Easter Yoga Retreat in Ibiza
With two days to spare I managed to grab last minute seats on Ryanair to get me to Ibiza in time for the first retreat held by Formentera Yoga and Jax May Lysycia at their new country house over Easter. Having followed Jax for her yoga instruction from London to Morocco to Formentera I was keen to try out their newest venue up in the North West Hills of Ibiza; a finca set in 20 acres of fruit trees and scattered with sheep and goats, not overlooked by a single neighbour and only a 45 minute walk to the beach. The perfect escape to unwind and recharge. What attracted me to this trip was the combination of early morning silent walks; deep, sensitising yoga; meditation and the opportunity to explore another side of the island on two challenging 10km hikes around the coastal paths, led by the very entertaining and knowledgeable Toby of Walking Ibiza who introduced us to the flora and fauna of the white isle (white for it's salt...) The food of course is very important on such trips - you can't demand so much of your body without putting something back in, but the team included Guici the Italian chef who delivered mouthwatering Ottolenghi-style vegetarian food each day.
We were blessed with the most beautiful weather for the entire trip. Clear blue skies and warm breezes as we stretched out on the deck overlooking the sea as the sun rose and cooler air as we climbed through the pine forests in the afternoons. Not quite warm enough to enjoy the sea (with some exceptions!) but we sat in a circle on the beach at the end of one day for an evening meditation to the sounds of the waves.
I met some amazing people on this trip, strengthened friendships with others and connected with an energised and more whole self. I can't do trips like this every month (sadly) but I can take with me the tools to look after myself in day to day life.
and the wonderful team... Suni, Jax and Richi.. who looked after us so well.
Just sit still
I really questioned whether I should write about something as private as a meditation retreat in such a public forum, particularly one billed as a photography blog. After all, it's not called 'What Helen did next...' However, after pondering, I realised that I am not some corporation. My business is me, that's all I have to offer and the more I develop who I am; through travel, literature, art, film, people and spiritually, the more I bring to my photography and those who experience it. So here goes...
In my second year of university my best friend Emma and I signed up for a one day meditation course on the outskirts of York. We hated it. Hard as we tried to absorb and understand we were bored and felt out of place. Fast forward ten years and the appeal of meditation still clung. I knew there had to be something in it. A few friends of mine had been on Vipassana courses and come back enthused about it, but for two years I sat back and made excuses why I didn't have the time or the money to attend. Through a friend I attended a wonderful yoga retreat in Morocco in January and we practiced some meditation as part of the course and so finally I committed to attend one of the courses run by meditation teacher Burgs (a disrobed Western monk), at a course run by the Art of Meditation.
Jax (my yoga teacher) and I arrived flustered after a long journey taking much longer than expected and finishing in the dark, reversing into a hedge and stumbling in the darkness into the house where the other attendees were serenely supping their evening soup. I looked every inch a blonde city girl in need of spiritual salvation.
The house itself, Poulstone Court, is tucked away in the Herefordshire hills. A beautiful part of the country only 15 miles from Wales. The red brick mansion house is home to numerous spiritually based retreats from Shamanic Healing to writers retreats - clearly catering for a range of tastes.
After an introduction on the evening of arrival, allocation of bedrooms (I was sharing with three other women) we took our vow of 'noble silence' which would hold (other than to ask questions during teaching discourses) for the next 6 days. I found it wonderfully liberating to be able to truly meet myself away from the usual day to day distractions. We ate our food (some recipes here) in a contemplative silence, enjoying and savouring each mouthful. The days were gently regulated with the tinkling of a bell which woke us at 6am and sounded for the final discourse after supper each day.
I was surprised to find that at least half of the 32 attendees were returning for their second, fifth, twelfth time. Having been expecting to walk away from my first time retreat 'fixed' I soon realised that I had taken what is in fact a very small step on a journey that will last a lifetime. Initially I found the sessions daunting. We started with sitting for 20 minutes, cross legged on our cushions, at a time and worked up to 45 minute 'sits'. The discomfit my body gradually lessened and the deeper I fell into the rhythm of my body the less I felt in pain. The twice daily practice of Chi gung helped to realign the body after the sessions, with it's combination of rhythmic breathing and mindful movements.
A blog entry is in no way sufficient (without outstaying my welcome) to convey the experiences I went through or the fascinating teachings that I had the privilege to have the opportunity to learn from Burgs. He is a teacher of great skill, presence, depth and humour. A rare combination and an inspiring one. We literally hung on his every word, drinking up the simple suggestions for a more peaceful and happy life. I look forward to the next retreat in six months.
“If you can quieten the mind enough to begin to listen to the heart, you will find that you already have the answers you seek.”
Starting 2012 the yoga way
To ensure that I was fully in mind and body to start the wedding season of 2012 I kicked off the year with a friend at a yoga retreat on the coast in Morocco. This was the first retreat I had ever been on and so I arrived with an open mind and willingness to embrace whatever was on offer. Needless to say the excesses of the holiday season had taken it's toll and I was happy to cut out alcohol, caffeine and meat. Our group of 10 were effectively guinea pigs for the soft opening of the resort and so we had the run of the place. The resort itself, Paradis Plage, sits just along the coast from Tagazhout, a surfing town 40 minutes outside of Agadir, the nearest airport and has billed itself as a 'surf, yoga and spa' retreat . The tiny fishing village sits along side hills that ripple softly like fabric and the earthy coloured buildings squat low to the ground.
The rooms are all spacious apartments, simply decorated and with stunning views of the sea. The yoga sala was perfectly set upon the edge of the sea with 240 degree views of the coastline. Jax May Lysycia the instructor is the most beautifully honed woman whose body is an inspiration! She led us through 4 hours of yoga and meditation each day; two hours in the morning after a silent beach walk during sunrise as the long shadows reached across the textured sands of the empty beach, and two hours in the evening as the sun dropped into the sea in front of us. Under her reassuring guidance I found myself able to discover a flexibility in my body that I never knew I had, leaving me feel strong, supple and graceful before the end of the week and with a craving to do yoga daily.
We were particularly lucky to have had a group of 10 who bonded immediately and we spent a blissful week relaxing in the gorgeous winter sun, surfing, trekking in the dusty but aptly named Paradise Valley, paddle boarding on lake and enjoying a hammam in the spa.
And then the drive back to Marrakesh for two days of city (and excessive eating!) with new and old friends and staying at the spectacular Villa Filali with it's eclectic mix of traditional Moroccan style with flashes of kitsch.
The retreat was organised by Formentera Yoga who are based in Ibiza and run retreats throughout the year. I can't wait to book onto the next one and it will be without doubt and ongoing pilgrimage.
