Retreat Brief

Length of Retreat: 5 days / 4 nights

Daily Program: Every day of the retreat will include practices of Yoga, meditation and pranayama, combined with one or two different mind-body therapy sessions. 

Other retreat activities such as sound healing, voice work and ceremony will be interwoven throughout. 

Arrival: 4pm 21st October 

Depart: 12 noon 25th October 

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Why retreat during Autumn?

Each season brings with it a special time to honour Mother Earth and our place within the Wheel of the Year. Connecting in this way gives us time to pause and reflect, to gather energy and grow with the evolution and ascension of our being. The cosmos offers us a chance to turn within and move forward in alignment with our own truth and guidance. This cyclical way of living is reemerging as an important counter balance to the societal disconnect from Gaia, the feminine or Earth, our provider and ultimate home.  

Change, transformation and harvest  is what Autumn is all about. It is a natural time to gather the fruits of your year, however abundant or challenging it may have been. A time to let go of what no longer serves you, like the falling leaves of the trees, to embrace yourself with the right nourishment, creating space for the mystery and possibility of what is to come. When we come into harmony with the cycles of creation that the Earth shows us every year, we find a support, wisdom and structure that brings balance to many directions of our own life’s journey. 

The most important reason to embrace the energy of Fall is to overcome our own resistance to growth and change. If we turn resistance inside out we find that it is packed with energy, insight, and just the life lesson we need right now. How much do you embrace the changing and unknown tides of life? How often to you take a moment to step into the next phase centered in yourself, secure, strong and enthusiastic about what is to come? This is the place to feel grounded and nourished.  

What to Expect?

Our retreat program has been carefully designed to promote a 4 day journey of self-discovery, reflection, connection, relaxation and celebration. Your hosts Jayna and Sascha will guide you through each of the following practices: 

Yoga

The Yoga practices will range from slow, connected flows, incorporating somatic explorations and energy work to vinyasa practices of rhythmic sequencing to open and challenge the body with kindness. 

All practices will orientate towards a principle of self development and spiritual growth, with a loving and reverent respect towards the emotional and physical body. An intention of support and nourishment will be present throughout, and classes will be flexibly adapted to fit individual needs, whether you are a beginner or experienced Yogi!

Mind-Body Therapies

Conscious Movement Groups

A Conscious Movement Group encompasses somatic exercises, group dynamics and guided movement (dance!) with the aim of freeing your body and getting in touch with your emotions, creative expression and authentic being. Many of us go through our day to day restricted in our body expressions and disconnected from our physical Self, when this is the very core of our existence and the medium through which we act in the world. The aim of this practice is to: 

*raise your body perception and consciousness. 

*broaden your functional mobility, your movement repertoire and your ability to express. 

*find access to your emotions, to move and express them and find balance 

*to show you a way of being yourself and enjoy yourself in your body

Bioenergetic Grounding

Our emotional blocks tend to draw our energy and awareness away from our body and up into our mind. Being  "uptight" (stuck in our head and physically tense) can therefore be effectively reversed by practicing "letting down" and fully reconnecting with our body. By letting down into our feet and legs and deep body sensations we release stress and make room for joy, vitality and pleasure to fill us again. Bioenergetic grounding is the basic place to begin, and involves promoting the flow of energy from head to feet through different standing poses and footwork. 

Meditation

Throughout our retreat we will have daily meditational practices in a variety of  peaceful indoor and beautiful outdoor contexts. We will explore different meditative techniques to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation and balance, and enhance personal and spiritual growth. Our aim is that you leave with a useful meditation tool kit you can integrate into your life. 

Ceremony & Ritual

Sound Bath

Sound Baths are a passive experience where all you are required to do is simply lay down and allow the vibrations of sound to move through you. Integrate and ground through sound healing by Jayna, who uses Alchemic Crystal Bowls, percussion and her voice as a channelling lullaby to take you to a place of warm clarity and feeling.

Sacred Cacao Ceremony

Raw cacao is a powerful and potent medicine that can assist the ‘inner work’ and creative guidance we all need to stay balanced. It literally opens the blood vessels in the body allowing more blood flow through the heart, it is known to trigger bliss hormones, feelings of love. In our cacao ceremony, we will set the space together with intention, meditate by tuning into our heart centre before being guided into dream weaving through intention setting

Sharing Circles

Are powerful ways to share our truth in sacred space whilst being witnessed with with love and acceptance. Sharing circles are safe and non judgmental spaces. The power of speaking our truth in a small or large group can be immensely transformative. It is in these circles we see the reflections and similarities that bring us back into the oneness and interconnection of humanity. Sharing is never obligatory, witnessing can be an equally potent medicine. 

Nature bathing

Connecting with the elements, weather it’s the light from the stars, gravitational pull from the earth, immersion in water, or fresh breeze on the skin is an almost instant way for our body and mind to align with it’s natural place in this world. This retreat will be interspersed with nature experiences as well as free time for you to explore this connection on your own. 

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Voice

Meditate with mantra and kirtan to open the heart as well as exploring expression of voice toning and sounding. In this way we discover the power of voice and positive emotion. This will be a relaxed space, no solos or experience required. 

Who is this retreat for?

This retreat is ideal for anyone looking to reconnect with themselves in a relaxing and stimulating environment. No previous experience is required in any of the above described practices, as our facilitators will consciously guide you through each experience with all the support and instruction you need. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that given the intensity of body-oriented and therapeutic work that will be done, this retreat is not suited for those suffering from acute physical or mental illness.  

Aside from that, a basic level of health and mobility is preferable for the more dynamic practices such as vinyasa Yoga, so if you are injured, pregnant or recovering from a medical condition/illness please get in touch with Jayna or Sascha to see whether this retreat would be of service to you.