Another unforgettable experience! Thank you to all who joined me for our Stratusphere Escape Weekend at Shanti Retreat. Perfectly set, lakeside on the beautiful Wolfe Island, Shanti offers everything one could require for a weekend focused on deep connections, stillness, peace and tranquility. A ferry ride over to the island was a perfect way to start! There is something special about having to travel over water that made it feel like a real getaway (even though you can take your car along with you:). It was exciting to be on the other side and in only a few short minutes we were driving into the pathway to our haven. I was intrigued by the Yoga Yurt and couldn't wait to get inside! I controlled my urges and headed for the main house. We were kindly greeted by Wendy as she happily took us through a tour of the main house. Totally impressed and immediately comfortable, we headed for our rooms to settle in. Once we were all settled in, napped up and explored out, we gathered all together for our first delicious meal. Darrin took us through some information about our stay; like how many people could be on the water trampoline at once and how to claim your mug for the weekend...important stuff.
Soon enough we were all in the yurt, in a sacred mandala ready to connect and restore. With the smell of Nag Champa, the fresh breeze off the lake and rustling in the trees, the lights on low and soft devotional tunes playing in the back round, we immersed into the moment. Once we came out of deep relaxation, all were ready for a good nights sleep. We planned to gather around 8:30am. I stayed in the yurt and sat for a long while, grounding, connecting, listening, breathing and watching.
I woke up around 6am, washed up and headed for my mat. The sun rise was glorious, the water still and the cows mooing away in the fields, I playfully practiced, explored and unraveled some sticky spots in my body, breath and mind. I was ready to guide the group through their morning practice. Trickling in alone, in groups or in pairs, everyone took the time they needed to find their seat, ready to focus and practice presently with open hearts and minds. We sweat, we laughed, we struggled, we breathed through, we revealed our strengths and uncovered our weaknesses, all together and fully supported.
After practice, some jumped in the lake for a wash and some could hardly wait for breakfast. We sat outside by the lake nourishing in good food and conversation. After breakfast, most of us went off to the beach and some stayed behind for some quiet time. The beach was an adventure, we saw turtles and plenty of wind turbines and hay bales and really big dead fish in a swamp. We swam, we practiced handstands in the sand, posed for some beach time yoga shots and were on our way back for a workshop on Pranayama: the art of extending our life force/energy.
We explored breath and encouraged prana to flow. We had fun discussions and investigations. Soon we discovered that we were very hungry and the sound of the farm bell called us to our tables. The grand finale of a beautiful Indian inspired meal included strawberries covered in various chocolate flavours. We indulged.
I went for an infrared sauna with Trish and Melissa, Ashley had a Thai Yoga Massage with Darrin in the Yurt and others lounged, curled up with a book or went off to bed.
The next morning we gathered for another invigorating class, some meditation, a beautiful Savasana, had a lovely breakfast and lingered around until we were ready for our departure.
I managed to slip a massage in with Darrin and it was the perfect way to end the weekend. The sign on the Yurt said "Follow Your Bliss" and indeed I felt that "I am".
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