“Grace, gratitude and heart. This sums up the experience of yoga and people at the Feathered Pipe." -April Nelson

The Feathered Pipe Ranch

We invite you to join us for an unforgettable experience: a week at the Feathered Pipe Ranch, one of the country's premier retreat centers. Tucked in the heart of the Montana Rockies and surrounded by miles of forested mountains, it is a vibrant and peaceful oasis to which our guests return eagerly year after year - inevitably leaving the Ranch feeling recharged and relaxed - and counting the days until they can again return.

Erich Schiffmann

For 36 years, the Ranch has been home to yoga and meditation retreats and a host of other personal growth programs that help us experience our wholeness and remember our intimate connection to all of life. Many of today's foremost authorities on yoga, meditation, wellness and health have come through our doors at one time or another, with many of them getting their start as a student through our Scholarship Fund. Dr. Andrew Weil, Patricia Walden, Erich Schiffmann, Judith Hanson Lasater, John Friend, and world-renowned Native American flutists, R. Carlos Nakai -- just to name a few -- are honored alumni of the Feathered Pipe.

The ranch itself has a rich and deep history. First homesteaded by Leo Zimmer, it was eventually purchased and developed to its current state by the Rheem family of the industrial giants, Rheem Heating & Cooling. Robert Rheem, along with his life partner Liam O'Gallagher, were instrumental "behind the scenes" in encouraging and fostering the progressive thinking and creative expression that flourished in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, befriending such luminaries as Aldous Huxley, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Worhal, Allan Watts, and Marcel Duchamp (See: Every Exit is an Entry). They assisted in the creation of numerous human growth and progressive thought organizations such as the Ojai Foundation and Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, and were integral to the land finding its way to the founders of Feathered Pipe Foundation and encouraging the mission that was undertaken and continues to this day.

Open Yourself to the World

The Ranch is nestled amidst almost a million acres of national forestland and offers an ideal setting for true retreat experience, allowing the space within and without to experience the essence of ones self and nature. Visitors can wander alone exploring ambling brooks fed by pure mountain springs and discover open vistas to view the world below and the Big Sky above. Ranch retreat visitors can just as easily find community with others, sitting on the open lawn in the shade of Cottonwood trees, quaking aspens, and fragrant pine with an exquisite view out over the lake with Lake Tipi and mountain woodlands reflected. Horseback riding is available for those wishing to view the world from a truly Montanan point of view (See: Hiking & Horseback Riding).

Main Lodge

The main lodge is the centerpiece to the Ranch. The spacious main room with fully equipped yoga walls and supports along with diverse library is the perfect space in which to explore oneself and relationship to others. The main lodge, chalet and cabins hidden tucked in the forest offer a variety of warm and comfortable lodging options, while tipis, tents and yurts dot the landscape and are available to guests who prefer to be even closer to nature, waking to the vivid colors and sounds of the day. And the bathhouse with hot tub, cedar wood sauna, and massage rooms where our massage and bodywork staff work their magic offers you numerous different ways in which to relax, nurture and heal body, mind and spirit (See: Services & Activities).

If the spirit of the ranch is captured anywhere, it is in the kitchen. Our specialty is wholesome, natural food specializing in ethnic recipes from all over the globe. We strive to use whole, organic ingredients prepared with a commitment to health and well-being, attempting to locate locally grown and raised organic food sources as much as possible in order to play our part in building sustainable, healthy communities.

India Supera

Our staff is dedicated to making you feel comfortable and at home, welcoming you as family back after long vacation away. Together with India’s daughter Crystal, who runs the Shanti Boutique, our staff does everything in its power to accommodate your every need. And as always there is India Supera, whose own personal, wondrous and strange journey has shaped and blessed the living narrative of the Ranch. She is here to share her stories, lend a comforting ear, and remind you that you’ve never left home and that you are perfectly whole, perfectly fine, just as you are.

We look forward to your arrival and coming to call the Feathered Pipe, "Home". There's nothing like it!

"I can't think of a better place for welcoming ourselves back to ourselves than Blacktail Ranch." -Richard Miller, Ph.D

Wildflowers in August

The Blacktail Ranch is an 8,000 acre jewel, located at the base of the Continental Divide, where the Rocky Mountains meet the prairie, in Wolf Creek, Montana. The south fork of the Dearborn River flows through the center of the ranch feeding rich meadows and deep, lush aspen groves. Above the riverbed unspoiled acres of pine and fir roll into broad fields of native grasses and wildflowers.

The Blacktail Ranch is the perfect place for a retreat. The octagonal Hogan, built in the southwestern style, is a comfortable and spacious meeting room. Located on a hillside above the ranch with sweeping views of the mountains, the Hogan offers comfort and privacy for workshop classes. Between classes you can go horseback riding, river rafting, fishing, hiking, exploring thousands of acres of wilderness, bird watching, enjoy the hot tub and sauna or just relax on the front porch and breathe pure mountain air.

The Blacktail is rich with archaeological sites, including an extensive cave system that dates back to the Ice Age, a Medicine Wheel and Sun Wheel. During our workshops we will visit all of these places which hold the deep mysticism of the ranch. The Backtail museum houses artifacts from the cave and the land around the ranch, telling the long history of the land, and will be open for touring during your stay.

Blacktail Ranch Owners: Tag and Sandra Rittel

For more information about the Blacktail Ranch check out their website: www.blacktailranch.com.

How to get to the Blacktail Ranch

Great Falls, Montana is the entry city for the Blacktail Ranch. It is accessible by air, bus, and car. When you register we'll send you detailed information including a map. Round-trip van transportation is available from Great Falls to the Blacktail Ranch for $100.

Directions for Drivers:

From Great Falls or Helena: Take I-15 to the Wolf Creek Exit. Take State Hwy 434 north about 15 miles 'til you see a red, white and blue mailbox on your left. Turn here and continue about 3 miles to the ranch headquarters.

From Missoula: Take I-90 toward Helena. Exit at Bonner and take Hwy 200 about 100 miles to the Hwy 434 exit on the south side of the road. Turn here and go about 3 miles to the red, white and blue mailbox on your right. Turn here and continue about 3 miles to the ranch headquarters.

If you need further directions please call the Blacktail Ranch directly at (406) 235-9057.

Airfares

The Feathered Pipe Foundation has selected Flathead Travel as the official agency for our programs. Delta and Alaska Airlines all service Great Falls, MT. Please call Flathead Travel at (800) 338-8785.

Sunset at Haramara

Forty miles north of Puerto Vallarta is the town of Sayulita, home of the unique and secluded retreat center, Haramara. Here you’ll be nurtured in a setting of unequaled beauty, famous for secluded beaches, clear blue waters and tropical climate. Haramara is a sacred Huichol word for “Mother Sea." One of the most sacred of all Huichol Indian mountains is visible from the Yoga and Meditation room at Haramara, a strong presence on the southern horizon.

The diverse terrain and secluded location will help you to experience native luxury. The sounds of pounding surf, gentle breezes and the songs of tropical birds are perfectly suited to the environment before you. The palapas, built in a vernacular style of the Pacific Coast of Mexico, are spacious, with luxurious bedding and sweeping views of the jungle or ocean. The balmy Pacific breezes keep the climate temperate and comfortable.

Cabana for Two

The creative chef at Haramara prepares delicious, healthy vegetarian food. with organically grown fruits and vegetable whenever possible. Local and fresh seafood is also served. All meals are served buffet style in the open aired restaurant at the top of Haramara, overlooking the jungle to the ocean. The room is lit by the soft glow of candles and lanterns, inviting and intimate.

The beaches below Haramara are beautiful and secluded. The town of Sayulita is a short distance away, a nice afternoon walk or short taxi ride. In Sayulita you will find a town square that has all kinds of activities. The surf breaks in Sayulita are world renown, with surfboards to rent and there are lots of small shops to visit and streets to explore.

Accommodations:

All cabañas have private bathrooms, are without electricity but have kerosene lighting and hot running water. The price listed is per person, based on dorm/ double/triple occupancy and includes meals, all instruction and the 17% Mexico Hotel Tax. Please inquire for single availability and cost.

Travel:

Haramara Spa Treatment

Fly into Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, before 6 PM on the first listed day of the retreat. Haramara offers round-trip shuttle service for $100, or you can take a taxi/local bus from the airport. Airport transfer times will be arranged closer to the start of the retreat. Depart Puerto Vallarta on the last day listed (no classes that day). Check out time from your Haramara room is 10:00 AM, but you may store your luggage and stay later. For best airfares and information regarding travel insurance, call Flathead Travel (ask for Stephanie) at (800) 338-8785.

Registration & Cancellation

A NON-REFUNDABLE $500 deposit is required to reserve your space. Please consider purchasing Travel Insurance to protect your investment (travelguard.com) Please email kim@featheredpipe.com with any questions about our Mexico retreats.

For more information about the Haramara Retreat center check out their website: www.haramararetreat.com

Haramara Nights