During this Beginners Yoga Retreat you will be introduced to what you can expect and experience on your yoga path. Yoga can be defined as a training that initiates awareness. By practicing yoga we learn to see different processes, accept them, balance and develop them. You can think about the mobility of the body, the breath, reacting, focus and concentration, stress management, communication and being in contact with others.

Yoga is much more than just body postures and stretching and twisting yourself into a complicated pose. It is a training that helps you keep balanced in complex (life) situations. Yoga can be as deep as you make it yourself.

We will cover the following themes: introduction into yoga and the eightfold path of Patanjali, training the body and learning to relax, learning how to control your breath, practicing meditation, different yoga postures.

10.45 - Doors open
11.00 - 12.00 Hatha yoga
12.00 - 12.30 Lunch break in silence
12.30 - 13.00 Sharing circle
13.00 - 13.30 Being a Yogi every day (what to bring: neti pot and bowl)
13.30 - 14.30 Eightfold path of yoga
14.30 - 15.15 Basic asanas
15.15 - 15.30 Pauze
15.30 - 17.30 Practitioner workshop
17.30 - 18.00 Yoga nidra

The eightfold path of yoga, which can be found in the book Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali describes the different aspects of yoga practice, the eight phases on the path of selfrealisation:

1. YAMAS deal with one’s ethical standards and sense of integrity, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life. Practicing Yamas brings a subtle experience of a specific change in your behavior that also brings change in your environment. The Yamas consist of five ‘vows’ that help you practice yoga. These are: Ahimsā; Satya; Āsthēya; Brahmachārya; Aparigraha.

2. NIYAMAS, in contrary to the Yamas, are focused more internally and on yourself. Practicing Niyamas brings a subtle experience of a specific theme that goes hand in hand with change in your behavior that also brings change in your environment. The five Niyamas are: Shaucha; Samtōsha;Tapas; Svādhyāya; Īshvarapraņidhāna.

3. ASANA - Physical postures. The postures are meant to focus the attention to you and to get to know yourself. Becoming fitter and healthier is just a side effect.

4. PRANAYAMA – experiencing the breath. Prana is the life energy; the energy that makes sure you can exist in this world. Prana is carried by the breath. That is why breath in yoga is so important. Breathe in in the right way and all pieces of the puzzle will fall together.

5. PRATYAHARA – experiencing the senses. This is withdrawing of the senses. instead of radiating your senses externally to the world outside of you, you can use them to discover yourself.

6. DHARANA – insight in Focus. The practice of Dharana teaches us to ‘zoom in’ so we’re able to focus on one thing alone.

7. MEDITATION - This is the point in which you can experience your thoughts as something that is not part of you. You feel the direct experience of you processes and the arising of fixation in attention is complete. You are completely in the here and now.

8. SAMADHI – Selfrealization. This is the final phase of Yoga. Your body, senses and the mind are one, you experience the here and now, and you feel connected with everything around you.
On your yoga path you need a teacher that you feel comfortable with and who can bring you further in your personal development and realization. You do this process by yourself, but because the teacher has been where you are now he can see what kind of “practice” is needed for you and will support your process. Therefore maintaining a yoga practice is very important. It is learning a new (healthy) lifestyle.

There is space and time for questions, lunch, tea and water are available

Price €99,95