Hygge Yoga Retreat:

Slowing Down & Retreating Inward

January 17th - 20th 2025

In the Danish language there is a word for the coziness we feel in winter. Hygge (hue-gah or hoo-guh) is about embracing the winter season and finding comfort in the ability to slow down and retreat inward. Join retreat host Sophie Lyons (she/her) for a 4 day, 3 night cozy yoga retreat at Willow Retreat Center. This retreat will be centered around slowing down after the busyness of the new year and space to stoke your inner fire (tapas). Wake up to morning yoga, enjoy delicious food, and spend the day engaged with optional activities such as; restorative yoga, meditation, journaling, workshops and time to unplug in the Vermont outdoors.

Starting Friday afternoon the 17th and running till Monday morning the 20th, this retreat will be a space for folks to connect deeper to their inner slowness and utilize the practice of yoga to slow down their nervous system during the colder months. During this retreat we will practice asana, meditation and a wide breadth of yogic practices in order to explore what Hygge means to us.

This retreat falls over a long weekend, the intention is that people who would like to participate do not have to take as much time off with the federal holiday on Monday the 20th; Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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 creating brave spaces for folks to explore agency in their bodies through slow flow and restorative yoga. 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.

This retreat is open to 12 participants. Each spot is $985 without tax. The price of the retreat includes:

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

What does hygge mean: Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is defined by The Oxford English Dictionary as “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being, regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture.” While the Danish word can’t be directly translated in English, it suggests a general sense of comfort, charm, simplicity, and community. Hygge is a sense of intimacy created in any space at any moment. It makes guests feel welcome and warm. Since Scandinavian winters are known to be bleak, the concept of creating comfortable retreats became paramount to the Danish people and their happiness.

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, a dedicated bathroom and a cozy fire place. 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.

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

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.

Payment schedule: All payments are non-refundable.