A BIG "thank you" to Big Sky Yoga Retreats and the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch for an amazing trip! It completely met all my expectations!! The horseback riding, yoga, fly fishing, hiking, food and staff were all amazing! I truly feel blessed to have had this opportunity to give myself this terrific retirement gift. I hope to come back someday~ Yeehaw and Namaste~ Cindy

This was my 8th Big Sky Yoga Retreats trip. In 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022, the retreats were at other venues, all wonderful. In September of 2023 through 2026 I attended the Dude Ranch retreats at 9 Quarter Circle Ranch in southwest Montana, between Big Sky and the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. Why keep coming back? It's because these retreats make me feel deeply contented and refuel me in a way that no other place or activity does. All the features of my recent week in MT were so therapeutic: clean air and water; quiet; blanket of stars; beautiful scenery of mountains, valleys, and rivers (fly fishing lesson, anyone?); rustic yet comfortable and cozy cabins (staff members are ready to point out your particular cabin's heaters and how to light your wood stove); quality yoga classes (the variety of styles taught are well-described on the BSYR website under the Dude Ranch retreat description); hearty, tasty, and nourishing food (and plenty of it with lactose-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options); horses (sturdy, sure-footed, well-trained, lovely Appaloosas), gorgeous trail riding ("OMG" views around almost every bend including a variety of wildlife); opportunities for creativity (coloring or water color, clippings from magazines used in collage to make a vision board, reading, journaling, and making malas which are beaded necklaces & bracelets); and especially the interesting, warm, and delightful other women! I have developed great respect, admiration, and appreciation for Margaret, yoga and meditation expert and maker of these retreats, her partner, yoga and mala making expert Caitlin, and her newer yoga teacher and equine facilitated learning expert Mandy. Margaret has crafted the retreats to allow attendees to learn about horses, yoga, about the connections between yoga and horses (both in the saddle and one the ground), and about the connections between horse body & mind and human body & mind. It is a great time for me to reboot my activity level (7000 something steps a day plus yoga and riding) and feel comfortable relating to others with authenticity (all those warm, wonderful women!). This time of year most days are sunny; you will need to apply sunscreen 2-3 times a day and wear a hat. It is very dry in this part of MT; I must layer on at least two types of lip balm and use serious moisturizer on my hands. It can be 75 degrees Fahrenheit with strong sunshine (bring sunglasses and consider bringing a long sleeved sun shirt and lightweight hiking pants and shoes). It can be cool and rainy; consider getting & bringing either chaps or waterproof riding pants (I waited for the Le Mieux ones to go on sale). Also consider bringing a good rain jacket that unzips from the bottom as well as the top, and waterproof riding boots (State Line Tack, Sheplers, Boot Barn, and Ariat online, and the two Bozeman Murdoch's stores are good sources). It can be downright cold & windy; one morning we awakened to 21 degrees F and strong winds, so bring plenty of layers. Consider packing short and long sleeve itchless merino wool tops that you can wear all week with little or no odor developing (many companies make these; often Merino Tech has good prices). Every worker on the ranch is genuinely welcoming and friendly, including the office administrator who checks you in, owners Sally and Kameron, head wranglers Sorrell and Reid, all the other wranglers, cleaning personnel, and all of the kitchen and dining room team members. There is no set schedule because if we wake up to cold rain, a scheduled outdoor session in the pasture or round pen will have to be rearranged. There are many things to do, but you do not "have to" participate in any given activity. The retreat is meant to allow individual flexibility so each retreat attendee can pay attention to what is best for them. A note on "equine coaching:" This retreat does not include Hippotherapy (physical/occupational/speech & language therapy utilizing the rhythm of sitting on a walking horse), Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (involves equine and mental health professionals), horseback riding lessons, or riding in an arena. It includes one to two 2-hour periods of trail riding per day and one or more opportunities for Equine Facilitated Learning, in other words, learning, personal growth, and communication with a horse in a round pen, also called equine coaching. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to "get back to myself" in so many different ways!

My Cowgirl Yoga retreat was an unforgettable experience. As a novice horse rider, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but from the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed, supported, and immersed in the experience. Surrounded by breathtaking mountains, wide-open land, and stunning horses, I found a sense of peace and freedom that was hard to put into words. The retreat was beautifully coordinated by Margaret and Caitlin and offered a wonderful balance of horseback riding, yoga, nature and time to simply slow down and be present. The entire ranch staff was warm, welcoming, and incredibly hospitable, making every part of the experience feel special and cared for. I left feeling refreshed, renewed, and filled with gratitude. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the beauty of horses, yoga, nature and the freedom of the open range, this retreat is for you.

Great location, great food, great experiences, wonderful fellow attendees! Highly recommend this great trip!

I have done retreats all over the world and at various levels and although I had relatively moderate hopes for this retreat with the exception of the wonderful staff of the ranch I cannot convey how disappointed I was in this retreat. These are the reasons: 1. Lack of initial organization – I would receive multiple emails requesting info. It was truly confusing. 2. Lack of an itinerary – I have never been to a retreat where there was no itinerary and when I asked for one I received the following message: “Salut! we never send out an itinerary. :) this was included in the group posts email I sent you: Hi everyone, the retreat ends around noon on Friday, September 18. Arrivals on Sunday 9/13 are anytime after 2 pm. We will start with yoga at 4:30 pm. We encourage you to arrive a little early to get settled and shift gears. We do not send out an exact itinerary in advance, but rest assured you will get everything you signed up for and more. let me know if you have questions! “ 3. I had no internet connection in my room. I would never have booked if I knew I would have no access to the internet 4. The first two days of the trip, we did not get the day’s itinerary until the morning of, which made it impossible to plan for the next day 5. Finally, we started getting an itinerary the day before but it would be on a wipe board later in the day. 6. This is the first retreat where I did not get to meet the other attendees before the trip. There was a Facebook page, but I was very clear that I do not use Facebook and I asked could we use WhatsApp or another collaboration app and I was told that was not an option. 7. We did activities like creating mandalas, and vision boards. I did not sign up for that nor would I have signed up for it if I knew those were the only activities. 8. I was told we would get coaching on horseback riding and we did not. I had to ask for each ride and I got contradictory information. I expected more hands-on attention and was very disappointed that really it was just a basic ride. The ranch staff was really nice and the meals were wonderful. I loved the horses. Sadly, I would never do this retreat again.