Esalen Institute – Big Sur, CA | September 2026

Love Your Body Now~ A Therapeutic Yoga Approach to Full-Body Awareness As We Age

A Week-Long Yoga Workshop/Retreat
With Tracy Lease

Dates: September 7 – 11, 2026

Press Here for Full Description of this Retreat @ Esalen Institute

Press Here for Information on Accommodations & Costs

If interested in a scholarship, apply as soon as possible.

If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to Esalen for help by email @ [email protected] or by phone: (831) 667-3000, Monday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

You deserve to feel ease and joy in your body as you age. Movement, time in nature, breath, quiet contemplation, and “Aha!” moments all contribute to expanding happiness and delight in life. Though this is true, you may face challenges. Changes to our bodies — aches and pains, joint replacements, osteoporosis, heart issues, and other conditions — may challenge us to find new ways to understand ourselves and maintain grace of movement and attitude.

During this workshop, you’ll discover therapeutic yoga techniques that increase awareness, empower exploration of your unique body now, and increase your ability to take good care of yourself. Learn to feel yoga poses from the inside out, aligning them well to tune into the energy flowing through your body, and find qigong movements and yoga postures that best serve you.

We have a week together to listen to our inner wisdom and the quiet intelligence of the body. We have the space to share our ideas, fears, limiting scripts, and dreams for our futures.

Together, we will find:

Fluid and effortless movement in qigong.
Core strength and healthy alignment in yoga.
“Effortless effort” techniques for healthy posture and movement.
Gratitude, appreciative joy, loving kindness, compassion and equanimity in meditation.
Ways to practice all eight limbs of yoga.
Deeply revitalizing rest during restorative yoga accompanied by singing bowls.
Clearer understanding of our bodies, our joints, and our lymph, endocrine, and nervous systems.
Ways to honor our unique bodies, minds, and hearts with these practices at home.

This workshop is suited for anyone with a basic understanding of yoga. No prior experience of qigong needed. People working with injuries or body challenges are welcome if they can still participate in practice and have permission, if needed, from their medical provider. Modifications will be given for various ability levels. Participants need to be able to get up and down off the floor on their own. Workshop members are welcome to bring an assistant who is a second paying participant if they need more support for this program If you are not sure if this workshop is suited for you, please contact Tracy.

Loving ourselves, just as we are, is fundamental to living a happy life. In community we can support each other to find ease and joy in our unique bodies at each stage of our lives.

I hope you can join us!

September 30, 2024March 8, 2026

Japan | October 2026

~ Into the Sacred ~

A Women’s Cultural and Spiritual Immersion Retreat in Japan

With Miyu Tamamura & Tracy Lease

October 3rd-14th, 2026

Imagine opening your eyes to greet your day in the beloved cultural mecca and ancient capital of Kyoto, Japan. This beautiful city has been the home of Buddhism for more than 1200 years.

We’ll begin our days with gentle yoga stretching, fluid Qigong and guided meditation in a tranquil Zen temple uniting our group energy to prepare us for a day full of exploration. Japanese temples have been a community gathering place that supports the spiritual and cultural life of the Japanese. They are home to an aesthetic and spirit that reflects lived experiences of the ancestors and their religious beliefs. These temples, precious repositories of nearly 1200 years of history, still stand open today to welcome any and all.

Then we will head out to explore Kyoto’s markets, neighborhoods and gardens with Miyu, who grew up in Kyoto, as our guide. She will help us better understand all that we explore. When done

with our explorations we will return home and enjoy the onsen, the Japanese baths, put on our Yukata robes and head to dinner where we can enjoy Tempura, sushi, noodles, sake, Japanese beer and each other’s company.

After our 4 day immersion in Miyoshin-ji “The Temple of Enlightened Mind” we will begin ourpilgrimage walk along the Kumano Kodo, a sacred mountain path people have been walking for more than 1,000 years. This will offer us an opportunity to practice walking meditation while immersed in nature.

With each step of our journey, reflections on life come. Appreciation and joy for life wells up from our hearts and we embody the serenity and peace that surround us in the mountains of Japan.

Our retreat is custom designed to inspire and nurture you through beauty, gardens, temples, freshly prepared delicious meals, and authentic experiences that touch deeply into our inner landscapes.

This immersion retreat to Japan is a pilgrimage to the center of our hearts with the purpose of revitalizing our lives and invigorating our souls. Bring an open and curious heart and allow Japan to flow in and expand your horizons!

Dates:

October 3rd-14th, 2025

Retreat cost:

$7,950 land cost

Participant Numbers:

10 participants

Registration Email:

[email protected], or
[email protected]

If you would like a detailed description of the trip or to learn more about our itinerary, reach out to [email protected].

About Your Trip Leaders:

Miyu Tamamura
Owner Sacred Japan/ Tour Leader/ Translator

When it comes to leading trips in Japan, Miyu is an expert. Her passion and devotion to service and authentic experiences have benefited travelers as she leads them into the heart of her native country. Growing up in a culturally fertile environment, she was surrounded by exceptional and inspiring artists who helped her cultivate a deep appreciation of authentic beauty and what it means to have a true experience.

Miyu was the executive trip coordinator, guide and translator for the popular tour company Journeys East prior to establishing her own custom tour operation, Sacred Japan. She has been leading small groups on unique, custom designed trips to Japan for over 20 years. Miyu’s heart centered approach to travel creates a bridge of peace between Japanese culture and the West.

Tracy Lease
Owner Full Life Yoga Studio

Tracy Lease, owner and director of Full Life Yoga Studio, a certified Yoga Therapist, Yoga, Pilates, Qigong and Meditation Teacher has spent 20 years guiding students in movement and mindfulness practices. Tracy loves to share meditative movement and empowers each unique individual to move towards optimal health and happiness.

Tracy knows movement can help calm and revitalize body, mind and spirit and assist us in living fully in the present moment. She tunes into her students, wanting each client to feel welcome, safe and supported in classes, retreats and private sessions. Tracy has a passion for guiding groups, and has led retreats in the United States, Mexico, and France.

The practice of yoga invites us to be fully present in the experiences of our lives. Enjoying our practices, visiting new parts of the world with and open and curious mind, good food, company, rest, history, culture, quiet reflective time and adventure are all a part of our practice of living fully.

I hope you can join us!

Questions? Reach out to [email protected]

September 24, 2024March 11, 2026

Big Springs – Sierra Buttes, CA | July 2026

~ Inhale Mountain, Exhale River~

A Women’s Retreat in Nature & Community ~

Big Springs Retreat Center, Sierra City, CA
with Tracy Lease & Miyu Tamamura
4 nights, 5 days of celebrating summer
July 8th – 12th, 2026

To create this women’s circle we will breathe in the mountain air, listen to the flow of water, settle into our inner landscapes as we practice qigong, yoga, take a cool dip in the rock pool and share delicious meals..

We will enjoy qigong with a view of the Buttes, sitting and walking meditation in the hall and forest, restorative yoga and special sound healing meditation with crystal singing bowls in nature and community.

Beautiful walking trails, state of the art architecture, delicious vegetarian meals in a peaceful setting will nurture you.

Retreat Center: