The 8 pillars of Yoga
23rd to 29th August
Style of Yoga to be taught
There are almost as many definitions of the word ‘yoga’ as there are styles of yoga practice. One of our favourite definitions is that Yoga is a ‘union’ - of mind, body and breath. It is a profound, radical and transformative practice.
People come to yoga classes for many different reasons – to increase flexibility, to sleep better, to tone up, to relax – however often they will find other benefits from them.
The practice of Yoga Asana (physical positions) are the tip of an iceberg into a much wider and deeper set of practices and ways of living. Traditional yoga consists of eight pillars, including how we live our lives, Pranayama (breathing exercises), inner awareness, concentration, and ultimately Samadhi – or the blissful state of oneness. Although we cannot promise Samadhi in all classes we will bring in many of the other dimensions of yoga into the classes, such as pranayama, and inner focus.
The style of teaching will be a ‘Mindful Vinyasa Yoga’. This is a slow flowing style which brings in intelligent sequencing, mindfulness, a focus on inner awareness, and moving with the breath. We will combine more flowing classes with opportunities to break down the poses and explore fundamental principles in yoga, such as how we can use the ground to engage and enliven our poses and how we can create space in our bodies, by working with partners or using props. We teach breathing and a variety of meditation techniques from different traditions in each class to enable student to further explore this part of yoga.
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Your Rustic Retreats journey
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Often in our personal lives, jobs and/or yoga practice we may go through periods where we feel stuck! This feeling might relate to stress or anxiety, lack of inspiration, or fatigue. This week will help inspire us by providing both traditional but also modern techniques, practises and ideas to re-energise and enliven our yoga practices – and by extension our lives!
From exploring modern principles of anatomy to ensure that our positions are safe and sustainable, to investigating ancient limbs of yoga and how they can apply in our modern lives this week will provide a fresh outlook to your yoga practice.
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Over the week, I will also offer meditation techniques from a range of different traditions including Buddhist-inspired awareness and Metta (loving kindness) practices, modern mindfulness practices and more traditional Pranayama (breath control) techniques from a Hatha Yoga background. These meditation techniques will help you get to know yourself better, understand your trigger points and be able to recognise and change negative thought patterns.
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Daily timetable for yoga retreat
07.30 Morning meditation
08.00 Morning yoga practice
09.30 - 10.15 Breakfast buffet
11.00 Workshop (practical/theoretical) or free time
13.00 Lunch
15.00 Free time
19.00 Evening yoga practice
20.30 Meditation or Yoga Nidra
21.00 Evening meal
(Please note, this is a sample timetable and may be subject to change.)
There will be one workshop a day, it may be in the morning or afternoon.
Your workshop programme
Freedom and Form
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In this practical workshop, you will explore some of the basics of yoga alignment and how this relates to anatomy (form). We will look at how every ‘body’ is different and the importance of not trying to force yourself into the ‘perfect pose’. We will discuss the importance of ‘good’ alignment (form) as a basis for avoiding injury. This will focus particularly on how to protect delicate areas such as the shoulders, neck, lower back and knees.
We will then look at how we can take these functional basics and use them to create ‘freedom’ and ease in in our practice. This will be explored through using playful natural movements, and moving slowly in and out of poses, and investigating the right balance of effort and ease in our practice.
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The 8 limbs of yoga
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This workshop will enable both seasoned practitioners and newbies to know and explore further the eight limbs of yoga. We will begin by introducing the eight limbs of yoga and where these originate from and how they fit into other parts of yoga philosophy.
We will then go on to explore in depth the Yamas and Niyamas and discuss how these ancient principles relate to our modern lives and yoga practice. We will then go on to investigate the other six limbs of yoga both through discussion and practical exercises. The workshop will conclude with a session on how we can apply these ancient codes of conduct and steps of yoga practice to our daily lives.
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Fire & Freedom
We all have emotions we hold onto that don't serve us in a positive way, fear, loss, anger, guilt etc. We will incorporate Tapas (burning of impurities) into a ceremony, that will help you to heal old wounds and to move on feeling lighter and more positive, freeing you of old unwanted patterns.
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Yoga for stress and anxiety
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It is difficult to feel inspired and motivated when we stressed and worried, and I have observed that more and more people are coming to yoga as an antidote to counter anxiety, depression, insomnia and other stress related problems. Our day-to-day lives seem to have become more and more busy resulting in the production of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which have a toil on our daily functioning and our bodies and minds.
​This workshop will explore how we can use simple yoga practices and meditation techniques to learn coping strategies for day-to day-stress and tension. We will explore techniques such as restorative yoga, breathing techniques and guided relaxations to deal with stressful situations both in the moment, but also as a way to unwind during particular stressful times. Through using observation techniques we will explore how effective these simple practices can be.
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Price
It costs from €599 per person, including all meals, yoga, workshops, beach day & equipment. Not including flights or transfers.
Reservation
Get in touch with us to ask any questions, find out more about our retreat or reserve your place now for just €140 deposit.