Iyengar Yoga for Scoliosis and Back Care: Immersive Retreat and Teacher Training

Imagine a week where your curved spine isn't something to hide or fix, but something to understand, honor, and work with—discovering balance, strength, and ease in your unique body. At this immersive retreat in Helena, Montana, Iyengar yoga teachers Elise Browning Miller and Susan-Elena Esquivel guide students and teachers through a transformative exploration of scoliosis and spinal health. Set against the natural beauty of Feathered Pipe Ranch, this week-long program builds on Browning Miller's internationally recognized Yoga for Scoliosis methodology, offering the extended classroom hours and personalized attention that make lasting shifts possible.

Whether you live with scoliosis, manage chronic back pain, or teach others navigating spinal challenges, this retreat offers something rare: a practice designed for your spine, not in spite of it. Through precise anatomical study, alignment-based sequencing, and breath work tailored to curved spines, you'll develop a deeply personalized practice that allows your body to find balance within gravity. Beyond the physical work, you'll explore the psychological and emotional dimensions of scoliosis, gaining insights that ripple into daily life and teaching.

What to Expect

This immersive experience weaves together anatomical education, methodical yoga sequencing, and embodied learning in the peaceful setting of a Montana ranch. Each day you'll study how scoliosis affects your unique spine, learn to identify your individual curvatures, and move through carefully designed poses that build from foundational to intermediate levels. The teaching emphasizes alignment principles and breath practices specific to curved spines, creating conditions for your body to discover its own intelligence.

The retreat welcomes all practitioners—whether you're new to yoga or have years of experience—and includes a specialized teacher-training track for those leading others in this work. Group instruction is balanced with opportunities for personalized guidance, allowing you to receive adjustments and modifications tailored to your body. By the week's end, you'll leave with a solid foundation in your own practice, tools to teach or support others, and a shift in how you relate to your spine.

Venue & Logistics

Feathered Pipe Ranch in Helena, Montana provides a serene, nature-immersed setting for deep learning. The retreat begins Saturday, August 8, 2026. Wear comfortable clothing that allows freedom of movement; props including blocks, straps, and blankets will be provided. Please contact the organizers regarding any accessibility needs or physical limitations.