Return to Center
A Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat for Deep Rest & Reconnection
Joshua Tree, California | February 13th - 16th 2026
Four days of breath-based yoga, Ayurvedic practices, deep rest, & reconnection in the wild beauty of Joshua Tree.
What’s Included
2x Daily yoga therapy + breath-centered movement
Trauma-informed, adaptable practices for nervous system healing and embodied connection.Ayurvedic self-care workshops
Simple, powerful tools you’ll use long after the retreat—including guided practices and seasonal support.Private chef-prepared organic meals 3x daily
Organic, soul-nourishing meals by Chef Hannah, thoughtfully prepared to support your energy, digestion, and sense of ease. Read more about our chef below.A welcome gift of curated Ayurvedic self-care products
Receive a take-home ritual kit with herbal oils, bath salts, and tools to extend the retreat into your daily life.Luxury accommodations at Gaia Villa
Shared rooms in a spacious desert sanctuary with a pool, stargazing decks, and indoor-outdoor living.Free time for desert hikes, poolside rest, or solo reflection
Optional group hike included, plus plenty of space to roam, rest, or just be.Space is Limited
$150 off for BIPOC + 3-7 month payment plans available
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is for people who are ready to step out of their day-to-day and invest in deep rest, healing, and reconnection.
It’s for those who want time away from constant doing—to build resilience in their nervous systems, reconnect with their bodies, and experience rest that truly restores—all in the quiet power of the desert.
This retreat is designed for people who are:
Craving space to slow down and feel present again
Seeking a grounded, trauma-informed approach to yoga, rest, and self-care
Looking for meaningful connection—in community and in nature
Curious about Ayurveda, seasonal living, and daily practices that support emotional and physical wellbeing
Ready to learn tools and nervous system education they can carry home
Looking for a transformative experience, not just a weekend away
Whether you’re a therapist, educator, caregiver, healer, or simply someone who holds a lot—this space is for you.
Your Retreat Home
Our retreat takes place at Gaia Villa, a luxury private estate nestled in the quiet, expansive beauty of Joshua Tree, California.
This is not just a place to stay. It’s a sanctuary designed for deep rest—with spacious shared rooms, cozy gathering spaces, stargazing decks, and a private pool surrounded by desert light.
Surrounded by wide-open skies and ancient stillness, the land itself becomes part of the practice. You'll be invited to soften your breath, settle your body, and attune to the rhythms of nature.
Inside, each space is thoughtfully designed to support both connection and solitude. You’ll have space to move, rest, reflect, and just be—with comfort and care in every detail.
Throughout the retreat, you'll be nourished by:
Seasonal, organic meals crafted by our private chef
Daily practices that meet you where you are
The steady presence of the Mojave desert and a deeply supportive container
This is a place to land.
To listen.
To breathe and remember what carries you.
Sample Schedule
7:00- 8:00am: Coffee, tea, fruit
8:00 - 9:45am: Morning yoga practice
10:00am: Breakfast
11:00am- 1:00pm: free time for hiking, trips to town, pool, relaxing
1:00pm: Lunch
1:30pm- 4:30pm: free time for hiking, trips to town, pool, relaxing
4:30pm- 6:00pm: Ayurvedic Self Care Ritual
6:30pm: Dinner
8:00pm- 9:15pm: Evening Practice
9:30pm: stargazing, bonfire
A Note About Structure:
We’ve designed this retreat with care and spaciousness. There will be just enough rhythm to feel held—and plenty of time to rest, wander, or simply do nothing at all.
Meet Your Hosts
Crissy Luna, C-IAYT (she/they)
Yoga Therapist | Mental Health Facilitator | Community Healer
Luna is a trauma-informed yoga therapist and mental health facilitator committed to creating spaces for rest, reconnection, and collective healing—especially for BIPOC, queer, and marginalized communities. Their work blends yoga therapy, nervous system education, rest practices, and deep self-inquiry.
Luna facilitates groups at the Los Angeles Outpatient Center for individuals navigating trauma, recovery, and mental health challenges. They also collaborate with The Pink Moon Healing Collective, a community-rooted space offering psychotherapy and restorative practices.
Guided by the wisdom of yoga and a deep belief in collective care, Luna holds space with warmth, clarity, and reverence for each person’s healing path.
@crissylunayoga
Maya Semans, C-IAYT (she/her)
Yoga Therapist | Ayurvedic Health Counselor | Bodyworker
Maya is a certified yoga therapist and Ayurvedic counselor specializing in mental health, trauma recovery, and emotional resilience. She facilitates yoga therapy for over 150 clients each week in an intensive outpatient mental health program, offering affirming care to LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and trauma-impacted communities.
Rooted in the Krishnamacharya lineage and trauma-informed practice, Maya’s work blends yoga, Ayurveda, and somatic healing to support nervous system regulation and deep reconnection.
She offers Ayurvedic bodywork in Baltimore, and works with clients both online and in person through 1:1 sessions, groups, and retreats.
With a background in restorative justice and education, Maya holds space with presence, deep listening, and a commitment to community-rooted healing.
@mayasemans
Our Approach
Maya and Luna are longtime friends and collaborators who bring heart, humor, and depth to the spaces they hold. As yoga therapists with backgrounds in mental health care, they’re passionate about making healing feel accessible, personal, and real. Their approach is grounded in the Krishnamacharya lineage, trauma-informed practice, and a deep respect for the nervous system. Their work is also deeply shaped by nature—guided by seasonal rhythms, Earth-based ritual, and a belief that reconnecting with the land helps us reconnect with ourselves. They balance structure with softness and bring a steady, nurturing presence to every retreat they lead.
At Return to Center, they offer practices that are both structured and spacious — a balance of movement, breath, rest, and inquiry. Rooted in yoga therapy, Ayurveda, and nervous system education, each session is designed to meet you where you are and invite you gently inward. The pace is slow. The practices are choice-based. The intention is reconnection.
You’ll also experience daily rituals, the beauty of slow living, and the medicine of the natural world — woven into everything from the meals to the movement to the quiet moments in between.
No performance. No pressure. Just time and space to come home to yourself — with care, community, and the steady rhythm of nature all around you.
Meet Our Retreat Chef: Hannah
We are deeply honored to welcome Chef Hannah Smith to our retreat. Hannah is not only a gifted chef—she is a weaver of nourishment, ritual, and beauty through food. Her approach to cooking is rooted in reverence for the Earth, seasonal rhythms, and the power of shared meals to ground, connect, and restore.
Through her company, Adventure Through Food, Hannah creates meals that are organic, gluten-free, and inspired by global traditions and local abundance. For this retreat, she is curating a series of well-balanced, deeply nourishing meals—including mindfully sourced meat—crafted specifically to support the practices, energy, and intention of our time together.
Food is an essential part of the healing experience we are co-creating. Each meal is designed to restore vitality, soothe the nervous system, and build the inner reserves we often deplete in daily life. This is nourishment as care, nourishment as ceremony.
We are connected to Hannah through our beloved teacher, Tracee Stanley, and from the moment we met, it was clear we shared a lineage of devotion, integrity, and service. Her presence is the magic ingredient of this retreat—infusing each dish with love, depth, and intention.
You can learn more about her work here, but most importantly, you’ll taste and feel the care in every bite she prepares.
Accommodations and Investment
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Shared Double Rooms $2,100 each
3-6 month payment plans available
$400 Deposit
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Shared Quad Rooms $1,475 each
3-6 month payment plans available
$400 Deposit
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Shared Quad Bunk Rooms $1,475
3-6 month payment plans available
$400 Deposit to Reserve
FAQs
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Yes, absolutely!
Many of our participants come solo — and we design the retreat to feel welcoming, inclusive, and relational without forcing connection.
You’ll have plenty of space for reflection and personal time, as well as opportunities for meaningful community experiences.
You are so welcome just as you are. -
3 nights and 4 days of lodging at the beautiful Gaia Villa retreat center in Joshua Tree, CA
Daily trauma-informed Yoga Therapy and somatic practices
Ayurvedic seasonal care workshops
Breathwork, guided meditation, and self-inquiry practices
Nourishing, plant-forward meals prepared by a private chef
Optional nature walks and desert connection practices
Access to private pool, hot tub, and sacred gathering spaces
Community connection circles and free time to rest and reflect
A private welcome gift to support your journey
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Yes!
Three nourishing, organic meals per day are included, beginning with dinner on arrival day and ending with breakfast on departure day.
Meals will be plant-forward (vegetarian), with chicken and fish options, seasonal, and inspired by Ayurvedic principles to support digestion, restoration, and resilience.
We can accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options — just let us know your needs when you register. -
Yes.
To honor the depth of the practices and support nervous system restoration, Return to Center is an alcohol-free retreat.
We invite you to embrace the natural clarity and connection that emerges through rest, breath, and nourishing rhythms. -
Gaia Villa is located in Yucca Valley, just outside Joshua Tree National Park.
The closest airports are:
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) — about a 45-minute drive
Ontario International Airport (ONT) — about a 1.5-hour drive
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — about a 2.5-hour drive
Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)— about a 3.5 hour drive
Pheonix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) — about 3 hours
Rental cars or carpool are the best option to get to retreat center from the airport.
Ridesharing options will be coordinated for those who want to carpool.
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Gaia Villa is a beautiful, modern desert retreat space with luxurious, earth-toned rooms designed for comfort and restoration.
Room options include shared double rooms and cozy bunk-style rooms.
All accommodations are thoughtfully designed to support deep rest and connection with the desert landscape. -
Yes.
We offer flexible payment plans to make the retreat more accessible.
You can spread your retreat payments over 3 to 6 months depending on what best supports you.
When you register, you’ll be able to choose a payment plan option at checkout, or reach out to us directly for custom arrangements. -
All of our practices are trauma-informed, accessible, and adaptable for all bodies and experience levels.
Our approach is rooted in Yoga Therapy, breathwork, somatic awareness, and nervous system regulation — not performance or achieving specific poses.
You are welcome exactly as you are. -
Yes.
While we offer daily practices and optional workshops, there is plenty of free time for you to rest, journal, explore nature, enjoy the pool and hot tub, or simply be.
This retreat is designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit — without rushing or pressure. -
Not at all.
While many of our participants work in caregiving, healing, or justice-centered fields, you do not need to be a therapist, educator, or healer to join us.What matters most is that you come with a spirit of self-inquiry, a willingness to engage relationally, and a consciousness around privilege, oppression, and collective care.
This retreat is rooted in trauma-informed principles, social consciousness, and healing justice values.
It is not a space for people who are new to conversations about privilege, systemic oppression, or social responsibility.
We seek to create an environment where all bodies, identities, and lived experiences are honored with care.If you’re someone who values equity, relational healing, embodied practice, and the interconnectedness of personal and collective liberation — you are welcome here.
Questions before getting started?