Welcome back to the Cowgirl Yoga blog. Does anyone still blog?? Well, here we are with a reboot for 2024. It’s been awhile, and I’d like to share this space with women who have been an integral part of what we do, to feature what they have to say – let’s call the theme Horses, Yoga, and Women. Kicking off the reboot with Mandy, who joined our Dude Ranch Cowgirl Yoga retreat last year. Above photo of her by Larry Stanley Photography at the 9 Quarter Circle Ranch. *** Birth and death are part of a natural cycle found in all living things. Along our journey to the finish line, we undergo ..read more

In today’s upside-down world, authentic connections with people who can help us cultivate self-care are more important than ever. This is the second of three interviews with amazing women in wellness, all of whom will all be joining us on our September Restore & Reboot Big Sky Yoga Retreat in Montana. (Read our first interview with Ayurveda practitioner and author Claire Ragozzino here.) Prepare to be inspired by their teaching gifts! Caitlin Kelly has been called the “Cozy Queen” of Bozeman yoga, a well-deserved title after making yin and restorative classes as popular as power flow ..read more

In today’s upside-down world, there’s nothing more important than authentic connections with people who can help us cultivate self-care. For the next 3 months, I’m interviewing three amazing women in wellness who will all be joining us on our September Restore & Reboot Big Sky Yoga Retreat in Montana, and inspiring us with their teaching gifts. Q: For the newbies, what is Ayurveda in a nut shell? Ayurveda is the indigenous medical system of India that views health through an all-encompassing lens, looking at the body-mind-spirit in relationship to nature. Ayurveda means “the knowledge of ..read more

Happy Fall from the snow-capped mountains of Montana! You know how you need to periodically clean out your closets, garage, and kitchen cupboards? Websites need an occasional “deep clean,” too, and ours is underway. (Thanks in advance for your patience if we’re slower with updates, or if it seems a bit buggy for the next month or so.) Since we have some exciting 2022 retreat news to share, though, I wanted to provide a sneak peek via the blog! After an anything-but-zen 2020 season, we were all the more grateful to be able to host eight Montana retreats this year. #maximizemontana Each weekend ..read more

Tiptoe fish pose – one of my fave heart openers. All photos by Larry Stanley Photography. It’s that time of year again… yes, Valentine’s Day is upon us. I have mixed feelings about this holiday — warm memories of getting Valentines in grade school, delicious chocolates, dinner dates are now layered with an adult skepticism. Is there any pure love remaining beneath all the commercialism? The short answer is yes, if we’re willing to open our own hearts and see it. Like anything else, we can use this event as a catalyst for good — that choice is ours. On our Cowgirl Yoga retreats, I talk a lot ab ..read more

Horse hugs are always healing. So… that happened. My entire family got COVID. I’m very grateful to report that we have recovered without complications, but there were a lot of days where not much was possible. Rest has been essential. It’s frustrating to not be able to do what you usually do — but never has rest felt more important than when we were sick with this unpredictable [ahem] thing, when we didn’t know if it would take a turn for the worse. We had to ease back into “normal.” Rest. Normal. More rest. And eventually, thankfully, I was able to add in some yoga. Rediscovering the Path to ..read more

Still doing dancer in rocky times… I’ve had this one brewing for awhile. But then things just keep happening. This year just keeps it coming. And that has been hard to sit with and process, hasn’t it? My fall plans are to hunker down at home. Not what I usually have planned – but I know I’m hardly alone with a change of plans. This is usually the peak of our Montana retreat season, followed by an October retreat in Italy. I miss that, all of it. The people, the planning, the pace. But I’m trying to view it as a gift. Time to turn inwards, carefully observe outwards (news fasts are definitely i ..read more

We’re thrilled that Montana re-opened for tourism June 1. We’ve been busy rebooking cowgirl yoginis from canceled retreats, and adding newcomers too. We are committed to keeping everyone safe and healthy while you find your inner cowgirl and add a little Yeehaw to your Namaste on retreat. Here’s an idea of what to expect on retreat with us for Cowgirl Yoga at the B Bar Ranch in July and September (still a handful of spots left on all 3 retreats!)   Accommodations, Lodge & Dining  A thorough cleaning and sanitizing of all surfaces within the A-frames cabins, Lodge and Yoga Yurt ..read more

Guest blog by Retreat Leader Caitlin Something I’ve been hearing a lot over the past few months is how people have lost their yoga practice a little (or a lot). They say they haven’t had the motivation to get on their mats at home, or log onto a Zoom yoga class. I get it, Zoom yoga is far from my favorite way to teach.  The last few months have been confusing, stressful, and if you happened to let your practice lag, you’re not alone. Even though we may not be practicing asana as much (the physical postures), there are so many other ways to “practice yoga” to make you feel calm, happ ..read more

Big Sky Yoga Retreats has always been focused on health. But Margaret and team don’t just care about physical health. Anyone who has been on a retreat has benefitted mind, body, and soul. Today, I want to talk about the mind. From time to time, all people feel anxious. For some, though, anxiety is a lifelong mental health challenge that must be managed and mitigated. I’m one such person, and the pandemic has sent my anxiety into major overdrive. As I navigate this situation, I’m realizing how important it is for those around me to understand that anxiety is more than just “feeling nervous.” I ..read more