Program Tuition & Basic Accommodations: $2595
*Teacher-administrated program: For more information/questions about this retreat, email Nest Yoga at kim@nest-yoga.com.
स्थिरसुखमासनम् । (Sthirasukhaṃ Āsanaṃ)
स्थिर (Sthira): steady, strong, focused; सुख (Sukha): ease, spacious, joy
~ Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.46
In yoga, sthira is the steadiness that anchors us; sukha is the spacious ease that allows us to unfold. Together, they form the heart of practice — the dance between strength and softness, effort and surrender, resilience and tranquility. Join Annie and Britni in the sacred stillness of Montana’s Feathered Pipe Ranch for a week of renewal, learning, and deep connection.
Annie Carpenter brings her renowned SmartFLOW yoga methodology to Feathered Pipe for the first time with this new retreat. The SmartFLOW Yoga methodology honors traditional yoga wisdom while inviting innovative inquiry. SmartFlow aims to build and sustain strength and increasing awareness in our bodies, steady attention in our minds, and patience and kindness in our hearts. In each practice, Annie chooses something specific to dive into: typically a physical challenge which mirrors a philosophical or spiritual inquiry.
Based on healthy alignment principles, and sprinkled with yogic energetic philosophy, the practice moves ever deeper in intensity whilst always asking the practitioner to make intelligent choices for their current body and mind-state. The practice always consciously winds down to a very quiet and contented place.
This retreat is for anyone who loves Yoga and wants to practice intelligently for many years to come. Students, as well as teachers who want to guide their students into strong satisfying classes, will learn practices with an eye to both longevity and inner awareness.
DAILY SCHEDULE:
6am on — Ease into the day (coffee and tea are available)
7am — Breakfast (8:00 on first day)
9:30am-11:30am — Asana Practice
12-2pm — Lunch/Free Time
2:30-4pm — Afternoon Lecture and Labs (*for trainees)
4-5:30pm — Restorative Practice
5:30-6:30pm — Free Time
6:30 — Dinner
7:45pm — Evening Hikes, Bonfires, Time to enjoy community and just BE
Morning practices will awaken your inner strength through the mindful precision of SmartFLOW Yoga — building integrity, clarity, and vitality. Afternoon sessions will invite deep release with SmartFLOW Restorative practices. With guided relaxation, themed sequences and expert propping, you’ll unwind deeply. Between sessions, enjoy nourishing vegetarian meals crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, time to wander the land, and the company of a like-hearted community.
This 6-night, 7-day retreat offers space to reconnect — with your body, your breath, your teaching, and the quiet wisdom that arises when strength and ease meet. Combine the twice daily yoga sessions with beautiful hikes in a stunning natural setting and tasty and healthy food, and you will leave feeling grounded and steady, deeply relaxed and happy.
*For those who want to further their Advanced SmartFLOW 300 Training: There will be afternoon sessions to guide you in Teaching Restorative Yoga, resetting the nervous system and modifications for propping. The retreat and training will give you 35 credit hours.
WHAT ANNIE’S STUDENTS & RETREAT ATTENDEES SAY:
“Annie’s SMARTFLOW Teacher Training was one of the hardest, most profound, most intense and joyful experiences of my life.”
“Annie moves everyone to their edge, which is where we do our best work.”
“Brilliant course with lots of new insight in teaching techniques and own practice.”
“Annie is a master teacher. She has decades of experience and an exceptional knowledge of anatomy and physiology. This training is rigorous, comprehensive and unique. It’s especially beneficial for yogis interested in alignment. Annie is warm, funny, extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of yoga and an excellent teacher.”
“Annie Carpenter and her method, SmartFLOW, is a brilliant, mindful, compassionate, and holistic approach to the practice and teaching of yoga. Annie has spent decades honing her craft and method, pouring her vast experience, knowledge about the body and yoga philosophy, and grounded wisdom of living rooted in her dharma into every class, workshop, retreat, and teachers training she does. I have studied with Annie for more than 25 years and feel honored and grateful to teach her method.”
“SmartFlow training has changed my life both professionally and personally.”
RETREAT TIP! Extend your time in peace and beauty while savoring Western hospitality by spending some time exploring the great West’s National Park treasures either before or after your time with Annie Carpenter at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. Glacier National Park is a glorious and scenic 3.5-hour drive north and west of Feathered Pipe, while Yellowstone is just a 4.5 hour drive south and east of the Ranch through some of the prettiest Western territory you’ll ever see.
ABOUT ANNIE CARPENTER:
Annie has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. It continues to be a source of steadiness, depth and joy in her life. Annie has taught movement, dance, anatomy, and lead movement rituals for many years; she’s been teaching Yoga for over 35 years.
Having spent long periods practicing and studying Integral, Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga, Annie believes that there are many wonderful approaches to practice—we all will find just what we need as our lives and bodies evolve. The commitment TO practice is the essence; WHAT we practice will expand and mature.
Annie created her school, SmartFlow Yoga, over 15 years ago. It is a modern approach with an anatomically sound foundation, inspired creative sequencing and ground in the essence of Yogic and Buddhist philosophies. Annie is committed to mindfulness, which inevitably leads to spiritual development and light-heartedness. SmartFlow Yoga guides you to know your true Self. With the knowledge of the true Self comes compassion, peace and appreciation for all life.
Learn more about Annie: smartflowyoga.com
ABOUT BRITNI SEROU:
Britni Serou is the co-founder of Downtown Yoga in Hammond, Louisiana, and has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. She found her home in yoga through Annie Carpenter’s SmartFLOW method while training in Los Angeles in 2011, and now serves as Annie’s lead Teacher Trainer—offering 200- and 300-hour trainings locally and internationally alongside her mentor.
Known for classes that are both challenging and accessible, Britni teaches with precision, playfulness, and deep care—inviting students into inquiry, subtlety, and self-expression. Her background in art and design informs a creative and balanced approach to sequencing and teaching, while her appreciation for stillness and the natural world fosters a grounded, nurturing space for practice.
Britni believes yoga is a path of seeing clearly—understanding our patterns of thought so we can relate to ourselves and others with greater awareness and compassion. She especially loves teaching mentorship, restorative practices, and yoga philosophy, sparking meaningful connection and insight both on and off the mat.
PRICING & REGISTRATION:
Program Tuition & Basic Accommodations: $2595
*Teacher-administrated program: For more information/questions about this retreat, email Nest Yoga at kim@nest-yoga.com.
Registration deposit required: A $500 deposit is required to hold your space in our retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch. Full payment is due eight weeks before the start of the program.
Tuition fee includes: Triple Occupancy Main Lodge, Shared Yurt/Deluxe Wall Tent/Sai Condo, or Single Tipi/Tent, plus meals and use of all amenities – our bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, as well as all the Feathered Pipe Ranch facilities and grounds. Upgraded accommodation are available.
Additional lodging upgrade pricing: Click here
Full description of accommodations options: Click here
After receiving your non-refundable deposit a welcome letter with follow up information will be sent to your email. For more information/questions about this retreat, please email Nest Yoga at kim@nest-yoga.com.
The retreat will include:
— 6-nights indoor or outdoor accommodations (upgraded accommodations require an additional fee)
— All daily classes and group sessions, suitable for all
— Delicious and lovingly prepared international cuisine
— Shuttle service from/to Helena Regional Airport on arrival/departure day
— Full access to the extensive Feathered Pipe grounds (including the hot tub and sauna)
Not included:
— Airfare
— Any/all excursions off-campus
— Bodywork & Massage
— Montana Accommodation Tax $25
— Staff gratuities
— Laundry
Shuttle service: Shuttle service from/to Helena Regional Airport on arrival/departure day is complimentary (free) for all registered guests. Please note that if you are needing pick-up or drop-off on any other day, that there will be a $50 one-way charge.
Arrival and departure: Please plan to arrive between Noon and 3pm on the arrival day (Saturday, 12 September) so you can join us for a welcoming ceremony and light practice before dinner at 6:30pm and our group evening orientation following dinner. Please arrange to leave the Ranch in the morning or early afternoon of departure day (Friday, 18 September). Final day room checkout is at 10am. Guests are welcome to stay at the Ranch until their flight leaves that day.
For more information about the Feathered Pipe Ranch in general, visit our FAQ page.
For more information/questions about this retreat, please email Nest Yoga at kim@nest-yoga.com.
Thanks and look forward to seeing you!