peace yoga retreat
THE ETHICS OF YOGA
Playful Yoga Philosophy Immersion
November 11th – 17th 2023
Suryalila, Spain
Hello beautiful yogi!
Are you ready to immerse playfully into the deeper meanings of yoga? This retreat is designed to open up a new view on life and yoga for you. Some wise yogi once said: Only because you can wind up like a pretzel doesn´t mean you are good in yoga, it just means that you can wind up like a pretzel. It doesn´t matter if you have just began to practice “yoga” (the physical yoga, on the mat), or if you´re a long term practicioner but never really took the time to learn about yoga philosophy and the ancient wisdom that is still full of good advises even nowadays.
“Yoga is a scenic journey to our deepest spirit.” – D. Swenson
There is so much more to yoga than performing asanas, but often these asanas serve as the door we go through to discover the unknown “world of yoga” behind it that is far away from our competitive world we are surrounded by every day. Behind this door you will find a world of love, compassion, gratitude, equanimity, peace and joy…. And most probably…. yourself!
Yoga really begins when you LEAVE the classroom
Yoga philosophy is ancient, but not old. It can help you live a life in more harmony with yourself and the ones around you.
What do compassion, gratitude, generosity, purity, self study, passion and discipline, and equanimity have in common?
They all might be values one wishes to live according to.
They all ARE part of “Ashtanga yoga”, the eightfold path (Ashta = 8, anga = limb) of Patanjali, who first put down yoga philosophy on paper (the Yoga Sutras). A small, but significant part of the vast field of “yoga philosophy”.
The physical yoga (asanas), the breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana) are probably the most commonly known and practiced parts of these 8 limbs. But the actual stepping stones to any balanced practice are the first two limbs (yamas and niyamas), the ethical principles of yoga.
Just like yoga and meditation are ancient practices but still are becoming more and more important to balance out our hectic 21 century lifestyle, the yamas and niyamas are FULL of hands on tips and tricks (so called recommendations) to help you to live a life in more harmony with yourself and the ones around you.
Why Ethics form the foundation of yoga practice
In contemporary yoga practices we often jump to the third limb of Asana and end up with a fragmented and imbalanced yoga practice because it has no roots. The rooting of a practice occurs when one starts at the beginning with the ethical codes that Patanjali outlines as the stepping stones to further practices.
Envy, anger, greed, scattered desire, delusion, sloth. We all have these self-centered poisons in us. The Yamas – when practiced honestly – keep these diverse and conflicting impulses in check. They keep us grounded in our world of relationships. The Yamas are designed to open us up to those around us by motivating us to contemplate our actions of body, speech and mind, internally and externally.
The Niyamas are the inner foundation of yoga practice and the spiritual path. They create the ideal mindset which is essential to the practice and living of yoga. Embracing behaviors that are going to give us more inner peace, to live in more harmony with ourselves.
Ethics forms the foundation of yoga practice because as a set of suggestions for how to live, it goes right to the heart of our actions of body, speech, and mind. Cultivating yoga practice is not just about physical flexibility and strength. Cultivating awareness is not about race, gender, or class. It’s about waking up to who we are and our place in the world. That is why we start with the Yamas.
Restore your body & extend your wisdom
This PEACE YOGA RETREAT is a well balanced mix between course and retreat, between learning and restoring your body: A playful immersion into the eightfold path of Patanjali’s yoga were you learn in depth about these useful recommendations, about their place in the vast field of yoga philosophy and how to integrate them into your daily life, and about how these ethical principles can actually complete your practice on the mat and take it to a new level. All while enjoying beautiful Suryalila in autumn, spectacular sunsets, sauna nights, massages, an exclusive excursion to the Hammam in Jerez, daily meditation and yoga, and of course Suryalila´s incomparable vegetarian gourmet cuisine.
This retreat can change your life and your view on yoga. ALL LIFE is yoga! Here, we´ll discover it and play like children do without competition. Learn to understand yourself and others better with the help of the ancient wisdom and find peace of mind and joy 🙂
PROGRAM
“Yoga begins in the present moment, and the present moment begins in silence.” – Michael Stone
I will introduce you to mornings in silence and introspective meditations and breathing techniques to reconnect with your inner self. Furthermore, we experiment with different yoga styles: active and dynamic styles (yang) to begin the day and rather passive and relaxing (yin) styles in the afternoon. Just as tasting a strawberry can not be described theoretically, the different yoga styles can only be tasted through practice. No style is better than another and by tasting them we will enable you to distinguish them and find orientation in the jungle of yoga class names. Every day we will dive a bit deeper into the yoga philosophy in an interactive way. And we will see how the YAMAS and the NIYAMAS (the ethical foundation of yoga) are really the stepping stones to the physical yoga, and to live a more balanced life.
DAY PLAN
Find your balance and inner peace
The programm of the retreat is an offer just for YOU. whenever you feel like NOT coming to any class or activity, you are welcome to do so. Just listen to your body! 🙂
Mornings
08:00 Pranayama & Meditation
08:30 Yoga “Yang” (dynamic styles like Ashtanga or Vinyasa Flow)
09:30 Breakfast in Silence
11:00 interactive Yoga Philosophy
13:30 Lunch
Time for relaxation, pool, reading, sleeping, walking, massages, etc.
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Afternoons / Evenings
17:00 Yoga “Yin” (Yin yoga, restorative yoga, yoga nidra), one day Intro to Acro Yoga
19:00 Dinner
20:00 Chanting in the dome (on some days)
DAY OFF day 🙂
one day of the week is a total relax day. sleeping in and leaving to the Hammam in Jerez after breakfast where you can fully nourish your soul and body in the warm waters, sourrounded by the andalusian architecture, closing the day with a good night sleep restorative yoga class.
All Inclusive Prices Per Person
*All prices include accommodation, three outstanding meals per day, yoga and theory classes, a sauna night and the excursion to the Hammam (andalusian bath) in Jerez, and the use of all facilities. MAX 10 PARTICIPANTS
- Van life: come in your own van and use our facilities: 750 €
- Twin room in Eco Casa or Yurt (share with one other attendee, shared eco showers): 890 €
- Single room in Eco Casa or Yurt (shared eco showers): 1020 €
- Twin room in Cortijo House (share with one other attendee, shared bathroom): 990 €
- Single room in Cortijo House (shared bathroom): 1100 €
- Double room in main house for 2 (shared bathroom with 1 attendee): 1900 €
- Deluxe single room in main house (ensuite bathroom): on request
- come with a friend and get a discount of 50 each €
“In one of the hardest years of my life, I decided to go to this retreat. It was the best choice I could make. Ina and Pia are such warm, open and inspiring teachers, who created a safe space for all of us. A space in which I could find the way back to myself. ”
“I really loved the Peace Yoga Retreat. My expectations were high, due to the pictures and text on the website. But it was even better: honest, safe, relaxed, self-reflecting, full of love & wholeheartedness. (If I made this word up, you can have it :D)
The location was magical, the food indescribable, and the group so special <3.
Every class of the program was just an invitation, so there was no pressure to attend. Because it is your precious time & your needs.
The retreat helped me on the one hand to improve my asanas, of course. But it went so much deeper, like yoga goes as well. We learned so much about the ethical part of yoga and ourselves. It really will have a sustainable impact on my life outside the retreat. Because yoga starts, when you are leaving the mat!
Love you,“
“I came here, not knowing what to expect. I had never been to a retreat before. I learned that it is rather unusual to have also theory classes; and in the combination of the practice/asanas and understanding what’s behind it I had a very deep and fulfilling experience. Pia created a great setting in where our mixed group could grow and each person at its individual pace. I will take many things back to everyday life and am confident and fearless of what’s to come. And, I will very much try to do this again next year!“
register now
Peace begins with You
“Yoga has always been, and continues to be, subtle and impossible to express literally, but there is something naturally appealing about the yoga postures to all types of people. Yoga is far nicer than anything we could have wanted or bargained for.“ – Richard Freeman.
Yoga to me is: No judgement, curiosity, peacefulness, something I never felt before, being at peace, stepping out of the speed train of unconscious living, acceptance of what is, mind + body, surrender, embrace weakness and vulnerability, this very moment, awareness, mindfulness, impermanence, impErfections, self-practice, self-study, balance – flexibility – strength – patience, a“sport“ beyond competition and perfection, stability and ease, just BE…
Lokah
Samastah
Sukinoh
Bhavantu
what are you waiting for?
May all beings
everywhere
be happy
and free