LOVING WITHIN : Women’s Fall Equinox Yoga and Meditation Retreat

with Mary Straub Pargas and Suzanne McCahill Perrine

Thursday-Sunday, September 20-23, 2012
Fort Lewis Lodge, VA

During the Sacred Fall Equinox, we will gather as women for the purpose of turning our energy inward using the transformative powers of yoga, meditation, self-reflection, sunshine and nature. The rest, relaxation and rejuvenation will cradle us as we discover deeper self-love, acceptance, and understanding. We will envelop in the nurturing embrace of the incredible Shenandoah Valley, its flowing river, peaceful mountains, and the compassionate heart of the divine feminine. Come with a willingness to unveil your fears and deepest desires and awaken your courageous heart. You will leave with a greater understanding of your gifts and strengths, fortifying you with a deeper self-love, and a generous heart, and the ability to love more deeply and live more joyously.

What you can expect from this retreat:

- Rest, Relaxation, Rejuvenation
- Teachings that will guide your attention inward towards mind, body and spirit including: Meditation, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Pranayama Breath Work, Chanting, and Yoga Therapy
- A nurturing community of women embracing self-love and acceptance
- Peace and stillness of the trees, mountains, river and fields – Gentle Hikes, Fresh Water Swimming, Resting on a Beautiful Sun Deck
- Wholesome locally grown and delicious meals and luxurious lodging

Here’s what some women have to say about their own experiences at the 2011 Retreat:

“I hadn’t given much thought to what “Loving Within” meant when signing up for this retreat. I knew Mary and I knew it would be amazing because of all that I have already learned from her. The addition of Suzanne and Kate as teachers was an added bonus. Before the retreat, I only understood what it was to have compassion for others; during the retreat, I experienced for the first time what compassion for myself meant, not feeling sorry for myself, not pitying myself, but truly having compassion for the heart within me. Seeing this opening and compassion occur in the women on the retreat around me was extremely powerful. I learned that “divine perfection” meant loving even the flaws one sees in oneself so that one no longer judges others or oneself. The women I saw in our group became “Beautiful River Women” in their entirety…”

“…The yoga and meditations taught by Mary, Suzanne, and Kate provided a gateway to walk through that door to one’s heart–to experience it safely in all of its power of experience. The experience not only provided this amazing experience, but a way to continue practicing it in daily life. I continue to feel the awe of that weekend as I look at pictures, hold my river stone, and continue to correspond with the women from the retreat. On day one after going through a powerful kundalini set led by Mary, I started to feel my heart open; once it did, the heavens opened. Rain started to fall on top of the pavilion at Fort Lewis–I felt the joining of the natural world, the other women, the teachings, the yoga, the teachers present and through the ages, and my own heart. This image will be with me forever. Fort Lewis was not only visually stunning, but an amazing location, comfort food to the max!”
- Massachusettes

Not a day goes by that I don’t think about our wonderful yoga retreat in the mountains of Virginia and really look forward to the one next year. When I look back and reflect on the profoundness of the yoga retreat, I am once again transported to a place of perfect beauty, contentment and stillness.What has been a constant comfort to me whenever I want to experience this again, is to recall the chanting voices of all those wonderful women who sat in such magnificence, the smell of the crisp mountain air, the sight of the hillsides with clouds hanging low, dancing so proudly. Showing off a little, I suppose! It makes me smile hard inside my very being because I know that it is mine whenever I want and always will be!
- Maryland

“Emotional, spiritual and physical healing takes much focus and involvement. I have found over the past few years that engaging in several different forms of Yoga at The Center, such as Prana Flow, Anusara, and Kundalini, has had a profound effect on all aspects of my Being. The effects have been minute, building over time and the changes have been subtle and prolonged. The Yoga Retreat was an opportunity for me to focus on the basics of the theories of the variety of yoga I practice and expand upon my foundation. It was rewarding in many ways to have a long weekend to only focus on what I needed to continue to heal and grow and to be swaddled in female love and energy. I especially appreciate the manner in which I do not fully comprehend how the Yoga, Mantras and Meditations work, I just know that they do!”
- Virginia

A beautiful blend of yoga, meditation and interchange in an environment both calming and supportive. Mary and Suzanne share their insights and talents with hearts wide open. To come together as a diverse group of women with common interests, desires and concerns and to be able to truly help one another in a few short days on a fundamental level – this is a gift for all. A weekend retreat can be both relaxing and inspiring. Sometimes it can be transformative…
- Virginia

“I continue to hear fantastic things and that the retreat was transformational. I saw my mother and aunt before they left for the retreat on Thursday and then afterward…as soon as they arrived home on Sunday, their energetic change and peacefulness was radiantly obvious. I had a lovely heart to heart with my mother and felt so inspired by what she had experienced and was teaching me from being there amongst a strong group of women.” -Daughter of Retreat Participant, Virginia

Cost and Payment Information

EARLY BIRD DEPOSIT:

- Extended through March 18! Non-Refundable Deposit due – $250

EARLY BIRD BALANCE DUE BY AUGUST 1 (monthly payment options available)

- Shared Suite: 3-4 women will share one two-bedroom suite with 1 shared bath. Women may be assigned a single bed, or share a king/queen bed. You may sign up with/choose your roommate or we can assign you one. – $545
- Double Room: 2 women will share a king/queen sized bed with private bath. You may sign up with/choose your roommate or we can assign you one. – $615
- Single Room: 1 woman will have a queen/king size bed with private bath. – $945

REGISTRATION AFTER March 18 (subject to availability)

- Shared Suite: 3-4 women will share one two-bedroom suite with 1 shared bath. Women may be assigned a single bed, or share a king/queen bed. You may sign up with/choose your roommate or we can assign you one. – $945
- Double Room: 2 women will share a king/queen sized bed with private bath. You may sign up with/choose your roommate or we can assign you one. – $1015
- Single Room: 1 woman will have a queen/king size bed with private bath. – $1345

Deposits can be brought to The Center or mailed directly to:
The Center
70 N. Mason Street, Suite 10
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Questions
Please email Mary: info.ytt@gmail.com or Suzanne suzanne@thecenterdowntown.org for more information or questions. 540.432.0644/540.383.0438

More About Fort Lewis Lodge

“Chin deep and a stone’s throw wide, the big swimming hole on the clear Cowpasture River may be the most picturesque natural pool in the East.”
The Washingtonian

“Fort Lewis Lodge is one of those rare and wonderful places that celebrates life’s simple pleasures.”
Southern Living
www.fortlewislodge.com