What to Expect at Group Camp
This weekend, June 16-18, the Summer Big Om Yoga Retreat has three available options for overnight stay at Sequoyah State Park. There is a hotel, Sequoyah Lodge, located at the back end of the park. Group Camp and camping are both located near the front entrance. Workshops will be happening at both the Sequoyah Lodge and the Group Camp. There is a 3-mile road that runs the length of the park between these two locations. This article will give you an overview of what to expect and how to navigate your stay this weekend at the Summer Big Om Yoga Retreat.
Check-in for the retreat will be at the front of the park. Stop there first to get your Big Om Yoga Retreat bracelet for the weekend and directions to your appropriate lodging. The rooms at the Sequoyah Lodge range in price, and a room there is not included in the price of a Big Om Yoga Retreat ticket (unlike Group Camp). Availability for the rooms at the lodge are very limited and they are fully booked for the weekend, but don’t hesitate to give them a call--there are always cancellations at the last minute.
A ticket to stay in the Group Camp or to camp outdoors overnight can be included in your Big Om Yoga Retreat ticket price. Group Camp is located near the front of the park. It’s a group camping site with room for parking, rows of A-line cabins with bunk beds, restrooms, and a main hall and kitchen. Group Camp has plenty of outdoor, secluded space for those who are camping outside, and all the meals will be served at Group Camp’s main hall.
There will be about 8 people bunking in each cabin. Bring your own bedding, including a bottom sheet. Each cabin has air conditioning and a single outlet, so grab a power strip if you have one so everyone can charge their phones overnight. The mattresses in the cabins can be noisy (and so can some of our heavy snorers), so bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. We will be in and out of the cabins throughout the weekend and they will remain unlocked. You may want to leave your valuables in your car during the day on Saturday.
Restrooms at the Group Camp are locker-style with separate men’s and women’s. They have showers, stalls, sinks, and outlets for blow-dryers and such. Anyone camping outdoors at the Big Om Yoga Retreat will have access to the bathrooms at the Group Camp. The restrooms are older, so bring flip-flops for the shower, your own soap and shampoo, and a mirror for anything like applying makeup or shaving. Besides the restrooms, cabins, and main hall, Group Camp also has a large bonfire area, access to the lake, patio tables and chairs, space for camping outside, and several hammocks set up under the trees.
Most of the workshops will be taking place at the Sequoyah Lodge. Everyone will end up traveling the 3-mile road along the state park between the Group Camp and Sequoyah Lodge. The road is paved, two lane, and narrow in places. Car-pooling is encouraged. Golf carts are also available to rent at the lodge for the day or weekend. Also, feel free to bring a bike, but prepare for night travel with reflectors and a light (there are no street lights)--just in case the sun goes down (or isn’t up yet) as you are making your way out of bed or back to it. You can also bike the trails, but to reach Group Camp from the lodge, or vise versa, you will have to travel on the main road for at least part of the way. For those staying at Group Camp, the close quarters allows for everyone to connect with each other in a new way, where a deep feeling of community can take place. There is also plenty of space for people to spread out, be alone, or group up amongst themselves.
To plan the weekend that’s best for you, be sure and check out the Summer Big Om Yoga Retreat schedule. The schedule has been designed for enough time between meals and workshops for traveling to and from the Group Camp and Sequoyah Lodge. Check-in will be moved to Sequoyah Lodge after 8pm on Friday. If you arrive after that time, drive the full 3-mile road through the park to reach the lobby of the lodge and tell the front desk you are with the Big Om Yoga Retreat. If you still feel unprepared about your time at the Summer Big Om Yoga Retreat, check out How to Pick Your Workshops for the Summer Big Om Yoga Retreat to give you more insight on how the weekend will go.
Remember not to think too hard, worry too much, or pack for the end of the world. You will be coming into a community of people who will accept you, help you with anything you need, answer any questions you have, and have already packed extra of whatever you forgot to bring. So above all else, come and let all your cares disappear because you are going to have a lot of fun.
