2026 Winter Sun Yoga
With Grace Studio's Michele Russ
February 13-16, 2026
(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!
Prices range from $950 to $1600
TWO DISCOUNTS:
$75 off for Grace Yoga Studio Members in good standing
$75 Early Bird Discount until Dec. 1, 2025
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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
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"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)
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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. 8:30-9:30: Breakfast, full buffet 10:30am: Workshop Sat.: Valentine healthy baking Sun.: Setting 2026 wellness goals 12:30pm-1:30pm: Lunch, full buffet 2:30pm: Workshop Sat.: Nature Walk & Journaling - explore ZigBone's 100-acre mountainside farm in meditation. Sun: Yoga "Playground" - Michele Russ helps each student tackle a tough pose, or try a new one, step by step and safely. 5:30pm: Informal gathering and snack 6:30pm: Dinner (share your vision board at Sunday dinner) 8:00pm: Yoga Nidra (Guided Meditation) Wind down from the day by joining with others in a guided meditation to help release stress and allow the mind to be at peace. 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 |
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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. |
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The Dream of ZigBone Farm Retreat
& Pricing
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.
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.
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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: includes instruction from Grace Yoga Studio Director Michele Russ, dinner on arrival night, 3 full meals/full day, breakfast on departure day, morning and afternoon workshops and hikes. 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).
$1600 private room/private bathroom
$1300 private room/shared bathroom (bathroom shared with 1-2 other people)
$950 shared room/shared bathroom (room shared with 1 other person; bathroom shared with 1-2 other people)
TWO DISCOUNTS:
$75 OFF FOR GRACE YOGA STUDIO MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING
$75 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT UNTIL DEC. 1, 2025
A note about our accommodations and sharing bathrooms: All our bedrooms are lovely, with hardwood floors, thick naturally plastered walls, lots of light, and great views of either the valley or fields. As for sharing a bathroom, it's super easy. We have two setups, you'll either have a sink in your bedroom or you'll share a bathroom set up where the toilet and sink are in a separate room from the shower. Plus the Event Hall bathrooms, just behind the lodge, are available. Bathroom sharing should not stop you. Many people are hesitant about sharing but in the end have found it no problem at all and now request the private room/shared bathroom option to save money.
Pricing: includes instruction from Grace Yoga Studio Director Michele Russ, dinner on arrival night, 3 full meals/full day, breakfast on departure day, morning and afternoon workshops and hikes. 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).
$1600 private room/private bathroom
$1300 private room/shared bathroom (bathroom shared with 1-2 other people)
$950 shared room/shared bathroom (room shared with 1 other person; bathroom shared with 1-2 other people)
TWO DISCOUNTS:
$75 OFF FOR GRACE YOGA STUDIO MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING
$75 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT UNTIL DEC. 1, 2025
A note about our accommodations and sharing bathrooms: All our bedrooms are lovely, with hardwood floors, thick naturally plastered walls, lots of light, and great views of either the valley or fields. As for sharing a bathroom, it's super easy. We have two setups, you'll either have a sink in your bedroom or you'll share a bathroom set up where the toilet and sink are in a separate room from the shower. Plus the Event Hall bathrooms, just behind the lodge, are available. Bathroom sharing should not stop you. Many people are hesitant about sharing but in the end have found it no problem at all and now request the private room/shared bathroom option to save money.
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