An Autumn Equinox Retreat for Women
Saddle &
Soul
There comes a moment in the year when the light and the dark meet in perfect balance. A threshold. A turning inward. This is where we ride.
The deeper invitation
A turning inward.
A remembering.
The Autumn Equinox is a sacred pause. A time to take stock of what has bloomed, what is ready to be released, and what truth is asking to be honored moving forward.
Saddle & Soul is an immersion into that moment. We ride not to escape life — but to return to ourselves.
Over the course of six days, you'll ride through breathtaking landscapes as the aspens turn golden, experience profound connection with horses as mirrors of your inner world, and be held in intentional, intimate circles of women walking a similar path.
This is not about becoming someone new. It is about coming home to the woman you already are.
Ride through breathtaking landscapes as the aspens turn golden yellow.
The Copper Lodge
Guffey, Colorado
The experience
A day balanced
in equinox.
Each day is intentionally designed to balance movement and stillness, adventure and integration, connection and personal space.
Mornings begin with embodiment, breathwork, and meditation — settling the nervous system before the aspens call you into the saddle. Afternoons unfold into guided rides, intuitive groundwork with the herd, or expansive hikes through canyon land.
Evenings gather us around fire circles — stories, songs, integration rituals beneath the equinox sky. Creative, sensory, and nature-based practices weave throughout: somatic painting, scent-led meditations, quiet writing under blankets.
Deep rest. Real laughter. The kind of connection that ripples on for years.
What's woven in
Everything held with care.
- Six days / five nights of retreat experience
- Five nights of mountain accommodations
- Daily access to a resident herd of horses
- Two guided two-hour trail rides through golden aspens
- Sacred equine connection & intuitive groundwork sessions
- Morning embodiment, breathwork, and meditation
- Evening fire circles & integration rituals
- Creative, sensory, and nature-based practices
- Cold-process soap making workshop with Witcher Mountain Apothecary
- Custom felt + wool hat bar experience
- Equinox stargazing with a professional telescope
- Professional retreat photoshoot
- Visit to Mount Princeton Hot Springs & Spa
- Sauna and hot tub sessions
- All meals (excluding 1 lunch in Buena Vista) prepared by a private chef
- Round-trip transportation from Colorado Springs Airport
The details that hold you
Designed so you can simply receive.
Every detail is held in advance — logistics, meals, instructors, supplies, surprise moments — so the only thing left for you to do is exhale, play, and let yourself be moved.
Mineral waters
Mount Princeton Hot Springs
One of Colorado's most magical mountain retreats. Soak in natural in-creek hot springs where mineral-rich waters meet the cold mountain creek — or rest in the spring-fed pools beneath open Rocky Mountain sky.visit mtprinceton.com ↗
Half-day excursion
Custom hat bar
Craft your one-of-a-kind hat
Sit at the curated hat bar and create your own felt + wool hat — leather bands, vintage ribbons, real feathers, dried botanicals, charms. No two leave the same. This is the souvenir you'll wear for years.
2-hour workshop
Witcher Mountain Apothecary
Cold-process soap making
A small-batch cold-process soap workshop with local apothecary Witcher Mountain — lye prepared in advance, safety gear provided, all the pretty without the prep work. You'll leave with approximately 10 bars of your own soap (or split your loaf with a sister and take five each).
≈ 2 hours · sets 24h before unmolding
Equine connection
Trail rides + sacred herd time
Two guided two-hour trail rides through mountain terrain, plus quiet ground time with the herd — observing, listening, and letting the horses mirror back what's ready to be seen. No prior experience required.
Beginner-friendly
Inner alchemy
Drumming, painting, ceremony
A shamanic drumming journey followed by intuitive painting — let the rhythm move what words cannot, then let color and brush do the rest. Soft fires, sacred music, and full-moon meditations woven through every evening.
Evening ritual
Saddle & Soul exclusive
Stargazing with a pro telescope
On equinox evenings the Rocky Mountain sky becomes a cathedral. We'll bring out a professional-grade telescope — Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons, distant nebulae, and the whisper of the Milky Way overhead.
September only · weather permitting
A retreat is the sum of a thousand small choices made in advance — so you never have to make a single one. This is yours, fully held.
Who this is for
This space is for the woman who…
- Has been holding it all together for everyone else
- Feels the quiet pull for something more… deeper… truer
- Craves connection — with herself, with nature, with other women
- Is ready to soften without losing her strength
- Knows she deserves to be held, too
You won't leave the same.
Evening fire circles, integration rituals, real connection.
The nourishment
Meals that hold you.
The cornerstone of every Aviana retreat — fresh, seasonal, thoughtfully prepared meals designed to energize your body and soothe your nervous system.
All meals (excluding one lunch in Buena Vista) are prepared by our private chef, using locally sourced and high-quality ingredients. Mornings include nourishing breakfast options that let you begin your day slowly and intuitively.
Special dietary needs can be honored and accommodated with advance notice.
The accommodations
Mountain cabins, chosen with care.
Comfortable, thoughtfully chosen mountain accommodations that support rest, privacy, and connection — free from light pollution and unnecessary noise.
Photos coming soon
Holly is curating the cabin photos for Saddle & Soul.
The Farmhouse
2-bedroom cabin with full bath and kitchen.
Available
The Glass House
1-bedroom cabin sharing a bath and kitchen with the Farmhouse.
Available
The Herd Homes
4 tiny homes — 1 queen private room and 1 shared room with 2 single beds, each with full bath and kitchen.
Available
The investment
Reserve your spot.
The deeper your circle, the deeper the savings — gather a sister or two and ride together at the autumn equinox.
Solo
$3,575
Private space · per person
Reserve solo →
Sisterhood Duo
$3,475
Register with 1 friend · per person · save $100
Reserve Duo →
★ Best value
Sisterhood Trio
$3,350
Register with 2 friends · per person · save $225
Reserve Trio →
A $500 non-refundable deposit secures your place.
- Remaining balance paid in full by September 3rd, or
- Split into monthly payments leading up to the retreat
- Pay by Stripe (card), Venmo, or Zelle at checkout
Your facilitator
Holly Johnson
International yoga teacher trainer · author · retreat specialist
Holly blossoms from an extensive background of research, study, and direct experience of therapeutic avenues to balance and mend the relationships between mind, body, and Spirit.
A former professional in the horse industry, she attributes much of her personal growth and spiritual understanding to the medicine of the horse. She is certified as a nutritional therapist, personal trainer, equine massage therapist, aromatherapist, Reiki master, Thai bodyworker, and 200-hour yoga instructor.
Getting there
The Copper Lodge · Guffey, CO
10591 Co Rd 102, Guffey, CO 80820
Group transport from Colorado Springs Airport: Shuttle leaves at 2:30 pm on Friday September 18th — you must be available for pick-up at that time. We recommend booking flights that arrive by 2:00 pm.
Denver International Airport: Rent a car, or arrange transport to Colorado Springs Airport in time for the 2:30 pm shuttle.
Returning home: Shuttle departs the Copper Lodge at 11 am on September 23rd, arriving by 12:30 pm to Colorado Springs Airport. Book your return flight for no earlier than 1:45 pm.
Missed the shuttle? An Uber/Lyft from Colorado Springs Airport to the Copper Lodge runs approximately $115 each way.
Not included
A few details to budget for.
- • Flights
- • Gratuities (recommended for transportation & trail guides)
- • Lunch in Buena Vista while visiting Mount Princeton Hot Springs
- • Spa services at Mount Princeton Hot Springs
Travel insurance is strongly recommended. TravelGuard offers comprehensive plans including "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage.
Cancellation policy
Designed with care, anchored in reality.
We understand life can be unpredictable. We've designed this policy with care and compassion — and at the same time, hosting an intimate retreat requires significant advance planning and non-refundable expenses.
60+ days before
Refund of all payments beyond the $500 deposit. Travel costs non-refundable.
30–59 days before
50% credit toward another Aviana retreat within 12 months. Remaining balance forfeited.
0–29 days before
No refunds or credits. All balances paid in full by September 3rd.
Full cancellation policy and details on travel insurance available — reach out to avianayoga@gmail.com with any questions.
Come home to the woman you already are.
The aspens are turning. The horses are waiting. The equinox is calling.
Reserve at the equinox