2025 Winter Sun Yoga
With Grace Studio's Michele Russ

February 14-17, 2025
​(President's Day Weekend)
​Just one hour from DC/Baltimore areas, in Maryland's scenic Catoctin Mtns. 

​Yoga practitioners at ​all stages of their journey are welcome!


​What to expect:

  • A three-night yoga retreat with wellness, visioning, and art workshops in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains
  • Blissing out in an incredible 100-acre setting of expansive valley and mountain views, fields, hedgerows, and forest
  • Yoga that will stretch and strengthen you, sharpen your practice -- all-level yoga classes every day
  • Walking the farm in deep winter and visiting our animals (including our band of donkeys!)
  • Delicious homemade meals prepared with local produce, with access to fruit, snacks, coffee, and tea throughout the day
  • Coming together at family-style meals to develop a supportive community of fellow yoga practitioners
  • An opportunity to focus on your well-being​

"The venue felt like a home. The buildings themselves were so unique and the rooms were warm and inviting. The property was gorgeous and I loved the barn cats, goats and sheep!! The food was amazing and the retreat programming itself was a perfect balance of active time and down time. But the best part, by far, was the people! Everyone felt like a friend, and not just the other participants of the retreat...EVERYONE! From Brenda and Robbie, to Dena and Lenore. I will definitely be back and recommend it to everyone I know!" - April I (Past Participant)

"Entirely wonderful. It was such a positive environment and the classes and food and accommodations were delightful. The hosts and facilitators were SO friendly, the classes were perfect, and I appreciate the acknowledgement of my allergies (removal of apples from salads, etc) and wish to work on my headstand. I really do hope to keep in touch!" - Lauren W (Past Participant)
Tentative Schedule 
(all sessions optional)
​
Friday
4pm-5:30pm: Arrival and settle in
​5:30pm: Welcome Reception
6:30pm: Dinner
8:00pm: Candlelit Evening Meditation: Traveling to a new place is exciting and invigorating, but it can also cause us to feel a bit chaotic, scattered, and stressed.  Our Welcome Meditation will be an opportunity to ground and connect with our beautiful surroundings and our retreat community.  

Saturday-Sunday
6:30am: Coffee ready!
7:00am: Sunrise Yoga Flow, 75 minutes: Welcome in the day with an energizing vinyasa flow for mixed levels.  We'll greet the sun by opening our practice with sun salutations followed by postures that help us release what we don't need and make space for more joy and more fun.

10:30am: Workshop (rock art/winter farm walk)

12:30pm-1:30pm: Lunch

2:30pm: Workshop (pilates/wellness vision boarding)
Whether you’re new to Pilates or have been practicing for years, this class is a refreshing approach to the classical format. Learn how to engage your core muscles while simply breathing and discovering new ways to move to strengthen your core, lengthen your muscles, and improve your posture.

5:00pm: Informal gathering in Log Cabin Room & snack

6:15pm: Dinner

8:00pm: Gentle Stretch Yoga/Yoga Nidra (Guided Meditation)
Wind down from the day by joining with others in a guided meditation and gentle restorative yoga poses. Theses poses are held in a supportive position to help release stress, restore the connective tissues, and allow the mind to be at peace. Yoga Nidra (“yogic sleep”) follows.

Monday: Joy and Santosha/Reflections
6:30am: Coffee ready!
7:00 am: Sunrise yoga.  In this closing practice, we will explore postures that help us connect the second Niyama santosha (contentment, gratitude, accepting and appreciating what we have and what we are already and moving forward from there) to joy. Patanjali's Yoga Sutra says "Contentment brings unsurpassed joy", so contentment and joy are together linked.  We'll take some time during this practice to journal.
Depart by 11am​
​About Michele Russ (she/her)

​Yoga has provided Michele with the tools to lead a more balanced, mindful life, which prompted her to share her gifts and skills with others. "To me, yoga is meaningful yet fun, challenging yet restorative, dynamic and calming all at once. My intention is to help students experience and deepen their relationship between mind, body and the breath through challenging, yet nurturing classes, so that they can step off the mat feeling strong and renewed." Michele (E-RYT, 200) completed her 200-hour teacher training through Sky House Yoga in 2015 and is currently working on her 500-hour training to continue to build her knowledge and grow as a teacher. Michele is a certified Health & Wellness Coach, Studio Director and lead YTT trainer at Grace Studios in Silver Spring, MD and has facilitated yoga retreats in Mexico and West Virginia.

The Dream of ZigBone Farm Retreat
​& Pricing

Picture
Your Host
Dena Leibman, along with her wife Marijke Torfs, is co-owner/operator of ZigBone Farm Retreat. She is a long-time communications professional, former nonprofit executive, aspiring novelist, and now, a full-time retreat owner. Marijke and Dena have always dreamt of not just renting out ZigBone, but also arranging their own retreats for writers, artists, yogis, and outdoor enthusiasts. They are pleased to partner with Grace Studios of Silver Spring, MD to bring you the Winter Sun yoga retreat. Dena, when not in the kitchen, hopes to join in doing a few tree poses. ​
Your Place
ZigBone Farm Retreat provides naturally built, light-filled, artistic spaces for people to gather, celebrate, teach, and learn. The complex consists of the main ZigBone Eco-Lodge, the Springhouse Cabin, and the Event Hall. The 100-acre farm – a series of mountainside pastures bordered by old stone hedgerows – grows sheep, goats, and vegetables sustainably. Learn more at www.zigbonefarmretreat.com. 

Pricing: The retreat base price is $900; Grace Studios members in good standing receive a $75 discount. The price includes instruction from Grace Yoga Studio's Michele Russ, dinner on arrival night, 3 full meals/full day, breakfast on departure day, and morning and afternoon workshops, such as pilates, vision boarding, farm walks and journaling. Participants are required to stay at ZigBone Farm Retreat, and will have a first-come-first-serve choice of accommodations, which have varying prices (see below).

Springhouse​
Stand-alone cozy cabin to yourself, near ZigBone Lodge, with king plush bed, large outdoor deck with meadow view,  walk-in shower, writing alcove.  Add a one-time fee of $800 the retreat  base price.​

Inside the Springhouse, plush king bed. 

 Inside the Springhouse, view toward writing alcove and bathroom 
ZIGBONE ECO-LODGE
 A three-story building with hardwood floors throughout and light-filled spaces for gathering and writing. Participants can choose from a variety room options.
​PRIVATE EN SUITE LOG CABIN ROOM: Spacious room in ZigBone  Lodge,  w/ writer's desk, bathroom w/ bath, in original log cabin part of lodge. Add one-time $800  fee to the retreat base price.
PRIVATE ROOMS W/SHARED BATH: Five private rooms with shared baths available in ZigBone Lodge. Add a one-time $600 fee to retreat base price. 
THREE LARGE, SEMI-PRIVATE SHARED ROOMS W/ SHARED BATH: In ZigBone Lodge, each room shared by 2 people. Privacy screens provided. Add a one-time $200 fee to the retreat base price.

​Add $50 to base price for a bed under the eaves.