2020 Ashtanga Yoga Retreat Wishlist

You have a week (ish) off work.  You want to keep up your practice.  You want to study with an authorized or certified teacher.  You want to be surrounded by other Mysore people.  You want to focus on your practice.  You want to travel and explore and learn...

Where to go?

Some of these include your stay, some don't...

Here are my top picks:

APRIL

Germany

April 13-May 9

Susanna Finocchi (L2) & Lakshmish Bhat

Info

MAY

Brazil

May 9-15

Thiago Villa Verde (L2) & Xico Rodrigues (L2)

Info

Thailand

May 15-19 (postponed until 2021)

Sharath Jois

Info

JUNE

Turkey
June 7-13
Harmony Lichty (Certified)

Info

Australia
June 9-14
Sharath Jois

Info

JULY

Finland
 July 29-August 2
Petri Raisanen (Certified)

Info

AUGUST

Bali
August 28-September 6
Eileen Hall (Certified)

Info

SEPTEMBER

Spain, Serbia, Greece
September 2-19
Sharath Jois

OCTOBER

Tanzania
October 15-23
Tarik Thami (Certified)

Info

NOVEMBER

Egypt
November 2-13
Philippa Asher (Certified)

Info

On Retreat with David Robson & Jelena Vesnic

The thing is that once you have a steady Mysore practice, it goes with you when you travel.  Sometimes the particulars of making that happen are easy but in my experience they usually are not.  Most often I find myself sandwiched between two beds on a carpeted floor keeping my drishti so that I wouldn't have to see what was lurking under the bed with the AC blasting in my face.  Then there is the food disaster where yes, you are grateful you have food but are also mentally preparing yourself for how this highly processed meal is going to feel tomorrow in Marichasana D (foot in gut now twist).  Or Pasasana (squat and thighs smash guts now twist). Or Purna Matsyendrasana (more foot in gut and twisting action).  

These are things you don't want to have to think about.

Enter yoga vacation aka yoga retreat.  You get to have your practice and eat well too. Sometimes you want to mostly vacation, sometimes you want to mostly retreat, other times you want a healthy mix of both. My recent retreat with David Robson and Jelena Vesnic was just that.

Sayulita is a small surfer town north of Puerto Vallarta. You can take the bus or taxi or have a car arranged by your hotel.  You don't really need a map because vegan and vegetarian and organic and farm fresh local food and taco stands are waiting to be discovered around every corner. Design-forward local makers abound.  Eco-conscious mostly everything and recycling bins aplenty.  The beach...

We stayed at Hotelito de los Suenos where we also had our morning Mysore practice. Rooms were simple, clean, and with air conditioning.  Post-practice breakfast was offered daily with everything from chilaquiles (kind of like breakfast nachos) to avocado toast.  Lately, I have preferred to have my first meal around noon so after practice I would wander off through town just as it woke up.  I love this moment anywhere.  The air is different.  The birds in the trees.  The "just before".  I would wander through the sleepy streets to Organi-k for the "No Bad Days" smoothie (alt milk, cacao, banana, chia, hemp, peanut butter...) that I would have for lunch.  It is really something that bringing your own reusable cup is starting to be the standard everywhere.

We had three workshops - just the right amount.  I'm not so into geeking out on these things so much these days but sometimes we all need a little encouragement and reassurance that we are on the right path.  When you practice on your own most of the time, you need this.  (Well, I suppose you don't need it, but it is nice.) And when your teacher is in India and you aren't, reassurance takes longer to receive. You'd think that being authorized means that everyone is offering the same information.  This isn't always the case.  Life can get lonely.  But with David and Jelena, I felt right at home.

Ashtanga Yoga Retreat September 29 - October 6, 2012

1st Annual Ashtanga Yoga Adventure Retreat
with Krista Shirley and Elise Espat

at Xinalani Yoga Retreat (Near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)

September 29 - October 6, 2012

 

An unforgettable week of Ashtanga Yoga, relaxation, exploration, and adventure.

Connect with like-minded people, immerse yourself in nature, and deepen your Ashtanga Yoga practice under the guidance of Elise Espat and Krista Shirley, both infectiously adventurous level 2 authorized teachers by the Krishna Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute. This week will open your eyes and heart to the secrets of abundant living as you find yourself surrounded with grace, love, happiness, fulfillment, appreciation, humility, gratitude and inspiration towards effort.

Each day begins with traditional Mysore practice with the rest of the day to be spent as you see fit. Relax on the beach, cozy up with a book, or participate in a group excursion... Swimming with dolphins, anyone? Parasailing? Zip lining? Rappelling down waterfalls? (You get the picture.)

No previous yoga or Ashtanga experience is necessary. Just bring your mat and a willingness to learn.

ABOUT THE TEACHERS

Krista Shirley is a dedicated student and practitioner of traditional Ashtanga yoga. She travels to Mysore, India each year to spend time studying at the Krishna Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI). Krista humbly gives thanks to her teachers, Sharath Jois and Saraswathi Jois, for their guidance and love. "It is a true honor to study with Sharath and Saraswathi so that my own practice and teachings may continue to grown on the right path under their tutelage." Krista is a Level 2 Authorized Ashtanga teacher and founder of The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida where she teaches traditional Ashtanga yoga classes in the Mysore method.

Krista’s dedication to her personal yoga practice and the Ashtanga lineage shine through in her teaching. Her energy is contagious and inspiring! Krista specializes in providing all her students with a lot of personal attention. Krista is here to help you begin or advance your Ashtanga Yoga journey.

Krista will be returning to India and KPJAYI for her eighth trip in January 2013.

Visit www.AshtangaYogini.com for more information about Krista.

Elise Espat is dedicated to the ongoing practice and study of the traditional Ashtanga yoga method. She is one of the few teachers worldwide to have received Level 2 Authorization, enabling her to teach both the primary and intermediate series of Ashtanga yoga. She is a student of many subjects including Sanskrit, philosophy, and anatomy and maintains an ongoing practice at the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India with R. Sharath Jois and R. Saraswathi Jois and in New York with Guy Donahaye. Elise currently lives in New Mexico where she teaches at the Albuquerque Ashtanga Yoga Shala.

LOCATION

Xinalani Yoga Retreat is an intimate eco-conscious retreat center located on a private beach just south of Puerto Vallarta...

"Xinalani Retreat is about discovery, admiration, love for yoga, nature, magic, conscious travel, eco-adventure, wellness, serenity and mindful living. We aim to reveal the beauty of an unknown Mexico and share with our guests eye-opening vacations that inspire transformation.

We are an Eco Resort. We attempt to minimize our environmental impact. All guest accommodations have low consumption lights (LEDs) and are equipped with two outlets to reload cell phones and camera batteries. Our construction method was extremely organic: no concrete, no land modification, very little footprint. All guests are provided with high-end eco-friendly soaps and shampoo. Toilets are low-flow, and all water is recycled and used to irrigate our gardens. We use natural and biodegradable cleaning products, we recycle, and compost wherever possible."

more information

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

7:00-9:00am Mysore Practice

9:00-9:30am Chanting

9:30-11:00am Breakfast

1:30-2:30 Lunch

Optional Group Excursion

5-7pm Lecture, Meditation, Chanting

7:30-8:30pm Dinner

ROOMS

All accommodation options are beachfront, spacious, palm-thatched cabins floating on stilts. The suites were designed with refined elegance and built and furnished by local artisans. Their cozy interiors inspire feelings of calm and serenity. Enjoy the closeness of the natural elements, the stimulation of the open-air private showers and the stunning views of Puerto Vallarta and the Pacific Ocean directly from your terrace.

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ACTIVITIES
WATER: Swimming, surfing, snorkeling, dolphins, whales, scuba diving, kayaking, bodyboarding, boating
LAND: Hiking, zip-lining, horses, cooking, spa treatments, volunteering, visit Yelapa, visit Boca de Tomatlán, donkeys, waterfalls
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Everything you wanted to know about Xinalani that wasn't included here
Xinalani Yoga Retreat
FAQs
Flickr  

More information and registration:
www.EliseAshtangaYoga.com