Black Lotus Retreat

Mettabee Farm, Catskills NY

Sep 15 - 19, 2025

Black Lotus Yoga is a new form of vinyasa designed to be practiced in the Mysore style. With six balanced and exquisite sequences, Black Lotus Yoga is designed to open the inner channels of the body and encourage the creative sap to flow. If you are drawn to the sacred silence of the Mysore room, but you connect with the exploratory spirit of vinyasa, you will love Black Lotus Yoga.

This week-long retreat is your formal introduction to the Black Lotus system. You will learn how the system works, how to use it, how to improvise with it, and how to advance through the sequences over time. We will work our way slowly through the First and Second Series in a grounded workshops setting, taking the postures one by one, and exploring the patterns of breath and movement that bring them alive.

This retreat is for anyone who wants to learn Black Lotus Yoga, as well as for people who are already practicing the system and want more understanding.  No experience with Black Lotus Yoga is necessary.  The whole system is new, and we invite you to share in the excitement.

schedule

Monday-Friday (Sep 15-19)

8:00 - 10:00 Mysore or Guided

10:00 - 10:30 Break

10:30 - 12:30 Asana Workshop

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch

1:30 - 3:00 Philosophy/Pranayama

Our first morning practice will be guided, but subsequent classes will be held in the Mysore style. Some familiarity with that style is advised.

program

Asana Workshops

  • The Rise of Black Lotus

  • Standing Asanas

  • The Supple Spine

  • Backbending

  • Mula Bandha

Philosophy Workshops

  • Black Lotus Symbolism

  • Yoga and the Broken Heart

  • Modern Mysticism

venue

This retreat will be held at the Mettabee Farm and Arts Center, an open-field sheep farm in beautiful Hillsdale, NY. Mettabee is 2.5 hours north of NYC and 2.5 hours west of Boston. Additionally, nearby Hudson, NY has an Amtrak station 30 minutes from the retreat center. The renovated barn where the retreat will be held is a vast and inviting shala, replete with natural light. This is a perfect place for us to settle in together, open up, and explore the profound sweetness of yoga.

housing options

This is a non-residential retreat, but there are some rustic accommodation options on site.

non-residential options:

In the Hudson Valley, you’ll find a plethora of housing options. Some local towns close to Mettabee are: Hillsdale, Chatham, Ghent, Austerlitz, and Hudson. Accommodation from the Berkshires is also an option as Great Barrington, Alford, Egremont and West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, are 30-minutes from Mettabee.

residential options:

shared airbnb: An AirBnB home with four bedrooms has been rented for students to share on a first-come basis. The home has one master bed for $110/night, one room with a full-size bed for $100 per night, and a smaller room with a single bed for $90/night and a cozy attic room with skylight for $60/night. Get more information here or inquire directly with Rachel.

on-site cabins - there are some rustic cabins and one yurt on site with amenities but no running water provided by the retreat center. There are showers and bathrooms to use in the main retreat center. To learn more about the options available on-site, as well as the option to camp, click here.

meals

We will offer a catered lunch Monday-Friday for $25/meal, $125 total. Please include that request when making your retreat inquiry. The catered meal will be provided between 12 - 1pm every day with gluten-free and vegetarian options, a sample menu is available as well.

transportation

Travel costs are excluded and must be borne separately. It may be possible to car-pool for out-of-town students and there is also a car rental agency in Hudson, NY. 

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registration

Tuition for the full intensive is $700. You can enroll for $650 until July 1st.

To register, click the registration button below.

costs

  • $150 USD

    Purchase the day rate in order to attend Mysore class and workshop for one-day only.

  • $50 USD

    For students who would like to participate in a single morning Mysore class. Mysore will be held from 8 - 10am.

  • $70 USD

    For students who would like to attend the workshop for a single day.

  • $225 USD

    For students who wish to join morning Mysore classes only.

  • $750 USD

    $650 Early Enrollment by June 1

    This rate includes all Mysore classes and daily workshops.

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workshop descriptions

All workshops will involve a balance of practical instruction and philosophy.  The themes for our afternoon workshops will be as follows.

The Rise of Black Lotus - This is your formal introduction to the Black Lotus system. Ty will explain how the system works, and how you can use it to explore the breathing body.

Standing Asanas - This session will cover the standing asanas of the Black Lotus system. You will learn to align the asanas from the inside, to find deeper energetic balance.

The Supple Spine - When you breathe with a supple spine, you invite deep communication between the pelvis and the heart. Here we explore that connection in our vinyasas, as well as our forward folds and twists.

Backbending - This session reintroduces the art of backbending.  Here we focus on opening the front of the body, and finding more length through the psoas and spine. With these techniques, our backbends become more supported and also more easeful.

Mula Bandha - The bandhas or internal “binds” are among the most crucial elements of asana practice.  This session explores the bandhas, why they matter, and how to work with them intelligently to bring more depth and vibrance to our asana.

cancellations

Refunds will be calculated as follows:

·       Up to 60 days before start of event, 75% of your payment minus $40 admin fee

·       Up to 59-45 days before start of event, 50% of your payment, minus $40 admin fee

·       Within 45 days of event, no refund.