Well, Kelly and I got into town on Monday evening and I do not think I have sat down much since I got home. We ate dinner and got a little laundry started and got to bet reasonably early. Then yesterday I spent the morning doing a nice long back bend practice. Mom and Dad came over for lunch, we ran some errands and then I went up to Castle Hill for the 4:30 class. It was so excellent to see everyone there- so many familiar faces and a few new folks in attendance. We worked toward eka pada raja kapotasana and as I looked around and helped folks, I think we had a very high proportion of the class in that pose, which is a pretty cool thing to see.
I must say that the retreat was one of the best weeks I have had in a long time. I cannot say enough about it other than to say that EVERYONE should come next year. (February 19-26, 2011- reserve the dates NOW! I am not kidding....)
We had such a relaxing and nourishing time on all levels. I have been saying that for me it is a new paradigm- the yoga retreat. A retreat is not just a class, or a workshop nor is it anything like an Immersion or a Teacher Training-- it is simply a time to return to the beauty of the practice, the simplicity of the earth's rhythms and one's own and to exist in a very spacious way close to nature, close to oneself and close to some pretty fantastic people. There was a depth of experience with no gut wrenching intensity. There was time and space for introspection and to cultivate a deeper connection to oneself but without the pressure of a curriculum, a city-based venue, traffic, restaurants and so forth. I could go on and on but suffice it to say that the whole experience exceeded my expectations so many times over.
Shani, the owner of Milagro Retreats, headed up the logistics and so happens to be an amazing natural foods chef. The food was incredibly wholesome, lovingly prepared and bountiful. The area of the Baja where we were is home to some of the largest organic farms of the region and so we had tons of organic, locally grown produce at every meal that was prepared so consciously and lovingly. The food alone is a reason to go on a Milagro Retreat.
We had yoga every day from 7:30-9:30 and from 4:30-6:30. Days were open for excursions to town, to the beach and other local areas of interest or for massages, hammock-time and so forth. We were right on the beach and so Kelly and I walked along the beach every day right from our front door. Really, it was just amazing. I loved every moment of it.
Here is the slide show we showed on the last night of the retreat. More pictures, video clips and reflections to come.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?All right then, time to shower up and get ready for Focus on Form.
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