3-Day Personal Yoga and Meditation Retreat in Nevada City, California

The Expanding Light Retreat has been hosting guests for nearly 50 years on the grounds of Ananda Village, a cooperative spiritual community founded on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. As a personal retreat, this program gives you the scaffolding of a spiritual routine—daily meditation and yoga—without requiring you to fill every hour with planned activity.

Mornings begin with a guided sadhana before breakfast: a practice that includes Energization Exercises, yoga postures, and meditation. Evenings bring a second sadhana before dinner. In between, you can choose from workshops on meditation, yoga philosophy, and healing techniques, attend kirtans (devotional chanting), or join Ananda community events. The teachers are long-term residents of Ananda Village, many having lived there for over a decade, and they offer instruction that's both grounded and open to all backgrounds.

The location itself is part of the experience. Ananda Village spans 750 acres of rolling meadows and pine and oak forest, with trails for walking and jogging, benches that look out over still meadows, and dark skies that make for excellent stargazing. Guests have spotted deer, turkeys, foxes, and quail right on the property. The village has a goat dairy, too, which adds to the sense of a working, living community.

Your accommodation depends on what you pick: Harmony House rooms each carry a theme from one of the world's great religions, Serenity House is a classic inn with shared bathrooms and a central lounge, and private cabins offer more seclusion with a short walk to communal shower houses. There's also camping. Whatever you choose, meals and access to the program are built into the price.

What's included

- 2 nights accommodation - 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals - Water, tea, and coffee served throughout the day - Daily yoga and meditation sessions - Meditation in different holy temples - Classes on spiritual subjects - Enjoy 750 acres of beautiful meadows and forestland - Group excursions and activities - Specialized workshops - Wi-Fi connection

What's not included

- Airport transfers - Flight costs - Travel insurance - Additional treatments - Additional activities not included in the itinerary