North Carolina
Movement Meets Mindfulness: Intermediate Yoga at Montreat
Program No. 2401160MEADV-1116-60
Deepen your practice by connecting mind, body and spirit during lectures and classes with the introduction of mindfulness and meditation techniques from expert instructors.
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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
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6 days
5 nights
15 meals
5B 5L 5D
2
Linking Body Mind and Breath, Walk around Montreat
Montreat, NC
5
Building on the deeper practices. "Marga,"
Montreat, NC
6
final session together, lunch and departures
Montreat, NC
At a Glance
Link breath, movement and mindfulness with Road Scholar during a week of limber learning as your understanding of yoga and how it can vitalize your daily life grows. Expert instructors will help connect a base knowledge of postures and breathing to mindfulness and meditation techniques during this yoga program for intermediate students. Each day will include a morning and afternoon yoga practice for strengthening, healing and relaxation, as well as lecture time to address yogic concepts. Join expert yoga instructors and other intermediate students as you integrate an understanding of yoga history, mindfulness and meditation into your practice.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Designed for intermediate yoga enthusiasts, those that have a moderate amount of yoga experience.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Connect mind and movement as instructors help you introduce mindfulness, meditation and awareness of your energy centers into your yoga discipline.
- Develop your understanding of yogic principles and concepts with expert yoga instructors in the classroom, then put what you’ve learned into your practice.
- Learn how improving core strength supports overall mental and physical health, prevents injuries and helps you get better sleep.
General Notes
The Retreat Difference: This unique, often basic and no-frills experience at a Road Scholar Retreat includes opportunities for early morning exercise, interaction with the local community for insight into local life, an authentic farm-to-table or locally sourced meal, a live performance or event, and a value-priced single room. Opportunities are available for traveling companions to attend a different program at Montreat during the same week. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available. For an easier yoga experience, check out "Yoga for Wellness and Daily Living: The 8 Limbs of Yoga" (#22381).
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Martha Nelson
Martha Nelson is a yoga instructor, potter and workshop leader. She graduated from Warren Wilson College with a B.S. in intercultural studies and had her first experience on the potter's wheel while living in a village in Sri Lanka. She completed her advanced yoga certification, 500 CYT, at the Asheville Yoga Center. Martha balances her time teaching pottery and yoga, playing old-time bass and enjoying family life in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Martha Nelson
View biography
Martha Nelson is a yoga instructor, potter and workshop leader. She graduated from Warren Wilson College with a B.S. in intercultural studies and had her first experience on the potter's wheel while living in a village in Sri Lanka. She completed her advanced yoga certification, 500 CYT, at the Asheville Yoga Center. Martha balances her time teaching pottery and yoga, playing old-time bass and enjoying family life in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Tracy Bailey
View biography
Tracy has been on the program staff of Montreat Conference Center since 1986. She began working with Elderhostel programs in 1989, and in 1997 assumed the additional role of on-site coordinator. A native of the area, she graduated from Asheville-Buncombe Technical College in 1981. Her favorite hobbies are hiking, pottery and reading. Tracy married Sam in 2007, and added three daughters to her family. In addition to her own grown children, she and Sam have been foster parents since 2010. They have four grandchildren.
Suggested Reading List
(3 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Movement Meets Mindfulness: Intermediate Yoga at Montreat
Program Number: 24011
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a personal practice
The first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to viniyoga--yoga adapted to the needs of the individual.
• A contemporary classic by a world-renowned teacher.
• This new edition adds thirty-two poems by Krishnamacharya that capture the essence of his teachings.
Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya's teaching have become well known around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya's yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya's fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual's changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value.
In The Heart of Yoga Desikachar offers a distillation of his father's system as well as his own practical approach, which he describes as "a program for the spine at every level--physical, mental, and spiritual." This is the first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to the age-old principles of yoga. Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga--poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation, and philosophy--and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle.
The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A guide to yoga philosophy for the contemporary practitioner
There is more to the tradition of yoga than toning and strengthening. At the root, there is a vast and intriguing philosophy that teaches the ethics of nonviolence, patience, honesty, and respect. Michael Stone provides an in-depth explanation of ancient Indian yogic philosophy along with teachings on how to bring our understanding of yoga theory to deeper levels through our practice on the mat—and through our relationships with others.
Yoga For Wellness: Healing with the timeless teachings of yoga
Mainstream America is finally catching on to what Eastern countries have known for thousands of years--that yoga is not only a great, low-impact way to increase flexibility and reduce stress, it is also useful in healing any number of afflictions, from common aches and pains to chronic diseases and emotional setbacks. In this easy to follow guide for practitioners at all levels, America's leading teacher of Viniyoga emphasizes the physical as well as the spiritual components of healing through yoga. Beginning with a general introduction, he then includes case studies and specific yoga sequences designed to address individual ailments. Best of all, each step of each posture in a sequence is clearly illustrated with its own photograph. The exercises in this book are truly transformative and certain to help those searching for alternatives to mainstream medicine and those looking for a way of becoming more involved in their own physical well-being.
Program
At a Glance
Duration
6 days
Program Begins
Montreat, NC
Program Concludes
Montreat, NC
Group Type
Small Group
Meals
15
| 5B |
5L |
5D |
Activity Level
Link breath, movement and mindfulness with Road Scholar during a week of limber learning as your understanding of yoga and how it can vitalize your daily life grows. Expert instructors will help connect a base knowledge of postures and breathing to mindfulness and meditation techniques during this yoga program for intermediate students. Each day will include a morning and afternoon yoga practice for strengthening, healing and relaxation, as well as lecture time to address yogic concepts. Join expert yoga instructors and other intermediate students as you integrate an understanding of yoga history, mindfulness and meditation into your practice.)
Best of all, you'll...
- Connect mind and movement as instructors help you introduce mindfulness, meditation and awareness of your energy centers into your yoga discipline.
- Develop your understanding of yogic principles and concepts with expert yoga instructors in the classroom, then put what you’ve learned into your practice.
- Learn how improving core strength supports overall mental and physical health, prevents injuries and helps you get better sleep.
General Notes
The Retreat Difference: This unique, often basic and no-frills experience at a Road Scholar Retreat includes opportunities for early morning exercise, interaction with the local community for insight into local life, an authentic farm-to-table or locally sourced meal, a live performance or event, and a value-priced single room. Opportunities are available for traveling companions to attend a different program at Montreat during the same week. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available. For an easier yoga experience, check out "Yoga for Wellness and Daily Living: The 8 Limbs of Yoga" (#22381).
Featured Expert
Martha Nelson
Martha Nelson is a yoga instructor, potter and workshop leader. She graduated from Warren Wilson College with a B.S. in intercultural studies and had her first experience on the potter's wheel while living in a village in Sri Lanka. She completed her advanced yoga certification, 500 CYT, at the Asheville Yoga Center. Martha balances her time teaching pottery and yoga, playing old-time bass and enjoying family life in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Tracy Bailey
Tracy has been on the program staff of Montreat Conference Center since 1986. She began working with Elderhostel programs in 1989, and in 1997 assumed the additional role of on-site coordinator. A native of the area, she graduated from Asheville-Buncombe Technical College in 1981. Her favorite hobbies are hiking, pottery and reading. Tracy married Sam in 2007, and added three daughters to her family. In addition to her own grown children, she and Sam have been foster parents since 2010. They have four grandchildren.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Designed for intermediate yoga enthusiasts, those that have a moderate amount of yoga experience.
Small Group
(13 to 24)
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Suggested Reading List
View Full List
(3 Books)
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
Year
- 2025
Date
- Aug 10 - Aug 15
- Aug 24 - Aug 29
- Sep 14 - Sep 19
- Oct 05 - Oct 10
- Nov 02 - Nov 07
- Nov 09 - Nov 14
- Dec 07 - Dec 12
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Dec 7 - Dec 12, 2025 Itinerary Differences: This week includes a visit to the Biltmore Estate for dinner and a Candlelight Evening experience, as well as a visit to the Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum. Come treat yourself to something special!
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Select trip year and date
- 2025
- Aug 10 - Aug 15
- Aug 24 - Aug 29
- Sep 14 - Sep 19
- Oct 05 - Oct 10
- Nov 02 - Nov 07
- Nov 09 - Nov 14
- Dec 07 - Dec 12
Dec 7 - Dec 12, 2025 Itinerary Differences: This week includes a visit to the Biltmore Estate for dinner and a Candlelight Evening experience, as well as a visit to the Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum. Come treat yourself to something special!
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
15 meals | 5B | 5L | 5D |
5 expert-led lectures
3 expert-led field trips
10 hands-on experiences
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-In, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Inn check in from 3:00 p.m., remember to bring your name-tag (sent previously)
Afternoon:
Please note: This week includes a visit to the Biltmore Estate for dinner and a Candlelight Evening experience, as well as a visit to the Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum. Come treat yourself to something special! Arrival at the Assembly Inn, check in between 3 - 5:30 p.m. This is an intermediate yoga program. Participation in Martha's introductory yoga class at Montreat is a bonus, but if you have experience in yoga, you will enjoy. Students should be able to participate in standing, kneeling, and sitting postures. Pull up to the porch of Assembly Inn to unload, then park your vehicle in any marked spot along the Lake or Assembly Drive. Program Registration. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing the up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Relax in your room, meet and enjoy fellowship with other participants in the beautiful lobby, or stretch your legs with a walk around the campus before dinner.
Dinner:
Dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room. A relaxing treat after your day of travel... enjoy Montreat's dinner buffet... select one of two main entrées (or have both), good-for-you vegetables, a full salad bar, bread, and of course, something for your sweet tooth. Sweet and unsweetened tea, coffee, variety of milk choices, as well as cold or hot water (with tea or hot choc).
Evening:
Orientation: 7:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will also meet the instructor. This is a Road Scholar Retreats program. Programming at Retreat locations includes opportunities for light morning exercise, interaction with members of the local community, a farm-to-table meal, and evening entertainment. Sleeping and dining facilities are in one building, with approximately 300 yards walking required. On some evenings, there will be entertainment such as a concert, dance, or storyteller followed by opportunities for fellowship in the lobby of the Inn. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We’ll finish up around 8:00 p.m. with some “get to know you” activities and then have refreshments and fellowship in the lobby. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead
Day
2
Linking Body Mind and Breath, Walk around Montreat
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Gentle stretches with Martha, 7:30 - 7:45; a full day of yoga instruction and practices. Students should be able to participate in standing, kneeling, and sitting postures.
Breakfast:
Is breakfast your favorite meal of the day? If so, you're in for a treat! Breakfast options change daily, including dishes such as biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, grits, hash browns, French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, and more. Standard offerings include fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, granola, baked pastries, orange juice (and another juice option). Fresh coffee or hot tea will start your morning off right! Our breakfast buffet is served from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room (early morning coffee is available around 6:30 a.m.) Come to the lobby from 7:30 - 7:45 for some gentle stretches with Martha Nelson
Morning:
Following the path of linking mind, body and breath we will look at our relationships between the inner world and the world outside. Lecture focus will be on the relationship of “prakrti” (universal material substance) and “purusha”(the Self). Yoga practice “on the mat” follows during final hour of morning session. We'll have some refreshments mid-morning to keep us going!
Lunch:
Lunch (buffet) is served from 12:30 - 1:30 in the Assembly Inn Dining Room
Afternoon:
Our focus of discussion examines the “gunas” or three primal qualities followed by a gentle afternoon practice. Our class time will conclude around 3:15 and after which you'll have the opportunity to take a guided tour of Montreat or enjoy free time.
Dinner:
Dinner (buffet) will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room
Evening:
Evening program, a storyteller or musician(s) from 7:00 to 8:00. Games/cards and tv available in the lobby for fellowship.
Day
3
Concept of “prana” and the “chakras," Biltmore Candlelight
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Gentle stretches with Martha, 7:30 - 7:45; a full day of yoga instruction and practices. Students should be able to participate in standing, kneeling, and sitting postures
Breakfast:
(Buffet) in the Assembly Inn Dining Room, early morning coffee will be out around 6:30 a.m. Come to the lobby from 7:30 - 7:45 for some gentle stretches with Martha Nelson
Morning:
Today, our focus is on understanding the concept of “prana” which refers to vital energy and the “chakras” or energy centers in the body. We'll start out with a morning lecture on "prana" and then practicing on the mats. We'll have a refreshment and fellowship break mid-morning.
Lunch:
Lunch (buffet) is served from 12:30 - 1:30 in the Assembly Inn Dining Room.
Afternoon:
Focusing on the “chakras” followed by a gentle practice. After class, we'll board the vans and head into Asheville for a visit to the beautiful Biltmore Estate. Our first stop will be Antler Village, where you can explore exhibits, do some shopping or walk up for a tour of the winery and a wine tasting
Dinner:
A candlelight dinner at the Biltmore Estate. We'll be at the Stable Cafe Loft for our Candlelight Dinner. We'll post a menu closer to the event. The Stable Cafe is located right next to the Biltmore House, so after dinner we'll walk over for our Candlelight Evening at Biltmore experience.
Evening:
Following dinner, we'll enter the Biltmore House for our Candlelight tour. Biltmore House is beautiful in all seasons of the year, but the Candlelight experience is nothing short of magical. You'll see the house as the first guests of the Vanderbilts did when they first opened the home. Musicians and entertainers are on all different levels of the house. You'll go through at your own pace, and there are docents available for questions. we will board the vans by 9:45 p.m. (at the latest) for departure back to Montreat.
Day
4
“Mudras”...a point of inner stillness and calm, free aft/eve
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Gentle stretches with Martha, 7:30 - 7:45; a half day of yoga instruction and practices. Students should be able to participate in standing, kneeling, and sitting postures
Breakfast:
Breakfast (buffet) is served from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room. Come to the lobby from 7;30 - 7:45 for some gentle stretches with Martha Nelson
Morning:
“Mudras” meaning hand postures can lead us toward a point of inner stillness and calm. This morning, we will learn about “mudras” and practice meditation. Mat practice of flowing poses ends the morning session. We'll have some refreshments mid-morning to keep us going!
Lunch:
Lunch (buffet) is served from 12:30 - 1:30 in the Assembly Inn Dining Room.
Afternoon:
Free time to explore the area or just to enjoy some quiet time!
Dinner:
Our farm to table (buffet) meal served in the Assembly Inn dining room.
Evening:
After dinner, we'll board the vans again for a visit to the NC Arboretum Winter Lights. Designed with an artistic aesthetic, Winter Light features beautifully lit displays and glowing landscapes nestled along the Arboretum's woodland edge and garden areas. We will walk through at our own pace, enjoying the magical mix of nature and lighting.
Day
5
Building on the deeper practices. "Marga,"
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Gentle stretches with Martha, 7:30 - 7:45; a full day of yoga instruction and practices. Students should be able to participate in standing, kneeling, and sitting postures
Breakfast:
Buffet Breakfast is served from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room. Come to the lobby from 7:30 - 7:45 for some gentle stretches with Martha Nelson
Morning:
We build on the deeper practices of yoga as we explore the limbs of concentration and meditation. Learning to let go of the business of the outer world and connect internally can be challenging and healing. Today, we seek the path, “marga” through sound and voice. We'll have some refreshments mid-morning to keep us going! Mantra is the focus of discussion. Chanting of mantras as a contemplative practice followed by an hour of mat “flow” practice.
Lunch:
Lunch (buffet) is served from 12:30 - 1:30 in the Assembly Inn Dining Room
Afternoon:
Lecture on the path or “marga”, and then a gentler, restorative practice. 3:30 - 5:30 free time
Dinner:
Dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room. Be sure to request a box lunch for Friday if you have to leave before lunch is served.
Evening:
Free evening to enjoy fellowship with other participants and to prepare for departure.
Day
6
final session together, lunch and departures
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L
Breakfast:
Breakfast Buffet, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room.
Morning:
We culminate our week together with meditation practices, discussion and final group practice. Morning: Meditation practices. Reviewing the week and sharing resources. Final group practice. (checkout of the Inn is required by 11 a.m., so please plan to check out before class starts or allow yourself time before 11). We'll have some refreshments mid-morning to keep us going!
Lunch:
Lunch (buffet) is served from 12:30 - 1:30 in the Assembly Inn Dining Room (Box lunches will be available for those who cannot stay through lunch)
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MEALS
15 Meals
5 Breakfasts
5 Lunches
5 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Dec 07, 2025 - Dec 12, 2025
- Aug 10, 2025 - Aug 15, 2025
- Aug 24, 2025 - Aug 29, 2025
- Sep 14, 2025 - Sep 19, 2025
- Oct 05, 2025 - Oct 10, 2025
- Nov 02, 2025 - Nov 07, 2025
- Nov 09, 2025 - Nov 14, 2025
- Dec 07, 2025 - Dec 12, 2025
Participant Reviews
Based on 9 Reviews
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This is a special program with a very special instructor in a very, very special setting. Take advantage of a wonderful experience.
— Review left October 8, 2024
All the yoga classes can be done by anyone that breathes! No need to know poses, no need to be concerned about physical limitations. No need to fear you can not keep up. Everything is taken into account on all yoga classes so that they are all inclusive and very relaxing. Also the Montreat area is a breathtaking mountain area with tons of walking trails. The town of Black Mountain is about 3 miles downhill and is very tourist friendly.
— Review left August 17, 2024
This experience was better than I expected. I enjoyed learning more about yoga philosophies, practicing on my mat, spending time with like-minded classmates both in and out of class while being surrounded by the loveliness of Montreat.
— Review left April 15, 2024
Intermediate yoga at Montreat is a terrific program. The venue exceeded my expectations -- cool buildings, a beautiful setting and very good food. The Montreat staff were so welcoming and attentive. Our yoga instructor, Martha Nelson, was excellent. She is an accomplished yoga teacher with an excellent temperament to lead this type of group program, and she has obviously worked hard to put together an engaging curriculum. We did a healthy amount of yoga postures, but we also learned a lot about the history of yoga and meditation and various practices and techniques. I left feeling refreshed, better informed and enthusiastic to continue practicing what I'd learned.
— Review left November 21, 2023
I am a long time yoga student and a yoga teacher for the last 10 years. I was "blown away" by the level of expertise that our yoga instructor had. She was caring, insightful, knowledgeable,great sense of humor. Fabulous teacher.
I will be going back again.
— Review left November 9, 2023
Montreat is a beautiful and inspiring atmosphere.
— Review left October 29, 2023
Another great retreat with Martha at Montreat.
— Review left October 2, 2023
I have been to the two levels offered in the las two years. So looking forward to the third level being offered will be signed up the day it opens!
— Review left April 25, 2023
Challenging but not overwhelming. I took the beginner level three times already, but was concerned that intermediate level might be too much. Our class leader was so welcoming that anyone with yoga experience would be comfortable. We were introduced to the spiritual elements of yoga and encouraged to try ways to integrate some or all of them into our own religious/spiritual practices.
— Review left April 22, 2023
