Going on a retreat is an ideal way to escape the anxieties of the city, the stresses of a job, or an oncoming army of redcoats armed with cannons. Fall back to nature with today’s Groupon to Back to Earth. Choose from the following options:
- For $310, you get a four-day qigong retreat on the Lost Coast from September 15 to September 18 (a $620 value, including transportation).
- For $325, you get a four-day beach-yoga sojourn in Point Reyes from September 22 to September 25 (a $650 value).
- For $350, you get a four-day farm-to-tent retreat in Point Reyes from August 11 to August 14 (a $700 value).<p>
Back to Earth’s retreats couple outdoor adventure with relaxation, letting nature lovers and city slickers alike flee urban landscapes in favor of mind-body rebuilding. Escape the ironic graffiti of urban-transit systems and explore California’s undeveloped stretch of coastline, beginning in Shelter Cove, on the self-centering qigong retreat. Participants spend four days and three nights hiking, camping on the beach, and practicing qigong, honing forms and meditations to boost inner wellness. In between activities, the staff prepares organic meals to elevate body and mind and refuel energy stores depleted from asking the mountains hypothetical questions.
During four-day yoga sojourns along the Point Reyes National Seashore, retreaters practice morning sun salutations, partner yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation during the sun-drenched hours. Evenings conclude with relaxing postures, including Yoga Nidra—yogic sleep—encouraging deep relaxation and tax-evasion-lawsuit-free dreams.
On the four-day farm-to-tent journey, environmentalists and foodies team up to explore the Bolinas Lagoon and the Point Reyes National Seashore. Following a program designed by the Regenerative Design Institute, guests camp near the ocean, marvel at examples of natural building, dodge solar showers, and experience permaculture farming and gardening in an effort to better understand sustainable food practices. Explorers will visit farms and environmental restoration sites, learn cheese-making skills, and forage for wild edibles. Evenings culminate with camping on farms and remote areas, and trekkers get their fill during an oyster feast on the beach.