4 Day Peace in Nature Yoga Retreat in the Gulf Islands, Canada
Nature Retreat in Canada
Enjoy three nights of peaceful relaxation, nestled in the quiet forest of Galiano island. This retreat is designed to allow time to drop into your practice while taking in fresh air, nourishing food, deep sleep and gentle company.
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Highlights
- Relax with a small group on a thoughtfully curated retreat
- Hike Bodega Ridge for stunning Gulf Island views
- Savor local food and forest serenity on Galiano Island
- Connect through art and new friendships
- Meditate with nature and healing sound
- Sleep deeply in the BC rainforest
- Practice yoga and Qi Gong
- 3 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
3 days with instruction in English
Accommodation
Facilities
- Sauna
- Barbeque facilities
- Café
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Meditation garden
- Picnic area
- Smoke-free property
- Terrace
- Yoga deck
- Bicycle rental
- Free bicycle
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Ironing / ironing board
- Laundry
- Library
- Parking lot
- Tour assistance
- Wedding
- Wireless internet
- Outdoor shower
There is simple shared accommodation, camping, or house rentals available. Please contact Unity Retreats regarding accommodation options.
Program
Peace in nature itinerary
Arrival will be on Thursday evening, followed by settling into accommodations. Two full days will be spent enjoying island life, with departure back to the city on Sunday afternoon. Participants will breathe in the fresh ocean air, walk amongst the trees, relax, and enjoy the company of fellow yogis. On Sunday, a closing practice and sharing circle will take place.
Each morning, an all-levels yoga practice begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a nourishing catered lunch and afternoon activities, some of which are planned outdoors. The day concludes with Yin or Restorative yoga to enjoy the deep silence of the island’s north end.
Participants can spend time journaling, reflecting, and moving their bodies in a supportive space, taking a break from the demands of daily life. All planned activities are optional, allowing attendees to choose their level of participation, and the retreat schedule offers plenty of opportunities for rest and relaxation amidst the natural beauty of Galiano Island.
Each retreat also includes a guest teacher offering workshops such as herb walks, mushroom foraging tours, vision boarding, or sound healing. The retreats are unique, with curated experiences designed to support peace and detachment.
Art workshop
Expressive art is a powerful tool to visualize intentions for the weekend. Through journaling and shared inquiry in the circles, participants will work on creating a mandala or vision board based on their sankalpa.
A yogic resolution, known as a "Sankalpa" (Sanskrit: संकलप), is a vow or determined path of will created to exist in the present moment. It is an intention made to support one’s highest truth, typically expressed in one or two sentences, and encourages practical action with the willpower and capacity to meet the goal.
A single Sankalpa will be created through a step-by-step process, helping participants define and commit to their intention for the weekend.
Sound healing and meditation
This May, Constance Au of Heart Space Healing Arts will be offering the evening Sound Bath experience. Constance is the founder of Heartspace Massage and Healing Arts, with 15 years of experience helping people with their wellness. She currently runs a private practice in downtown Vancouver, offering massage, bodywork, sound healing, energy healing, and education in massage and singing bowls.
In addition to her private practice, Constance facilitates sound journey events at various locations. She views her work as a calling, artistic expression, spiritual practice, and lifestyle. With her gift for healing and calming presence, her sessions offer deepening inner awareness and transformative experiences. This is an event you won’t want to miss.
Thursday
- 17:00 – 19:00: Arrive and check in to accommodations
Friday
- 09:00 – 09:30: Noble silence / meditation
- 09:30 – 11:00: Hatha yoga with Sue – 'Ground and anchor – hip openers'
- 11:00 – 12:00: Peace in nature journaling and sharing circle
- 12:00 – 13:30: Catered lunch by Chef Susie
- 13:30 – 14:00: Drive to Teaspoon Farm (14980 Porlier Pass Road)
- 14:00 – 16:00: Bodega Ridge hike and viewpoint
- 16:00 – 18:00: Free time / sauna / massage / walk / nap
- 18:00 – 20:00: Catered dinner by Chef Susie @ North Galiano Community Hall
- 20:45: Hatha yoga with Sue – 'Relaxation is required'
Saturday
- 09:00 – 09:30: Noble silence / meditation
- 09:30 – 11:00: Hatha yoga with Sue – 'Rise up – backbends and sidebody'
- 11:00 – 12:00: Peace in nature journaling and sharing circle
- 12:00 – 13:30: Catered lunch by Chef Susie
- 14:00 – 16:00: Vision boarding with Meghan Budd
- 16:00 – 18:00: Free time / sauna / massage / walk / nap
- 18:00 – 20:00: Optional dinner out (Lola's at Bodega Ridge Resort – not included in retreat)
- 20:30 – 22:00: Sound bath healing / meditation with Luannah
Sunday
- 09:00 – 09:30: Noble silence / meditation – self-guided (optional)
- 09:30 – 11:00: Hatha yoga with Sue – 'Release and surrender – shoulders and inversions'
- 11:00 – 12:30: Diads, intention recap, reflect and integrate, feedback form
A few items to note:
- Please remove your shoes upon entry to keep the Hall clean and tidy
- Your belongings can be left at the Hall, but note it will be locked when we are not in session
- Water is available at the taps in the Hall kitchen – this water is potable and clean
- Please wash your hands and keep your mat tidy and clean
- Seva/service – each day we will request 3 volunteers to assist with dishwashing and clean-up
- All activities are optional – if you are opting out, please let someone know you will not attend
- Make rest and peace priorities. We are here to find ease, quiet, and comfort with one another.
Included excursions
- Hike to Bodega Ridge
- Enjoy Sauna and local cuisine at Teaspoon Farm
- Healing sound bath
- Optional dinner out at a local restaurant
Instructors
Susan Horning
Susan is the creator of Unity Yoga tea house in Vancouver and leads a conscious community space founded on yogic principles. She has completed over 500 hours of training in many traditions, including Ashtanga Vinyasa, Anusara, Qi-Gong, Thai massage, Partner, and Acrobatic yoga. Yin yoga and insight meditation are her passion, offering balance through the practice of stillness, self-inquiry, and meditative awareness. As a trained astrologer and feng shui consultant, she also offers spiritual guidance through Bazi, I-Ching, and tarot.
Retreat location
Galiano is a beautiful and natural Gulf Island, and efforts are made to minimize plastic waste and excess garbage left on the island. Visitors are expected to pack out whatever they bring in, as garbage will not be collected—however, compost is welcome. Please limit the use of plastics and choose biodegradable products during your stay.
Retreat to the quietest part of the island
The North Hall is a fully exclusive and private space for the weekend that is surrounded by a forest of trees. There is plenty of parking nearby. Please note the Hall is a 25-30 minute drive from some of the accommodations in the South end of the island, and about 10-15 minutes from the host property, Tea Spoon Farm.
Food
Fresh catered meals are provided by island retreat chef Susie Petrina, including lunch on Friday and Saturday, and dinner on Friday. Her homemade dishes, prepared with love and care, are a perfect complement to the retreat's focus on yoga and healthy living, with options for various dietary restrictions.
The following meals are included:
- Lunch
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Pescatarian
- Seafood
- Lactose Free
- Whole food
- Yogic
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
A spa located near the ferry terminal offers massage appointments, facials, and reflexology treatments. A full menu of services is available, and advance booking is recommended via email. A highly regarded registered massage therapist (RMT) provides treatments at Manzanitaville, near the shops and restaurants in the South End. Public sessions are available, with rates of 130 CAD for 60 minutes or 150 CAD for a 75-minute treatment.
Massage appointments are also available for retreat participants through Jessica and Adina at a private studio on Porlier Pass Road in the South End. Options include Thai, deep tissue/relaxation, and hot stone massage, with rates of 70 CAD for 60 minutes and 85.50 CAD for 90 minutes.
Ideal times for massage are in the late afternoon or early evening, especially after outdoor activities.
Respect is extended to the ancestral peoples of this sacred land. Galiano Island lies within the traditional territories of the Penelakut, Hwlitsum, and other Hul’qumi’num-speaking peoples, as well as the ceded territories of the Tsawwassen First Nation.
What's included
- 3 morning yoga and Qi gong classes
- 3 sharing circles
- 1 evening Yin yoga and pranayama
- 1 evening sound bath with crystal bowls
- 2 catered lunches
- 1 hike to spectacular views of Bodega Ridge or Dionisio
- 1 art workshop
- 1 evening out at a restaurant
- 1 sauna and cold dunk therapy
- 3 nights accommodation
- Campfire and Community Jam
What's not included
- One dinner out
- Transport to and from Vancouver or Victoria
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer not provided
Vancouver International Airport
36 km away from your destination
Transfer not provided
Victoria International Airport
40 km away from your destination
Arrival by boat / ferry
BC Ferries reservations can be made from Vancouver’s Tsawassen ferry terminal toward the southern gulf islands. The Salish Raven and the Salish Eagle both stop at Galiano as their first stop, almost exactly a one-hour journey from the mainland. Reservations are necessary and recommended, and you’ll need to arrive at the ferry terminal between 40-90 minutes before your sailing to ensure you keep your reservation. Please check the current ferry schedule for exact departure times.
Ideally, you’ll arrive on Thursday and return Sunday afternoon. Carpooling is recommended, but you will need a ride once you’re on the island if you’re planning to walk on or bring your bike!
The hall is in the North end of the island, about a 30-minute drive scenic drive from the Sturdies Bay ferry terminal. Turn left at the Hummingbird pub, and follow Porlier Pass Road to the northern tip of the island. There’s plenty of parking in front of the Hall which is reserved for the use for the weekend, so it’s fine to leave your car in the lot if you carpool on the day trips. If you’re coming by bicycle, its about a 2-hour bike ride from Sturdies Bay.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 35% 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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