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Description
The Veteran Recovery Retreat is a restorative, supportive, and grounded healing experience created specifically for veterans seeking emotional relief, connection, and personal renewal. Held in the peaceful surroundings of Orenda, this retreat provides a structured yet compassionate environment where veterans can explore tools for emotional balance, trauma release, nervous system regulation, and community support.
With a focus on resilience, strength, and rebuilding trust within oneself, the retreat blends movement, breathwork, somatic practices, sharing circles, and restoration. It is a safe space to decompress, process, and reconnect with identity beyond military experience.
Who This Retreat Is For
No prior yoga or healing experience required. This retreat is ideal for veterans who are:
01
Looking for emotional grounding, clarity, and nervous system support
02
Navigating stress, hypervigilance, anxiety, or overwhelm
03
Interested in mind-body practices that support trauma recovery
04
Wanting a community of peers who understand the veteran experience
05
Seeking a quiet, nature-based reset
06
Ready for guided practices that build stability and inner peace
Retreat Inclusions
- All meals
- All healing practices
- Your own bed in a shared room
- Group support circles
- Nature immersion
- Pre-retreat preparation
- Post-retreat integration support
- Orenda gift bag
- Retreat materials
- All sessions and workshops
- 2 nights lodging
-
Gourmet meals prepared by
Executive Chef Ashish Kapoor - Gentle yoga, restorative movement, & mindful breathwork
- Healing workshops and reflection sessions
Full access to all retreat spaces:
- Yoga studio
- Meditation loft
- Fire circle
- Nature trails
- Communal lounges
- Yoga studio
- Meditation loft
- Fire circle
- Nature trails
- Communal lounges
Travel
- Travel to and from Orenda is not included.
Retreat Schedule Overview
Sample Weekend Flow
(Timing intentionally general to support flexibility and presence.)
Arrival & Departure
Arrival
Fri between 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Departure
Sunday by 11:00 AM - 12 PM
Friday
- Arrival & check-in
- Opening ceremony & intention setting
- Gentle grounding movement
- Dinner
Saturday
- morning movement
- breakfast
- morning workshop
- lunch
- afternoon programming
- dinner
Sunday
- breakfast
- closing ceremony
- Departures
Accommodations
& Room Upgrades
All participants are guaranteed their own bed in a shared room with the minimum $500 donation.
Both spaces are warm, clean, & intentionally prepared for comfort and healing.
Shared Room Options (Included)
Chakra Bedroom
7 twin beds in a peaceful, ground-level shared room
Loft Bedroom
2 twin beds in a cozy loft space (requires ability to climb a ladder)
Private Rooms
(Available With Additional Donation)
Participants may upgrade to a private or semi-private suite by increasing their donation. Fundraising tools are available to support room upgrades.
Private rooms range from modest to premium-suite upgrades, depending on availability and donation level. Participants are encouraged to fundraise, seek sponsorship, or make an additional contribution to receive their preferred room.
Available Private
& Semi-Private Suites
Ahimsa Suite
A private sanctuary inspired by the principle of non-harm, offering warmth, softness, and a gentle atmosphere for deep healing and restoration.
Murphy Cabana
A charming standalone cabana offering privacy, rustic beauty, & a retreat-within-a-retreat feel—ideal for quiet integration & personal reflection.
Shanti Suite 1
A peaceful semi-private suite shared with one other participant. Spacious, calming, & designed to support both privacy & connection.
Karma Suite
Another serene semi-private suite offering comfort, soothing energy, and clearly defined personal space for rest and reflection.
Namaste Suite
A bright, harmoniously designed private suite that supports lightness, ease, and spiritual alignment throughout the retreat.
Prana Suite
A revitalizing private room infused with natural textures, clean lines, and peaceful energy. Perfect for participants desiring renewed vitality.
Mountain Suite
A serene, spacious suite with mountain views and calming natural light. Perfect for those seeking solitude, depth, and luxurious rest.
Ahimsa Suite
A private sanctuary inspired by the principle of non-harm, offering warmth, softness, and a gentle atmosphere for deep healing and restoration.
Murphy Cabana
A charming standalone cabana offering privacy, rustic beauty, & a retreat-within-a-retreat feel—ideal for quiet integration & personal reflection.
Shanti Suite 1
A peaceful semi-private suite shared with one other participant. Spacious, calming, & designed to support both privacy & connection.
Karma Suite
Another serene semi-private suite offering comfort, soothing energy, and clearly defined personal space for rest and reflection.
Namaste Suite
A bright, harmoniously designed private suite that supports lightness, ease, and spiritual alignment throughout the retreat.
Prana Suite
A revitalizing private room infused with natural textures, clean lines, and peaceful energy. Perfect for participants desiring renewed vitality.
Meet Your Facilitators
Lockey Maisonneuve
VP of Trauma Healing
VP of Trauma and Healing Facilitation, Lockey leads this retreat with deep compassion and expertise in trauma informed healing. A survivor who has rebuilt her life through mindfulness and movement, she brings authenticity, grounding, and powerful emotional insight to veterans seeking recovery and renewal.
Maria Assunta Parrella
Founder & Spiritual Leader
Maria Assunta Parrella is the founder of Honor Yoga and the Honor Yoga Foundation. With over 30 years of experience in spiritual leadership and intuitive guidance, she leads this ceremonial retreat with deep wisdom, integrity, and spiritual grounding. Her work blends energy, intuition, and conscious awakening in a way that is accessible and transformative.
Lilyvette Pardo
Director of Retreat Experience
Lilyvette is your dedicated participant coach. She supports you before, during, and after the retreat. She helps with:
- Emotional check-ins
- Pre-retreat preparation
- Post-retreat integration
- Fundraising support
- Assistance with room upgrades
- Ensuring you feel held, guided, and supported throughout the journey
Her steady, loving presence is a cornerstone of the Orenda experience.
Ashish Kapoor
Director of Hospitality
Ashish brings a lifetime of culinary artistry, cultural tradition, and intentional nourishment to the Orenda experience. Born in India and trained through culinary school and some of India’s premier five-star Indian and Asian restaurants, Ashish combines refined gourmet technique with a deep understanding of authentic, fresh, and sattvic food philosophies.
For Ashish, cooking is sacred practice. He believes food carries energy, and the consciousness brought to its preparation matters. Known for preparing ingredients largely by hand rather than machine, he approaches each meal with care, mindfulness, and reverence, infusing nourishment, vitality, and love into the process.
His meals are thoughtfully crafted to support healing, groundedness, digestion, emotional wellbeing, and delight. At Orenda, his cuisine becomes part of the retreat journey itself helping guests feel cared for, restored, connected, and deeply nourished on every level.
Application Instructions
Your application is not complete until your deposit is received.
Once Steps 1–3 are complete, our team will review your application and notify you of the next steps.
Schedule Your Required 15-Minute Conversation
the end of the application, you will find a link to schedule a short call with the Retreat Chair or Lead Facilitator. This conversation ensures the retreat is a supportive and appropriate fit and that we can meet your needs safely.
Submit Your Refundable $500 Deposit
A refundable deposit is required to complete your application. Your deposit holds your place while your application is reviewed, becomes your retreat donation if you are accepted, and is refunded in full if you are not accepted.
Request Hardship Support (Optional)
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may request partial or full sponsorship directly within the application. No applicant is turned away for financial need. Sponsorships are distributed based on available funding and level of need.
Acceptance and Pre-Retreat Requirements
If accepted, you will receive your full pre-retreat packet, which includes safety and preparation guidelines, a packing list, optional journaling or pre-retreat practices, payment instructions if any remaining balance is owed, and details for your virtual group orientation. These materials will be sent once your acceptance is confirmed.
Request Hardship Support (Optional)
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may request partial or full sponsorship directly within the application. No applicant is turned away for financial need. Sponsorships are distributed based on available funding and level of need.
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Mission Reminder
Honor Yoga Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing suffering and fostering healing through the practice of yoga. Through retreats, outreach, and purpose-driven studios, we help awaken the gifts within every human being.
Donor Assurance
All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Every contribution supports our programs, scholarships, and community initiatives that bring yoga to those who need it most.
Honor Yoga Foundation
59 Lawrencia Drive
Lawrenceville
New Jersey 08648
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- © 2026 Honor Yoga Foundation
Mountain Suite
A serene, spacious suite with mountain views and calming natural light. Perfect for those seeking solitude, depth, and luxurious rest.