Tag Archive for: Yoga In Ibiza

Ibiza Spirit Festival

Come and celebrate a life of spirit and connection, in this essence-of-Ibiza Ibiza Spirit Festival, taking place at Atzaro on Sunday 5th October 2014 from 11.00 – 20.00.  This day of inspiration and celebration is part of organisers, Jerry and Sabina Brownstein’s vision of a world transformed.  With yoga, tantra, therapies, dance, talks, meditations and workshops…

Open your voice and your heart with singing circles, happily-priced delicious nutritious organic food and drink, music to lift your spirits and a special children’s area to ensure that the whole family can relax and flow with the day.   Long-time residents of Ibiza, Jerry, a consciousness coach and Sabina, a talented energy worker, are working with an amazing island-wide team of healers, therapists and teachers to share many different experiences for healing, consciousness and growth.

All of which will do some VERY good things for your soul.   Entrance is by donation and all the benefits go to the Greenheart Transforms foundation, supporting this magical event.   Fun that will open your heart… for all the family.  Read more about it here!

The art of staying cool…

“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…” (Rudyard Kipling.

By choosing a yogic way of life, we choose to live by certain principles. As one season flows into another, we look at those changes and with a slight shift of our techniques and practise – we commit to keeping our bodies and minds fit and adapting to the changes.

We asked the team here at Ibiza Retreats and here are our favourites.

#1: Breathe yourself cooooool…  Sheetali pranayama:
1. Stick your tongue out and curl the sides of the tongue upward towards the center of the tongue.
2. Breathe in through the mouth, hold the breath and slowly exhale through the nose.
Repeat five to 10 times.
You’ll find your body temperature cooling down.

#2: Stay hydrated – water is life! 
Our bodies are over 80% fluid… we need to keep it this way. Drink plenty of fluids. If you find plain water difficult to swallow – make thirst quenchers with added flavour (and nutrients!). why not try:
* A squeeze of lemon & fresh mint
* Pomegranate and grapefruit – the sweet and sharp is super refreshing
* Fresh Coconuts including the delicious juicy flesh are nature’s best way to hydrate
* Fresh mint tea – just hot water and fresh mint – then cool it and ice it!

#3: Slow flow yoga
* Adapt your usual flow to the change in temperature. Focus on lengthening your breathing and practice gently and meditatively to balance the mind and body
* Practise these very early or later than usual when it’s cooled down.
* Avoid excessive or overly-strenuous asanas when it’s extremely hot. Or even more reason to practise earlier or later if you need your strong practise. Be kind though to your body!

#4: East Consciously
* Don’t rush – take your time over your food and set time aside to avoid putting undue stress of your digestive system and organs.
* Reduce the spicy food, caffeine and sugar which can all stimulate the systems of the body
* Fatty food ensures the heart and digestive system have to work harder, so go light with your food. Salads, fresh veg are abundant this time of year and are perfect stay-cool foods.
* Yoghurt (dairy free if possible) is a wonderful sweet or savoury stay-cool snack. Easy to digest and cooling as you swallow. x

#5: Our absolute favourite – Viparita Karani
So many of our Clients find peace in this beautiful posture and we swear by it! After a long day – especially when it’s hot, it’s so important to calm the systems of the body down – including the mind!

Basically – the translation of Viparita Karani is “legs up the wall”.  We call it “legs up the wall (or anywhere else we can find)”. This pose helps the old blood and lymph fluid drain from the feet as well as asking gravity to help the heart return the blood back to be oxygenated. It also calms our old friends the adrenals.

Cover your eyes with an eye-bag sprinkled with a few drops of lavender oil. Add a blanket or bolster under your sacrum to really give the kidneys some love. This pose can be done anywhere, yet soft music and low lighting can add to the soothing experience.

Namaste…x

Yoga from the Heart… opening to your “self” through your practice

A wonderful teacher-friend, Arun, asks his students at the beginning of each class: what do you want to give today?  We invite you, this Valentine’s month, to focus your yoga on giving.  Giving to your body, giving to your being, giving to the world around you by giving the best of yourself, in your entirety.  Giving is part of love – a core part of it.  It takes the emphasis off “achieving” and naturally, creates a space for new energy to flow in.  Yoga practice is so much more than an athletic workout – although the body-beautiful images that grace magazines often suggest this! Here are five simple steps to open your heart to your-self through your yoga practice, to enjoy a more loving and harmonious flow…. physically and emotionally, on and off the mat.

1. Focus your awareness within through conscious breathwork (pranayama) to still the chattering busy mind.  We love Anuloma Viloma, alternate nostril breathing… like shown with this wonderful, authentic, link here:  

2. Explore the art of Pratyahara – withdraw your senses from the outside world – take your mind off our ego-based ideas of what you “think” you want to look like, of whether your asanas are picture perfect and focus your mind inwards, on how your body is feeling.

3. Softness – space – strength – make this your inner-mantra – feel where the softness and space can be felt in your body, feel into the details of your alignment, from big toes, to little fingers, top of the head, find softness and length in the neck, relax your jaw, your tongue, your smile (or frown), soften your gaze and feel your inhaling breath opening up space through your diaphragm, intercostal muscles between your ribs, between the shoulders, heartspace…. and beyond

3. Exhale out any excess tension or resistance, soften any tension, any excess effort, any “trying” whilst retaining the skeletal spaciousness

4.Continue this focus within your practice, softness, spaciousness, strength.… stress-release…. softness, spaciousness, strength…. heart-opening until you come to a seated, cross-legged, siddhasana, easy pose for inner-contemplation.

5. Keeping the same spaciousness and softness in the body and energy, now you have created this space within, listen to the quiet voice inside that comes from the heart.   This is the voice of our inner-most world, our soul, our heart-felt feelings.   This can be a place where peace can be found, where a space can open up for more love to flow as we let go of the “harder, stronger, faster, deeper” instructions from the mind and dive into the emotional center hidden within you.   Listen in, feel, look inside for any resonance and just be, with whatever is coming.    Allow any insights or ideas or thoughts to arise without judgement or attachment.  This free-space of allowing is full of acceptance, which is a key quality of peace.

Complete your practice by humming…. “Let it be, let it be, let it be.”

 

Yoga Asana of the week – The Tree

As the new energies of 2012 flow in, we welcome you all to join us in grounding the lighter, faster vibrations by getting grounded, centred and strong like a tree. With our spine and body aligned we can be clear to receive the energies from the Universe above and release down into the earth below in an ongoing, powerful flow.
When the challenges blow like strong winds, you can maintain your strength and calm to help you see the higher, greater vision.
Here are 7 steps for a firmly rooted tree:
1* Placing both feet firmly into the ground, lift all your toes and release them back down, shift your energy onto your right leg, activating the muscles strongly
2* Find an external point of focus – a fixed point in front of you – and focus your gaze softly here
3* Inhaling, turn your left heel towards you at a 90 degree angle and raise the heel upwards, catching your left ankle with your left hand.
4* Exhaling, press the sole of the left foot firmly into your right thigh, press your inner-right thigh towards the sole of your left foot
5* Inhaling, draw up your pelvic floor to lock your energies in the core of your body (mulahbhanda), drawing your hands together in Namaste
6* Exhaling release all tension down through the soles of your feet
7* Inhaling, raise your arms up above your head in namaste, melting your shoulder blades down either side of your spine, opening your heart and allow a soft smile (if it feels good to!)
Continue breathing into your belly, exhaling completely and lengthening and deepening your breathing.
Enjoy the feelings of connectedness, alignment, lightness, height and strength – feeling anything more? Wonderful….. enjoy the tree-journey.
With great thanks to our beloved yogi-life-friend Laura Bridge inspiring us all from the top of Macchu Picchu in Peru this week!

‘Retreat of the Week’ – Harmonic Yoga Retreat in stunning villa!

The sunset over the pool at Can Skye - Harmonic's Ibiza Yoga Retreat villa

Retreat: Harmonic Yoga & Healing Retreat with Samanta Duggal all the way from Mumbai, India

Following six years in Goa, we are honoured and very excited to welcome Harmonic to Ibiza! Continuing with the essence of Harmonic, this retreat will offer a full range of classes and treatments. Twice daily yoga, as well as sanskrit chanting, meditation and Bollywood dance. Music, healing, massage and numerous other therapies are also on offer to help you relax and get the most from your stay.

 

Date: 2nd – 9th June

Cost: From €910 for shared twin room. Single occupancy available.

Location: A stunning retreat villa (think of a boutique ashram) near the sleepy village of Sant Carlos and the sparkling waters of Cala Nova beach…

What’s included? * 7 nights accommodation * Delicious, home cooked local vegetarian food including: pre-yoga fruit, post yoga brunch, afternoon snack, evening meal (tea, coffee and water available throughout) * Twice daily yoga, 2 classes in meditation, 2 classes in Sanskrit chanting, 1 Bollywood dance class * Consultation and support throughout as well as an evening of acoustic music *

ENQUIRE NOW