Explore Our Upcoming Retreats

Please Note: You can customize your stay dates by booking a

 Yoga Vacation

Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Nature as Medicine: A Labor Day Weekend RenewalSwami Jnaneswariananda, Swami Amritananda, Isvari Mary Ann Johnson, and Vanessa Heller

Friday, September 4 @ 2:00 pm - Monday, September 7 @ 12:00 pm

Tuition: $90

Included in Accommodation Rate

 

Register

Labor Day Weekend is traditionally a time to celebrate our hard work—but the greatest way to honor your labor is to allow yourself to rest. Nature as Medicine is an immersive weekend retreat designed for those ready to step away from daily demands. Nestled in the healing sanctuary of the natural world, this retreat is an invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and let the earth restore us. True renewal requires more than just a temporary break from work; it requires a systematic resetting of our nervous system, mind, and spirit.

This Labor Day Weekend, step into a sanctuary of holistic healing. Nature as Medicine is an immersive, multi-disciplinary retreat that bridges the gap between ancient healing traditions and modern lifestyle science. Guided by the restorative power of the natural world, the time-tested psychology of Yoga, the wellness of Ayurveda, restorative power of forest bathing and contemporary neuroscience, you will embark on a comprehensive journey toward radical well-being.

What You Can Expect

    • Explore the neuroscience behind how nature heals
    • Discover the healing power of plants, herbs and food
    • Learn ancient Ayurvedic practices for healing and wellbeing
    • Use of asana, sound, affirmation and meditation to harmonize body and mind
    • Release suppressed emotions that are stored in our body
    • Experience stress release with Forest Bathing

“Let nature be our medicine.” — Isvari

Schedule
Friday – Arrival
2:00 PM Check-In
4:00 PM Hatha Yoga Class
6:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Satsang * and Orientation
10:30 PM Lights Out
Saturday and Sunday
5:30 PM Wake Up Bell
6:00 AM Satsang *
8:00 AM Hatha Yoga Class
10:00 AM Brunch
10:45 AM Karma Yoga
12:00 PM Forest Bathing with Vanessa Heller
2:00 PM Natural Homemade Remedies (Experiential)
4:00 PM Hatha Yoga Class
6:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Satsang *
10:30 PM Lights Out
Monday – Departure
5:30 AM Wake Up Bell
6:00 AM Satsang * or Slient Walk
8:00 AM Hatha Yoga Class
10:00 AM Brunch
12:00 AM Room Check Out

(Workshop times subject to change)

* Satsang – 30-minute silent meditation, kirtan / chanting, spiritual lecture.
Daily activity schedule, and/or possible changes, will be announced at morning Satsang.

**Please Note**
If you would like to join for only 2 days, please register under the Yoga Vacation option. However, we do recommend attending the entire weekend to get the full benefit of the program.

Arrival & Departure Information

•   First Day – 2:00pm (early check-in available by calling ahead)
•   Last Day – 12:00pm (room checkout)
Planning to arrive and depart here by bus?
See more information.

Helpful Links

Guest Information
Accommodations & Rates

Register

Swami Jnaneswariananda joined the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers in 1995 and has been director of centers and ashrams in Canada, California, and Italy. She teaches Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Anatomy, and Vedanta at Teacher Training Courses around the world. Swami Jnaneswariananda took vows of Sannyas in 2001. She is currently the director of the Sivananda Yoga Ranch and City center.

Swami Amrita is a dedicated yoga teacher and karma yogi from Japan, with over 18 years of yoga practice and more than a decade of teaching experience in Hatha Yoga. She holds the RYT500 and IAYT-ACCREDITED SYHET 800-hour certificates. In 2025, she embraced monastic life in the Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda tradition, fully dedicating herself to spiritual practice and selfless service. Currently, she serves as one of the main teachers and karma yoga manager at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch.

Isvari (Mary Ann) Johnson has been a dedicated practitioner of Ayurveda and Yoga for over 20 years. She is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, and a graduate of Dr Vasant Lad’s Ayurvedic Institute. Isvari travels internationally lecturing, consulting and facilitating Pancha Karma Purification Programs. She is the director of Ayurveda at the Sivananda Yoga Ranch in Woodbourne, NY and is on the faculty of Dr Vasant Lad’s Institute of Ayurveda in Pune, India.

 Vanessa Heller is a certified Forest Therapy guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over two and half decades of experience working with children and families. Her spiritual path began back in college and has continued to evolve over the years by following different teachers, practicing yoga, meditation, mindfulness and engaging in her own healing work. Vanessa’s deep love for nature has led her to the practice of forest bathing. She is excited to share her passion for nature as a tool for healing and self-discovery.

Details

Start:
Friday, September 4 @ 2:00 pm
End:
Monday, September 7 @ 12:00 pm

Venue

Private: Sivananda Yoga Ranch
500 Budd Rd
Woodbourne, NY 12788 United States

Organizer

The Sivananda Yoga Ranch
Phone
845-436-6492
Email
yogaranchregistration@sivananda.org
View Organizer Website