I went to this yoga school in 2005. What a wonder place and experience to last a lifetime. I was well into yoga and had retired in my early 30's so I decided to do things that I just loved. This was a big decision for me which school I would attend but this one I could drive to where the other was in New York. I see that I already had written a review when I started my Yelp journey and I found some long lost pics read more

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The location is beautiful! The food was great, and Tracy was a good teacher. The material that the training covered was well presented. The only drawback was the attitude of "Ganga" White. His attitude was arrogant and a bit condescending toward the students. He was rigid and unyielding in his approach and it seemed that as far as he was concerned, there is only one way to practice asana. Sad to see an aging yogi with an ego problem, but I suppose it's not as unusual as I once believed. I mean, look at Bikram. read more

Wow, wow wow! I got the joy and pleasure of spending a full 16 days at the WLF for Yoga Teacher training. The place is amazing. It's snuggled right into the side of a mountain. As you drive into the place you find a sweet little parking lot and walk along a down hill path beautified with running water fountains and floating lotus flowers. The main center has a large room with hardwood floors and a fireplace, an open kitchen, a bookstore and office and a large yoga room. There are also two showers, lofts for sleeping and some cozy couches in this main room. The eating tables sit low to the ground and you are seated in backjack chairs for meals, which was a really interesting experience. There's a garden and an outdoor seating spot that overlooks the town. There's a sitting spot on the roof (and if you ask, they have sleeping bags to sleep up there). At night, the stars are clear and beautiful- and I promise you, will be like no other stars you've ever seen. The sleeping areas are yurts or cabins and are situated all along the path down the mountain. There are some other goodies tucked away on the grounds including a sauna and hot tub, a walking meditation area, a fire circle spot, an outdoor rock shower and a 'loo' with a view. When the path ends then the hiking trail starts. Along this trail is a swimming hole and some cute little overlook areas. Overall, WLF was one of the most amazing experiences ever! It was a really great way to get a Yoga Teacher certification- no driving necessary, all meals cooked for you (though, we did do the dishes!) and a peaceful meditative space. My teachers, Kent and Sven, were absolutely amazing and taught me more than they could ever imagine. So, after all that fun - my assignment is to teach 20 yoga classes and 5 private sessions in order to get my certification. Any yelpers interested? read more

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If you have a chance to get away for a weekend, and are open to fresh air, yoga and quiet---consider White Lotus. The grounds are beautiful, high in the mountains. The cell-phone reception may be spotty, and anyway, if you're here to electronically get in touch, you picked the wrong place. It probably helps to have a workshop led by someone wonderful, too. Erin Kirk, who organized the weekend along with Rennie Alexander, has mastered her craft as well as how to conduct an awesome retreat. It was challenging but no one gets hurt. She makes it fun. And when I said quiet, that doesn't include the music----which was a sweet mix of different genres. This was not 'Intro to Monkhood'. Or maybe it was, and I won't recognize that for five years... The food, as mentioned elsewhere, is astounding. Beatrix dazzled at every meal, and though she's between printings of her cookbook, I'd love to know just a few of her secrets. It doesn't hurt to have the bounty that is the local produce, I'm sure. But the meals proved an excellent complement for an intensely relaxing weekend. White Lotus is a perfect venue when you're ready to exhale and recharge. read more

A nationally renowned Center for Yoga since 1967, White Lotus Foundation is a non-profit organization that is directed by Ganga White and Tracey Rich. Ganga, having earned the rare honored title of Yogiraj, "king of yogis." for his work and achievements, offers teacher traning with his wife Tracey in this beautiful retreat center located in the hills above Santa Barbara, CA. For information on teacher trainings, workshops and weekend retreats please visit www.whitelotus.org read more

White Lotus Yoga Foundation - Yoga Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is one of the most beautiful places in Southern California for so many reasons. For Yoga teacher trainings, retreats or get-aways, White Lotus is special. The people, the sense of community, the teachers that grace the buildings there, the chef and assistants--the food is extraordinary, I've never had better retreat food anywhere--the accommodations, walks, hikes, swimming holes... The price could make a once in a lifetime experience, but it is worth every penny. Once you go you will always be connected and will want to go back. :) read more

Claims: "dedicated to the development of the total human being" ....NOT! My hope to write a wonderful review about this place was severely short stopped and squashed partly because of a set of unfortunate life circumstances and the unyielding denial of extending credit. Unfortunately a couple of years ago, I paid $150 towards a weekend retreat. I was under a great deal of stress and was met with many hardships that impacted my life. My father's health was failing; I became conservator but had many legal and continuous court battles. My job became extremely stressful and I ended up with a serious leg injury that prevented me from attending the retreat for the target date. Over the next several months, the dilemma of probate, caring for my father and on the job stress and politics heightened. Eventually, 2013 I lost my job, my dad passed, my uncle who he was very closed suddenly passed weeks later' legal matters continued and my health suffered as well as my finances. Coming up for air now, I realized that I desperately needed a healing retreat. I need to decompress from all of the hardships I was undergoing in life and decide to focus on my health. I suddenly remembered that I a credit for $150 toward the very thing I needed, a weekend yoga retreat. I knew I was taking a chance of requesting special consideration for my situation since I had once requesting the first extension of credit when I hurt my leg. I took a chance and wrote my compelling letter of desperation. I wrote three humble yet sincere and compassion seeking email pleas, emphasizing the great need to begin a path of healing. It was indeed an opportunity for the Foundation to perform a gracious karmic good by granting or gifting a person in need. I offered to pay the balance due toward a reservation which was met with too bad you had your chance denial. WOW! REALLY? OK, clearly a different staff from when I communicated in the previous year. My efforts were meet with stone and ice. The claims of presenting itself as a center of awareness offering therapeutic yoga, and awareness of beauty and the sacredness of life is just a bunch of arrogant baloney! The only awakening of intelligence I gained from this experience is that White Lotus Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit could give a sh*t once they have your money! Namaste to you too! read more

Blissful Pleasures... Just returned from a yoga retreat hosted by owners of "Yoga Oceanside" It was pure indulgence.. The facility was rustic but accomadating, the smells from the kitchen by master chef Beatrix were out of this world. Rolling fog into the canyon at 6:30am is unforgetable. Thunder storms in a yurt is music to my ears. Getting rained on in the hot tub, with a cup of coffee watching the morning bird traffic was heavenly. Ride the train, come with an open mind, open your heart and you will be filled with happiness, peace and bliss... worth every penny.. long-term investment for the soul for sure.. read more

The Ultimate intimate spiritual getaway whether going with a group, a loved one, or solo. read more

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Completed a weekend yoga retreat here through Rising Lotus Yoga with Daniel Stewart leading, and it was exactly what the doctor ordered. As the 2nd yoga retreat of my life, I would say it rocked my world. This location is known widely in the yoga community for its yoga teaching certification program. I didn't do that, but was just here for a yoga retreat which was just as wonderful. Stunning location in the hills. Beautiful main building as well. You can stay in yurts down below the main building, or in the main building itself which I think is more $$. I stayed in a yurt! "Yurt Village" at the bottom of a gravel filled-bumpy road. Despite my fears it was actually really nice inside! Dude, just the walks up and down to get to yoga were a work out!! Anyway, I stayed in Yurt number 6 to be exact, (side note, another yogi in yurt #3 had caterpillars dropping onto her head...whew that wasn't me!). Anyway, our yurt was really cute, they all had 3 beds inside in very classy Buddha like bedspreads (some sort of yoga like design on them) and giant throw pillows. When I say "our yurt" I mean me and my yurt roomie from my studio who I got paired to room with, who was a really cool woman who goes to my studio but I hadn't met yet. Anyway, the yurt was more than I expected. And there were heaters inside! So at night it looked like an orange fire box was lighting up our yurt, it was so cozy! The ceilings were clear domes so all you could see were trees, beautiful. Bathroom was outside, just down the hill but was a real single bathroom called "loo with a view", you have to love that. It really did have a view in front of the trees. Showers were outdoors but in stone, and with a view in the back of trees again whilst you showered. Awesome! The front had glass/opaque sliding doors so no one could see you either, so that rocked. And there was plenty of hot water. :) The yoga room was on the bottom level of the main building, sizable and comfortable. The best thing about this place is the food. Beatrice, European but I didn't find out from where, has been cooking here since 1991. She is amazacatin. She even sells her own published cookbook there. Very healthy food that wasn't the kind that was so healthy it had bad taste- quite the opposite! I had 3 amazing meals a day here. And the tables we ate together in were literally on the floor in a giant, huge ceilinged main room with cushioned chairs with backs. It was very lovely to eat the close to the ground amongst friends lounging in those chairs. The bomb. Sun deck up top with tall trees and sounds of birds. The foundation cat even came up to hang out with me. I love cats. Anyway, I fell asleep on the deck reading and almost missed 2nd class of yoga on Saturday...but didn't! Luckily the internal yoga clock woke my butt up. hardy har har. I am hella sore but the good kind. Oh yeah, we also had option of massage- which HULLO of course I took up. YEAHH! I had Stephanie Trager who was THE BOMB DIGGITY. She was probably the best masseuse I have experienced. She hit spots without me even telling her were issues ahead of time, and did really cool things to stretch me out that no other masseuse has tried before. Two snaps up in a circle. Read, laughed, sweat, danced, sang, ate, was still in the beautiful green hills. It was splendid. If you have a chance to go I recommend it. p.s. there is a hot tub. yes. I did that too, both nights. that's what I'm talkin about. And there was a sauna with cedar wood, the good cedar smell while you warm up. hoorah. can we just live on yoga retreats forever. read more

This is the most amazing retreat center I've ever been to. I've done the 16 day yoga teacher training and it was transformative. The food is amazing, the teachers incredible, the yurts adorable. I can't say enough good things about White Lotus, thats why I keep coming back. read more

All they care about is money. They twist the facts about what really happens. Not very yogic at all in their approach to people with injuries. So, not for me. I lost $500 after an injury precluded me from taking a training. The place where I eventually did get my training would never have done the same thing. You have to shop around and find people who live by a real compassionate philosophy. Absolute swindlers. Don't let their groovy-ness fool you. read more