Monday 6 Apr - Monday 13 Apr. Upgrade your health, vitality and wellbeing on this cleansing, healing week-long retreat featuring yoga, meditation, healing foods, fasting, yoga coaching, massage, nature walks, vedic chanting and fire ceremony. A transformational program designed to restore physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing and health.
Retreat highlights
About this retreat
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2020 dates
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why attend this retreat?
During a single day we take in millions of impressions through the senses - all of which imprint upon and become embedded in the our body, mind and soul. Their accumulation leads to sensory overload, stress and a reduced capacity to cope physically, mentally and emotionally. When stressed, we can become less mindful of what we eat, what we do, and where our thoughts lead us. We make reactionary and sometimes poor choices which often lead to more stress with a negative impact upon our mental and emotional wellbeing and physical health. The focus of this retreat is to consciously retreat from the sources of all those impressions and to literally empty ourselves through cleansing yoga, meditation and pranayama and through a yogic diet and fast which includes teas, tonics, juices and then the introduction of nourishing, healing foods. We literally create space within our bodies which provides respite. We become naturally quiet and meditative without the burden of constant digestion, paving the way for deeper states of awareness. holistic yoga Traditional Hatha Yoga is comprised of 5 distinct points which together comprise a balanced and holistic system of self-care and self-awareness. These include: proper exercise (yoga asana, walking in nature); proper breathing (pranayama); proper relaxation (yoga nidra); proper thinking (meditation); proper diet and lifestyle (sattvic/peaceful food, time in nature). On this retreat you'll be guided and supported to fully experience the 5 points of yoga and the yogic lifestyle. The Hatha Yoga sessions will be therapeutic in their focus - cleansing, healing and rebalancing. When practiced with sincerity and integrated into everyday life and everyday thinking, Traditional Yoga perfectly and effortlessly brings balance and harmony to the 5 aspects of self: the body, breath, mind/emotions, wisdom and soul. We share the teachings of yoga 'philosophy' which relate to the cleansing practices offered on this retreat and increase our understanding of the 'self', the causes and sources of stress and tension, and the rationale behind the methods. cleanse & build On this retreat we take a 'soft' approach to fasting with the inclusion of Ayurvedic herbal teas, broths, tonics, juices and an abundance of filtered, pure spring water which rises from the ground upstream. We prepare for and break the fast with nourishing, easily digested foods such as soft fruits, kitchari (rice, mung bean, spices, vegetable dish) and then reintroduce broader, nourishing and delicious foods. In some cultures and traditions, fasting is a regular practice, but for many of us, fasting of any form is rare. Ekadashi (the 11th day after the full and new moon) is the given day for fasting on the Vedic Lunar calendar. When we restrain from our usual eating habits, the body is allowed to rest internally, with no energy being spent on digestion, you literally create an inner space, an emptiness from which subtle and profound yoga experiences are given the space to emerge. You may experiences depths in your practice which are not normally accessible to you. Physically your body feels lighter and refreshed. Given its brevity and the fact you will consume pure water, herbal teas, tonics, broths and juices, this fast should be suitable for most people. lightness & joy Our diet and lifestyles are comprised of highly addictive foods and behaviours, so refraining from usual eating can be challenging, but is ultimately empowering and transformational! With the support of your retreat facilitators; a grounding in yoga and meditation practices; and the knowledge you gain through your experiences and the information imparted; you'll leave this retreat profoundly lighter, freer and revitalised. We invite you to experience the depths possible in yoga during fasting. This is truly a powerful combination which can help transform your relationship with food; help overcome deep-seated fears which may influence your thinking and choices (you won't starve!), increase your willpower, resolve, mental focus and clarity of thought; understand and reduce anxiety, tension and stress, and deepen your appreciation of life and sense of purpose. |
It's not just what you eat... "Before you eat, four conditions should exist in the environment. If these conditions are not met, then it is better to remain hungry. First of all, you should be surrounded by a calm and quiet atmosphere. Secondly, you should be under no mental or physical pressure. Thirdly, the food you are about to eat must be properly cooked with all the ingredients. Lastly, there should be enough time in which to eat gracefully." Yogi Bhajan |
Retreat program
Day 1
4.00pm Hatha Yoga 5.30pm Welcome Circle 6.30pm Dinner 7.30pm Candlelight Meditation 9.00pm Mouna (silence) & Rest Day 2 6.00am Rise 6.30am Meditation 7.30am Tea 8.00am Hatha Yoga 9.30am Chanting & Meditation 10.00am Breakfast 11.00am Bush Walk 12.30pm Satsang 2.00pm Lunch 3.00pm Rest/Reflection 4.00pm Hatha Yoga 5.30pm Sunset Walk & Meditation 6.30pm Dinner 7.30pm Candlelight Meditation & Chant 9.30pm Mouna & Rest Day 3 to Day 6 6.00am Rise 6.30am Meditation 7.30am Hatha Yoga 9.00am Breakfast 10.00am Bush Walk 11.30am Masterclass/Satsang (yogic healing or yogic diet theme) 1.30pm Lunch 2.30pm Rest/Reflection (massages and coaching sessions scheduled) 4.30pm Hatha Yoga 5.30pm Sunset Walk 6.00pm Agni Hotra Meditation 6.30pm Dinner 7.30pm Candlelight Meditation & Chant (final night Havan) 9.30pm Mouna & Rest Day 7 6.00am Rise 6.30am Meditation 7.30am Hatha Yoga 9.00am Breakfast 10.00am Bush Walk 11.30am Masterclass/Satsang (yogic healing or yogic diet theme) 1.30pm Lunch |
The healing and rejuvenative power of being amongst the trees |
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Daily RhythmWe establish a rhythm and routine which bring immediate calmness to the body, mind and soul. The schedule for your days and evenings is taken care of, allowing you to relax deeply, immersing yourself in the program and the retreat process. You'll fall asleep to the sounds of the forest.
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Fire CeremonyAgni Hotra is a purifying vedic fire ceremony performed exactly at sunset and sunrise. The ceremony is purfying and cleansing to both the environment and to participants. The Havan is a longer ceremony which uses vedic mantras, specific and prayer - and is powerfully protective and transformative.
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AccommodationWe have several onsite accommodation options which include shared rooms in the newly refurbished retreat centre which can accommodate 12 guests in single beds. There is a renovated railway carriage which sleeps two guests in a king size bed. There are two private enclosed gazebos which sleep 1-2 people.
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Powerful, healing placesWe take extended walks to nearby places in the Wungong and Churchman's Brook reserves. These are places of spiritual significance and natural beauty, and spend time meditating on the scarp, by the river's edge and upon granite boulders. This country is imbued with a powerful life force which is nourishing and healing
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Yogi's KitchenTwo workshops which introduce you to Ayurvedic . You'll determine your unique constitution and how to balance food and culinary herbs to restore internal balance. this provides a foundation for healthy eating (food which is healthy and healing for one person is possibly harmful for another!)
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Total surrenderOn retreat we leave behind concerns and distractions to deeply and profoundly realise the spiritual and material benefits of yoga, returning to our lives with renewed energy and focus. We deepen the gratitude in our hearts for both the joys and sorrows of our lives. Both are a gift of love leading us beyond duality to the graceful, limitless centre of ourselves.
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Mandy BeckerKnoxMandy has decades of experience teaching the subtle, powerful and transformational methods of yoga. Her knowledge and insights have been inspired through devotion, consistent practice, higher education in yoga, Ayurveda, the arts, and integration of yogic values and concepts into everyday family and professional life. Mandy is a skilful Ayurvedic cook having learnt in the ashrams, homes and streets of India!
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Upfront Payment |
Payment plan |
Own accommadation |
1200 |
1300 |
900 |
Price when you pay in full prior to retreat. |
6 month payment plan from date you book. |
stay in your own accommodation |
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