General Frequently Asked Questions

If you must cancel your reservation, please remember that your deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Also, be aware that we are unable to transfer deposits or any payments from one calendar year to the next. *Please note: we had a very flexible policy for 2020/2021/2022 due to Covid, but we’ve returned to our normal one for 2024. We can no longer honor Covid credits. 

US retreats: if you cancel more than 120 days prior to your retreat start date you will forfeit the non-refundable deposit made to hold your space. If you cancel between 60-120 days prior to your retreat start date, 50% of the balance payment will be forfeited (along with the non-refundable deposit). If you cancel less than 60 days prior to your retreat start date, 100% of the trip price will be forfeited.

International retreats: the non-refundable deposit will be forfeited if cancellation occurs anytime up to 120 days prior to retreat start date; 100% of the trip price will be forfeited if cancellation occurs after 120 prior to retreat start date.

We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance as soon as you book a retreat! (Repeat: get travel insurance. See below.)

It is your responsibility to read and understand our cancellation policies. Exceptions cannot be made for any reason, including weather, injury/illness, or personal emergencies. No refunds or credits will be given for failure to attend or failure to complete the retreat, or for arriving late or leaving early. 

Repeat: we HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing your own travel/trip cancellation insurance so your trip fees will be covered in case you have to cancel your retreat. Trip insurance should also be purchased to cover medical expenses, in the event you have an accident while on the retreat. 

True story: one of our international retreaters missed two days of the trip due to bad weather that forced airline cancelations. Through her travel insurance, she was able to get reimbursed for not only the missed days, but her travel expenses as well!

You can usually add insurance to your airfare when booking flights, or ask your credit card company about trip insurance. There are lots of options out there. Check out this FORBES article, Best Travel Insurance Companies.

Big Sky Yoga Retreats reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary by our team or partners. In the rare case of a cancellation on the part of Big Sky Yoga Retreats (due to political unrest, dangerous weather, or insufficient sign-ups) we will offer a transfer to another trip or a full refund.

The first step is to pay your non-refundable deposit via our website (PayPal links on each retreat page), which reserves your spot. Your remaining balance is due 120 days prior to your retreat. We’ll send you a reminder when it’s time so you don’t forget.

If you do not pay your balance due by the 120 days prior to your retreat, you relinquish your spot. Your deposit will not be refunded.

We accept checks and credit card payment through PayPal only. No cash payments or wire transfers accepted.

IMPORTANT: When you pay via PayPal, your registered email address is the ONLY one we will have on file for you. If your PayPal account is linked to an email address you don’t check often (Yahoo and Hotmail accounts often mark our emails as spam), PLEASE email info@bigskyyogaretreats.com and provide your preferred email address and phone number. Once you register, you should hear back from us within 1-2 weeks.

Once you register for a retreat, we’ll send you an orientation packet via email. We’ll include instructions and a link to our Participant Form and Basic Waiver. For Cowgirl Yoga retreats, there is an additional waiver form for the ranch whose horses we will be riding. 

These documents must be completed 120 days prior to your retreat date. Guests who fail to do so may be subject to an automatic cancellation, and the above cancellation policy will apply.

Glad you asked! Check out our packing lists here, by retreat.

A retreat is an investment in your well-being—but it’s also a financial investment. No one books a retreat with the intention of cancelling, but unexpected life events do occur. If we could make it mandatory, we would. It’s a lot of $ to lose if something happens – and something always seems to happen. That’s travel, and that’s life. We cannot offer refunds or credits of any kind, given the small boutique scope of our business. *TRAVEL INSURANCE WORKS* if you have to cancel!

One more time: we HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing your own travel/trip cancellation insurance so your trip fees will be covered in case you have to cancel your retreat. Trip insurance should also be purchased to cover medical expenses, in the event you have an accident while on the retreat. 

True story: one of our international retreaters missed two days of the trip due to bad weather that forced airline cancelations. Through her travel insurance, she was able to get reimbursed for not only the missed days, but her travel expenses as well!

You can usually add insurance to your airfare when booking flights. While we don’t have a specific recommendation for the retreat portion, you should start by checking with your credit card company. There are lots of options out there. Check out this continuously updated FORBES article, Best Travel Insurance Companies.

We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest, in which case all money paid to Big Sky Yoga Retreats will be refunded.

Notification of cancellation will occur at least 120 days prior to your retreat start date. Big Sky Yoga Retreats cannot be held responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in itineraries or retreat cancellations.

Absolutely! If the retreat or accommodation type you want is sold out, please email info@bigskyyogaretreats.com to get on our waitlist. If a spot opens up, we’ll notify you ASAP.

We are not an ongoing retreat facility, and have multiple retreat venues. We run our retreats at the 9 Quarter Circle Ranch in Southwestern Montana, and at carefully selected venues in Argentina, France, and Sweden.

Your specific venue and contact information will be included in orientation emails. 

Driving directions will be included in orientation emails. Our Dude Ranch Cowgirl Yoga retreat takes place at 9 Quarter Circle Ranch, how to get there here. 

The short answer is No. PLEASE prepare accordingly and do not leave ground transportation for the last minute! You are responsible for your ground transportation to and from our Montana retreat locations (all of our international retreats include ground transportation).

Taxis and Ubers in Montana are very expensive, and not even feasible for our more remote locations. If you are adding on more time in the area before or after your retreat, the easiest and most economical thing is to have a rental car.

We are happy to put you in touch with others on your retreat in advance (again: please do not leave this until the last minute), as car sharing often works out well.

In 2022, rental cars were still scarce and very expensive after the pandemic. Please keep this in mind for 2024 travel planning.

Safety is our number one priority. All retreat attendees must wear a certified riding helmet while riding our horses (no exceptions). Helmets are provided on our Montana retreats.

You do NOT need prior riding experience to attending one of our Cowgirl Yoga retreats (unless otherwise indicated, i.e. for Argentina). Our wranglers work hard to help everyone feel comfortable and match you with a horse suited to your skill level.

Height and weight restrictions do apply; please call to discuss if you have any concerns. In general, 175-195 lbs. is our maximum weight for horseback riding (depending on your height).

We often get asked what kind of yoga, how many times a day, what if I haven’t practiced in awhile – all valid questions. You will be fine. We offer straight up vinyasa flow, with a twist of restorative. We accommodate all levels of yoginis, but highly recommend some pre-retreat yoga experience, even if you start a practice with the retreat in mind. Some days will have one yoga practice, some will have two. We promise to get in as much yoga as we can, and balance it with our other activities. Most mornings will begin with yoga (after coffee, but before breakfast!) to start the day off right, on the yoga mat.

Take a few yoga classes or get back on your mat if it’s been awhile, in order to get the most out of your retreat. We’re happy to help you with class suggestions for your area if you’d like to practice beforehand. YogaGlo also offers online classes you can do at home, and there are tons of online options to explore. 

We’re thrilled that so many people want to help us do what we do! However, we simply cannot respond to unsolicited employment inquiries. We typically hire locally, and we do not consider anyone who has not attended at least one of our retreats.

We don’t send exact itineraries. Instead, we stay flexible so we can adjust to the needs and desires of each group – and our ever-changing Montana, Argentina, or French Alps weather. However, we will post a tentative daily agenda each morning during your retreat. Rest assured, you’ll get plenty of what you signed up for!

Sorry, no. 

Sorry, no. We aren’t an ongoing retreat facility, and we only run our retreats at select venues during the dates on our schedule.

Sorry, no. We don’t accommodate outside teachers or programs.

The Montana Dude Ranch Cowgirl Yoga retreat location offers wifi, but cell service is very limited. PLEASE NOTE that AT&T has spotty coverage in Montana.

All our international retreat venues offer wifi.

We have a wide age range on all our retreats, from women in their 20s all the up to 60s and 70s. Each retreat will vary.

The majority of our retreaters come by themselves. Although you may come alone, you will leave the retreat with new, lifelong friends. We have many women who meet on retreat come back on others together.

You do not need to participate in everything; you can pace yourself to find the perfect amount of activity for you. We support you in doing as much or as little as is right for you, depending on how you are feeling. However: remember this is an active vacation, and we are giving you as much as we can of what you signed up for! (Personally, we wouldn’t want to miss a thing.) The schedule gives you a sense of the flow of each day. It’s always subject to change, depending upon the needs of the group, weather, etc.