Women's Kundalini Yoga & Bodywork Rest Week on the Mississippi in Lansing, Iowa

The days follow a steady pattern. You're up for a guided walk through Mount Hosmer Park, a bluff-top park right above town with one of the best views of the Mississippi in the area. Back at the house, you do a Kundalini Yoga session of an hour or more. Kundalini uses breathwork, repeated movement, mantra and held postures, which is quite different from a flowing vinyasa class. Each session is adjusted to the intention you sent in before you arrived.

After yoga, you sit down to a homemade organic breakfast made with ingredients from local producers. Lunch is light. Afternoons are for Soul Art workshops, which are hands-on creative sessions tied to your intention. You'll also have some free time to walk into Lansing, sit on the veranda or use the hot tub. Dinner is at 6pm. Every meal is adjusted to your dietary needs, so tell the hosts about any allergies or preferences when you book.

Two private bodywork sessions are spread across the week, each lasting 90 minutes. They draw on a mix of Eastern and Western massage styles, including energy work. What you get depends on how your body is doing at the time, so it's not a set spa menu.

Evenings change the mood. Expect hour-long sound immersions, where you lie down while instruments are played around you. There's also an ecstatic movement session, which is free-form dancing with no steps to learn, and a cacao ceremony to close things out with the group. Some of this is quite spiritual in tone, so it suits people who are curious about or already enjoy that side of things.

The retreat is led by Michelle Gauer, who also runs solo, couples and shorter three-day versions of this programme from the same house. The setting is a big part of what you're paying for. The house is over 5,000 square feet and is decorated in an eclectic style. It has a veranda with river views, a private backyard and a fire pit. Lansing is a quiet river town, not a resort, so the pace is slow.

The nearest airport is La Crosse Regional Airport in Wisconsin. The hosts can pick you up for $50 each way, and you can add extra days if you'd like to stay longer.

What's included

- 4 nights in a private queen suite with private bathroom - Homemade organic breakfast, light lunch and dinner daily - Meals tailored to your dietary needs - Daily guided walks through Mount Hosmer Park - Daily Kundalini Yoga sessions tailored to your intention - Two private 90-minute bodywork sessions - Afternoon Soul Art workshops - Evening sound immersions - Ecstatic movement session - Cacao ceremony - Use of the hot tub, veranda, backyard and fire pit - Wifi and coffee bar

What's not included

- Flights - Airport transfers from La Crosse Regional Airport ($50 each way) - Extra nights before or after the retreat - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional upgrades and extras