Natalie Ritenour at Present Moment Retreat

Natalie Ritenour has been interested in Eastern philosophies since 1995 when she joined the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan, Central Asia. While traveling to over 35 countries and periods of deep personal reflection...she discovered her passion for yoga in 1997 during her first trip to India.

In 2005 Natalie returned from a five month trip to northern India (Rishakesh) and central India (Nasik) where she studied Hatha yoga and it's origins. She is trained and certified from Yoga Vidya Dham in Nasik, India. www.yogapoint.com.

In January of 2007 she spent five months continuing her education at her ashram in India, becoming certified in Advanced Yogic Techniques and Yoga Therapy. She also completed an internship, assisting other aspiring yogis and yoginis through their training courses.

Natalie's teachings style is based mostly on her studies in India combined with fusion blends of Yoga she has connected with in the west. She is trained in Hatha Yoga, the philosophies of Pitanjali's Yoga Sutras (Astanga/Raja Yoga), and has experience in many other types of Yoga (Kundalini, Bikrams, Sivananda, Postural, Taoist Yoga) and meditation. Natalie designs each of her classes to meet the special needs of every individual student. Her strength lies in helping students understand yogic techniques that can apply in their every day lives....giving them tools to help them realize their true nature which is divine light...whether on the mat or off!

Natalie is also a bodywork specialist who specializes in Thai Massage. It is an ancient form of therapy that came from India at the time of Buddha. This unique interactive 2 hour massage is a fully comprehensive treatment of all the energy lines and points in the body (otherwise jokingly known as "Lazy man's yoga"). The Thai massage is meant not only for relaxation and invigoration, but for healing of the body. It is a life changing spiritual experience that leaves people in an heightened state of euphoria and release brought on by stimulation of subtle energy bodies. Natalie was trained in the northern Thai style at the Sunshine School of Massage in Chaing Mai, Thailand ( www.sunshine-massage-school.com).

Working at Present Moment is a dream that Natalie manifested through her vision for a lifestyle which has low impact on the earth's resources, while maintaining a high impact on the global consciousness and loving energy that connects us all as humans. Through her passions of yoga and massage, Natalie hopes to make your stay at Present Moment one that will uplift your body, mind and spirit.

A future goal of Natalie's is to take groups of people through Mexico on yoga-eco tours. Looking eventually to branch out to Thailand and India.

Namaste!