by darlene d’arezzo
Looking for a vacation alternative full of creative and interactive activities for parents and children? Then pack your yoga mats and head to one of these family-friendly yoga retreat centers.
The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
CircusYogaTM for Kids and Adults: April 16-April 21, 2006
For those of you who have always wanted to run away and join the circus, Kripalu’s CircusYogaTM is for you.
Circus activities include partner acrobatics, juggling, diabolo, devil sticks and spinning plates. There’s also parent-child Thai massage, creative movement and dance and, of course, daily yoga classes.
Kripalu lies in the center of a number of world-class cultural attractions: the Norman Rockwell Museum, Edith Wharton’s estate and gardens and the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Tanglewood, Shakespeare & Company and the Berkshire Theater Festival offer must-see performances and productions.
The Kripalu Center offers a number of family programs year round. CircusYogaTM is one of its most popular.
The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
297 West StreetLenox,
Massachusetts 01240
800.741.7353
kripalu.org
Sivananda Ashram Vrindavan Yoga Farm
Family Yoga Week: July 23 – 29, 2006
Family Yoga Week activities include theatre (the week concludes with a family talent show), music, arts and crafts. Swim in the pond, hike through the wooded hills or relax in the sauna. This program allows for some free time for adults, but parental supervision of children is required.
The serenity of the surrounding countryside with its abundance of wildlife uplifts and energizes the Spirit – the perfect setting for a family yoga retreat.
Sivananda Ashram Vrindavan Yoga Farm
14651 Ballantree Lane
Grass Valley, CA 95949
800.469.9642
sivananda.org
Ananda Village
Living Wisdom Family Retreat:July 24-30, 2006
This yoga camp is ideal for families who want to experience Ananda’s unique approach to sharing yoga, spirituality and values.
Led by Living Wisdom School teachers and by Michael Deranja, author of ‘For Goodness Sake: Sharing Values with Teens & Children,’ you’ll learn the art of nourishing your famiily’s innate spirituality. While you attend parenting classes, your children will learn about living in harmony through yoga, games, art, theatre, stories and music.
At Ananda Seclusion Retreat Center, located six miles up the mountain from Ananda’s main 700-acre village, enjoy daily yoga and meditation classes as well as hikes, swimming and river walks together. A special “teens only” three-day canoe/camping trip is also available.
Ananda Institute of Alternative Living
14618 Tyler Foote Rd., #114
Nevada City, CA 95959
530.292.3024
anandauniversity.org
Omega Institute
Family Week: August 6-11, 2006
This week at Omega offers families a unique balance of time together and time apart so that everyone can have fun, learn and relax.
In addition to yoga classes, family activities include softball, wilderness outings and music-making. In the evenings, families gather for performances, games and campfire songs and stories. This year magician extraordinaire Tom Verner acts as master of ceremonies.
Omega’s lakeside campus is set on 195 acres of rolling hills and woodlands in the Hudson River Valley, just two hours north of New York City. The Hudson Valley is rich in history, cultural vitality, and natural beauty – a colorful mosaic of forests, farmlands, lovely old towns and the mighty Hudson River.
Omega Institute
150 Lake Drive
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
800.944.1001
mega-inst.org