Winter Joy Yoga Retreat

This yoga retreat offers us time to play and tap into our joyful, creative nature. In the midst of winter, join us for movement, breathwork, meditation, and creative expression to warm, uplift, and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit. Nurture your capacity to be present and accepting as your spontaneous self emerges.

About the Facilitators

Cynthia Hoss, E-RYT 500, LMT
Cynthia is a retired master bodyworker and has been studying and practicing holistic therapies for more than 30 years. She is a licensed massage therapist, a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner, an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, and has completed 200 - 300 hour teacher trainings from the Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda, Lotus in the Flame Healing Arts, and Satori Yin Yoga. Cynthia co-owned and operated Awake and Aware, a yoga and bodywork studio in Kalamazoo, from 2004 to 2014 before merging with Down Dog Yoga Center. Currently, she is teaching in the Three Rivers, MI area facilitating private groups, classes, workshops, and retreats. Her strong devotion to health, healing, and multidisciplinary background continues to inform and add a rich flavor to all of her offerings.

Kristin Fiore, E-RYT500, TCTSY-F
Kristin is the creator of Down Dog Yoga Center and has been teaching yoga in Kalamazoo, MI since 2009. She has completed multiple in-depth hatha and yin yoga teacher trainings, is a Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator, and is currently completing her master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan with a focus on Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, & Substance Abuse. She is interested in the mind-body connection and how a felt sense of the body can inform choice-making and help us cultivate agency that is often compromised as a result of trauma. She invites you to explore yoga at your own pace and trust your inner voice.

Retreat Schedule (tentative)

6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. – Friday Evening Practice

9:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. – Saturday Morning Practice

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. – Saturday Afternoon Practice

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. – Saturday Dinner, provided by retreat hosts

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. – Sunday Morning Practice

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. – Check out

Registration and Lodging Details

Visit downdogyogacenter.com/special-events to register for the retreat.

Participants will check into their cabins between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 19. If staying on site, lodging is $60/night per person payable to GilChrist at the end of the retreat by cash or check, in addition to the $350 program fee paid to Down Dog Yoga Center at time of registration.

There are 8 cabins at GilChrist – 6 one-bedroom and 2 two-bedroom. We (Kristin and Cynthia) will be assigning cabins as you enroll and indicate your lodging preference. When the single cabins fill up, the double cabins will be filled – each participant will have their own bedroom but a shared kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Please let us know if you are attending with a friend so we can assign cabins accordingly – there are options for a single bed plus futon for shared quarters, as well as the two-bedroom option. Do not contact GilChrist regarding cabin assignments; we will confirm your cabin when all cabins have been filled.

Saturday dinner is provided; all other meals will be on your own. Each guest space at GilChrist is equipped with a complete kitchen. See the complete GilChrist FAQ for more information about the facility. You are also welcome to stay off site.

Visit our website for more information or email Kristin with any questions.