It is no secret that businesses and companies seek out Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort to host inspirational planning retreats, reward hard-working employees, or provide team-building retreats to rev up the engines for better productivity and teamwork back at the office. While the ranch’s staple core activities delight guests from all over: from horseback riding, archery, fishing, hiking, bike riding, tennis, golf, and more, we take pride in customizing a retreat that accomplishes the meeting planner’s goals. From a ropes course to yoga, to dance fitness classes to a new class we just introduced for a group visiting the ranch: a Wellness Retreat that included a Mindfulness Class. This type of class is enjoying increasing popularity in a society that needs a time-out to regroup and re-focus, and the ranch is the perfect setting just for that.
We recently caught up with the instructor for the Mindfulness Class held for our recent group guests to ask some questions about it, since it is a relatively new but very popular concept. Instructor Cori Lassahn is also Alisal’s Certified Yoga instructor and teaches classes throughout Santa Barbara County in yoga and mindfulness.
What can guests hope to take away from after investing some time in these activities ?
Guests will leave feeling refreshed, relaxed, and renewed. One participant emailed me after she got home and said “I need you to live closer, or I need to come live closer to you. Your classes last week, especially the yoga, were perfection. I came home feeling so amazing from my time at Alisal.” The wellness retreats at The Alisal are a chance for guests to disconnect from technology and get back in touch with natural beauty of the world, whether on the morning horseback ride through the backcountry or the afternoon yoga class alongside the creek.
Can a beginner do this?
These packages are designed for anyone who wants to relax and feel good. So beginners are encouraged and welcomed.
We know about your background in yoga , what inspired you to do relaxation / mindfulness workshops?
In my early 20’s I studied Zen Buddhist meditation in San Francisco. It had a big impact on my life and helped me create mindfulness in everyday living. My experience with meditation training combined with my 15-years as a yoga teacher led me to create a retreat that included both of those things. I think everyone nowadays could use tools of mindfulness to better their life. Most of us are constantly caught up in thoughts of the past or projecting about the future, but we neglect to really be present in the NOW. And living in the now, is the only time that life is really happening. What better place to be truly present than The Alisal!
What is your number one tip of what attendees should bring with them to class?
I would suggest anyone coming to an Alisal Wellness Retreat bring an open mind and a willingness to let go and be present. To enjoy the flow of wherever they find themselves….maybe gazing up at the leaves of a sycamore tree during relaxation pose in yoga, calming their mind in an adult coloring class, or letting go of stress during a massage in the spa.
Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort customizes group experiences for their guests. To inquire about hosing a Wellness Retreat as part of your next corporate or group program, contact our sales department at: Sales@Alisal.com
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