Live For Now Yoga Retreat
Sunday 30th September I ran the first returning yoga retreat after the birth of baby 2! With a focus on how to "Live for Now" it was great to see old faces, as well as welcome new yogis to our ever growing yoga community and family.
We started the day with a warming cup of organic herbal tea to help set a calm and relaxed tone, before heading onto our mats for the first yoga session.
The first session was 75 minutes of mindful vinyasa flow yoga. What is mindful vinyasa flow I hear you ask? Firstly let me explain vinyasa flow; a beautiful sequence of poses linking movement to breath into a seamless flow. Mindful vinyasa flow allows for a slower flow of movements/ poses. Holding each pose for slightly longer allows for particular attention to correct alignment. This slower approach also helps to bring awareness on all levels, keeping you totally present.
After this energising sequence of poses, we paused for organic healthy treats, more herbal teas and settled down to listen to a talk discussing ways to "live for now". This talk discussed really simple ways to optimise inner peace and happiness through living here in the now. We can always learn from the past, nobody can tell what the future holds, so ultimately, the only place to live life is right here, right now.
The day was completed with a 75 minute therapeutic yoga session and yoga nidra to send the guests off in a blissfully calm state. Never tried yoga nidra? Let me explain more about this truly healing practise.
Yoga nidra is a form of meditation which follows a specific structure and well-researched sequence. It is the state of consciousness somewhere between wake and sleep which modern psychology names as "the hynogogic state". This is where the mind is exceptionally receptive.
In today's society we hold a lot of stress and tension in the body and rarely allow ourselves time to relax and simply be. Yoga nidra allows for just this! During yoga nidra you will enter the parasympathetic state (complete opposite to the sympathetic state/ stress response). It is during the parasympathetic state where the body can heal and repair, which is why it is also referred to as the "rest and digest state".
During yoga nidra you are guided into a state of complete relaxation. It is said that 1 hour of yoga nidra is the equivalent to 4 hours conventional sleep. Through practising yoga nidra, you are not only relaxing and releasing tension from the body, but also restructuring and reforming the mind so that old habits and tendencies can be transformed.
I want to say a big thank you to all the guests for making my returning retreat another special and memorable event.
I am currently planning all events for 2019 including a new premium retreat. This will include a beautiful sit down vegetarian lunch in a new stunning location. Keep your eyes peeled, as this is not to be missed!
Namaste x
Photos by my dear friend Gabriella Everist
