Winter Wellness Weekend

Rest. Reflect. Reconnect.

What if the best thing you could do this winter was simply slow down?

Escape the demands of everyday life and retreat to the quiet beauty of the North Cascades for a long weekend dedicated to rest, renewal, and connection. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains, evergreen forests, and the peaceful waters of Sourdough and Deer Creeks and Diablo Lake, our inaugural Winter Wellness Weekend invites you to press pause, embrace the slower rhythms of winter, and reconnect with yourself and the natural world.

Hosted at North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center, this special all-inclusive retreat includes comfortable lodging, delicious and healthful meals, mindful movement, creative exploration, restorative practices, and time outdoors. Whether you’re greeting the morning with gentle yoga, unwinding in a soothing sound bath, sharing poetry around a campfire, or simply watching the winter light move across the mountains, you’ll find opportunities to nourish your body, quiet your mind, and restore your spirit.

Guiding the weekend are three experienced wellness practitioners who bring complementary approaches to mindfulness, movement, and connection with nature. Michelle Largent, a licensed mental health counselor, somatic psychotherapist, and certified yoga, meditation, and breathwork teacher, brings a trauma-informed approach to practices that encourage self-awareness and renewal. Sam Largent, a certified sound healer and experienced retreat facilitator, will lead immersive sound baths designed to encourage relaxation and reflection. Joining them is Mileva Huljev, a certified Forest Therapy Guide with more than 20 years of experience helping people deepen their connections with themselves and the natural world through inclusive, nature-based experiences.

Alongside these guided wellness sessions, Institute educators will offer engaging mini-classes inspired by the natural and cultural history of the North Cascades. 

With more than a dozen optional sessions to choose from, you can create a weekend that reflects your own interests, energy, and intentions.

And perhaps the best part? There’s no pressure to do it all. Sleep in, linger over a warm meal, curl up with a book in the Wild Ginger Library, or venture outside to experience the stillness and beauty of the winter landscape. This is your time to slow down, explore what inspires you, and simply be.

Come as you are, leave your busy schedule behind, and discover how a little time in the mountains can help you return home feeling refreshed, grounded, and renewed.

A Day at Winter Wellness Weekend

Every day offers a balance of guided experiences, personal exploration, and unstructured time. Here’s a glimpse of what your weekend might look like:

Dawn | Ease Into the Day
Welcome the morning with a peaceful forest walk or gentle yoga, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the waking winter landscape.

Afternoon | Rest & Restore
Gather for a delicious seasonal lunch, immerse yourself in a meditative sound bath, or enjoy some quiet time overlooking Diablo Lake.

Evening | Gather & Reflect
Connect with fellow participants over happy hour and dinner, then wind down with a forest meditation or gather around the campfire for poetry, conversation, and tea.

Your Weekend, Your Way

All sessions are optional, and there’s no need to fill every moment. The lounges, board games, and Wild Ginger Library will be available throughout the weekend, leaving plenty of room for rest, reflection, and spontaneous moments of connection.

Whether you participate in every activity or spend most of your time enjoying the peace and quiet, Winter Wellness Weekend is an invitation to experience the North Cascades—and yourself—at a different pace.