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(No availability) 4 Day Zen Yoga and Meditation Retreat in the Crestone, USA
Rejuvenating Yoga Retreat in USA
Bliss Body is a four-day immersion into the subtle architecture of breath, bandha, and being. Rooted in classical yoga and held within the vast monastic quiet of Crestone Mountain Zen Center, this retreat offers a return to the inner body—its luminosity, its currents of prana, and the quiet intelligence beneath thought.
Meet the instructors
Read more
Highlights
- Daily Yin and Yang asana
- Pranayama and chi enrichment practices
- Buddhist philosophy and meditation instruction
- Physical, emotional, and energetic engagements
- 3 nights accommodation
- Daily delicious homemade meals
Skill level
- Beginner
Yoga styles
4 days with instruction in English
Average daily hours of activity: 4
Accommodation
Residing in guest houses, cabins, or huts, you will be practicing in the traditional Zen meditation halls, private tea houses, and world-renowned interfaith practice dome.
Program
You enter the subtle field of practice through morning silence, meditation, Yin and slow-flow asana, pranayama, somatic inquiry, and energetic anatomy teachings. Breath becomes the bridge; bandha becomes inner alignment; being becomes your unconditioned ground. Practices are designed to regulate the nervous system, unwind deeply held patterns, and open the inner pathways where ease and clarity naturally arise.
Afternoons move into the subterranean rivers of Yin: earth chi pumps, Mula Bandha in stillness, and practices linking pelvis, hara, and heart. You culminate with an exploration of shunyata—the spacious, luminous heartmind at the core of contemplative traditions. This retreat is not about pursuing bliss; it is about creating the conditions for bliss to reveal itself.
This is a space for practitioners craving refinement, subtlety, and a felt sense of the sacred inside ordinary life.
What you explore
- Energetic anatomy of the core: diaphragm, psoas, pelvic floor
- Bandha theory and application through a functional lens
- Pranayama for steadiness, vitality, and subtle-body perception
- Yin postures to unwind the fascia and spacious awareness
- Meditation instruction from Buddhist and yogic lineages
- Somatic inquiry, inner listening, and yogic psychology
- Gentle flow to warm and circulate prana
- Evening rituals for integration and rest
- Silent time for contemplation on the Zen grounds
This retreat is for
- Practitioners craving a deeper, more subtle inner practice
- Yoga teachers seeking refinement in breath, bandha, and energetic anatomy
- Students who want to feel their practice rather than perform it
- Anyone navigating transition, seeking steadiness or renewal
- Those longing for retreat time rooted in stillness and somatic wisdom
Daily schedule
June 4
- 15:00 - 16:30 Check in
- 17:00 Arrival circle: The 3 wisdom realms
- 18:00 Dinner
- 20:15 Zazen
June 5
- Mornings in noble silence
- 08:30 Breakfast
- 09:30 - 12:00 Session I: Arriving and centering, Shamatha meditation, Bandha biomechanics, and Yang yoga practice
- 12:00 Lunch
- 15:00 - 17:00 Session II: Mula Bandha and earth chi pumps in Yin practice
- 18:00 Dinner
June 6
- Mornings in Noble Silence
- 08:30 Breakfast
- 09:30 - 12:00 Session III: Arriving and centering, hara and lines of energy, Yang yoga flow
- 12:00 Lunch
- 15:00 - 17:00 Session IV: Shunyata, an afternoon exploring the spacious heartmind
- 18:00 Dinner
June 7
- Mornings in noble silence
- 08:30 Breakfast
- 09:30 - 11:00 Closing session: Inner Smile, Sukha/Dukkha
- 12:00 Farewell
Optional: Monastery practice
Morning rhythm
- 04:30 Wake-up bell
- 04:45 Han
- 05:00 Zazen
Evening rhythm
- 20:00 Han
- 20:15 Zazen
Han: In Zen monasteries, a wooden board that is struck with a mallet to summon monastics to the zendo or other practice hall, as well as serving as a time-keeping signal during the monastic day.
Zazen: Seated still meditation. Unlike meditation done in some other spiritual traditions, zazen usually does not involve concentrating one’s mind on a subject, nor is the aim to blank out one’s mind completely. Rather, being aware of one’s breath is recommended. Most Zen teachers maintain that zazen is essential to practicing Zen.
Instructors
Kali Basman
Internationally celebrated yoga teacher, Kali Basman enriches the paradigm of Yin yoga to integrate distinct aspects of self into an innate wisdom practice to awaken a rich inner life and radiate with ritual. Her offering honors Yin yoga as a tool to surrender to the intrinsic wholeness. On the textured path of mindful healing, Kali is celebrated for her integration of the 5 Elements and Chinese Meridian Theory with self-inquiry, embodied anatomy, Buddhist philosophy of equanimity, and sharp intellect. She leads training and retreats around the world.
Retreat location
Crestone Mountain Zen Center is located on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in southern Colorado. Nestled against rugged 14,000-foot peaks and surrounded by 240 acres of piñon pine and juniper forest, the beauty and seclusion of the center is a unique environment for contemplation and inquiry.
This Yoga Retreat is vegetarian-friendly
Click to see more vegetarian-friendly Yoga Retreats
Food
The kitchen is the heart of Crestone Mountain Zen Center. Three delicious vegetarian meals are provided per day — prepared fresh and served family style —from fresh ingredients, home-made by the Zen monks known for their fresh garden and creative cooking, expressing their commitment to care and nourishment.
The mealtime rhythm at CMZC is based on the Zen tradition known as “oryoki,” which refers to the ritual like a Japanese tea ceremony, a gestural enactment of a set of principles that include simplicity, attention to detail, interdependence, generosity, and utmost respect for each person, ingredient, and utensil.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Organic
What's included
- Daily Yin and Yang asana
- Pranayama and chi enrichment practices
- Buddhist philosophy and meditation instruction
- Physical, emotional, and energetic engagements of an immersive practice life
- Optional "Zazen" with the monks: Morning and afternoon traditional meditation sessions
- Daily free time to rest, write, walk, and hike around the property
- Enjoy the available local hot springs and hiking nearby
- 3 nights accommodation
- 3 delicious homemade meals per day
What's not included
- Travel costs
- Airport transfers
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer not provided
Denver International Airport
229 km away from your destination
Transfer not provided
San Luis Valley Regional Airport
59 km away from your destination
Arrival by airplane
San Luis Valley Regional (ALS) is the nearest airport. Taxi service is available from ALS. Denver International Airport (DEN) is a 4-hour drive or an 8-hour bus ride to Moffat, CO. CMZC can generally provide shuttle service to/from Moffat.
Arrival by car
Crestone is approximately a 4-hour drive from the Boulder/Denver area. They can support you in organizing a carpool with other participants if you are interested!
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
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