Winter Learning Vacations for Grown Ups

By now, the Omega Institute’s winter sampler week programs are wrapping, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still time to participate in their in-depth workshops in Week 5, February 3-10, or Week 6, March 10-17, or to plan a trip to Costa Rica with Omega for next year. With programming like The Path to Longevity, Yoga for Rejuvenation, The Soul of Money, Mating in Captivity, and Relax & Write, Omega Costa Rica at Blue Spirit on the Nicoya Peninsula offer small group (about 75-85 people per week with about 30 participants per workshop) winter vacations that are the best of both worlds—workshops with inspiring teachers and time to rest and explore.

"Omega offers experiential education that helps people connect more deeply to themselves, to others, and to the world we share. When you sign up for a winter learning vacation in Costa Rica you have the opportunity to structure your time to meet your needs. You can fill your days with exploratory workshops, exciting excursions, and meeting new people. Or you can use the time for deep rest, taking advantage of massage services, yoga and qigong classes, and the beach,” says Chrissa Santoro, manager of external communications at Omega. “We want people to leave feeling nourished on all levels.”

A winter learning vacation is optimal for adults who want to delve deeper into a topic of interest or learn something new, within a vacation atmosphere’s sense of adventure and rejuvenation. Traveling to foreign destinations with locally-led study abroad adult programming is an opportunity to take a little bit of the Hudson Valley along while traveling.

Many local yoga teachers offer yoga retreats around the world. Last year, I attended Leigha Butler’s and Corinna Rae’s Be Love retreat in Tulum, Mexico. I embarked on the adventure craving a badly-needed tropical vacation, but I received so much more. The experience was cultivated specifically for our group, with daily classes designed to be safe, welcoming, and inspiring to each practitioner. We woke up to meditation on the beach at sunrise, ate delicious, clean food, explored Mayan culture and sites, and were actively engaged in the breath-taking Tulum naturescape. It turned out to be an amazing opportunity to live yoga completely for a week, and seemed to take each participant on a private journey while fostering a sense of loving community among kindred souls, who were once strangers. Be Love offered shifts that were transformational, in understanding yoga philosophy, but also to feel even more inspired in daily life. And they’re doing it again from April 14-20. Learn more on their website.

You don’t even have to travel far to gather a similar sentiment. Unplugged: A Sound and Yoga Retreat with Amy Soucy, David Ellenbogen, and Shawna Emerick will run from May 25-27 at the Garrison Institute. This transformative weekend, will offer a holistic blend of vinyasa and hatha yoga, along with restorative yoga sessions, deep breathing, and meditation, and the opportunity to address individual needs. Notable musician/producer David Ellenbogen of Brooklyn Raga Massive utilizes Tibetan bows, gongs, and a variety of global instruments to create a healing sonic environment, ideal for meditation and deep restoration.

Time to get away!

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