 5.5 non-contact hours
THE FOOD!
Being fed nutritious meals is all part of the experience. It’s a treat and makes one feel cared for over the weekend.
All meals are included in your weekend stay. Delicious options for V, DF, GF, etc. and more available. One month prior to the retreat, we send out a survey asking for dietary needs, restrictions, and allergies.
All meals are catered by local organic food market: The Green Scene. Once you’ve experienced their creative gourmet food, you’ll understand why guests always rave about it!
Meals included are: Friday dinner, Saturday brunch & dinner, Sunday breakfast.
Book Club on James Nestor’s book: Breath
Vitality
Specialty Workshop Options
Workshops will center on Pranayama - breathwork.
Pranayama is the absolute center of our life force and vitality!
Book club/study option for yoga teachers.
Workshops on pranayama techniques.
Inclusion of powerful pranayama practices for yoga and life!
Overview
This yoga retreat is located in Hackensack, Minnesota: quiet, beautiful and surrounded by breathtaking lakes and nature. Our stay is nestled deep in the woods at the beloved Deep Portage Learning Center. A place where you feel completely at ease and away from it all.
Relish in all of the beauty a Minnesota fall has to offer while at our weekend immersion of yoga and meditation in the north woods.
Quiet moments, connection, adventure, appreciation of the changing colors.... Autumn is a beautiful time to head to the woods.
This retreat is open to all-levels: beginners to seasoned yogis are welcomed with open arms. Many of our yogis comment on feeling inspired to get back to, or to continue, a more regular yoga practice before and after our retreats. A weekend retreat is the perfect way to reconnect with yourself, friends new & old, and/or your practice.
Outdoor enthusiast? Canoes are available for paddles around Bass Pond & Big Deep Lake. There are also 11 miles of gorgeous hiking trails right out the back door. If you're into rock climbing - there is even an indoor climbing wall available!
Yoga enthusiast? We are proud to offer you a variety of yoga classes, in addition to optional workshops. Just wait until you see (or return to) the Great Hall where our master classes are held. The stone fireplace, vaulted ceiling, and expansive windows are breathtaking. Not to mention; when you fill the room wall-to-wall with yogis and soak in the amazing energy and breath of our yoga community - it is truly, and indescribably, MAGICAL.
More information on our final schedule of workshops and classes will come to you email inbox approximately a month prior to the retreat. You will not be disappointed - our minds are overflowing with ideas.... as usual, too many ideas.... We never run short on bringing you creative stuff you'll love!
Into food? We are too! 4 delicious meals are included. Options for all dietary restrictions: i.e. Gluten Free, Vegetarian, and Vegan. Tea + Coffee will also be available. Green Scene caters our meals and they do such a fantastic job. It’s a delight to your senses!
In need of further relaxation? There will be onsite massage therapist for an additional cost. Yoga & massage is an amazing combo!
Into outdoor education of youngsters and renewable energy? We are too! One of our favorite parts about Deep Portage is the mission and eco-friendly focus. "It is a place where community, education, and the environment come together." Read more about the mission, history, programming, and renewable energy on their website: http://deep-portage.org/ . Better yet - come see this amazing place for yourself!
Accommodations & Rates
2 Nights | Yoga & Meditation Classes | 4 Meals | Lodging | Workshops | Indoor Climbing Wall | 11 Miles of Trails | Meditation | Hiking | Journaling | Campfire | Sauna
registration - sold out - waitlist button available below
Prices include State sales tax on lodging/meals.
GROUP RATE - $515 PER PERSON
A group rate at this retreat includes 3-6 people (we typically only room 3-4 together unless a larger group of 5-6 is requested).
You can register with a group of your friends, or you can register solo and room with soon-to-be friends. You and your roommates will have an attached bathroom with shower, toilet, and two sinks to yourselves.
SEMI-PRIVATE RATE - $575 PER PERSON
A semi-private room is for you and a friend, or opt to bring your partner along. You can also register solo and meet a new soon-to-be friend as your roommate. You and your roommate will have an attached bathroom with shower, toilet, and two sinks to yourselves.
PRIVATE RATE - $650
Opt for a private room and attached bathroom all to yourself! Your private bathroom has a private attached shower, toilet, and two sinks.
CHECK YOUR EMAILS! Approximately 5-6 weeks prior to the retreat, we will email you a detailed itinerary, more information for your weekend, as well as a pre-retreat survey with roommate requests, dietary needs, and more. The email will come from hello@borealblissyogaretreats.com.
CANCELLATION POLICY
8+ weeks notice: $40 fee
4-8 weeks notice: $80 fee
4 weeks and less notice: 75% of total amount fee
14 days or less notice: no refunds available
We hope that you can appreciate the amount of time, love, and energy we wholeheartedly put into each retreat. Not just during the event, but the many months leading up to it.
Packing List for your Trip
Yoga mat
Journal or notebook and writing utensil (colored pencils if you like to doodle)
Bathroom supplies and toiletries: bath & hand towel, washcloth, shampoo/conditioner, soap, hand soap
Yoga block(s) and strap
Pillow (may want to bring pillow to yoga class or bring a separate meditation pillow)
Small cozy blanket to bring to sessions (for savasana, meditation, journaling, etc)
Yoga clothes
Lots of layers!!!
Water bottle
Beverages (yes, you can bring alcohol) of your choice
Snacks of your choice
Camp chair for sitting outside and fires
Rain gear
Good book to curl up with
Tennis shoes for rock climbing (rock climbing included in price)
Hiking boots or tennis shoes for outdoor exploration and possible outdoor hiking + yoga
Sleeping bag and/or bedding for your bed (twin sized bed)
Pillow and pillow case
Ear plugs (if you are a light sleeper & concerned about getting good sleep)
Flashlight and/or headlamp
Kayak or paddle board if you want to use your own
Slippers
Sunscreen/bug spray (please spray outside)
Cash or check for retail items and/or massage
Questions? Email: hello@borealblissyogaretreats.com