Taking

Time out

      retreats

Latest:

Art of Asana

Latest:
Samkhya Unveiled

Latest:
Yoga of Bhagavad Gita

The Value of Retreats

With today's increasingly busy lifestyle, taking some time out to reflect and renew is essential. Retreats provide an opportunity to do just that, and to have a more intense experience of practising than we would probably have at home. They are a time to deepen our relationship with Yoga and restore a balanced perspective on life.

Retreats are generally themed and the amount of asana, pranayama, meditation, theory, free time etc will vary accordingly, so check the retreat is likely to include what you are looking for. Retreat venues often offer confortable but quite basic accomodation so please do not expect 5* luxury, unless we have indicated otherwise! If you are fairly new to Yoga, or have not been on a retreat before, please check out what to expect on a retreat, and ask us if you have any queries or are unsure whether it will be suitable.

Sadhana Mala

Along with Living Yoga retreats, Dave also runs retreats with a colleague under the title sadhana mala. These are more exploratory and innovative retreats using ideas from both Yoga and other disciplines.

Check out the sadhana mala website for more details.

Yoga of Bhagavad Gita
A non-residential retreat near Worcester
Mon 18 - Fri 22 Aug 2008

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most beloved spiritual texts in Indian and a core source for the teachings of Yoga. In this retreat we will explore key ideas from the Bhagavad Gita and some of the symbolism of the epic Mahabharata. The practices of the retreat will explore the theme of effortless being.

This is a good reminder for teachers of this topic from your training and a good introduction to the Gita if your are new to it. Come and get inspired! Few people are untouched by the enduring message of skilful selfless action as presented in the Bhagavad Gita.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give Dave a call on 01684 310884, or send an email.

This is a Sadhana Mala retreat
with David Charlton & Ranju Roy

The cost of the retreat is £275 non-residential. This retreat will be led by Dave Charlton & Ranju Roy in Hanley Swan near Worcester. A list of local accommodation options will be provided as required.

To reserve a place please send a £100 non-returnable deposit (cheques payable to Sadhana Mala) to Sadhana Mala, Haywain Cottage, Priestfields, Hanley Castle, Worcester, WR8 0AH.

 Download brochure (64KB)

Art of Asana
30 Aug - 6 Sept 2008

Yoga is now widely taught in many forms with varying degrees of sophistication, often with little reference to its ancient roots and profound philosophy. However at best the practice of asana is an art that can touch us deeply.

This retreat will focus on asana, using fundamental ideas from the Yoga Sutra applied to the posture work to bring a transformative quality to the practice.

There will be approx 6 hours theory and practice a day, Sunday-Friday, split between morning and late afternoon sessions, with free time in between and in the evenings to enjoy the pool, the beautiful environment & good food!

A retreat at the beautiful
Les Passeroses,
Nonac, France

Check out the venue and get travel instructions

The cost of the retreat is £525 including food (except one evening meal), shared accomodation and all tuition. This retreat will be led by Gail & Dave Charlton.

Les Passeroses is well connected with cheap accessible transport from the UK. Full details are available from Les Passeroses website.

To reserve a place please send a £225 non-returnable deposit to Living Yoga, Haywain Cottage, Priestfields, Hanley Castle, Worcester, WR8 0AH, or pay below using a credit or debit card.

The balance is due 1 month before the retreat.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give Dave or Gail a call on 01684 310884, or send an email.

Pay Deposit:

Samkhya Unveiled
A non-residential retreat near Taunton
Wed 4 - Frid 6 June 2008

Although relatively unknown outside India, the Samkhya School is the oldest system of Vedic philosophy and its insights underpin many other Indian disciplines including Yoga and Ayurveda (the traditional Indian medical system).

Samkhya’s core texts are dense (even in translation from Sanskrit) - yet in this retreat we will unpick its central tenets and explore how many of yoga’s assumptions are based on the teachings of Samkhya. The links between the Yoga Sutras and Samkhya will become clear, as will many of the concepts found in yoga (e.g. purusa and prakrti, the gunas, concepts of mind, the nature of suffering and the means to end suffering).

This is a Sadhana Mala retreat
with David Charlton & Ranju Roy

The cost of the retreat is £155 non-residential. This retreat will be led by Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton at Cheddon Fitzpaine near Taunton. A list of local accommodation options will be provided as required.

To reserve a place please send a £75 non-returnable deposit (cheques payable to Sadhana Mala) to Sadhana Mala, Haywain Cottage, Priestfields, Hanley Castle, Worcester, WR8 0AH.

Download brochure (39KB)

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  What can I expect
  on a retreat?

Attending a retreat, particularly for the first time, may seem a little daunting so this page is intended to give you a flavour of what you might expect. Each retreat is different, and may have a particular emphasis, but at least this may give you some general ideas.

Venues

Venues selected are usually specialists in hosting retreats and similar kinds of events. Accomodation is generally simple, but should be comfortable and clean, and is often on a twin room basis. Single accomodation is often available on request, but may incur a supplement. Food is usually lacto-vegetarian (includes dairy), but specialist diets (e.g. vegan, wheat free) are invariably catered for, again by prior request. Venues such as Croydon Hall and Holland House are impressive buildings in beautiful surroundings and thus add to the ambience of the retreat. However like many older buildings they are not always the warmest, so bring some warm clothes just in case. Some walking shoes and a waterproof are also useful if you like walking.

The Yoga

There is usually a good programme of practice scheduled, although again this can vary a little depending on the theme of the retreat. Practice sessions are optional and it is ok to skip a session if you would rather rest or have some free time (Sunday early morning is most common!). Practices are designed to be accessible to most people with some Yoga experience and we can also modify particular postures or suggest alternatives where necessary. We do not generally expect prior knowledge except for a basic familiarity with working with postures and some simple breathing. The publicity for the retreat will indicate any variation from this (e.g. Yoga retreat for complete beginners).

Teaching and discussion sessions

Most retreats will have a number of sessions that involve some "chat". This may be include presentation of ideas from the Yoga tradition, discussion or other activities (again the publicity for the retreat will generally indicate the nature of this). This is not intended to be heavy going, but we may invite you to consider how some of these ideas relate to your own lives and to share your opinions. Some people can get scared by the idea that may have to discuss matters, speak in the group or that they don't know enough. In fact there is no pressure to speak out or discuss anything that feels uncomfortable so this this rarely a real issue in practice. All groups have participents that are more active and confident, and those that are quieter and generally prefer to listen - we respect this. The most important thing is simply to be open to hearing about new ideas and possibilities.

What should I bring

Yoga clothes and "gear" (mats, blocks etc, whatever you usually use).
Some warm clothes in case it is a little cold.
Walking shoes and waterproof (if you like walking).
Any other essentials (chocolate!)

What kind of programme might I expect

Obviously this will depend on the particular retreat, but a typical programme for a fully scheduled retreat might be as follows (some retreats will be designed to allow more free time, or have a specific focus such as seated meditation):-

NB. Theory session may include presentation of ideas, discussion, questions and other activities