Retreating to Calm

April 1, 2016

Song of the Morning Yoga

With 800 acres of pristine Pigeon River State Forest and 15 miles of trails at their disposal, Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat is in exactly the kind of place you would expect a yoga retreat to be. With a full slate of programs that range from free to $400, there’s something for every level of yoga enthusiast, in scenery that encourages calm learning.

YOGA HAVEN

Song of the Morning was founded in 1971 by John Oliver Black, a Detroit businessman who came from a career in the automotive industry. Black studied directly with Paramahansa Yogananda, the acclaimed author of “Autobiography of a Yogi” and the yogi credited with bringing yoga to mainstream America.

Black, who was also said to be one of Yogananda’s most advanced students, founded the retreat as a “haven of peace and safety for spiritual seekers.” He passed away in 1989 at the age of 96, but the retreat is still going strong, managed by Jennifer Gray.

“Currently, we have a residential community, the retreat center and workshops and programs that help seekers discover the benefits of living a balanced yogic lifestyle,” Gray said.

PATH TO UNITY

While many people understand yoga as merely a form of exercise, yoga itself, Gray explained, focuses on unity.

“It is a path toward the ultimate unity — oneness with all of creation,” she said. “Song of the Morning is founded on the teachings of Yogananda and the yoga we practice is a Kriya yoga, also based on his writings and teachings.”

While Kriya is the base yoga upon which Song of the Morning expands, they also teach yoga in its broadest aspects.

“That encompasses Hatha yoga (physical postures), meditation and a simple, clean lifestyle,” Gray said.

The center brings teachers from all over the state of Michigan, which allows them to include many different styles of yoga in their studies, including Vinyasa flow, Ashtanga and Yin yoga (a slower-paced form of yoga.)

ON-SITE SPIRITUALITY

As a year-round yoga retreat, the entire staff and the community’s residents strive to live that balanced lifestyle at all times, with most of their daily activities open and free to the general public. On weekends, fee or donation-based programs take place.

“Morning Hatha yoga classes and evening meditations connect you to our faith community and invite you into our daily community practices,” Gray said. “People who arrive as guests quickly become friends and leave as family, and many come back year after year.”

Then there are the retreats, intensive yoga study sessions that include lodging and vegetarian meals.

“Our accommodations range from camping to communal-style dormitories, with shared community bathrooms,” Gray said. “We also have private apartments available.”

Staying on a longer-term basis, as opposed to a day session, allows guests to immerse themselves in the yoga lifestyle and also serves as a getaway from daily life.

LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS

Song of the Morning also hosts YogaFest, the popular yoga event held annually on the first weekend of August. YogaFest welcomes more than 400 people each year and features many of Michigan’s best-known yoga teachers, healers and kirtan (devotional chant) musicians.

“It’s a wonderful introduction to the retreat,” Gray said.

People from all walks of life come to Song of the Morning, she added; some are merely seeking a simple rest and a recharge of health and well-being, some are looking to become part of a yoga community and to become part of a spiritual home, while others are seeking a transformative, life-changing experience.

“All of this and more is possible for those who visit,” she said. “We offer a perfect combination of quiet and space, welcome and community, and I feel privileged to support the ongoing work of Song of the Morning.”

Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat is located at 9607 Sturgeon Valley Road East in Vanderbilt (northeast of Gaylord.) Learn more at songofthemorning.org or call (989) 983-4107.