Coming Home to Yourself:

A Queer Yoga Retreat

July 17th - 21st 2025

Join retreat host Sophie Lyons (she/her) for a 5 day, 4 night LGBTQIA2S+ Affinity Yoga retreat at Willow Retreat Center. This retreat is an offering to folks who wish to deepen their yoga practice and spend intentional time immersed in Queer community. Wake up to morning yoga, enjoy delicious food, and spend the day engaged with optional activities such as; a Queer Yoga Workshop led by Angie Benitez (she/they), meditation, journaling, swimming, and workshops to explore our relationship to Queerness and time to unplug in the Vermont outdoors.

This retreat is open to all folks who identify anywhere within the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum. Starting Thursday afternoon the 17th and running till Monday morning the 21st, this retreat will be a brave space for folks to connect deeper to their Queer identity and utilize the practice of yoga to come home to themselves. During this retreat, we will practice asana, meditation, and a wide breadth of yogic practices to explore what Queerness means to us.

More about your retreat host:

Sophie Lyons (she/her/hers) retreat host and lead teacher is a Boston based, Queer woman that specializes in offering trauma informed yoga classes. She is passionate about bringing together the LGBTQIA2S+ community through the practice of yoga and creating brave spaces for folks to explore agency in their bodies. Sophie is an 800hr certified Yoga teacher with over a thousand hours of teaching experience. She is trained as a 200hr Kripalu Vinyasa Teacher, a 300hr Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F), and a 300hr Ignite Yoga & Wellness Institute Instructor. Sophie is also a Level II Reiki Healer, Trauma-Conscious Yoga Guide (TCYM) and an experienced regular yoga teacher (E-RYT) . She graduated from Lesley University with a BA in Holistic Psychology and Wellness, specializing in yoga therapy; trauma, eating disorder recovery, and addiction.

Meet Guest Teacher: Angie Benitez (she/they) graduated from Salem State University with a B.A. in Modern/Contemporary Dance and has since studied at Bates Dance Festival and continues to study and grow with local Boston-based artists. Angie has immersed herself in teaching dance and performing in the Greater Boston area at local studios, schools and residencies through organizations such as The Click, Human Movement Project, and at High Street Studios. Her recent performance experience includes local arts festivals and events such as Moving Through March, Roots & Routes, Verse / Visual, 24 Hour ChoreoFest, Salem Arts Festival, and more. Much of her work is focused on collaboration and community, especially her "Community Contemporary" class currently at the Dance Complex on Thursday nights. When she’s not teaching dance, you can find her writing poetry, working as a social media strategist, creating fiber art, and meditating with her plants. Keep in touch by following them on Instagram @shemovesandmakes

Queer Joy Workshop Deets: Join Angie for a chance to access queer joy and community through movement, dialogue, and games. Your inner child will be giggling throughout class as we warm-up, work in pairs and small groups, play games, and even learn a little choreography. Whether dancing is outside your comfort zone or something you do everyday, this class is meant for you!

This retreat is open to 12 participants that identify as a part of the Queer community. Each spot is $1,386.92 with tax. The price of the retreat includes:

Accommodations
Three meals a day
2 Yoga Classes a day plus workshops and excursions
A space to connect with community and make friends, as well as memories to last a lifetime!

A payment plan is offered:

Deposit at booking: $325
Second payment due May 16, 2025: $325
Final payment due July 3, 2025: $736.92

What to Bring: clothes that you feel comfortable in to practice yoga, swimsuits, artist supplies if you’d like, a book, journal, hiking shoes and clothes if you plan on hiking with us, and anything else you’d like to bring.

The Accommodations: Willow is a comforting and nurturing environment — All rooming will be shared; we can accommodate couples or friends in the same room and on request we can arrange for a triple. Each bedroom has two beds and a dedicated bathroom. Four rooms have en-suite baths and two have dedicated hallway baths. All rooms come equipped with a smart TV, air conditioning, electric fireplace, comfortable beds and linens and ample storage.

The Meals: All meals are included from Friday evening until Monday brunch. Willow specializes in Indian and Indian-inspired meals. Their meals are balanced with healthy proteins, healthy fats and carbs.

Testimonials from Last Year’s Retreat:

“I had a beautiful retreat experience at Willow. I was able to disconnect from my phone and simply be present. It was refreshing to not be aware of the time and to be. I got to reconnect to my yoga practice, myself and other folks in an accepting space. I am taking home elements of present moment awareness, new friendships and good memories. The owners Ravi and Tom feel like family and crafted the perfect space. Thank you Willow for hosting me!”

“I was able to find quite a bit of peace from this experience. I loved how supportive the instructors and attendees alike were of each other. I would definitely attend another retreat in the future as this was a highly positive and motivating retreat. Absolutely incredible!”

“Sophie is a fantastic yoga teacher and her classes very quickly became an essential part of my weekly routine. She creates fun and funky flows that let you try something new, without taking everything so seriously. I’ve taken regular classes with Sophie and attended her Queer yoga retreat - in two very different physical environments Sophie’s teaching created that same light and tranquil atmosphere. Her approach creates a safe space for students to explore various movements in a judgement free and extremely supportive environment, and it's because of Sophie that I will likely do yoga for the rest of my life!”