Harmony Dawn Fall Weekend Retreat
November 14-16, 2025
Yoga – Embodiment – Meditation – Nourishment – Community
Harmony Dawn
an off the grid retreat center
Join us for our 5th Annual Fall Retreat at Harmony Dawn — a weekend to slow down, nourish yourself, and restore your energy, during the transition into the fall season, and during the darkest weeks of the year.
This retreat is about more than Yoga — it’s about coming home to yourself. Surrounded by the beauty of the changing season, we’ll move our bodies, we'll rest, reflect, and share in community. You’ll leave feeling grounded, inspired, and more connected — to yourself, to your body, to others, and to the natural rhythm of autumn — ready to embrace the quiet of winter and the fresh start of a new year.
Expect nourishing home-cooked vegetarian meals, cozy Saturday night games, forest walks, a creative crafting session, energizing morning Yoga, grounding Yin and meditation, deeply restful Yoga Nidra, and space to read, nap, or simply be — all in the company of a wonderful community of women.
Our home for the weekend is Harmony Dawn, a beautiful off-grid retreat center set on 50 acres of meadows and old-growth forest. Located near Rice Lake, in Hastings, Ontraio, it's just an hour and a half from Toronto, and also close to Ottawa or Montreal. It really is the perfect place to unplug and be supported by nature, sustainable living, and lovingly prepared meals.
Yoga & Mindful Movement
Each day we’ll gather in Harmony Dawn’s beautiful indoor studio, with floor-to-ceiling windows, heated floors, and expansive views of the surrounding forest — the perfect place to greet the sunrise as you move and breathe.
Mornings will feature energizing Vinyasa flows and strength-based Mindful Movement. You’ll build heat through repetition, explore balancing shapes, and connect more deeply to your breath with guided pranayama.
Afternoons and evenings will invite a softer rhythm with gentle Hatha and Yin Yoga, guided meditation, and a deeply restorative Yoga Nidra practice on our first night.
Every class is thoughtfully designed around our retreat theme, offering space for inspiration, introspection, and inner clarity. This retreat is open to all levels — whether you’re brand new to yoga or looking to deepen your practice.
Food
Our food is lovingly prepared by Nicola, the co-founder of Harmony Dawn. She creates six delicious meals for us (two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners), using fresh, seasonal ingredients and her own scratch-made recipes. (Yes — you can even bring her flavours home through her cookbooks!)
Nicola’s cuisine is rooted in Yin-Yang principles of balance and guided by the latest nutritional insights. Her meals are not only appealing to the eye and palate, but also deeply nourishing and healing for the body.
Expect hearty yet light vegetarian dishes: warm homemade focaccia, comforting minestrone soup, fragrant curries, wholesome pulses and grains, crisp seasonal salads, and some of her decadent desserts.
Sharing meals together is one of the sweetest parts of retreat life: a chance to slow down, savour, and connect in community.
*most dietary restrictions will be accommodated, please let us know ahead of time
Weekend Schedule
FRIDAY
4:00 - 6:00 PM: Arrival
6:00 PM: Welcome Dinner
7:30 PM: Opening Yin Practice & Yoga Nidra
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Rise & Shine yoga
8:45 AM: Breakfast
11:00 AM: Crafting
12:30 PM: Lunch
Forest Walk
4:00 – 5:30 PM: Afternoon Practice
6:00 PM: Dinner & Games Night
SUNDAY
7:30 – 8:30 AM: Rise & Shake – Somatic Movement
8:45 AM: Breakfast
10:30 AM: Final Yoga Practice & Closing Circle
12:30 PM: Lunch
slow departure by 2pm
Things to know
& What's Included
What's Included:
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3 days, 2 nights shared accommodation at Harmony Dawn Retreat Center (2-3 people in the bright bunk rooms, 4-6 people in the upper loft, with shared bathrooms)
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6 nourishing vegetarian meals (Friday dinner – Sunday lunch)
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Daily movement/yoga class, led by Madison
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Guided Yoga Nidra session on the first night before bed
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Opening & Closing circles - with designated intention setting and journaling time
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All guided activities: forest bathing/nature walks, Saturday night games night, afternoon crafting session ...
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All taxes included
Meet Your Hosts
Founders Andy and Nicola James created Harmony Dawn in 2003 as an off-grid sanctuary designed with Feng Shui and Yin-Yang principles of balance. Andy draws on over 30 years of teaching ancient mind-body wisdom, while Nicola nourishes guests with her healing vegetarian cuisine. Together, they envisioned and built Harmony Dawn as a place where people can reconnect with nature, restore their energy, and find inspiration for a more balanced way of living.
Madison has been teaching Yoga for 10 years and leading retreats for the past 6, bringing the same care and storytelling instinct she honed as a television producer into every experience.
On the mat, she guides participants through creative Yoga sequences, mindful movement, with hands-on support, helping each person connect to their breath, body, and mind. Off the mat, she brings warmth and presence to every part of the weekend—connecting with guests over meals, leading forest walks, hosting crafting sessions, and running evening games.
Madison’s retreats are designed to inspire reflection, growth, and meaningful connection. Her hope is that what is practiced on retreat becomes something participants carry home: clarity, strength, and a deeper sense of connection in everyday life.
Investment & Next Step ...
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Investment: $659 (all inclusive, per person)
Secure your spot by sending a $225.50 CAD non-refundable deposit, via etransfer to madifruitman@gmail.com
Remaining balance for accommodation payable directly to Nicola at Harmony Dawn Retreat Center - 800 Baxter Road, R.R.1 Hastings: nic@harmonydawn.com / 705-696-2066 in October.
For general retreat questions & to book contact Madison Fruitman at madifruitman@gmail.com | 647.210.9891
Madison is partnered with Victor Travel
101-8800 Dufferin St. Concord, ON L4K 0C5
Tico Registration 1892647
