Yoga practices and philosophy blended with the Ayurvedic system offer a valuable lens through which to play between seemingly disparate ideas: yin and yang, form and no-form, success and failure, goals and no-goals, tamas and rajas, hot and cold, and on and on! Join Melina Meza and Baxter Bell, MD, for this July 4th-week yoga retreat to celebrate our independence and interdependence as we explore the interplay of opposites.

As a yoga teacher, physician, and acupuncturist, Baxter has a vast repertoire of wisdom and knowledge to share along with a rare gift for making the practice of yoga accessible and doable for the long haul. You’ll be guided through a series of portable practices — specifically designed for taking home! — so you can implement them with ease. Melina, a senior yoga teacher, Ayurvedic educator and nutritionist, artfully weaves in healthy living tips throughout the week to help you balance your life with simple daily rituals inspired by the ancient science of Ayurveda. The week offers ample time each day to tune in and make choices to be in sync with life —whether you opt to hike, swim, receive bodywork, or just simply be.

This retreat promises to leave you equipped to make grounded and informed choices in your everyday life so you can move in greater harmony with all of life. Your day begins with a morning meditation followed by breakfast and an asana class with Baxter or Melina. You’ll cap off your morning with an experiential talk on yoga and healthy aging (Baxter) or diet, nutrition, and Ayurveda (Melina). Late afternoon sessions will weave gentle therapeutic practices together with relevant topics for everyone. You’ll learn through the framework of yoga and Ayurvedic teachings how to balance opposites and adapt diet, exercise, yoga practice and daily rituals to better synchronize with the changing seasons and stages of life to promote quality of life, longer “healthspan”, and physical well-being.

Testimonials:

"For me the week had a loving, supportive, inclusive community. Baxter and Melina skillfully taught a group than spanned five decades in age and included experienced teachers and those who had never practiced yoga before.

The week had lots of yoga, laughter and fun along with time for journaling, sketching, and self-reflection.  There was time to hike and time to relax in a chair or hammock.

The food was as gorgeous as it was delicious; the bodywork worked on both physical and spiritual levels; and my grandkids were so impressed that I stayed in a teepee!”   ~ Kathleen H.

“At this age, I was preparing for the final phase of life and didn’t expect to be able to do as much as I would have liked. This week showed me that I am capable of so much and it’s exciting to feel like there are still so many things I have left to do!”   ~ Jane H.

Summer Vacation Tip! Extend your time in peace and beauty while savoring Western hospitality by spending some time exploring the great West’s National Park treasures either before or after your retreat with Baxter and Melina at the Ranch. Glacier National Park is a glorious and scenic 3.5-hour drive north and west of Feathered Pipe, while Yellowstone is just a 4.5 hour drive south and east of the Ranch through some of the prettiest Western territory you’ll ever see.

About Baxter Bell, MD:

Baxter Bell, MD, C-IAYT, eRYT500 fell in love with yoga in 1993 while he was working full-time as a family physician. His appreciation for the potential of yoga for fostering health, healing, and equanimity was so great, he soon stepped down from his medical practice and trained to become a yoga teacher. Now he focuses on teaching yoga full time, both to ordinary students of all ages and physical conditions, and to the next generation of yoga teachers, to whom he teaches anatomy and yoga therapy along with his accessible, skillful style of yoga. He also sees students privately, helping them use yoga to help heal from and/or cope with a wide range of medical conditions. At this point, with 18 years of teaching experience under his belt, Baxter brings a unique perspective to his teaching, combining his understanding of anatomy and medicine with his skill at instructing people from all walks of life and all levels of ability.

In addition to teaching classes, workshops, and retreats internationally, Baxter is co-author of the new book “Yoga for Healthy Aging,” a past presenter at Yoga Journal Conferences and the International Association of Yoga Therapy’s Sytar Conference, and teaches online courses and classes at Yoga U Online. Baxter is also the co-founder and writer for the popular Yoga for Healthy Aging blog, where he shares his knowledge of medical conditions, anatomy, and yoga with practitioners and teachers across the world. He has written articles for Yoga Journal and the journal of the International Association of Yoga Therapy. And he is often quoted as an expert on yoga and health by major national news outlets such as the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

About Melina Meza:

Melina Meza (BS Nutrition, Ayurvedic Health Educator, Certified Yoga for Aging Teacher, 500-ERYT) has been sharing her knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda, and whole foods nutrition with yogis around the world for over 20 years. Melina pioneered Seasonal Vinyasa, an innovative multi-disciplined approach to well-being, and is the author of the Art of Sequencing books and the creator of the Yoga for the Seasons – Fall Vinyasa DVD. Since 1997, Melina has been teaching yoga at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers in Seattle, Washington, where she also is Co-Director of their 200- and 500-Hour Teachers’ Training Program.

Currently residing in Oakland California, Melina facilitates year-round yoga and Ayurveda workshops and leads retreats in extraordinary sanctuaries around the world. Her continual growth as a teacher and practitioner has been influenced by studying with numerous instructors, including Dr. Robert Svoboda, Scott Blossom, Jin Sung, Sarah Powers, Gary Kraftsow, Kathleen Hunt, and Baxter Bell, MD. Retreats and sabbaticals are also vital to Melina’s personal practice and bring her deeper reflection and inspiration.

Melina holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Bastyr University, where she deepened her interest in the world of whole foods nutrition, and is a certified Ayurvedic Health Educator from the California College of Ayurveda.  While attending Bastyr, she found what her body, mind, and spirit had been waiting for — yoga. From her very first class in 1993, she has never stopped exploring the physical, mental, and spiritual practices passed down from the ancient sages. Yoga has been the “launching pad” — as her teacher Gary Kraftsow describes it — that has rocketed her into a life journey of cultivating the disciplines necessary to gain insight and wisdom integral to being healthy, compassionate, and radiant, as well as how to share those gifts with others.

Check out Melina’s unique offerings on the Yoga Anytime, YogaUonline, or at Gaiamtv and practice from the comfort of your own home.

Accommodations

Our lodging options offer the finest in rustic comfort. Indoor and outdoor choices include a variety of private or shared accommodations ranging from chalet-style rooms to tents, tipis and yurts nestled in the forest.

After retreat registration, Feathered Pipe office staff will contact you to confirm your lodging preference. Accommodations include all meals and use of all amenities – our bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, as well as all the Feathered Pipe Ranch facilities and grounds.

Accommodations exclude massage and bodywork.

Pricing & Registration

Program Tuition & Basic Accommodations: $1895

Basic Accommodations are shared room Main Lodge, Yurt, Sai Condo or single Tipi/Tent, and include meals and use of all amenities – our bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, as well as all the Feathered Pipe Ranch facilities and grounds.

Feathered Pipe Community Discount: Invite a friend(s) new to the Ranch and you each receive $100 off tuition price!

*A $500 deposit is required to secure online registration/payment.

**Airport shuttle service on the day of arrival/departure is an additional $65. Non-arrival/departure shuttle service is $100

***Please plan to arrive at the ranch before 6pm on the first day of your retreat, and to depart in the morning or early afternoon of the final day.

Thanks and look forward to seeing you!