RECONNECT WITH YOURSELF. RECONNECT WITH NATURE.

with YOGA BAUM

Join Laurie and Meredith for this serene yoga getaway in Northwest Montana at the exquisite Dancing Spirit Ranch. Set on more than 350 acres of beautiful landscape, the ranch has over 5 miles of hiking trails, ponds for paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing, and gorgeous gardens to explore. You will witness wildlife and connect with nature, all while enjoying the luxurious retreat amenities. With the entire grounds to ourselves, we will have time to both unplug and connect with ourselves and the group through yoga, meditation, excursions, farm-to-table meals, and reflective activities. And the ranch is just a short drive from Glacier National Park!

SCHEDULE, YOGA, and EXCURSIONS

This location provides opportunities for some amazing on-site activities as well as off-site excursions! We will typically have two yoga classes each day, an active class in the morning and a more relaxing class in the afternoon/evening. We also have four planned off-site group excursions which include visits to town for Brewery/Distillery Tours and Shopping, a guided hiking tour in Glacier National Park, and other activities in town. In addition to the daily yoga offerings, on-site activities include a property tour, garden picnic, yoga on paddle boards, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and more.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE:

Breakfast
Morning Yoga
Downtime
Lunch
Off-Site Excursion
Evening Yoga
Dinner
Group Hangout Time

Dancing Spirit Ranch will also help you book massages and spa services if you are interested in more pampering during your stay! If you are looking for additional excursions, you can rent or hire a car to wander off site more often and there are some great ideas for what you can do in Whitefish, Montana on their tourism site here.

LODGING

You can choose to stay on-location, at Dancing Spirit Ranch, or you can chose to find lodging off site (we have recommendations and a discounted rate at a lodge in Whitefish, MT).

AT THE RANCH

Our retreat participants will be housed in two buildings: the Bunkhouse, and the Cedar House. There are shared and single rooms available in each accommodation.

The only rooms that are still available on site are double occupancy in the bunkhouse.

OFF SITE

The Ranch is located very close to Whitefish, MT, which is a popular and beautiful town. You can choose to stay off site and arrange for transportation to and from the ranch and still participate in all retreat activities, including meals, for a separate rate.

MEALS

The daily menu is curated as farm to table as possible, with the majority of the food coming from the ranch owners’ very own private garden. We have worked with the chef to provide a customized menu from high quality ingredients. We will have options for dietary restrictions, so please reach out beforehand to let us know of any allergies or restrictions. Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a beverage station that includes organic coffee, tea, and flavored water, is included in the price of the retreat.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Accommodations, all yoga, 3 daily on-site meals and beverage station, planned on-site activities, use of on-site gear for activities (such as paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, etc), four off-site excursions, transport to and from airport, transportation for excursions, Glacier National Park entry and tour fees. For off-site lodgers, accommodations, airport transfers, and transport to and from the Ranch is not included.

NOT INCLUDED

Airfare, meals eaten off-site, additional excursions, transport, and services outside of the planned retreat offerings. For off-site lodgers, accommodations, airport transfers, and transport to and from the Ranch is not included.

MEET YOUR TEACHERS

Laurie Lecompte

**Founder of Yoga Baum**

Laurie has been teaching or coaching since she was a teenager. She has always been attracted to athletic activities and relished the community that came with being part of a team. Laurie has volunteered as a rowing coach and has also been an assistant cross country coach.

Laurie found yoga as a way to incorporate more varied joint movements that caused less repetitive stress. She was also looking for more peace and chill in her life. Yoga was the perfect complement to the more intense activities she practices.

After falling in love with the yoga practice and practicing for several years, Laurie completed her 200 hour training in Ashtanga Vinyasa at Infinite Yoga in San Diego, California. Laurie also completed 300 hours in advanced yoga studies at the Asheville Yoga Center. She has specialized training in pre- and post-natal yoga, restorative yoga, yoga with HIIT, yoga for seniors, yoga nidra, trauma sensitive yoga, yoga for cancer, therapeutic elements of yoga.

These days, Laurie’s release for her competitive drive is powerlifting, where she focuses on bench press and deadlift. Laurie holds state records in Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate in both lifts and is nationally ranked for deadlift in her age and weight class.

Laurie’s love of teaching and sharing yoga with her students inspired her to create Yoga Baum, a yoga studio and school in Louisville, KY, in 2016. Laurie lives happily in Louisville with her husband, Jordan, her four ferrets, Lars, Sven, Karl, and Lucy, and her parrot, Pete.

Meredith still remembers her first time in a hot yoga studio and it was love at first sweat! Although she found yoga later in life, her background as a gymnast and University of Florida cheerleader prepared her for the physical challenges of hot yoga. Early into her time in the hot room Meredith knew she had found her passion and was quickly discovering her desire to teach and share with students the amazing benefits of hot yoga.

Those thoughts quickly turned to action as she took a leave of absence from her corporate job to travel to Brazil for a five-week intensive training in the Moksha Yoga practice. Upon her return to Kentucky she began teaching part-time developing her skills until she exited the nine-to-five world to do the work she truly loved – teaching yoga!

Meredith earned a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville and this aspect of her background influences her teaching style and how she leads class. She knows that many students begin hot yoga for the physical results and stress relief, but a good class provides the opportunity to go deeper. Her goal is to support students who are ready and willing to shift out of an everyday state of mind and into one that enables internal exploration, learning and growth.

Her teaching style is relaxed and joyful and her goal is to tailor each class to the individual and ensure every student leaves her class feeling better than they did when they came! Meredith’s clients have ranged from students with no yoga, or even much exercise experience, to professional athletes. Her philosophy is that yoga should be accessible to all levels of ability, from beginners to advanced practitioners and it is her intention to meet all students’ levels of ability in each and every class.

Meredith is a partner at Bend and Zen Hot Yoga.