Yoga Retreats
Retreats are an opportunity to Reflect and Recharge
Michelle has been leading yoga retreats for over a decade. Many participants return year after year, using the retreat weekend as an opportunity to reconnect with their practice and themselves. Her retreats offer a combination of mindful movement, intentional stillness, guided self care practices and education on yoga postures and philosophical principles. You will experience rejuvenating time in community, space for quiet reflection, mindfully curated yoga sessions and delicious, nourishing meals created by the best local chefs.
Whidbey Island, WA
April 30 - May 3, 2026
Register HERE
Yoga steadies the mind, supporting self-discovery, clarity, and a sense of personal awakening. Through practice, we learn to be present with our experience, inviting deeper understanding and connection with ourselves and those around us. Over time, we begin to sense the subtle language of the body, notice habitual thought patterns of the mind, and recognize the responses that arise through this gentle observation. This growing awareness invites us to stay curious, awake, and authentic in our relationship to life.
Join Michelle for a 4 day / 3 night women’s retreat on the enchanted grounds of Aldermarsh Retreat Center, one hour north of Seattle on Whidbey Island, WA. The schedule is thoughtfully designed to balance movement and rest, inner exploration and meaningful group connection. You will be immersed in the practice of yoga, including active and restorative classes, tension-releasing techniques, and meditative sound healing to soothe body and mind. Nourishing, locally sourced organic meals prepared by Ayurvedic chef Aria Peterman will support your journey as you enjoy five wooded acres of sacred land and the company of new, like-minded friends. All are warmly welcomed and encouraged to join.
Weekend Activities Include:
o Daily Refined Flow Yoga Classes
o Pranayama + Restorative Yoga
o Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Healing + Cacao Ceremony with Gail Kronberg
o Roll + Release Self Massage Workshop with Jennifer Weston
o Private Massage Appointments Available During Free Time
o Quiet Afternoons in the Wood Burning Sauna
o Relaxing in the Japanese Soaking Tub
o Nearby Beaches and Hiking Trails to Explore
o Delicious Meals provided by Aria Peterman
Spring Awakening Women’s Retreat
The Facilitators
Michelle Befus, ERYT-500 and Continuing Education Provider
For over 20 years, Michelle has studied movement, breath and balance; earlier as a professional ballet dancer and as a yoga teacher today. Her accessible, grounded classes integrate anatomical precision, thoughtful vinyasa transitions, breath awareness and intelligent sequencing. Michelle’s articulate, down-to-earth approach educates and inspires, offering techniques that facilitate healthy movement patterns and elevate mind body awareness.
Michelle is the owner and founder of the Yoga Center of Black Mountain in Black Mountain, NC. She has been offering retreats on Whidbey Island since 2013.
Jennifer Weston, LMT, Sunbreak Yoga + Massage
After battling neck and shoulder tension, eye strain, headaches, and other tech-neck-related symptoms for nearly a decade in her fast-paced but sedentary publishing career, Jennifer made it her life's mission to support people experiencing the detrimental effects of prolonged computer and desk work. She spent the ensuing years studying functional anatomy and kinesiology, myofascial release, postural alignment and movement practices, yoga therapy ball work, mindfulness, breathwork, trauma-informed practices, craniosacral therapy, and other supports for chronically tense bodies.
These days, whether working with clients on retreat, at the local bouldering gym, or in her soothing practice space in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, Jennifer brings to the table a variety of tension-dissolving techniques, including Tech-Neck Tamer Massages, Roll+Release Guided Self-Massage Tutorials, Calming Private Yoga, and Reset+Recover Craniosacral Therapy Sessions. Upon working with Jennifer, clients have reported decreased muscle tightness, reduced stress, increased focus, improved posture + range of motion (ROM), better sleep, the ability to breathe more fully and deeply, a holistic sense of wellbeing, and enhanced performance in all facets of life. Jennifer looks forward to bringing her offerings back for another amazing retreat at Aldermarsh this spring.
Learn more about Jennifer at www.sunbreakmassage.com
Gail Kronberg, Certified Sound Healer and Reiki Master
An intuitive, gentle guide into the sacred self, Gail Kronberg offers transformational music, dance and healing experiences designed to awaken and balance the body, mind and soul. The Founder of Singing Bowl Soundsations, Gail is a Certified Sound Healer, and a Usui Holy Fire® and Shamanic Reiki Master. She is also a Facilitator of Chakradance™ and Radiant Lotus Women's Qigong. Gail resides on Whidbey Island and practices at Bayview Healing Suites in Langley.
Learn more about Gail at www.singingbowlsoundsations.com
Lodging & Tuition
This retreat is limited to 15 people and includes 6 yoga classes, cacao ceremony, sound healing, 9 nourishing meals, 4 day / 3 nights lodging, use of wood burning sauna and Japanese soaking tub + taxes.
Double Occupancy Room or Private Rustic Cabin: $1500
Nonrefundable deposit of $350 will secure your space. Balance due 03/15/2026
Refunds/ Cancellations
Refunds offered minus a $350 administration fee. After 03/15/26 refunds will only be granted if your space can be filled with a new participant. Should Michelle or Aldermarsh Retreat Center cancel the retreat for any reason, a full refund will be offered.
Registration / Questions
For any questions, contact Michelle at michelle@yogacenterbmt.com. To enroll through Mindbody, follow these steps:
Click Register HERE link, above. This will take you to the Mindbody registration page.
Scroll down and click Sign Up Now.
Log in to your Mindbody consumer site. *Do not use the app unless you plan to pay in full upon registration. The app will not offer a payment plan option.
On the Make A Reservation page, click Enroll
Use drop down menu to choose Spring Awakening Retreat
Select payment option: Pay In Full, $350 Deposit or Balance Payment
Click Make Purchase. Then Checkout.
“Michelle Befus is a gifted, inspiring teacher and retreat leader. Michelle's warm, easy going spirit, creates a relaxed setting where everyone feels welcome and comfortable. The yoga classes are creative experiences that feed mind, body and soul. I especially loved the Yoga Nidra and Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Healing class. The retreat was well organized, the schedule a perfect balance of yoga practice, health/wellness group experiences, free time and opportunities to schedule a massage. The location was beautiful, accommodations were lovely and the food was delicious. The weekend was truly a magical, life changing experience and I plan to make Michelle's retreat an annual self-care event for me!” ~ Pat H.
“I have been practicing yoga since 1987 and I am stronger and smarter in my yoga practice after studying with Michelle for the past year. I would definitely recommend Michelle as a masterful yoga teacher. Michelle creates a challenging yet safe space in her classes.” ~Kelly W.