You are stressed out from your everyday life and longing for a little time-out? Or would you like to learn more about a healthy lifestyle and how you can easily integrate yoga and mindfulness into daily life? Then this is just the thing for you and you should read this blog post in which I will share my experiences with you that I learned during the Yoga and Meditation Retreat exercises.
I participated in a ´DEEP PEACE ISLAND RETREAT´ organized by The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga (ASMY) from 4.10.-7.10.2019 on an island called Coochiemudlo.
It´s is a small sub-tropical island surrounded by secluded beaches and mangrove forests, just five square kilometres in size and only 35 km from Brisbane city. You can easily get there by ferry from Victoria Point. There is a relaxed atmosphere and breathtaking views. Many artists have been inspired and offer a range of handicrafts at the regular markets. Now you can imagine that this is exactly the right place for a retreat weekend.
Yoga Asanas, beneficial deep relaxation, chanting, yoga wisdom talks, delicious vegetarian/vegan meals and a selection of workshops were offered. The hosts Gayatri and Sami have been trained in an authentic wholistic yoga tradition and have a lot of knowledge that they have shared with us. In the following part I would like to tell you about the course of the retreat:
Friday:
On Friday morning I hit the road from Brisbane with a colleague to Victoria Point. It took about an hour to get there from the city centre. With our luggage we boarded the ferry and were warmly welcomed on the island by our host. She picked us up on her hippie bus and took us to the accommodation, where we were greeted with a homemade warm Chai Latte ... actually it was the best Chai Latte I had so far and the whole room was filled with this spicy smell.
The island Coochiemudlo is like a little village. So for a few days we are residents of this wonderful place. I lived in a charming house right on the beach. It had a kitchen, two bathrooms, several bedrooms, a large bookcase, a cozy relaxation area and a hammock on the terrace. After we've arrived and settled in, we got to know the other participants and went to a beach cafe together. we had interesting conversations and I met a woman who has been travelling to India and Bali for several years: She told me about her interesting experiences and gave me tips on what to see when I am there. I also got to know an older man. I admire him very much because he has been suffering from Parkinson's for several years and still practices yoga, meditation and goes swimming every day. Nevertheless, he is satisfied with his life.
Now that I've gotten to know everyone, the introduction began. Our first part of the program was Gentle Stretch Yoga in the garden of the centre. After that we had a meditation workshop, where we learned about different types of meditation:
Japa meditation: Japa means "to mutter" in sanskrit, referring to the repetition of a mantra to help the mind enter a meditative state. You can choose the mantra yourself. Mantra is a word or a sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation (if you scroll down, I've listed some mantras and explained the meaning). You will need a set of japa beads: you start with the first bead on the side of the head bead and hold it between the thumb and second finger of your right hand, say the mantra and then move your fingers onto the next bead and repeat the mantra again. Continue chanting the mantra on each bead until you come back to the head bead. It can be practiced sitting in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. I prefer doing it while walking along the beach or in a park.
Kirtan: Kirtan is another way of chanting a mantra. It means hearing and repeating a mantra with a group of people and it can be accompanied by musical instruments if you wish (harmonium, flute, guitar, ...). You can chant loudly and dance or sit down together.
Mantra: the word ´mantra` can be broken down into two parts: “man,” which means mind, and “tra,” which means transport or vehicle. Therefore it is an instrument of the mind: a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation. It is simply a vehicle that helps you access heightened levels of awareness. You repeat it silently over and over during the meditation practice. Here are some mantras and their meaning:
Om: It is the most universal mantra and is said to be the first sound heard at the creation of the universe. It means ‘It Is, Will Be or To Become’ and can unblock the throat chakra, which can lead to more attuned communication with others.
Sat Nam (Sat is extended eight times longer than Nam): It means Truth is my name. It is said to be a way to find your intuition.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu: translation: “May all beings everywhere be happy and free. May our thoughts, our words, and our actions, contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom.”. It can be used as an offering of loving-kindness to all beings, including yourself.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti: translation: Om Peace Peace Peace. You chant it, because we could all use more peace in our lives. It is followed by peace of mind, peace of body, and peace of speech.
Sat, Chit, Ananda: it means: “Existence, Consciousness, Bliss”. It is said that the mantra is the source of all consciousness and all perfection.
Aum Hari Aum: `Hari´ means "the remover" and refers to the one who removes troubles, blockages, pain and bondages.
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana: Madana, Mohana, Gopala and Govinda refers to Lord Krishna in Hindu mythology.
After this informative conversation, dinner was served: Thai curry with brown rice, salad with sprouts, cashews, lettuce and carrots. For dessert we had protein balls. All meals were vegan or vegetarian and were freshly prepared using only organic products. After the wonderful meal, we had our first Kirtan together. There was a beautiful atmosphere and the smell of Chai filled the room. At eight o'clock we did Yin Yoga: It is a slow-paced style of yoga that are held for longer periods of time (range from 45 seconds to 5 minutes or more), it involves variations of seated and supine poses. We ended the first day with a Deep Peace meditation, scented candles were distributed throughout the room and provided a special vibe.
Saturday:
Our second island day started early in the morning (6.30am) with a Yoga Asana (also called Yoga poses) session right on the beach. It was intensive, but it gives you energy for the day. Afterwards we did a meditation on the quiet beach: you could hear birds chirping, the light wind blowing, the waves rushing and the salty sea air smelling.
Around eight o'clock we enjoyed the fresh breakfast: mangos, pineapples, different kinds of banana bread, vegan yogurt, homemade granola and lots of Chai. After a short break the next highlight followed: Kirtan in the garden of the center on comfortable mats and pillows. It was accompanied by a harmonium and a guitar. The atmosphere was incredible. We also talked about the origins of yoga:
One topic was ´The Bhagavad Gita´ is an ancient Indian text that became an important work of Hindu tradition and has had a powerful and lasting influence on Western writers, thinkers, and yogis. It is composed as a poem and it contains many key topics related to the Indian intellectual and spiritual tradition. Three main themes seem to have intrigued its readers: the nature of divinity; yoga, or the various ways of making contact with this divinity; and the resolution of the perennial conflict between a renunciation of the world and action. The Bhagavad Gita has given different paths of `Nirvana` or `moksha` (central concept of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, and is the ultimate goal as defined by these religious philosophies; according to Buddhism it is freedom from desire, jealousy, attachment and ignorance) :
1. Karma Yoga:
supports performance of actions with balance-mind
actions should be performed without desire for results
2. Jnana Yoga:
discipline of knowledge, which believes in the knowledge of the self (soul) and purity
one needs to have self-control
the Sanskrit says that one can get rid of arrogance, pride and vanity through Jnana yoga and can achieve the excellence of forgiveness
includes acts for the welfare
3. Bhakti Yoga:
path of devotion
who performs 'Bhakti yoga' is said to have persistent wisdom, controlled mind and the person remains beyond praise and suffering
person is self-restrained, pure, adept, silent and very kindhearted to others
The path of Yoga insists on self-control and tranquility. This process proposes to the control of body, mind and breath:
A) sit in a calm and quite place
B) Keep the mind on one point
...Furthermore we learned something about Ayurveda: Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world's oldest holistic (“whole-body”) healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in India. It deals with the fact that health and wellness depend on a balance between mind, body and soul. Its aim is to promote good health, not to fight disease. Those who practice Ayurveda believe every person is made of five basic elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. These combine in the human body to form three energies, called doshas, which control how your body works. They are:
Vata dosha (space and air):
-most powerful of all doshas
-you’re thought to be more likely to develop conditions like anxiety, asthma, heart disease, skin problems, and rheumatoid arthritis
-linked to creativity and flexibility
-characteristics: dry hair and skin, small/ bony structures, cool hands and feet, spontaneous/ flexible/ intelligent/ intuitive
Pitta dosha (fire and water):
-controls your digestion, metabolism
-you’re thought to be more likely to develop conditions like Crohn’s disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, and infections
-related to intelligence, understanding, and the digestion of foods, thoughts, emotions, and experiences
-characteristics: warm skinned with good circulation, sensitive to heat and sunlight, strong minded, goal orientated, can be angry, jealous, controlling, love positions of authority
Kapha dosha (water and earth):
-controls muscle growth, body strength and stability, weight, and your immune system
-disrupt by: sleeping during the day, eating too many sweet foods, and eating or drinking things that contain too much salt or water
-practitioners believe you may develop asthmaand other breathing disorders, cancer, diabetes, nausea after eating, and obesity
-characteristics: large bone structure, strong bodies, medium height, strong, consistent, sentimental, can be greedy, strong immune system
... I´m Vata with an influence of Kapha. There are numerous online tests where you can find out your dosha. Depending on the type, the Ayurvedic medicine suggests a diet that is adapted accordingly, but should be discussed with a doctor.
...For lunch, we had spiced tofu sticks, rice noodles, salad with sprouts, cucumber, capsicum, nuts, carrot sticks, Tahini and fresh juice. Because you can simply walk around the whole island, we decided to walk these five kilometers after lunch. We walked along the beach, looked at the beautiful nature, had interesting conversations and got an idea of Coochiemudlo. When we came back, we had a raw vegan class on how to make snickers caramel cake using cashews, dates, peanuts, coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao powder. I would definitely rate the taste with 10 out of 10 points.
After that we had a Abhyanga Workshop: Abhyanga is an Ayurvedic term used to describe the general practice of massage. It bestows good vision, nourishment to the body, long life, good sleep, good and strong healthy skin. It should be done to the head, ears and feet. You can practice it before bathing in the morning. Some of the benefits are: enhances circulation in the body, deeply moisturizes the skin, keeping it nourished and soft, calms the nervous system, assists in slowing down signs of aging. Following I have summarized, which oils fit to which dosha:
Vata: sesame, olive, almond
Pitta: sunflower, safflower, coconut
Kapha: sesame, sunflower, mustard, apricot
...Back to our retreat routine: The dinner was baked sweet potato, chickpeas, brown rice, kale salad with nuts, avocado, tomatoes and feta cheese. After this indulgence we had a campfire Kirtan inside the centre. while we enjoyed the vegan snickers caramel cake. Yoga and meditation by candlelight followed. Another day full of wonderful experiences ended.
Sunday:
Sunday morning we had the same routine as the day before: yoga, kirtan and meditation on the beach. For breakfast we had vegan scrambled eggs (made out of Tofu), vegan sausages, mushrooms, spinach, avocado, yogurt, pineapples and paw paw. Afterwards I took some time to relax in the hammock of our house listening to the sounds the waves and the birds. Back at the center we talked about paths of enlightenment in Hinduism and the anatomy of Yin Yoga. Further we went on an imaginary trip and practiced in being mindful: which helps to clear your senses and be more concentrated. Since our yoga teacher is very good at handstand, she taught us some basics. The lunch on Sunday was garlic bread with different dips: beetroot, hummus, kale, green/ red pesto; raw vegetables, ricotta cheese and quinoa salad with cranberries. After that we had another cooking class on how to make raw and vegan key lime cheesecake, which is basically made out of dates, macadamia nuts, desiccated coconut, cashews, coconut cream and oil, lemon juice and vanilla essence. In the course of the day we did different types of yoga. we also learned how to create our won Ayurvedic Apothecary. Here you can find a list of the herb/ spice, the preparation and its indication:
Aloe: gel/ powder: fever, inflammation
Basil: fresh, powder: colds, coughs
Cardamom: powder, milk: increase metabolism, reduce toxins ind colon, fever
Chamomile: infusion, powder, paste: headaches, nervousness
Cinnamon: infusion, powder: colds, bronchitis
Garlic: infusion, powder, juice: colds, coughs
Mint: gentle infusion, powder: colds, fever, sore throat, headache
Turmeric: infusion, powder, milk: skin issues, diabetes, arthritis
Ginger: infusion, powder, juice: colds, flus, abdominal pain
In the evening we had the same routine as on Saturday. We ate tofu with teriyaki, broccoli, rice and mixed salad, dessert was the homemade fresh key lime cheesecake.
Monday:
Actually we would have had a program on Monday until the afternoon, but I left with my friend earlier because we had a long drive ahead of us. So we took the breakfast with us: chia pudding with cacao powder, avocado, paw paw, mango, strawberries, blueberries and yogurt. We were taken to the ferry with our luggage and left the little paradise. I am very grateful and glad that I have decided to attend this retreat. I have learned a lot and would like to integrate more yoga into my everyday life. And not kidding: the food during the weekend was the most delicious I've eaten here in Australia so far. I will miss it very much.
At last I would like to mention that I do not believe in every single one of the Hindu principles I have mentioned and wrote about. However, I find it interesting to learn something about it and everyone can decide for himself what he finds helpful and what not. You can take whatever you want, it's just a suggestion.
thanks for the beautiful description 🧘♀️