Heart Song Retreat

09/08/2026

Paramhansa Yogananda was the first yoga master of India to take up permanent residence in the West. Yogananda authored the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, first published in 1946, that helped launch a spiritual revolution in the West.

His message was nonsectarian and universal. Yogananda’s teacher, Swami Sri Yukteswar, sent him to the West saying, “The West is high in material attainments, but lacking in spiritual understanding. It is God’s will that you play a role in teaching mankind the value of balancing the material with an inner, spiritual life.”

09/05/2026

A Lady of Shalott rose graces the Serenity Cottage Gardens.

09/01/2026

🌿Spirit in Nature Retreat: Harvesting & Creating an Early Autumn Flower Bouquet
🍂 September 19 | 10 AM–1 PM
🍂 Heart Song Retreat

Welcome the beauty of early autumn at Heart Song Retreat near Lake Stevens. 🍂

Spend a peaceful morning immersed in nature, choosing flowers and foliage that catch your eye and gathering your own collection of seasonal treasures.

Then, with the beauty of the garden as your inspiration, learn the classic spiral technique to create a beautiful autumn bouquet to take home. 💐

This is an opportunity to slow down, open your senses, and experience the simple joy of working with nature’s gifts.

And, weather permitting, we’ll gather outdoors afterward for a picnic and time to enjoy the beautiful Heart Song grounds. 🌿☀️

$65 includes:
✨The complete program
☕ Coffee & tea
🥐Sweets & savories
💐 All supplies for creating your bouquet

Come celebrate the changing season, the beauty of nature, and the joy of creating something with your own hands.

September 19 • 10 AM–1 PM
Heart Song Retreat

🌼 Come gather beauty.
🌿 Come connect with nature.
💐 Come create.

08/26/2026

07/27/2026

Held at Heart Song Retreat!

Join don Miguel Ruiz Jr. and don Jose Ruiz for a rare and meaningful day immersed in Toltec wisdom, guided practices, storytelling, and heartfelt conversation. This retreat is an invitation to reconnect with your authentic Self through awareness, honesty, compassion, and presence. Together, we will....

07/17/2026

⭐️One Room Left!⭐️ Yoga Weekend Retreat!⭐️
Relaxation & Self Expansion: A Weekend Retreat to Remember Your True Self
August 14, 2026 @ 7:00 pm – August 16, 2026 @ 12:30 pm PDT
At Heart Song Retreat near Lake Stevens
Single room: $500
Shared room: $300

Price includes program, program supplies, all meals and snacks, and lodging in comfortable and well-appointed guest rooms.
This retreat offers a serene, uplifting space to relax the body and calm the mind in order to expand awareness and rest in the quiet joy of your own higher Self.

Surrounded by nature, supported by yogic practices, and uplifted by community, we’ll discover that expansion comes from deepening our awareness, sympathy, and love, and releasing our limited ego-identity so that we may realize our soul’s eternal, divine nature and our unity with all life.

“I feel myself in the flowing brooks, in the flight of birds, in the raging wind upon the mountains, in the gentle dance of flowers in the breeze. Renouncing my little, egoic self, I expand with my great, soul‑Self everywhere.” – Affirmations for Self-Healing ,by Swami Kriyananda

The weekend will include guided Hatha and Restorative Yoga, Energization Exercises, self-myofascial release, pranayama, meditation, chanting, affirmation, visualization, nature experiences, and time for quiet reflection. Vegetarian meals and the peaceful grounds of Heart Song Retreat will support your journey inward.

Retreat Themes: Relaxation & Self Expansion Key Themes
Release tension in body to allow calmness in mind and expansion of soul-nature

“Relaxation must be taken into progressively subtle realms, through mental and emotional calmness to spiritual expansion and receptivity.” – Art & Science of Raja Yoga, by Swami Kriyananda

Self-expansion is the soul’s journey from limited ego-identity to infinite consciousness, remembering its true nature as eternal, divine, and free.

Retreat leaders:
Nancy Callan, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Restorative Yoga Teacher
Kristy Law, RYT 200, Restorative Yoga Teacher

General Weekend Flow:
Friday, August 15
4-7pm to settle in and enjoy some personal time walking the grounds, enjoying the library, or anything else that inspires you!
7-9pm: Welcome, chanting, pranayama, yoga postures, walking tour of the property
Saturday, August 16
Wake up to coffee, tea, light breakfast
8:45-9:45am: Energization Exercises and guided mediation
10a: Self massage with therapy balls
11am-12:30pm: Hatha Yoga Practice
12:30-2:30pm: Vegetarian lunch and Nature experience options
2:30-4:30pm: Restorative yoga
4:30-6:00pm: Personal time
6-7:30pm: Vegetarian dinner
7:30-8:30pm: Personal time
8:30pm: Guided meditation & optional stargazing
Sunday, August 17
Wake up to coffee, tea, and light breakfast
9:00-10:30am: Energizing Yoga Practice
10:30am: Closing Circle
11am-12:30pm: Guests can stay and help with cleanup, connect with friends old and new, or enjoy time outside
12:30pm: Go with joy!

07/13/2026

Can great works of art change the way we see the world?

Spend a day with Botticelli, Constable, and Rembrandt, and discover why their paintings continue to speak to us centuries later.

Meditations on Art Retreat at Heart Song Retreat
Saturday, July 25, 10am-3pm

How do we learn to truly see great art? And to recognize the deeper spiritual insight it may hold?

In this retreat, we will explore selected works (through high-quality reproductions) by masters such as Botticelli, Constable, and Rembrandt. Each of these artists sought not merely to depict the world, but to communicate something of the human experience: a vision, a reflection, a spiritual understanding of life itself.

Together, we will reflect on the “living energy” within art that continues to speak across centuries. Portraits and landscapes can reveal profound truths about what it means to be human, such as our longing, our struggles, and our search for meaning. What wisdom is etched into Rembrandt’s many self-portraits? What deeper vision shines through Botticelli’s goddesses?
Through guided art appreciation, focused meditation, and shared reflection, we will consider how great works of art can awaken insight and inner stillness within us. Participants have the opportunity to pick an image that they personally find moving, and to share what draws them to it.

$95, includes program, all supplies, pastries and coffee upon arrival, and a vegetarian lunch.

07/03/2026

Outside Heart Song's front doors, a tiny wren made herself a little nest in a pot of pansies. Sweetness!

06/14/2026

🌿 A Hands-On Herbal Retreat: From Garden to Cup, Discover the Magic of Mint
Friday, July 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PDT

Join us for a refreshing and immersive 3-hour retreat dedicated to one of nature’s most beloved herbs: mint.

Together, we'll explore the gardens and experience a variety of fresh mints, including peppermint, spearmint, applemint, chocolate mint, and pineapple mint. Learn about the history, benefits, traditional uses, and practical ways to incorporate mint into your daily life.

Held at the gorgeous nature retreat: Heart Song Retreat
The retreat includes:
• Guided meditation and mindful nature connection
• Hands-on exploration of multiple mint varieties
• Herbal education on the benefits and uses of mint
• Lavender and mint lemonade, treats, and refreshments
• Tips for identifying, growing, harvesting, and storing mint
• A custom herbal tea blending workshop
• Reflection, community, and inspiration

During the tea blending workshop, you'll create your own personalized herbal mint tea to take home using hand-harvested dried mints and complementary herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, ginger, lavender, and lemon peel. Whether your intention is calming, uplifting, restorative, or simply delicious, you'll craft a blend that reflects your personal taste and purpose.

We’ll conclude with quiet reflection and sharing, leaving you with new herbal knowledge, a handcrafted tea blend, and a deeper appreciation for the wisdom found in the garden.

No prior herbal experience is necessary. All materials are provided.

06/11/2026

✨ Vibes High: A Healing Retreat ✨

📅 August 1, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM PDT

Ready for a powerful mind, body, and spirit reset?

Join long-time Ananda members Steve Bonnell and Melissa Yaden at the beautiful Heart Song Retreat for an uplifting day of chanting, creativity, and sound healing designed to elevate your vibration and deepen your connection with the Divine.

🎶 Chanting
Experience both beloved and lesser-known chants as we explore the transformative power of the voice. Through devotional chanting, we'll energize the throat center, strengthen intuition, and create a deeper connection between the heart and mind.

🎨 Healing Through Creativity
Creativity is one of our most sacred gifts. Whether you're an artist, hobbyist, or simply curious about awakening your creative spirit, this session will offer inspiration, practical tools, and insights into how creativity can support healing, joy, peace, and love.

🔔 Sound Healing
Relax deeply with the ancient practice of singing bowl sound healing. Used for centuries in Nepal, Tibet, and beyond, these sacred vibrations help quiet the mind, soothe the body, and create space for Divine awareness. We'll conclude the day with a healing sound bath to integrate our journey together.

💫 Early Bird Special: $80 (through June 14)
💫 Regular Price: $95

Your registration includes:
✔️ Full retreat program
✔️ Program materials
✔️ Sound bath healing session
✔️ Nourishing snacks and refreshments throughout the day

Come raise your vibration, awaken your creativity, and reconnect with your highest self. We can't wait to share this special day with you! 💖