Mount Madonna &
the Art of Slowing Down
Matia Mathes for YogaLove Magazine
“The best time for relaxation is when you feel like you have no time for it.” — Matia Mathes, YogaLove Magazine
In her recent YogaLove feature, yoga instructor Matia Mathes shares what unfolded during a weekend Personal Retreat at Mount Madonna — a deliberate pause in the middle of a season of nonstop motion, and an invitation to reconsider what it means to truly rest.
After weeks of teacher training, travel, and packing up her life, Matia arrived seeking presence over productivity. She chose to camp among the redwoods, trading the demands of teaching for a return to source: self-guided flows just outside her campsite, a class in the Redwood Yoga Room, and quiet mornings spent watching the light move through the trees.
For Matia, replenishing herself is what makes serving others possible: “The more deeply I connect with myself, the more I am able to open up and serve my yoga community.”
“…I left feeling more inspired than ever to take these lessons with me during my next opportunity to teach.”
Founded in 1978 by students of Baba Hari Dass — a silent monk and teacher of classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) and philosophy — Mount Madonna is built for exactly this kind of intentional rest. On a Personal Retreat, guests set their own rhythm, choosing from yoga and meditation classes, wellness and spa services, scenic hiking trails, and nourishing meals, with overnight stays ranging from camping to rooms, cabins, and yurts among the redwoods near Santa Cruz, California.
Read Matia’s full YogaLove feature, A Weekend That Brought Me Back to Myself.
