There are ways to make sure that the retreat experience turns out to be just the way you want it and you have the yoga holiday to be remembered.

We’ve put together a list of 6 important things to take into consideration before booking your yoga retreat.

1. Location

First and foremost, think about where you’d like to go location wise. Even if it may not be your main priority for the yoga retreat, choosing the right location is very important as the environment plays an important role in your emotions as well.

Do you want to go to a warm or tropical destination? Or maybe you’re looking for the opposite – someplace you can cool off and enjoy mild weather? Are you a beach lover or are mountains your preference? Find out what is the scenery like and what will be the weather conditions before booking.

Another thing to consider is reachability – do you want easy to travel from the airport and a location nearby or are you okay to switch a few means of transportation to arrive? Make sure you know how long it takes to get from the airport to the retreat center in advance so you don’t get blind-sided.

Lastly – do you want an “easy” destination where it is simple to get around, talk to the locals, find a coffee shop, a grocery store and you can fully focus on your relaxation, or are you looking for a little adventure and to leave your comfort zone? Neither is better than the other, but make sure you know which one are you getting.

2. Yoga style and classes

Make sure you know what you’re getting. There are so many yoga styles today, so be aware of what kind of classes are offered at the yoga retreat. You do not need to know the outlines of each class, but check the yoga style (is the same you’re practicing, do you want something new, is it something that resonates with you on a bigger picture?), how many classes per day will you have, how long will they be and whether it is a beginner, mixed or advanced students yoga retreat.

3. Retreat theme and vibe

Not all retreats have a specific theme and that’s just fine, but read the description well to figure out will it be a stricter retreat ashram style, a relaxed holiday with some outings, no-phone retreat, etc.  Check out the schedule, the photos, and the social media to figure out the “vibe” and see whether it correlates with your expectations. It would not be great if you’re expecting a chill week with an occasional beer in hand and you get to a place that bans not only alcohol but also has 9 pm curfew (and the other way around!)

4. Groups size and focus

Different yoga retreats have different sized groups. Smaller groups are great for those who’re looking to connect with all the guests, who’d like some more personal attention from the teacher, and who like a more chill vibe. Bigger groups bring more energy to those who are looking for a camp-like experience with more buzz.

Make sure you know whether the retreat is focused on some specific experience or gender of the participant’s so you can see if that’s for you.

5. Other activities

Some people love when everything is organized and all they need to do is show up – retreats with some included tours or offered activities will be perfect for those. Some people love doing everything by themselves and on their own schedule, so a retreat with just yoga and some meals included and a lot of free time will be better for them.

6. Investment

Finally – the $$$. How much are you willing to spend? What kind of accommodations are you looking for and what can you get for the budget you have? There are different tiers of yoga retreats starting from budget ones with large shared rooms to luxurious retreats in 5-star hotels. It will be easier to narrow down your search field when eliminating those that don’t work for you.

Can’t go on a yoga retreat right now? Join our FREE Online Yoga Retreat! 

The post How to choose a yoga retreat? appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Sarah Henderson, Summersalt yoga teacher

Are you thinking about starting a personal meditation practice, but don’t know what’s it’s all about or how to start? If you’ve never been led through meditation as part of a yoga or meditation class, starting your own personal practice may seem daunting. Meditation can take many forms, but all contain conscious practices that train your mind to focus on the present and support your spiritual and emotional well-being and growth.

Meditation may help to:

– Reduce stress and symptoms of stress-related conditions

– Reduce or control anxiety

– Achieve quality sleep

– Improve feelings of well-being and promote emotional health

– Increase productivity

– Increase focus and attention span.

– Improve clarity

– Enhance self-awareness

– Increase feelings of calm

So how do you start and keep a meditation practice?

You may want to consider going to a public meditation class first, or a yoga class that contains a good meditation component to experience guided meditation firsthand. Usually studio and community center online class descriptions will mention meditation if they offer it, otherwise, you could contact the studio and inquire directly. Attending a guided practice first may help you experience the benefits of meditation in a supported setting before taking on your own personal practice. 

1) Find a time and a place that works for you

Try to find a time and place where there are minimal nearby external distractions and noises. It’s hard to find stillness if your TV is blaring in the background, or you have something cooking on the stove. It may help to use noise-canceling headphones if you simply can’t find a quiet place, or if you choose to meditate while seated on the bus on route to work.

You don’t always have to meditate at the same time every day; however, this will help you to develop the practice as a habit.  I like to do it first thing in the morning at home before the day gets busy to help me set the tone for the day. Maybe you prefer to do it at night, or on your lunch break. It doesn’t matter, the point is to try and be consistent if you want to make it a habit. 

2) Get comfortable – use of props

I can’t stress how important this one is to keep up with your practice. If you’re not comfortable, your discomfort is going to be very distracting (if not painful). For some people, a stiff body or injuries may prevent them from sitting with ease, so consider stretching or yoga before you sit to meditate, or find a position that works for you (more on this below). After all, this is why the yogis of old began a physical (asana) practice – to prepare the body for longer periods of seated meditation!

For most adults, sitting cross-legged directly on the floor can be uncomfortable and difficult for longer periods. Sit on a prop that elevates your hips to a height that is above the height of your knees (pictured below). For most people, when they sit cross-legged on the ground their knees float high and are above the height of their hips. Finding something to sit on that elevates your hips above your knees will allow your hip flexors to relax and allow you to sit up tall, supporting your spine and maintaining its natural curvature.

There are numerous meditation props available: cushions, bolsters, blocks (chip-foam, cork), wooden benches, and there are many different manufacturers. The best way to choose a prop that works best with your body would be to test some. If you can find a yoga studio that also sells props, they will allow you to try them, and can probably give you some guidance on how to sit on each prop. If they don’t sell props they can suggest where to purchase some locally.

My favorite meditation props are the cushions made by Halfmoon Yoga (they are handmade in British Columbia, Canada). I like the Round Zafu model because you can use it to sit a few different ways, and it’s soft but firm. Halfmoon also makes amazing bolsters (pictured below), which are versatile props because you can use them as a seated mediation prop, and as support during a Yin or Restorative Yoga practice. If you don’t have access to any of these items, get creative! Use a pillow, couch cushion, sweater, etc. to elevate your hips. Something with firmness will be best to help support you and sit tall through your spine.

3) Get comfortable – sitting or lying down

Find a way to sit that feels good in your body. Be aware of the pain in your knees, or tingling and numbness while sitting in certain positions. You don’t want to cut off circulation or pinch any nerves. Pay attention to and honor your body’s wisdom J

There are a few ways you can sit for meditation practice:

1. a) crossed-legged
2. b) stacking your shins one in front of the other: similar to crossed-legs, but without any crossing. I prefer this option to crossed-legs because my legs will not fall asleep in this position.
3. c) both a or b but with your back against a wall
4. d) a kneeling sit with block(s), bolster, or cushion under your sit bones for support (so that you are not sitting directly on your heels)
5. e) sitting on something more rigid, like a chair (vs. a sofa, which may not promote a nice curvature in your spine). Great if you have knee injuries and deep bends in the knee don’t work for you.
6. e) If sitting doesn’t work for you at all, there is the option to lie down. If you’re new to meditation and don’t have any physical limitations to sitting, I only recommend lying down for meditation practices targeting better sleep and fatigue, because a lot of us tend to fall asleep when relaxed in this position!

Now that you’re comfortable, what do you do?

4) Prepare your body to relax

Close your eyes, or keep your eyes open if you’re more comfortable that way, but soften your gaze. This will help you to remove external distractions, focus inward on your breath, and tune in to what you’re feeling and experiencing in your body, breath, mind, and heart. Sit tall through your spine, as though the crown of your head is reaching towards the sky. Keep your core engaged to support your lower back. Relax your shoulders away from your ears, widen your collarbones, and bring your shoulder blades down your back. Notice if you’re holding any tension in your jaw or facial muscles – gently yawn to relax your jaw and bring the tip of your tongue to touch the back of your front teeth (this will keep your teeth slightly parted, and stop you from clenching your jaw).

Let your hands rest gently in your lap, or bring them to your thighs palms facing up, or palms facing down. What’s the difference? Palms facing up is a gesture that signifies giving and receiving of energy. Palms facing down is a grounding gesture, which may calm you or bring your energy inward. Take a deep inhale in through your nose, open your mouth and exhale fully and audibly, releasing some tension. Do this a few more times. 

5) Choose a meditation

There are a great many meditation practices you can try, but below are a few great beginner meditations that involve prānāyāma and stillness. Prānāyāma? – a Sanskrit word that translates approximately to “extension or control of breath or vital life force”. “Prānā” = breath, life force, energy; āyāma = control, extension. These are simple breath observation or breathing techniques that help trigger deep breathing, mind-body-breath awareness, and focus.

a) Witnessing your breath, body, heart, and mind:

The first is to simply focus on and observe your breath and body: Inhale deeply through your nose, feel your lungs and belly expand as you take in your breath, and then exhale out fully through the nose, focusing on releasing all the stale air from the lungs so that you can fully inhale again.

Notice the responses in your body as you inhale: collarbones widening, rib cage expanding, belly expanding, you naturally sit a bit taller.  Notice the responses in your body as you exhale: collarbones soften, posture softens, belly contracts, ribs float back. Feel the air as it passes through your nostrils, down your throat and back.

Continue to observe your body respond to your breath, and if you notice your mind has wandered, just bring your attention back to your breath and the sensations you’re feeling in your body.

b) Breath counting:

There are a few different counts you can do to stay focused on the present:

i) Inhale for 4… 3… 2… 1…. Exhale for 4… 3… 2… 1…. Repeat. Do this till you’ve established a gentle and natural rhythm, then add:

ii) A pause at the end of your exhale, on empty lungs, for one full count; and a pause at the top of your inhale with lungs full for one count: Inhale for 4… 3… 2… 1…. pause and hold for one count; Exhale for 4… 3… 2… 1…. pause and find stillness for one count. Work to keep your breath smooth, steady and even. If you’re feeling any anxiety, panic or stress, do not practice this version of breath counting with the hold.

iii) You can also start to lengthen your exhales, making them slightly longer than your inhales. For example: inhale for 4; exhale for 6.

iv) In your mind, inhale and exhale as you count from 1 to 10. For example: inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3, exhale 4, inhale 5…, and so on. If you lose track of the count, just start again at 1 J When you get to 10, also start again at 1.

c) Any of the above with light sounds, white noise, or light music.

Experiment with gentle sounds of nature as background noise during your meditation. I love the ocean, and the sound of ocean waves is very calming for me, so I put on the sound of waves while I sit to meditate. Some people like the sound of rain, birds, wind in the trees, etc. This is something you can experiment with and observe how you feel with different sounds. Find a sound that elicits a calm and relaxation response from you. If you are experimenting with light music, I suggest something instrumental (lyrics can be distracting).

d) Use an App!

There are so many guided meditation apps to choose from. My personal favourite is Insight Timer. But there are many options (Calm, Headspace, Oak, etc). Within these apps you will find different lengths, styles, and teachers of meditation. This is a great option if you’d like to try some guided meditations before launching into your own practice, and can’t get into a live studio session.

6) What length of time?

Any amount of time you can give to this practice will be beneficial, but I do suggest trying for at minimum five minutes a day to begin. If you are concerned about time, I suggest setting a timer so you can drop in to your meditation and not worry about checking the clock. We all have busy schedules, so any more time you can put in for yourself above five minutes will really help you start to feel the benefits. Most days all I can squeeze in is 7-10 minutes in the morning and that suffices. When I have the luxury of more time on a slower day I like to sit for at least 15 minutes, and up to 30. Making the time to sit and find stillness for 5-10 minutes in the morning somehow manages to slow down my day.

7) Keep going!!

Whether you’ve decided to start practicing at home or in a studio, do your best to make your meditation practice a habit. Set a goal, carve out some time and space, and do it every day for 40 days. If you miss a day, don’t worry and don’t give up – just keep going. But commit yourself to 40 days to form this habit. You need to devote your time, energy, and consistency to have an embodied experience with meditation, and personally feel the benefits.

As you start to develop your meditation practice, experiment with different guided meditations, which can include chanting (Mantra or Kirtan), the devotion of kind thoughts to yourself or others, or repetitive finger or arm motions (referred to as active meditations) to help focus the thoughts.

Learn more and deepen your meditation practice with these resources:

The post Meditation: Benefits, How to Start & Beginner Practices appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Vanessa Fleming, Summersalt Yoga teacher

Meditation. It’s everywhere you turn – people talking about it, people trying it, people saying, “Am I doing this right?” or even “I can’t stop my thoughts and sit still, so I can’t meditate correctly.”

First off, asking the question of right way or observing that one’s mind is completely all over the place is the absolute first step in cultivating a beginning step towards meditation.

So often, I am asked about meditation from students. How do they start? What’s a good source? I get it…there are so many things out there to get you on the path, but how do you know?

But before the practice even starts, I’d like to recommend a handful of resources to get you on the way, or at least get your curiosity started.

The Authentic Life: Zen Wisdom for Living Free from Complacency and Fear

by Ezra Bayda

I find this book so incredibly helpful. I read passages from it over and over again. Ezra Bayda is a meditation teacher in San Diego, CA. He has a very intricate way of putting concepts into practical and attainable terms, particularly for Westerners.

In the book, there is one recurring passage that stands out for me. Ironically, it’s in a chapter labeled, “The Eternal Recurrence.” The passage says:

There’s an old Zen saying: “Realizing the Way is hard. Once you have realized it, preserving it is hard. When you can perserve it, putting it into practice is hard….When we realize how hard a spiritual practice is, the initial honeymoon phase usually ends, especially if we believed that practice was going to save us from ourselves–from our fears and our distress. When we realize that our practice is not, in fact, going to ensure that we’ll permanently feel a particular way–such as calm or clear or compassionate–it is very easy to get discouraged. Some students leave the practice at this point. But for those who stick it out in spite of the discouragement, there can gradually come a dawning realization….

Gems of wisdom are planted throughout this book. It reads easily and touches on points of our basic understandings about ourselves, and deep-seeded beliefs that we are “fundamentally not okay.” (Chapter The Misguided Quest, p.86), which cause unnecessary suffering within our minds. Through this awareness, understanding the “Dilemma of Anger,” how to work through these, and what is beyond the seeing eye, Bayda paves a path towards understanding with his simple yet effective technique of writing about practice cultivation.

Bayda also refers to concepts Personal Love and Big Love, while recognizing the complete difficulty of unpacking what defines personal love. He refers to attachment and letting go, the Great Awakening, how to keep sight of the path, expectations and aspirations, and saying yes to fear.

The Authentic Life is broken down into 4 parts: The Territory and the Map, Awakening the Mind, Emotional Awakening, and Awakening the Heart.

Each comes with segues into the next section, and the all encompassing idea of this book is this: Letting it be. You’re merely a human in an human world, don’t get so hung up on trying to be anything else.

Towards the end, Bayda provides a “Letting it Be” Meditation practice. I won’t spoil it for you…go find it yourself!

A Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah

(compiled by Jack Kornfield & Paul Breiter)

“Try to be mindful, and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool. All kinds of wonderful, rare animals will come to drink at the pool, and you will clearly see the nature of all things. You will see many strange and wonderful things come and go, but you will be still. This is the happiness of Buddha.” — Achaan Chah

A Still Forest Pool is a deeper look from the interpretation of Buddhism. Achaan Chah was a Thai Forest Monk. He wandered the forest for many years before he settled and created two monasteries.

While his teachings are not as simply put as Bayda’s, the message is still clear.

Achaan Chah dives deeper into the teaching of Buddha and references his message throughout. He spent his entire life dedicated to understanding the elements around Buddha’s enlightenment and insight.

This book is more suitable for someone who is ready to take on a deeper understanding of the practice of meditation, but it’s not so far deep–it’s still readable. I recommend this book for the “next step” after the practice begins.

Guided Meditation Practices by Jon Kabat-Zinn

http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/

Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the leading modern-day Western practitioners in Mindfulness. Let’s face it, most of us can not just pick up and go sit in a monastery or a forest for months or years to learn how to quiet our monkey mind.

His method, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, is a highly popular technique for finding ways to de-stress and meditate in everyday, fast-paced life. Through the essence of adopting mindfulness, we can begin to achieve moments into the present.

Kabat-Zinn’s book, Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment – And Your Life, explores a range of techniques to begin, to deepen, to enrich and to continue a mindfulness based practice.

His website also includes a variety of resources, other books he’s written, MP3s available for download for meditation, and the like.

Alan Watts

Alan Watts was basically an Eastern man trapped in a Westerner’s body. The only problem I find with Watts is that because he’s Western, he over explains yet tries to simplify very heavy content and concepts of the practice. Watts follows the teachings of Zen Buddhism. I am currently reading The Spirit of Zen, and to be honest, I’m having a hard time with wrapping my head around it. Ironically, I’m off to a forest and have this book with me to see if I can concentrate on it, without the modern-day distractions.

Here’s a little taste of his lectures, referring to “Waking Up.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMRrCYPxD0I

I’ll report back once I finish The Spirit of Zen. For now, enjoy the dive into the next step! The hardest part is getting started…you’re more than halfway there.

In the words of my Thai Massage teacher, Pichest, with a fist over the heart and then raised to the sky….

“Gooooo!”

The post Meditation. De-mystify The Practice, One Resource At A Time appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Nika Bosnic for Summersalt Yoga 

“Set a goal that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning.”

It’s so easy to say, but it’s very difficult to put into practice. There is some good news though.

According to a recent research, early birds are more proactive than evening people – and so they do well in business.

As we know that beginnings are always the hardest, especially if you are one of those who is always hitting a snooze button, we prepared a list of our favorite morning power boosters that will get you out of the blanket straight ahead. Thank us later!

        Matcha

      yOga

      bReakfast

plaNning

 medItation

mornIng elixir

       Goals

MATCHA

Like green tea but better. The health benefits of matcha tea are numerous and they even exceed those of green tea because when you drink matcha you ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. According to statistics, matcha green tea possesses antioxidant levels 6.2 times that of goji berries, 7 times that of dark chocolate, 17 times that of wild blueberries and 60.5 times that of spinach! But you might try it several times to get used to it as the taste is pretty unique. I usually make matcha latte by blending 1/2 tsp of matcha (powder), hot (but not boiling) water, coconut milk, agave syrup and little vanilla.

YOGA

Practising yoga in the morning will clear your mind, reinvigorate your body, reduce your stress levels and even boost your metabolism. You can read more about the benefits of yoga here or you can commit yourself to our 10-day yoga challenge here.

BREAKFAST

Try to wake up 15 minutes earlier to prepare yourself a breakfast that will fuel your day. Breakfast will not only pack you with the necessary energy for whatever challenges during the rest of the day, but also contribute to your better mood – imagine you have a delicious breakfast waiting for you first thing in the morning and you can indulge in it slowly before the day actually starts!. My suggestions are overnight oats or chia pudding (which you can prepare the night before), bowl of  warm porridge with toppings, toasted avocado bread, green smoothie bowls, scrambled eggs with some veggies or cheese and greek /coconut yoghurt with muesli. Sometimes when I am in a hurry I will have my matcha latte and 1-2 “superfood balls” which you can easily prepare in advance (just put some dates, shredded coconut, raw cacao, cinnamon, coconut oil, little water and pinch of salt in a food processor, mix and form small balls). You can find many delicious breakfast recipes in Summersalt Yoga recipe e-book here.

PLANNING

While enjoying your breakfast you can easily do some day or week planning. This should include your daily obligations and reminders (your mum’s birthday, for example :)) but also events, and meetings that you look forward to. Because, let’s be honest – we all need little motivation to spice up the day.

MEDITATION

It’s no secret that meditation reduces stress, controls anxiety, enhances self-awareness, generates kindness (against yourself and others), reshapes your brain, improves your focus and productivity and much more.

Most people find mornings the best time to practice meditation. For the start I suggest to find a 10-minute guided meditation training on youtube or download the app to help you get familiar with this beneficial practice (my favorite ones are Calm and Headspace).

MORNING ELIXIR

This juice is my morning “Superman” when I need an extra kick. You can, of course, buy 100% juices (no added sugar), grate ginger and simply mix all together but the best one is straight from the juicer.

Ingredients:

– 3-4 carrots (approx.  1 dcl)

– 2 oranges (approx. 1 dcl)

– 1 knob fresh ginger, peeled

– juice from 1 lemon (approx. 1/2 dcl)

– 1 knob fresh turmeric, peeled (or 1/4 tsp ground)

Simply put all the fruits/veggies in the juicer and enjoy!

GOALS

Set your goals and tasks for the upcoming day and prioritize. Prioritizing allows you to identify the most important tasks and goals at any moment and give them more of your attention, energy, and time. It’s an efficient time management tool, which enhances your focus and allows you to spend more time on the right things.

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