JOIN USRetreat to yoga
On the occasion of International Yoga Day today, I am reminded of my Yoga Retreat at Byron Bay NSW, Australia. There was this strange sense of belonging, a wholeness...There was no existential angst or queries waiting to be addressed. No hurry to reach a perpetually elusive goal...
As I lay sprawled on the green meadow, my audience were a couple of billy goats and a ewe. Could they teach me some life lessons? Well, they had! To be able to stand perfectly still and look unblinkingly...the object being myself. A deeply meditative pose.
A pandemonium of parakeets rich in hues of green and blue and red flies by screeching overhead and the spell was broken. The bird sounds Down Under are quite new to the ear. The unfamiliar required getting used to.
Byron Bay in NSW, Australia, is a coastal town strewn with seductive blue beaches. The Tallow Beach, Belongil Beach, Clarkes Beach, Main Beach etc, nine in all, known for their surfing and scuba diving facilities and whale and dolphin sightings off their shores.
And then there is the Cape Byron Lighthouse. And the Arakwal National Park. Driving from Sydney via Newcastle to Port Macquarie and then on to Coffs Harbour, we had made overnight stops at each.
We were just in time for our very first overseas yoga experience. Restorative yoga involved warm-up stretches extending into Surya Namaskars, staying in each position for a couple of minutes. Does that sound easy? Well, it was not!
Then came Vashishtha asana, Bharadwaja asana, Bhadrakona asana and so on. The names came out like tongue twisters but the effort and commitment were genuine and there were no cutting corners.
After a dinner of a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie that sat well on the palate. The evening was rounded off by Yoga Nidra, conducted in an elaborate and conscious manner with the instructions flowing forth in a dulcet, soothing voice that worked magic on the nerves. That night I slept the sleep of the blessed!
Come morning, a quick warm shower and we plunged right into our Morning Flow, a sustained slow-moving yoga practice that stressed less on specific asanas and more on the unhampered movement of the limbs from one position to the other.
Being a reasonably committed yoga practitioner, I yet twisted and turned and lunged and hopped back into positions with
a breathlessness that surprised me.
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Now, as I sat out in the open surrounded by the blinding greenery of the expansive garden area and the rich carpet of lawns around, with the breeze blowing languorously and the sun shining in abandon, life took on a new meaning...
The day tapered off into easier sessions...Yin yoga focused on breathing and Om chanting etc., with deliciously rejuvenating slow movements of the body combined with deep relaxing breaths.
The body had bowed to the will and the tortuous movements were strangely more welcome. A discussion on Ayurveda followed the yoga session, with light thrown upon the Vata, Pitta and Kapha components of the body.
We woke up on the fifth and final day to a trek to the Byron Bay Lighthouse. The walk was 3 km. Not a huge effort. What mattered was the incline. The track was steep.
We reached the lighthouse as the sun rose on the horizon kissing the ocean surface and setting it afire. And a sun glitter dazzled! A trio of dolphins graced us with their joyful romp in the distance. The waters were a gentle aquamarine, yet to turn a deep teal blue as the day advanced. We walked back dreamily through the rainforest echoing with sweet bird calls. The journey up and down had several unforgettable frames put together. Moments of reflection and moments to cherish...
Back at the retreat, we had the ongoing wellness session, breakfast and many fond goodbyes to bid.
Another spot on the map had become my home over the last few days. A commune that’ll dwell in the mind for a while.