Purpose & Passion – Weekend Yoga Retreat

A yoga retreat offers a meaningful pause — a chance to look back with clarity, meet the present with awareness, and shape the future with intention.

Throughout this weekend, yoga and meditation are paired with workshops and guided exercises designed to help you clarify your goals, explore your aspirations, and build a practical path ahead.

This retreat is ideal for anyone considering a life transition, whether you are thinking about college, a career change, or how you want to spend retirement. It is created to support a shift away from boredom and anxiety and toward a life rooted in purpose and passion.

The retreat is inspired by Charles MacInerney’s book, Toxic Goals, Flow & the Pursuit of Excellence. Charles has been leading yoga retreats in Texas since 1992.

Cost: $595 per person for a shared room. A limited number of private rooms are available for an additional $100 upgrade fee.

Included: lodging, meals, classes, workshops, handouts, and materials/supplies. Not included: travel expenses and massage therapy. Registration is limited and often fills early. If registering for more than one person, please include each participant’s contact information.

Payment is available by Stripe or by check. After payment, Charles requests the following details: name, work and home phone numbers, email address, mailing address and zip code, and an emergency contact with name, email, and phone number. Checks should be made payable to Charles MacInerney and mailed to Charles MacInerney, Expanding Paradigms, 5803 Westmont, Austin, TX 78731.

Refund Policy: Paid registrants are eligible for a 75% refund with at least 7 days’ notice of cancellation. The remaining 25% may be applied toward a future retreat.

Schedule: The retreat begins with dinner at 7 p.m. on Friday and concludes at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Over the weekend, participants will take part in at least 4 yoga classes, several meditation sessions, and a Yoga Nidra workshop. The program also includes an overview of goal-setting as a way to improve present-moment experience, reduce boredom and fear, and strengthen concentration. From there, the workshops explore common pitfalls, including how to identify and eliminate Toxic Goals. Additional tools, including mind mapping, will be used to generate new goals and organize them into an action plan for success. The workshops are highly experiential, helping participants integrate the material into daily life.

Please note that Texas weather can be unpredictable, and the schedule may be adjusted if needed.

The retreat takes place at Camp Allen Retreat Center, established in 1921 by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and located midway between Austin and Houston near Navasota, Texas. Set on 1,100 wooded acres, the center features a conference center, lodge-style accommodations, two lakes for fishing, canoeing, and paddle-boarding, and miles of trails for walking, biking, and horseback riding.

The lodge includes a covered front porch, a large back deck for outdoor yoga, a comfortable lounge, indoor space for yoga classes and workshops, a spacious dining room, a fully equipped kitchen, satellite wifi, and cable. There are 8 bedrooms with 2–3 beds per room, and the facility can sleep 20 people, though registration is limited to 14 guests to allow more space and no more than two people per room. Bed linens are provided, and there is an onsite laundry room.

Meals: Six vegetarian meals are provided, beginning with a light Friday night meal and continuing through lunch on Sunday. Fresh fruit, snacks, and a wide selection of teas will be available 24/7. Guests are welcome to bring coffee or other beverages, as well as any supplements or snacks they prefer. If you have food allergies or special dietary needs, please share them at least 5 days before the retreat begins.

Massage therapy will be available at discounted retreat rates, with at least one therapist on staff. Limited appointments may be offered on Friday afternoon before the retreat begins or on Sunday after 3 p.m. once the program ends.

What to Bring: outdoor clothing for walking, comfortable clothing for yoga classes, a yoga mat if you have one, any yoga props you like to use, toiletries including soap, and optional items such as a notebook, camera, musical instruments, insect repellant, bicycle, umbrella, recreational gear, hammock, coffee or snacks, floor pillows, a meditation stool or blanket, and books to share.

Towels, bed linens, and one blanket are provided. Extra blankets or pillows should be brought if needed. Participants are also invited to browse a table of books and magazines related to yoga, spirituality, meditation, philosophy, fiction, and more, and may contribute favorite books for the duration of the retreat.

Please allow about 2 hours of driving time from Austin and 1.5 hours from downtown Houston. Arrive between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday if possible to complete paperwork, unpack, and settle in. If you expect to arrive after 8 p.m., please let Charles know.

The retreat officially ends at 3 p.m. on Sunday, and all facilities must be vacated by 6 p.m. that evening. Charles looks forward to welcoming participants soon.