Surf & Yoga Retreat

Waves Within April Coming Soon!!! For more info check www.waveswithin.com

Namaste,
Shaini

Gentle nighttime routine

Whether it's breathing to slow the heart rate or massage to calm the mind, a simple yogic routine can be effective for a better night's sleep. The next time you have trouble sleeping, follow these simple steps, and observe their soothing wonders:

Know your timing. Institute a regular bedtime; maintaining consistency will help keep your circadian rhythms—the biological changes that happen every 24 hours—steady. Eventually, your body will naturally understand and crave sleep during these hours.

Create a wind-down period. Create space between your busy day and sleep time. Honor your time at home and play relaxing music, or light candles. Think of the yoga precept of pratyahara: Withdraw your senses in order to turn inward.

Strike a pose. Notice how you feel before doing a nighttime yoga routine. Are you wired or tired? If you're amped up, do poses like twists or standing poses to burn off excess energy. If you're tired, do some restorative poses or breathing until you feel more refreshed.

Get warm. Remember to stay toasty while practicing your nighttime poses—have a blanket, socks, and a sweater nearby. Drink a warm cup of herbal tea or take a bath based on your dosha.

Freedom

Yoga is a way to freedom. By its constant practice, we can free ourselves from fear, anguish and loneliness.

Yoga pose explained: Baddha Konasana

Badhha Konasana:
Bound Angle Pose

First Chakra opening pose, groin opener. Be gentle with this area, it's a place where we tend to hold a lot of emotions and stress, so like a beautiful flower, let it slowly come to bloom, without forcing it and breaking it.
It is very common for people to feel tears arise with this pose, let them flow and feel the sadness flow out of your body, making room for happiness and joy!!


Step by Step

1
 Sit with your legs straight out in front of you, raising your pelvis on a blanket if your hips or groins are tight. Exhale, bend your knees, pull your heels toward your pelvis, then drop your knees out to the sides and press the soles of your feet together.

2
Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as you comfortably can. With the first and second finger and thumb, grasp the big toe of each foot. Always keep the outer edges of the feet firmly on the floor. If it isn't possible to hold the toes, clasp each hand around the same-side ankle or shin.

3
Sit so that the pubis in front and the tailbone in back are equidistant from the floor. The perineum then will be approximately parallel to the floor and the pelvis in a neutral position. Firm the sacrum and shoulder blades against the back and lengthen the front torso through the top of the sternum.

4
Never force your knees down. Instead release the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor. When this action leads, the knees follow.

5
Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. Then inhale, lift your knees away from the floor, and extend the legs back to their original position.

Go with the magical flow of life.

Namaste

Magical India

Since the beginning of the New Year we have been travelling this fast country, the birthplace of Yoga. Infused fully with spirituality, religion and ... dirt. In the short time that we have been here we have already intertwined with Swamis, smelling the sweet fragrance of incensed air during temple rituals, seen different hospitals and drips after multiple food poisoning, surfed the small, gentle waves of the Indian ocean, had amazing, energetic Yoga sessions on the beach and enjoyed the beautiful sceneries during an amazing 15hour train trip.

Religion and spirituality is everywhere, spread through India, with a multitude of temples, holy men and cows, shrines in the form of rickshaws and offerings everywhere ( unfortunately not all bio degradable..). With all this practice of becoming totally aware and in the present moment, on which this whole country is brought up, I am totally surprised and a little bit let down, that there is so much dirt everywhere.. and I am not talking about the poor areas of India, no this dirt is everywhere, there is not a river flowing without the obstruction of some kind of plastic or other unspecified object, no place to be found where you can smell the sweet air of freshness for longer then 5 minutes, before some waft of whatever ruins the moment..

I am delighted to be able to see this amazing country, this birthplace of Yoga, which I love so much, but I have also deeply realized that spirituality is not a country and for me especially not one where there are so many environmental issues. Spirituality is in your heart, your soul and living in a beautiful place like the westcoast of Portugal, with it's beautiful clean oceans and nature makes it a lot easier for me to calm my mind, awaken my kundalini and have a deep connection with everything around me. But for now it is what it is, Om Tat Sat, and being here is an amazing learning experience, because if I can find my peace of mind here in India with it's population of 1.170.938.000, I can find it anywhere :-)

Namaste,
Love n Light,
Shaini

Experience of a Yogaion Yogi

To be greeted with a smile once stepping into an unfamiliar airport, automatically calmed all potential questions. This week was unknown to me, I knew it could potentially answer questions I didn’t realise I had. An hour’s drive through the picturesque landscape of Portugal allowed me to customise myself with the surroundings; Then as the cool ocean breeze air-conditioned our transport, I knew we were getting close.

Driving up a dusty track through large wooden gates ... to reveal a traditional white building, pool, tennis court and breath taking views …

Each room is individual and personal for each guest. Beautiful Art, Balcony, Amazing bathroom and shower.  The first day we were free to explore as we wished before our journey commenced. 

Walking down to the very Local Set-up (Tiny Village).  With the Glistening Portuguese sun beaming down on our White British skin. ‘Friendly’ might not be the word I would use to describe the Locals, they are set in their way; But with a little effort you could get a smile. Be friendly, and it will come; Snuck in one last cheeky coffee… recommended!!!

Day one: Awareness...

Meditation, which was not new to me, but the feeling of utter freedom was. This was possible here. As you meditate in a room with large windows which look out over mountainous landscape, you can think of nothing else but freedom; 7:15 the sun rises, illuminating the beauty which surrounds us all; the journeys of becoming ‘Shaini’s Yogis’ begins. Shaini had us bending in ways I didn’t know I could; you should see my back bend go into a full wheel!

Breakfast was worth waiting for, a vast  array of nuts, seeds, porridge, fruit, yoghurt, honey, fruit spreads and endless amounts of tea (detox tea of course). We immediately began to feel part of a little yogi family.

The times between yoga and meals, allowed us to roam the land. The chance to hire bicycles, to walk down to the beach filled with Surfers riding the waves, cliff top walks, breath-taking views and all in a 35 minute radius, (by car it’s 5mins).

If walking and cycling is not for you, then the ‘fresh’ swimming pool receives the sun all throughout the day (it just forgets to heat it) allowing you to read whilst sipping on your bottomless cup of tea, we were not ‘starved’ food and drink was freely available throughout the day if we wanted. 

 It’s then ready to Meditate and more yoga. Because of the family and homely feel, you bond so fast with your group. Each person has their own reason for being there, and Shaini somehow achieves individuality throughout each stage of the week.

Later sitting down to an amazing feast for dinner, where I felt I could not fault one tiny bug. Maybe just the one or two of the unnecessary mosquitoes.

 Coming from London my day is surrounded with people; lots of people. I was taken away to experience utter silence; need I say more…

But this silence truly does allow you to take in each scent, each sound, each view; to be aware down to the change in sunlight, this is all topped off with the echoing sound of bells from the local cows.   

Day Three: ‘Become aware of the magical flow of life’

Practicing silence; to some it did seem to be more of a challenge, but to have the opportunity to just to be…

Not needing to speak, to give yourself time to slow down and actually feel no need to make polite conversation amongst our group, this was a revelation and for me a joy. This experience would never have been possible at the beginning of the week, in a mere three days we, as a group were given a priceless opportunity to learn ‘the sound of silence’.  This experience will take you as far as you want to within yourself.

If, so far, it is still not enough, add the opportunity to learn to surf, being used to the North Sea, the Atlantic was pleasant, and more importantly perfect for all levels of surfers.  This is encouraged by Shaini who is a cool surfer herself.                After a mere two lessons, which was fitted between yoga and lunch, I achieved the challenge of two feet on the board, standing and to a degree ‘ Riding the waves’  swiftly on to a  well deserved lunch, then the afternoon spent relaxing by the pool, which gets you ready for ‘Yoga by sun set’ .

After all these stressful activities, my week had been finished off with well-deserved Massages. Having studied massage, I often find myself judging practitioners, all I can say is, ‘Angela You are amazing’, when can we kidnap you to England? Thank you.

And so the week has almost come to an end. We spend the last morning of meditation being given the chance to take in all which has surrounded us this week.  To witness one of the most stunning sunsets I have seen, to feel the fresh gentle breeze, and to have answers to the weeks questions, without being given answers.

To quote Yogi Tea – ‘ The one who walks in a gentle way comes far’. 

This was my experience …

Thank you

Charlotte Mundy October 2011

Yoga & Detox Retreat

16 November 2011

In our day to day life were everything is going faster, food is getting worse and exercise a minimum, our bodies natural detox system can not do it’s optimal work. During the Yoga & Detox retreat we take a break and give our bodies the chance to start working optimal again!  At Yogaion we do not believe in a strong detox, we rather be gentle to the body and mind, so that the detox actually becomes a pleasure instead of a regime. It will be a week of detoxifying the body, mind and being. This through the food we eat, the thoughts we think, the beautiful daily intentions we set and the delightful Yoga classes that incorporate Detox poses.