Ashtanga Yoga Studio
Magic Forest
A retreat in the woods near Noble, Oklahoma, where the practice finally has room to breathe.
The road runs out before you arrive. Nearly two miles past the last stretch of pavement, the trees close in, the phone goes quiet, and there is finally nothing left to do but practice.
Yoga grew up in places like this. Drawing the attention inward is simply easier when the noise of the city is an hour behind you and the only schedule is the light. That is the whole reason this place exists. We wanted a fuller home for the practice, somewhere students could step out of ordinary life for a few days and concentrate without interruption.
A Family Place
I grew up on this land
It came to me from my parents, and for more than thirty years we have shaped it slowly. We have planted trees, cleared paths through the woods, and built a place where people can come and spend real time in nature. Yoga has been part of it from the start. We have gathered here through every season, and over the years the land itself has become a kind of teacher.
My mother and father are buried here, beneath trees we planted in their memory. They are part of the place now.
Far from the sounds of the city, in the middle of the woods, the mind settles on its own.
The Land
The creek, the clay, and the quiet
Spring Creek is a five minute walk through the trees, clear and spring fed. You can swim, take a mud bath in the red clay along the bank, or sit on the sand in complete privacy. Beyond that there is room to hike, to watch the wildlife, and to lose the habit of hurry.
We have wanted this place for many years, and it takes shape season by season. There is a bright practice hall with good ventilation, a bathroom with showers, and a kitchen where you can cook your own meals. The facilities grow each year, and we update this page as they do.
The Place Itself
Photographs by Andrew Eppler
Finding Us
20180 Fulkerson Rd, Noble OK 73068
Half an hour from Norman. Forty five minutes from Oklahoma City.
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Set your GPS for 20180 Fulkerson Rd, Noble OK 73068. When you reach Fulkerson Rd you will see the Ashtanga Yoga Studio sign.
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For most people the GPS gives up before you arrive. Watch instead for the Magic Forest Retreat Centre signs, posted every half mile.
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The dirt road twists and turns. Follow it more than a mile east from the pavement, then another mile south to the center. When you feel you have gone too far into the woods, keep going. That feeling is part of the arrival.
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The neighbors are kind, so do not hesitate to ask if you pass someone. Lost? Call 405 503 7779 and we will talk you in. You may need to drive back toward the pavement to find a signal.
What We Offer Here
Ways to practice at Magic Forest
Come Practice
There is a clearing in the woods with your name on it.
We have gathered here for more than thirty years. Bring your practice to the land, and let it settle into something deeper.