This Suburban Yoga Studio’s New Private Retreats Let You Get Away Without Traveling

Namaste soirees, the Prancing Peacock Yoga Studio’s new private retreats, let you rejuvenate without traveling far away. / Photograph by Kristen Russo

There’s something about getting away from our routines that makes us immediately shrug off stress. After all, that’s why we take vacations, right? To introduce variety that helps us get away from our harried lives and ubiquitous responsibilities.

But so often, that means doing things that make us more tired in the long run. Spending an entire week slamming tequila shots in Mexico when you’re normally a one-glass-of-wine-at-dinner kind of gal is likely going to send you back to work with a migraine. Munching on Thrasher’s French fries for lunch multiple days in a row at the beach might seem like a good idea at the time (a very good idea), but your gut will be complaining for much longer. Even the hassle of traveling — spending hours in traffic or on a plane, messing up your circadian rhythm if you change time zones, eating at restaurants that probably put way more salt in their food than you would at home — can take its toll so you feel as if you aren’t actually refreshed.

Liz Conner, studio owner and “chief executive peacock” at the Prancing Peacock Yoga Studio in Bucks County, thinks there’s a better way to detox. About a month ago, the 16-year-old studio began offering private retreats dubbed “namaste soirees.” These several-hour events typically feature yoga, breathwork — an active form of meditation that’s intended to relieve stress and anxiety — a healthy lunch, and a creative component such as painting, building a terrarium, or creating aromatherapy roll-ons. However, the soirees are customizable, so you have the ability to add or drop any components, depending on your self-care goals.

Most of the Prancing Peacock’s retreats incorporate a creative component, such as painting. / Photograph by Kristen Russo

The best part? Whatever your event looks like, it’ll feel like you’ve booked a getaway. That’s because the namaste soirees are held either outside on the Peacock’s newly installed yoga deck, which looks out on Conner’s bucolic 12-acre farm (it has a pond! with turtles!) in Yardley, or inside what’s dubbed the “wellness castle” at Langhorne — an elegant, cathedral-ceilinged space complete with a chandelier and velvet accents. “People are so stressed out,” Conner says. “There’s this low-level anxiety happening every day when you wake up. To be able to escape but not have to go away for a whole weekend or even a week, to just come here for a few hours and feel enveloped in the care put into the place, that’s such a soothing, beautiful day.”

Liz Conner, owner of the Prancing Peacock, makes sure that every aspect of the namaste soirees is elevated, including the food. / Photograph by Kristen Russo

For those who get more anxious when they have to make a lot of decisions, Conner also offers public retreats that are already planned. The next two on the schedule are September 29th’s “The Art of Finding Your Higher Self”($135 per person), which includes active breathing, refreshments, and a mandala painting, and a Women’s Wellness Fall Afternoon Retreat ($108) with vinyasa and restorative yoga and breathwork on October 27th.

Pricing for the namaste soirees starts at $125 per person for a large group (10 to 15 guests). Smaller groups can pay $150 per person for up to four guests; these more intimate retreats are only held in the Langhorne location. Call the studio to book.