Recent Experience in Retreat, Canada.

In July 2024, I followed my teacher along with 28 other students to a small island off of Vancouver for a week's long Yoga retreat. Meeting old faces and new at the Sea-plane terminal, I already had a flurry of excitement in my tummy. With turquoise ocean below us as we climbed above the Fraser River, across the Strait of Georgia to Salt Spring Island, the sea-place made for a memorable way to start our time together.

The landing dock has a stereotypical regional tranquillity to it. Where lumbar jackets & frayed jeans are the norm, and the local waterhole plays live music through the weekends.

We headed for a 110-acre farm stay which houses five families whom work together to cultivate the land producing organic vegetables and fruits. The owner, brought the land 45 years ago after years of logging, determined to restore its natural richness, a modest barn was built and the first rows of vegetables were seeded. Now the produce can be brought in their on-site farm hut and supplies the kitchen for all visiting guests. Inspired to make it a space to bring people together, some 35 years later she designed a tall wooden arched-ceiling studio with floor to ceiling windows, allowing the natural light to pour in. Equipped with yoga props and surrounding silence, it was to be the perfect space for yoga practice.

Practitioners travelled from all corners of the world, Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong, France & Canada. With stiff travelling joints & jetlag to over-come, our teacher didn't hesitate to get us on our mat.

Moving through our first Iyengar practice, the props aided us to soften into the asanas & the togetherness in the room motivated us to move with intention. Inhale. Exhale. Be present.

Dinner time was a much enjoyed shared time, introductions to new friends, hugs to old ones. The chef's did an amazing job of serving light, organic nourishing food- and pudding. Long tables outside led to conversations until the sun set and the stars slowly rose. Time for an early (ish) night.

I was staying in a yurt with a French lady, we shared a love for trail running, our old stomping ground of Hong Kong and of course, yoga. By the end of the week she had completed 60km of running along with two classes of yoga a day. Happy to say I was delighted to be in the company of such an enthusiasm for life & movement. 05:30AM the alarm quietly rings and I slip out of bed to stroll some of the surrounding gardens, noticing flowers I've not seen before. Jet lag laden, my yurt-mate went for cocoa at 3AM and has been reading since.

Meditation practice begins at 7AM, we are asked to not speak in the Yoga room before practice to keep our thinking minds quieter. 30 minutes of seated silent mediation. Where there is no intent other than to stay in the present moment. Not thinking of the future, nor of the past. Using your breath as a compass to quietness. After our invocations, Asana followed where there would often be a primary part of the body to focus on throughout. Blocks, straps, blankets & bolsters were used to aid a deeper asana practice.

After a light breakfast, our mid-morning practice from 10-12:30 started with 30 minutes of guided Pranayama practice. In Iyengar's words, "Pranayama is not performed by the power of will. The breath must be enticed or cajoled, like catching a horse in a field, not by chasing after it, but by standing still with an apple in one's hand".

By lunch-time it was time to feast on vegetarian, organic goodness with the likes of, home-made breads, Salads with in-kitchen made dressings, Soups, toasted nuts & grilled vegetables. The long tables brought us together as a group, sharing stories of the day, connections, family and culture. There was laughter, light-heartedness, discussion & tears. With the yoga at work, leading us open to a deeper consciousness of ourselves.

I mustn't forget the hummingbirds, if you're home country doesn't have hummingbirds, as mine doesn't, you'll find these beautiful tiny birds amazing. Beating their wings 50-80 times per second whilst hovering for nectar from native Trumpet vine. They were the size of a large moth, with the vibration of their wings faintly audible. A treat for any admirer of nature.

Afternoons were spent walking, lake swimming, reading, journaling, chatting, some sleeping while others seeking caffeine in a local flat white. Afternoon asana practice began at 4PM to 6:30PM. The gift of time meant we could partner up and aid one another to get into deeper postures with the safety of support & guidance from one another. We utilised chairs for backbends, the walls for inversions and straps for binding. These sessions were led with the freedom to ask questions in combination with many student/ teacher demonstrations for clear understanding & learning.

Dinner... let's be honest most of us were there for the pudding; home-made cake slices or chocolate bark. Along with all the freshness that this retreat's kitchen had proven to delight us with. As evening rolled in, jumpers and herbal tea allowed us to sit outside until night-time had settled.

On a few evenings, our teacher hosted open conversations upstairs to the eating area, where we gathered to relax, listen & contemplate in the cosiness of the burner's heat. On our final evening we celebrated a treasured week together with a party. It was easy to see the friendships that had been made and the many that had deepened with our time together; the smiling faces, the belly laughs, the relaxed atmosphere.

The week together brought continued gratitude to our teacher for his generous sharing's and his unwavering studentship to yoga. Happiness in it's purest form to be amongst friends & fellow students whom are dedicated to this ancient practice. And in excitement for next year's we parted ways with a heartfelt 'Namaste'.