Oct 3-6 | Belonging in Nature
4-Day Affinity Retreat for Healing, Wellness, & Common Threads in Yosemite Valley
Early Bird Program Price: $665 if purchased by September 1st, 2024
Regular Program Price: $715
Your Instructors: Paola Arboleda & Koren Stewart
This retreat serves as a place to share the experience of women of color* with celebration, education, and validation.
*Women of color: any individual who self-identifies as woman, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and/or genderqueer and as non-white such as Black, Hispanic/Latinas, AAPIs (Asians and Pacific Islanders), Native Americans, Indigenous people and mixed race people.
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Join us at the start of the beautiful fall equinox in Yosemite!
This trip is catered to women of color who are drawn to a weekend of wellness through nature, yoga and epic hiking. All levels of outdoor experience are welcome, especially beginners. It will be a chance to be in community and to share our BIPOC experiences in outdoor spaces together while camping out in Yosemite Valley.
This retreat will be a combination of restoration, adventure, and a chance to connect with fellow BIPOC community. We’ll explore guided meditations, facilitated discussions in community, yoga practices, world class hiking, and delicious meals. It will be a chance to immerse yourself in nature, hiking, and exploring some of Yosemite's Valley most majestic iconic trails.
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• Pre-trip support and multiple rounds of communication with our experienced team and your trip leaders, so you feel fully prepared coming to Yosemite
• Daily guided yoga and meditation classes in some of the most epic outdoor “studios” in the world (optional participation)
• Campfire circles & group facilitated discussions: Unpacking BIPOC community, social, and cultural stigmas in the outdoors), possible special guest speakers
• Naturalist walks & exploration of Yosemite Valley’s most iconic trails
• Unique programs like Yosemite Stars: The Night Sky, Wheels of Wellness, and guided learning about the basics of camping, gear-handling, navigation, and the art of a campfire
• All meals included during the trip, which are culturally diverse and curated to honor your dietary needs
• An unforgettable experience in Yosemite Valley in the capable hands of your facilitator team, weaving common threads and celebrating our community in nature
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Balanced Rock provides expert guidance, campground fees, wilderness permit fees, first-aid supplies, and group gear for backpacking and camping.
Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from the trailhead, any park entrance fees, and personal items.
Reach out to our team for assistance in planning to attend this program: we are here to offer suggestions, support and logistical recommendations.
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This schedule is tentative and subject to change to fit the needs of the group.
THURSDAY
3/4pm - Welcome Circle
5pm - Evening Naturalist Walk with Pao
6/6:30 - Camp Meal/Delicious Dinner
7/7:30 - Campfire & Evening Talk
9pm - Adjourn
FRIDAY
7 -7:15am - Guided Morning Meditation led by Pao (optional)
7:15 -8:15am - Morning Yoga Practice led by Koren (optional)
8:30-9:30am - Camp Breakfast
10am - Guided Group Hike & Map Reading led by Pao
12pm - Group Trail Lunch
2pm - Nature Journaling Session led by Pao
4pm - Head back to camp; solo/free time
6pm - Camp Meal
7/8pm - Campfire Circle, Daily Check In & Share
9pm - Adjourn
SATURDAY
7 -7:15am - Guided Morning Meditation led by Pao (optional)
7:15 -8:15am - Morning Yoga Practice led by Koren (optional)
8:30-9:30am - Camp Breakfast
10am - Guided Group Hike led by Pao
12pm - Group Trail Lunch
2pm - Nature Journaling Session led by Pao
4pm - Head back to camp; solo/free time
6pm - Camp Meal
7/8pm - Campfire Circle, Daily Check In & Share
9pm - Adjourn
SUNDAY - LAST DAY
7am - Morning Yoga Practice (optional)
8am - Camp Breakfast
9am-9:45am - Break Down Camp (pack up)
10am - Guided Group Hike led by Pao
12pm - Lunches To-Go
1pm - Reflection Discussion led by Koren & Pao
2pm - Program concludes & say goodbyes
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This retreat will take place in the heart of Yosemite Valley at a designated campground.
This will be a rustic camping experience (tent camping, pit toilets, potable water onsite).
Participants will be emailed details about the campsite location and directions upon registration.
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Yes! We offer scholarships, flexible payment plans, and work trade options.
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Participants will be emailed a detailed pack list upon registration.
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All participants will be required to read and sign the Health & Safety Policy for Programs at registration.
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We understand plans change. As a small nonprofit, we can offer a partial refund of the program price minus a $50 administrative fee up to 30 days before the program start. Any cancellations after this deadline will not be eligible for a refund. All participants will be required to read and accept our Cancellation and Refund Policy upon registration.
Want to speak to a human being? Book a 15-min discovery call with one of our team members to ask questions and learn more about this program!
What Past Participants Are Saying About This Trip
“I learned more about myself and others' similar struggles and strengths through the meaningful and powerful exercises we engaged in.”
“This was a life-changing and empowering trip- to be able to exceed my self-imposed physical needs.”
“This was the greatest weekend in my twenties thus far! I was challenged, loved, and supported!”
“These safe places are important for WOC. Thank you for allowing this trip to happen. It was an indescribable and unforgettable experience. This is an opportunity that is hard to come by. Thank you for allowing this space to be ONLY WOC.”
“Being with my people is so important as is being in nature- together is a golden gift I will always cherish.”
About Your Facilitators
PAOLA ARBOLEDA
Paola discovered her love for nature when she decided to move to the west coast for the first time after graduating college in NY. Her adventurous spirit for travel and love for yoga both led her to travel to Guatemala to be a student and came back a Hatha Yoga Teacher. She has been teaching yoga since 2020 and continues to connect people to themselves and the natural world.
Her love for the outdoors made made such an impact on her life she decided to pursue her dreams of landing a job in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite has been her home since 2018 and continues to be her outdoor playground & spiritual sanctuary. Exploring the majesty of the Yosemite Valley and beyond. One of her biggest accomplishments was completing the 211 mile John Muir Trail on 2021. Paola’s love for the Park manifests its self in the form of outdoor education, guiding, photography and building community.
KOREN STEWART
Born in New Orleans and raised in Albuquerque, Koren's journey with yoga began over 14 years ago. It wasn’t until moving to California that her husband encouraged her to complete the 200- hour RYT training with the Balanced Rock Foundation. Along with the multitude of tasks of being a mother of two boys, Balanced Rock fit her schedule and made it easy to complete her training hours.
Although Koren is currently a loan officer for the US government, teaching yoga as a side business fulfills her desire to help others realize its benefits. As a mobile yoga teacher, she feels that she can reach more people who may not feel comfortable or have the means to go to the local yoga studio. Koren's professional background is in financial management and facilitator of diversity and inclusion practices.
Before the pandemic, Koren taught yoga to first responders, staff, and teachers for the City of Clovis and City of Fresno. She also taught the Clovis West Football Team, various athletes, juice bar promotions, African American youth groups, and online classes for the Fresno Black Metro Chamber of Commerce. Recently, she has been asked to be a guest speaker on the lack of diversity and disparity in access to the great outdoors for African American people and POC (a task that has awakened a new passion and intrigue for her).
In sharing her love for yoga, it is Koren's goal to reach as many people as possible to teach and share the benefits of yoga, being in the great outdoors, and living a healthy lifestyle. Koren desires to be an instrumental resource to create a space of inclusion and diversity along with finding the balance of mind, body, and soul.
You can learn more about Koren by visiting her website: yogaofkoren.com