Yamas & Niyamas Retreat: Create a Meaningful & Ethical Life
A Yoga & Spiritual Weekend Retreat for Women in NY
Join Useful Gatherings with Irene Kulbacki as we collectively explore foundational principles for creating a meaningful and ethical life, both on and off the yoga mat.
WHO: For individuals who are looking for effective ways to guide their spiritual growth.
WHERE: The Inn at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY
WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 2025 (Begins 10am) - Sunday, June 8, 2025 (Ends 2pm)
What You Can Expect to Learn
The Yamas & Niyamas Retreat
The Yamas are ethical guidelines for how we interact with the external world, aiming to create truth and harmony. The Niyamas are personal disciplines for cultivating inner peace, purity, and a connection to something greater within us.
Representing the first two parts of yoga's eight-fold path, following the Yamas and Niyamas will teach you:
- Practical methods for understanding your experiences and charting your future.
- How to design a clear map of where you are and how to progress towards the fulfillment you desire, helping you take ownership of your life's direction.
Suggested Reading: The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele
More Information About the Retreat
What’s Included:
- Overnight accommodations (single occupancy)
- Lunch on Saturday at Edna’s Tamarack Lodge
- Continental breakfast on Sunday
- Complete weekend program to include Group Discussion, Yoga, Meditation, Hike, and Free Time to journal, read, and explore.
- A Special gift from Irene
What’s Not Included:
- Dinner Saturday to be held off-site in Ellicottville and will be split billed among participants.
- Optional late lunch on Sunday off-site in Ellicottville and will be split billed among participants.
- Beverage Service
- Alcohol
- Snacks
- Suggested Reading: The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele
Your Host
Irene Kulbacki, Owner of Useful Gatherings
Irene Kulbacki
BSBA, MA Sociology
200-Hour Certified Yoga Teacher
55-Hour Oncology Yoga
As a retreat coordinator, facilitator, and presenter, Useful Gatherings with Irene Kulbacki creates a safe space in a retreat style setting, where women who desire expansion, come together within a creative community. Over the course of one to three days, educational materials will focus on the spiritual, transformative, and inspirational, with an emphasis on yoga, meditation, a connection to nature, and other contemplative practices. Programs are tailored to meet the needs of the those who gather, inspiring retreatants to live their best life, with a sense of gratitude and agency, despite common challenges faced as result of aging.
Health and Wellness: Irene’s yoga training includes a 200-hour yoga teacher certification through the Himalayan Institute (2005). There, in the classical Hatha yoga tradition, Irene gained the skills to teach all levels of asana classes through an understanding of anatomy, physiology, and therapeutics. She is well-versed in stress management, relaxation techniques, ayurvedic lifestyle basics, and meditation. In 2021, Irene received her 55-hour Oncology Yoga Certificate. This evidence-based program prepared Irene to support cancer patients and survivors. Irene’s kindness and thoughtfulness in providing a safe place for cancer patients have made her a beloved Ovarian Cancer Project team member.
Education: Her graduate work within the sociology of health and aging is where she continues to pursue her professional goals. She is committed to support the optimal aging of women through pro-active measures that include holistic practices, education, and community in an effort to address the emerging needs of this growing population.