New Beginnings Retreat

Styles of yoga to be taught

Mainly Hatha & Restorative In the sessions, you can expect to linger luxuriously in some postures to really reach those deeper places in ourselves on all levels and to delve into a deeper relationship with each posture too. Our morning sessions shall focus on an energising Hatha practice with the evening sessions focusing on a soothing more Restorative practice - a perfect balance. We believe, the philosophical aspect of yoga is just as important as the physical so you can expect to hear words of wisdom and inspiration as you make your way through your postures.

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Sample Daily Schedule​

From 07.00 Hot water for teas and fresh fruit available

08.00 to 09.30 Yoga and meditation/Pranayama practice

09.45 to 10.30 Breakfast buffet served

10.45 to 14.00 Free time or workshop

14.00 to 14.30 Lunch

15.00 to 16.30 Free time or workshop

16.30 to 18.00 Yoga

18.00 to 18.30 Meditation

20.30 Evening Meal

All times are given as a guideline and are subject to change

Your Rustic Retreats Journey​

The theme of Light & Lightness will be interwoven and felt throughout all our activities on the retreat: the meditations, the yoga and the workshops. Our meditation sessions will focus on guided meditations and sound meditations – two of the most accessible methods of meditation to begin with. Our meditation practice will culminate with trataka – candle gazing – letting the light from a single flame melt away anything not serving us and those around us. Each workshop serves the theme of Light & Lightness and we’ll discuss and share in more detail on the retreat as to how this is really and truly the case (even more than we think right now probably!). In our yoga sessions we are all probably guilty of taking things far too seriously from time to time... remember – it’s just yoga! We will be reminding you of this throughout in new and creative ways. Let’s keep things light and look for inspiration to assist us with this…

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"It’s dark and heavy because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling…” (Aldous Huxley)

We’ll recall some key learnings from our previous yoga, meditation and workshop sessions and slowly begin to connect the dots, forming a practice that is as holistic as possible. We have an “open-door policy” in that you can talk to the team as much as you like outside of the yoga, meditation and yoga sessions about anything we could help you further with.

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Your workshop programme 1) Laughter Workshop

What better way to embrace the theme of Light & Lightness than with this laugh-out-loud-guarantee workshop! We’ll create both genuine real belly laughs as well as initial “put-on” laughter (the positive effects are still the same in the body and brain and soon result in the real belly laughs too!) The basic “ha” sound that we make when we laugh is actually a mantra too; perhaps this is the essence of its goodness for us?

2) Trust Workshop

Surrender into trust and let this ease your journey through life. In this workshop we’ll be working with different partners and as a whole group on a variety of physical trust exercises to further enhance our ability and willingness to trust. This will help us to embody and feel a greater sense of lightness and for our light to shine ever brighter as we continue on our paths.

3) Yoga Discussions

To lock the knee or not? To engage the buttocks in upward-facing dog or not? Just two of the topics we’ll be discussing that evoke a vast array of differing opinions. We’ll look at the view points and facts from both sides of a few key issues that are commonly debated amidst the international yoga community, leaving you with a more holistic approach to each matter at hand and not feeling so lost and torn between opposing advice.

4) Fire Ceremony (NYE)

In the Fire Ceremony we intentionally raise our vibrations, sharing what we are grateful for and lessons learnt. We let go of what no longer serves us. Bringing with us the feelings, thoughts and patterns that have been holding us back, old habits and stories. Making space to focus our intention on new dreams, wishes and what we want to create, invite in and manifest now and for the year ahead. We will then feed this to the flames in an offering, whilst our companions hold and share the space, allowing the deep, clearing, cleansing, purifying power of the fire to transform us all. Finishing with relaxation by the fire.

5) Animal Spirit Yoga and Guided Journey

‘The animal world has a lot to teach us, but first we must learn to speak to animals’ Ted Andrews

Many of the physical positions (asanas) in yoga draw inspiration (and names) from the animal kingdom, and it was believed that ancient sadhus (yogic practitioners) used to imitate animals in the wild, to develop some of the positions we use today. Examples of asanas include cobra, downward dog, eagle etc.

It is believed in shamanism that we can draw on the special qualities and abilities of animals to guide us and help us in our lives. In native rituals, movement is often incorporated both to relax, but also to help align the individual with the energies and essence of certain animals.

At this unique workshop we’ll be learning some of the secrets of the animal world, and participants will be guided to find their own unique animal totem. They will do this via a guided inner journey through a waterfall where their animal will appear to them.  We’ll then learn about the role of animals as guides in shamanism, for example some animals are nurturers and protectors, others have great fertility and gentleness. Some embody strength and courage, and some can teach playfulness. Animals can help us recognize our own skills, and know when to use certain skills.

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