Ashtanga Yoga Crete Retreat

 

‘Waking Up To Life’

a 7 day Ashtanga yoga and mindfulness retreat

with

Scott Johnson

Tertsa Yoga Retreat Centre,

Crete, Greece

2nd July – 9th July, 2023

Price: 900 euros (early bird before 15th May 2023)

 

In the beautiful surroundings of southern Crete we will lean into the combined practices of Ashtanga yoga and mindfulness. We will see how the waking up that these practices offer can happen now, in this time, and not some far off place in the future…

 

 

What you will gain from the retreat:

Over the retreat you will be led toward an understanding of your personal yogic process and how it pertains to your life. We will see that yoga is a myriad of teachings and practices but at its base it is reflected in the mind, the breath, the body and language. It also relates directly and significantly to our own life and grows out of relationship in all their forms.

Seeing how all these connect together you will receive a sense of what it means to wake up, in your life, through the practice of yoga.

The retreat will include:

• Ashtanga yoga – Self practice and guided classes
• Mindfulness Meditation
• Pranayama/breathing techniques
• Chanting
• Yoga Philosophy
• Movement technique. 

The retreat format:

Morning classes: 3 Hours x 6 morning classes

There will be instruction and guidance in:

• mindfulness
• pranayama/breathing exercises
• ashtanga yoga guided and self practice classes
• chanting.

Over the 6 days this will evolve into a fluid experience so that the last day blends from one practice into another.

Afternoon sessions (Technique and Philosophy): 2.5 Hours x 3 afternoon classes

Technique

• The Movement principles of Surya Namaskar 
• Weight dynamics in standing postures
• Shoulder and hip alignment.
• Breath, Banda through the whole body. How to practice safely in all areas of asana, with awareness. 

Philosophy 

Over the afternoons we will unpack how: 

• The first 3 sutras of Patanjali and awareness of the four foundations of mindfulness show us the pathway of contemplation and awakening. 
• How the philosophy of classical yoga and the dharma gibe us ways to interact with the world. 
• The 5 Kleshas are what stops us from seeing clearly. 
• The Ashtanga yoga eight limbed path is the method that unveils wisdom in our life time. 
• We will be left with how to see our yoga practice through the lens of sutra 1.20 and then see that we are practically almost there, through Mukunda Stiles translation of 1.21.