Deep Winter Refuge
A nourishing retreat with Lara Green and Ilana Berman
Are you in need of a soulful reset of body, mind, and spirit?
Are you seeking community that values depth and connection?
Are you longing for inspiration and reprieve from your daily routine?
A reverent container for growth, healing and rest.
Join us for an immersive weekend of yoga and meditation in the heart of winter.
With Winter as our great teacher, we’ll embrace hibernation and restoration. Expanding together in awareness and resilience by turning our attention inward. We will tend to the coals that stoke our inner fire and feed our lives. Utilizing the potent tools that yoga provides we will invite an embodied experience of Enoughness, Presence, and Connection with a deep inner well of nourishment.
As your guides, Lara and Ilana will lead you in restorative and invigorating yoga, breathwork, meditation, and engaging workshops. Cultivating a space of safety and reverence for whatever arises you will be guided in movement, supported with touch, tucked in and inspired.
Expect opportunities for quiet contemplation and deep rest as well as winterland adventuring, inspired play, and connection to body and community.
Add a therapeutic massage to your weekend experience, for an additional charge.
January 30th - February 1st 2026
*Full: Waistlist will be notified if spots open
What to Expect
A spacious weekend of yoga and mindful movement, exquisite nature and views, guided restorative practices, beautiful and peaceful accommodations, and gourmet vegetarian meals.
Sample Schedule:
Friday Saturday Sunday
4:00pm Welcome Practice 7:30am Guided Meditation 7:30am Guided Meditation
6:00pm Dinner 8:00am Silent Breakfast 8:00am Silent Breakfast
7:30pm Gentle Practice 9:30am Morning Practice 9:30am Closing Practice
12:30pm Lunch 12:30pm Lunch
Free time to explore, rest,
and schedule a massage.
2:00pm Sound Bath w/ guest artist
4:00pm Afternoon Workshop
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Restorative Practice
*Everything is optional
Location
Light on the Hill
209 Blake Hill Road
Van Etten, New York 14889
Light on the Hill retreat center is a healing and inspiring space for reflection, deep inner work, and spiritual growth. A sacred sanctuary for seekers, the center is located on 236 acres of woods, streams, gorges and walking paths.
You’ll enjoy beautiful accommodations and delicious vegetarian meals.
There are 18 single occupancy rooms and 3 double occupancy rooms.
Room preferences will be filled on a first come first served basis.
Price
Standard Rate: $850 per person
Early Bird (register by October 15, 2025): $795
Last-Minute (after January 10, 2026): $895
A $250 deposit secures your spot.
Payment Schedule
Deposit: $250 due at registration
Remaining Balance: Due by January 10, 2026
Late Payment Fee: $50 if received after Jan 10
Payment Methods
- Venmo to @Ilana-Berman
- Cash or Check to Ilana Berman, contact Ilana or Lara personally to arrange.
- PayPal or Credit Card through booking website - +3.5% transaction fee.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel before December 1, 2025: Refund minus $100 admin fee
Cancel Dec 1–Dec 31, 2025: 50% refund (minus deposit)
Cancel Jan 1–Jan 15, 2026: 25% refund (minus deposit)
Cancel after Jan 15, 2026: No refund
Transfers welcome: You may transfer your spot to another participant until January 25, 2026
Ilana Berman, LMT & E-RYT 200
Ilana established her practice in Ithaca, New York in 2011, and has been teaching in a variety of styles and venues in the Finger Lakes ever since. She graduated from her initial Yoga Teacher Training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and has completed several advanced trainings in the years to follow including: Guiding Meditation & Advanced Asana with Yoganand Michael Carrol, Freedom Style Yoga with Eric Shiffman, Embodied Anatomy: Breath Focus with Leslie Kaminoff & Practices in Embodied Teaching with Amy Matthews of The Breathing Project, and Pelvic Floor Yoga with Leslie Howard.
Ilana graduated from the Finger Lakes School of massage with 1000 hours of training and received her NY license in Massage Therapy in 2013. She has completed advanced training in Biodynamic Craniosacral work with Jenna Milner and Thai Yoga Massage with the Lotus Palm School.
Ilana’s classes, while ranging in content from powerful flow to Art of Relaxation, are based in cultivating deep and compassionate self-knowing. She enjoys using her passionate knowledge of the human body to offer experiments in what allows you to access your unique power and ease.
Read more about Ilana here.
Lara Green, E-RYT 200
Lara has been practicing yoga with joy since 2004. She earned her 200-hour Vinyasa Flow certification in 2012 in the jungles of Costa Rica with Frog Lotus Yoga International, and is currently studying at the 500-hour level with her teachers Vidya Jacqueline Heisel and Jen Yarro. She practices Vipassana meditation, and has a passion for bringing mindfulness to all aspects of life. In 2019 she completed a Foundations of Thai Yoga Massage certification with the Triple Gem School. She is currently lit up by supporting and mentoring new yoga teachers, and has assisted and co-taught yoga teacher training programs locally and abroad. Lara receives deep inspiration from her life’s work with children. For the last 20 years she’s worked in classrooms, summer camps, pre-schools, and family homes as a mentor and leader for young people. With a love for poetry, philosophy, music, and science, you’ll find eclectic wisdom and humor woven through her classes. Lara's aim is to create movement spaces that are light-hearted and playful without shying away from life's painful aspect. She is interested in looking deeply at the human condition, and believes that yoga, meditation, and active listening are powerful tools for radical healing and self discovery. Learn more about Lara here.
Participant Experiences:
“It went deeper than I had expected, was challenging in a good way.”
“Coming in to the weekend I felt anxious, and was in a lot of physical pain from a significant medical issue. That changed so much over the course of the weekend, in particular, physically I felt like I cleared pain and inflammation from my body by allowing myself to relax and be taken care of. It's about 2 weeks later and can say positively that the sense of calm I walked away with is still with me.”
“I was exhausted and wrung out going into the weekend. I came out refreshed and deeply quiet. Such a gift!”
“I was looking forward to trying to sit in silence with nothing to do. And yes - that was lovely. BUT the surprise was how deeply I felt connected to the others. My heart burst with love and compassion for all the beautiful and unique stories and colors and feelings around the circle. Thank you for this very meaningful experience of connection and oneness.”
“Coming into the weekend, I felt lost and unsure. When I signed up for the retreat, I was in a completely different headspace than when the time for the retreat actually arrived. I walked in feeling grief-stricken. On Sunday morning, after breakfast, I walked to the chapel. Surrounded by the serenity and beauty of nature, I looked up at the sky, and a deep sense of peace came over me. I had a moment of clarity: while I am not okay, everything is going to be alright. That acceptance was transformative—it was like I finally allowed myself to feel my grief instead of burying it. I realized it’s okay to not be okay, and that gave me the strength to begin embracing the journey of healing. This weekend gave me the gift of processing my emotions in a safe space and at the right time. I also felt supported by the sense of community and connection that was created at the retreat, something I had never experienced before. It all came together so perfectly, and I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.”
“Before arriving, I was a bit overwhelmed. The itinerary just felt like A LOT on paper. In practice, you all created such a relaxed vibe that I just started honoring my own needs. (NOT easy to do, usually.) But I felt really comfortable stepping away for alone time to read, sleep, or hike as needed. Preserving my energy like that made the group activities I did attend so much better - I just felt more present. By the end of the weekend, I felt much more comfortable with myself - my own needs, quirks, feelings - and connected to so many of the attendees. It's rare to feel relaxed and like myself in a group.”
“Going into the weekend I was feeling tired and stressed, even a little apprehensive about decision to go. When I arrived I greeted by the retreat leaders who embraced me and immediately supported me and helped me get settled in. This helped me to relax and feel safe. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the retreat which turned out to be way better that I imagined and exactly what I needed. When it ended I felt peaceful, energized and inspired.”
“Coming out of the retreat I felt a warm spacious calm inside. I was coming in what felt like a completely empty cup.”
“I felt super excited going into the weekend and calm and excited leaving the weekend. The container of the weekend was warm and kind and delightful.”
“I clearly felt the physical, emotional and cognitive effects of the weekend. I knew I had been through an experience that had shifted my perspective. I felt well rested, peaceful and calm on Sunday. It is a beautiful feeling that continues today and that I have tried to share with others. The idea of stillness and noticing in our bodies and hearts.”
“I felt really excited to have DWR on my calendar for quite a while beforehand. Having the time carved out felt like an altar space on my calendar, a way to see how I was holding space for what I value that is easy to miss - rest and connection. Leaving the weekend I just felt so grateful.”
“I felt excited after I signed up. When I arrived I felt vulnerable. When I left I felt grounded and relaxed and safe. I definitely was moving more slowly by Sunday afternoon”
“I came in so happy to be there, expecting that the experience would impact me as it did the first year, and it did:)”
“I felt very frazzled, depressed, and rushed coming into the weekend. After the fact I feel much more empowered and calm to tackle life”
“Deep Winter Retreat is the best gift I have given myself in the last ten years. Rejuvenating care in a beautiful environment facilitated by professionals who helped me slow down, reconnect with myself, and walk away with less pain and more peace. 10/10.”
“They say that transformed people transform others. Ilana and Lara brought their transformed hearts to the retreat and opened us all to transformation. For me, the transformation was in finding a deep feeling of connection and oneness with the group. So powerful. Thank you.”
“My experience at DWR was truly transformative. Coming into the retreat, I was deeply grief-stricken and unsure if I even belonged there. However, the serene environment, supportive community, and intentional space created at DWR allowed me to process my emotions in a way I never had before. I left feeling a sense of peace, acceptance, and connection that I didn’t think was possible. This retreat was exactly what I needed, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a meaningful experience. Thank you for providing a space for healing, growth, and connection. Big hugs to you both for the amazing work you do and continue to do to support us, when I say your yoga goddesses, I mean your YOGA GODDESSES!!!.”
“The retreat far exceeded my expectations. I was blown away by the wisdom and almost immediate connection I felt to the group. The leaders/facilitators provided the perfect framework for everyone to explore the personal areas they chose. It was also my first time at Light on the Hill which was such a comfortable and beautiful space helping me relax and allowing me to put more energy and focus on the message of the retreat.”
“Absolutely wonderful, restorative, healing, wide open for what each person needs it to be. Love it.”
“The container Lara and Ilana provide feels light, intentional and caring. It's the perfect forum to deepen oneself, connect with others, and the natural world and even to take these exposed pathways home with you.”
“DWR is time to come into stillness and reflect and feel where you are. That's it. It is not about wellness, about improving or fixing anything. It is in a beautiful, quiet place with basic comfort but not a consumerist type of luxury I usually feel in "wellness" spheres. It feels like a true refuge that is part of life, not a rarefied realm denying real life. This kind of time is very special, and yet also a truly basic kind of human need. Rest and connection, those are the words I keep thinking about. Thank you (edit as needed)”
“Deep Winter Refuge is becoming a significant way that I mark the beginning of my year, now. Lara and Ilana are talented spiritual community organizers who create a purposeful weekend in a stunning space, filling the hearts, minds and souls of participants. Following year one of Deep Winter Refuge, I was struck with how the feeling of the weekend stayed with me throughout the year. The weekends are filled with warmth, loving intention, compelling conversations, creative expression, purposeful movement....along with time for walking, breaking bread, resting. As 2024 holiday season quieted down, I happily anticipated the start of 2025 at Light On The Hill, with Lara, Ilana and all of the ingredients for creating a rich experience within community. Eternal gratitude! xo”