Yoga
For Mind, Body and Spirit
Scientific research now backs up what were once anecdotal claims about the benefits of yoga to every system in the body. Yoga can help lower your blood pressure, decrease inflammation, build bone density, prevent age-related brain changes and so much more.
Just a few benefits of a regular yoga practice:
Greater strength and stability
Improved posture
Increased bone density
Lessened stress and anxiety and increase mindfulness
Greater flexibility, co-ordination and balance
Improved lung function
Better immune function
Deeper sleep
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The one to one yoga lessons at the retreat are bespoke and tailored exactly your individual needs, whether that be gentle stretching to improve flexibility, strength building, restorative yoga, relaxation, stress reduction or all of the above. You may want to work towards developing a home practice or you may just want to feel the bliss that yoga can bring. You may want to pay particular emphasis on a specific part of the body, work on alleviating a health issue or improving emotional or psychological well-being. Whatever your needs we create lessons just for you.
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Although there is no dogma, chanting or Sanskrit, we do encourage our guests to make time for the spiritual aspects of yoga as this aids their overall wellbeing. There is no competition. You work at your own body’s pace. You will not be asked to do anything that your body isn’t capable of, or that you do not wish to do. Modifications to poses are always offered and students are encouraged to ‘find the teacher within’ – to find what feels good.
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This is by no means a yoga retreat. There are many, many of those where the emphasis is on yoga. This is a health retreat, including yoga since we truly believe that yoga can alleviate many physical and emotional problems. The type of yoga here is suitable for everyone, including those who have never practiced yoga before and including those that have medical issues. There are very, very few people that come to the yoga mat without aches and stiffness somewhere in their body or a health issue that precludes them from certain postures. This is never a problem. We focus more on what you can do rather than what you can’t and everyone is always accommodated.
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Richard Hittleman was my yoga inspiration when I was a young teenager. I would watch his programmes on television when I got home from school and avidly bought his magazines and books. It is said that Richard Hittleman introduced yoga to more people than anyone else through the medium of television. I have practised yoga on and off ever since. Attending classes and also practicing at home.
For years and years though, I thought of yoga as nothing more than a form of exercise with some relaxation thrown in. It was only with the advent of the retreat that I realised that yoga was so much more. I learned through the teachers that I employed and with whom I often had private lessons that the physical side of yoga (the asanas) is just one aspect. Yoga is a way of living one’s life. It is this that sets it apart from other physical exercise lessons such as Pilates.
It is since running the retreat and seeing for myself how yoga benefits my guests, that I decided to take the next step and train to become a yoga teacher myself, firstly undertaking The British Wheel of Yoga Foundation Course and then completing a 200 hour UK yoga teacher training through Yoga Alliance Professionals.
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The yoga I teach is Hatha (dynamic or gentle movement), Yin (static poses), Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep, a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping), Restorative, Stress relief, Pranayama (breathwork), and Meditations.
Beverley Bird, Yoga Teacher
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