The Elemental Energy Yoga Retreat

February 2016


What is Elemental Energy?

At this time of heightened desire to enhance the qualities of our lives, its not surprising that our beautiful Mother Nature turns out to be the teacher we are all hoping to meet. The 5 Elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space describe our primal energy blueprint. They are the energies that hold the fabric of our reality together, and so are at the root of many great folk medicines of the ancestral tribes of Earth. These medicines reveal that when the Elemental dynamic is continuously imbalanced, we act to mask the subtle truth of our greater personal freedom.

When we use the Wisdom of Nature's 5 Elements in daily practices, rituals and processes, we can learn how to deeply listen to ourselves, and so an evolution of the subtle-energy systems begins. We discover a familiar sense that can bring us into a richer experience of ourselves.
 

This 10 day Retreat will combine techniques from Yoga, Dance, Meditation, Zen Shiatsu, Kinesiology and Chi Gung, with interactive processes of self enquiry and healing Arts. It is an open unlearning adventure! - creative, communal, and maybe  even a little challenging :)

Hosted in the inimitable Mandala Retreat Centre, with a choice of accommodation styles in the Bedouin tents or the Wagon-Roofed chalets, the Mandala playground holds an outdoor cinema, sunrise Yoga Dome, riverfront Shala, all in a sprawling garden where you can rest in the shade, or chill in the echoed lights at night, being served simply some of the healthiest, tastiest food in Goa. The Mandala is a place of serendipitous magic and is an experience all of its own: a place to investigate modalities, music, and movement.

The Retreat Space will be held in the highest of professional ethics, and is facilitated by Jai Garuda,  a qualified Yoga Therapy Teacher, Holistic Kinesiologist, Elemental Author, Zen Shiatsu Teacher and Holistic Counselor. He has 18 years experience as a Clinic Therapist, and is passionate about Yoga, Dance, Music, Surfing and the Great Outdoors. Sofia Araujo, the  Co-Creator of the Internationally recognized Swara Yoga School will also be teaching on the Retreat. 

How Each Day Unfolds

Each day will begin with an early Elemental Energy Yoga Class that takes you into different themes of Natural wisdom and energetic development. They are often revelatory experiences as our Elemental balance is being reshuffled through particular asanas, mudras, music, mantras, pranayamas, visualisations, movements and meditations.

After a healthy breakfast, there is an interactive and dynamic lecture on a host of subjects, from 5 Element Theory and The Seasonal Cycles, to Pratyahara, Yoga as Medicine, The Subtle Body and Vital Energy. The lectures aim to reveal the maps and guidelines for using Nature’s wisdom to help reveal your own. These Lectures contain a mix of information and practical experiences and demonstrations of how to read and work with your own Elemental balance. 

An invigorating morning will end with a vitalising lunch from the Mandala Kitchen, and then the afternoon is free for you to take long walks and swim at Mandarem's tropical beach or embrace the random energies of India's highly approachable local Goa. Mandalas garden is a super chilled place for down time too.

When the warmth of the day is fading, an afternoon gathering will offer somatic practices, creative writing, improvisation, and dance processes, bodywork sessions and open interactive time. You will be free to participate in any open forums, or free to just observe as the days whim takes you.

Early evening we will be practicing together in the Dome, drawing from a variety of Elemental Energy techniques, restoring the energy systems to a complete rest and rejuvenation. The Yin approach to every afternoon is vital to the next days endeavors, and are relaxed yet highly insightful practices. 

Mandala's Kitchen will be open to you at the Evening, though our experience tells us that most folk prefer to explore the vast range of great restaurants around the area. Cheap and very well appointed restaurants are abundant in Goa. Trips to impossibly perfect empty tropical beaches just North of the River are easy to organise and well worth the short travel to get there. 
 

For booking enquiries, to find out more about the Teachers, or read more about Elemental philosophy please Contact Us