Still Mountain Wellness Retreat: Breathwork, Somatic Healing and Deep Rest in the Sierra Nevada

Still Mountain runs a handful of themed retreats through the year, each three nights and four days. The Somatic Healing retreat (23-26 October 2026, and again 10-13 June 2027) is built around embodiment, rest and renewal. The Five Senses Detox (29 October - 1 November 2026) works on the nervous system with detox and rejuvenation in mind. The New Moon Diwali retreat (6-9 November 2026, and 28-31 October 2027) includes Lakshmi Puja, breathwork and spiritual renewal. Each one is priced from $950 to $2,100 depending on room choice.

A typical day has group practice in the morning, meals cooked in the on-site organic vegan kitchen, and afternoons left open. Structured sessions cover restorative breathwork, somatic healing, meditation and yoga. There is a yoga studio, a dining room, practice halls for meditation and breathwork, and an upper pond on the property. Guests walk the land, sit by the water, and take part in ceremony when the retreat includes one.

What separates this from a resort spa is the teaching team and the follow-up. Instructors include Kaivalyadhama-trained teachers with master's degrees in Yoga and Ayurveda, IAYT-certified yoga therapists, teachers with thousands of hours of Yoga Alliance training, and specialists in Vipassana meditation and biomechanics. After you go home, the retreat includes direct follow-up calls and monthly check-ins so you can keep the practice going.

The land itself is part of the programme. Still Mountain uses retreat proceeds to care for the 240 acres through conservation and land stewardship, working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA, FSA, Xerces Society and Point Blue Conservation Science. Paid retreats also fund scholarships giving survivors of abuse and trauma a quiet place to rebuild.

Founder Deepak Swarup grew up near Haridwar in India, on the banks of the Ganga, and set Still Mountain up as a practical refuge from modern stress. He and Kristin English run the retreats together, with Dr. Omanand Guruji teaching Sanskrit, yogic philosophy and Vedanta. Guests have described the pair as calm and genuine, guiding rather than pushing.

What's included

- 3 nights accommodation (private or shared room) - All meals from the organic vegan kitchen - Daily yoga, pranayama and breathwork sessions - Somatic healing and meditation practice - Forest bathing and time on the 240-acre land - Ceremony where the retreat includes one (e.g. Lakshmi Puja at the Diwali retreat) - Structured follow-up support: direct follow-up calls and monthly check-ins - Access to the yoga studio, meditation rooms, dining room and grounds

What's not included

- Travel to and from Still Mountain - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional extras not listed in the retreat programme