Self Care & Energy Repair
Description
With MJ Watkins and Lucas Hall
October 23 - 25, 2026
RETREAT BY INVITED PRESENTER
Join two inspiring teachers from New York Loves Yoga for a restorative weekend designed to support balance, calm, and renewal. Each day brings a thoughtful mix of uplifting hatha yoga, guided meditation, breathwork, meridian tracing, sound baths, and somatics—offering a complete wellness experience for both body and mind. Leave feeling clear, deeply relaxed, and refreshed.
“MJ & Lucas are the best. I always feel like I learn something new, and I always feel more peaceful after being with them.”
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Each morning begins with a peaceful, light-filled breakfast, followed by yoga and meditation. From there, there is time to unwind and enjoy the setting—whether that means hiking in the woods, reading in the library, or visiting the Old Stone Church. Later in the day, everyone gathers in the Meditation Hall for a workshop, where you can deepen your practice, ask questions, and explore how yoga and meditation can be woven into everyday life beyond the mat.
Both evenings feature The Sound Experience, a deeply restful practice supported by blankets and bolsters. You will be guided through a spacious yoga nidra session while Tibetan sound bowls create a resonant atmosphere throughout the hall. The weekend includes the following nurturing practices:
- Guided meditations that are accessible and supportive
- Hatha yoga blending alignment, vinyasa energy, breath practices, and meditation
- Somatics, a gentle and effective mind-body movement practice
- Yoga nidra, or “dynamic sleep,” for deep relaxation with inner awareness
- Atma Buti Tibetan sound healing, using sound to support healing
We are delighted to share these practices in service of greater peace and joy in daily life.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
- Intimate setting with personal access to the teachers
- Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
- Hatha yoga, somatic yoga, and yoga nidra
- Guided meditations
- Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
- Option to extend your stay on Personal Retreat
- Extensive library of dharma books
- Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful flora and fauna
OPEN TO ALL
No prerequisites are required for this program. Because the classes are active, some yoga experience is helpful, and modifications will be offered for less experienced practitioners.
SCHEDULE
(subject to change)
Friday, October 23
- 3:00 PM Check in begins
- 4:00 PM Welcome/Introductions and Opening Circle (Milarepa Hall)
- 4:30 PM Yoga/Meditation (Milarepa Hall)
- 6:30-7:30 PM Dinner (Dining Hall)
- 8:30 PM The Sound Experience (Milarepa Hall)
- 10:00 PM Lights turned off on Campus
Saturday, October 24
- 7:30 – 8:30 AM Breakfast (Dining Hall)
- 9:00 – 11:00 AM Yoga/Meditation (Milarepa Hall)
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch (Dining Hall)
- 1:00-4:00 PM Personal Time
- 4:00 – 6:30 PM Workshop (Milarepa Hall)
- 6:30 – 7:30 PM Dinner (Dining Hall)
- 7:30 – 8:30 PM Personal Time
- 8:30 PM The Sound Experience (Milarepa Hall)
- 10:00 PM Lights turned off on Campus
Sunday, October 25
- 8:30 – 10:30 AM Yoga/Meditation (Milarepa Hall)
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Brunch (Dining Hall)
- 12:15 PM Closing Circle (Milarepa Hall)
- 1:00 PM Check out and departure
Teachers
MJ Watkins
As a partner of NY Loves Yoga, MJ Watkins listens closely to what draws students to practice—stress relief, relaxation, inner peace, and wellness. Her interest in Thomas Hanna Somatics grew after a back injury and loss of movement. She centers her teaching on breath, the nervous system, and rebuilding strength through movement to support flexibility, health, and mental relaxation. MJ’s training includes RYT 300, Academy of Yoga & Meditation, India; E-RYT 200, Zuna Yoga, Tantra-Hatha; Reiki Level 1; Atma Buti Singing Bowls; Restorative Yoga; Yoga Nidra, ISHTA, NYC; Essential Somatics Movement, Martha Peterson, Radiant Child…
Lucas Hall
With a lifelong passion for self-development and a desire to help others become their best selves, Lucas Hall traveled to Bali, Indonesia to study hatha yoga with renowned teachers Everett Newell and Katherine Girling of Zuna Yoga. Already a voice teacher in NYC and with a background in dance, he brings strong body-mind conditioning skills and a natural ability to motivate and empower students. His classes are accessible, effective, and well-rounded, combining strong asana, focused breathing, and…
Event Schedule
Oct 23-25, 2026
2 day event
Daily Schedule:
Accommodation Options
Private Room: Couple
This registration fee is for two people. This comfortable room has one double bed, and may be shared by couples in a committed relationship. With ample room for meditation, it features a desk and small table suitable for a meditation object. All rooms are furnished with linens, pillows, blankets, coverlets, and towels, as well as a meditation cushion and zabuton. The room shares a bath with one or two other rooms. Room rates include three delicious vegetarian meals each day (6 total meals for a couple room); there is also a tea station on each hall.
Junior Suite: Single
These large rooms have one double bed, a private bath, private terrace, a refrigerator and ample room for practice. Each room has a small table suitable for a meditation object and a meditation cushion and zabaton, as well as a desk and an armoire. Room rates include three delicious vegetarian meals each day; there is also an in-room tea station.
Junior Suite: Couple
This reservation fee is for two people and includes three delicious vegetarian meals each day (6 total for a couple). This large room has one double bed, which may be shared by couples in a committed relationship. In addition, it has a private bath, private terrace, a refrigerator and ample room for practice. Each room has a small table suitable for a meditation object and a meditation cushion and zabaton, as well as a desk and an armoire.
Teachers
As a partner of NY Loves Yoga, MJ Watkins brings a deeply attentive and compassionate approach to teaching, shaped by what students most often seek from yoga: stress relief, relaxation, inner peace, and greater wellness. Her interest in Thomas Hanna Somatics grew after experiencing a back injury and a loss of physical movement, an experience that continues to inform her...
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About Lucas Hall Driven by a lifelong commitment to self-development and a genuine desire to support others in becoming their best selves, Lucas Hall made the journey to Bali, Indonesia to deepen his study of Hatha yoga with respected teachers Everett Newell and Katherine Girling of Zuna Yoga. Based in New York City, Lucas also brings experience as a voice teacher and...
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191 Cragsmoor Rd, Pine Bush, NY 12566, USA
Pine Bush