Monday 1 August 2016

new home!

Readers, of which I think there are only a few....

I've moved to a new home to try and take a step towards a 'professional' blog, please subscribe to my new blog/website:

http://www.claireyoga-gogo.com/

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Thursday 30 June 2016

Four month debrief

Just over four months into my journey, although I feel this is not really like a travel blog, more of an online diary of a YOGIC journey. Or really just an online diary! So if you are happy reading the complete, and somewhat insensible ramblings of an ageing yogi - read on!

It feels like so much longer than four months, I have learnt so much more about Yoga, and what it means to me than I expected. Actually I'm not sure what I expected, some answers yes, I have found myself to be stronger than I thought (but this was a lesson in self discovery I started back in September 2014) and way more independent than I ever thought possible. I have discovered that I really like my own company, in fact I feel I am in danger of preferring my own company to that of others at the moment! - note to self, must get out more!

Where it all began...

My body continues to amaze me with it's ability to get stronger, and more flexible and I certainly feel the fittest I've ever felt in my entire life. I don't want to harp on and on about the benefits of yoga but it really, REALLY works for me. And not only on the physical level, but I have already written on the mental level. The ability to stay calm in stressful situations I attribute soley to my yoga practice. Yoga is not just exersice for me now, it's a way of life, nay, a lifestyle. And with this comes less the urge to have the cutest yoga pants and take instagram selfies but more to delve into the self and challenge what you find there.

Feel like dancing...woo hoo

My travels so far have taken me to India, Thailand (well Koh Phangan) and a quick jaunt to Kuala Lumpar. I am now planning a short break (read visa run) to Bali, to hopefully get back on a surfboard and see how that is after almost a year's break! So far, my favourite place has been Mysore, but not just the city, it;s the Ashtanga Yoga and the magic that happens there which is difficult to put into words. You'll just have to go find out for yourself or take my word for it!

Me! Post hair cut on way to beach = happy Claire

Travelling solo is both exhilarating, liberating and lonely in equal measures. I have the luxury of having some of my oldest and dearest friends here on the island, and this was of course a big factor in deciding to move here, I also am pretty good at chatting (yes those of you who know me know I can talk the hind legs of a donkey) and therefore find it very easy to socialise at the retreat with all the guests and have met some lovely people here.  I have also met so many solo female travellers and they are inspirational.

Squad Goals

And then there is the beauty in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Phangan. It's and island of hedonism and spirituality. It's beautiful beaches and fierce jungle. It's hot sunny days, and more recently heavy tropical downpours. I have to say I like the slight drop in temperature (about 28-32 degrees when raining) but I am getting a little frustrated with flies and those pesky, potentially dangerous mosquito's. So bring the gruelling heat back please - and if anyone has any tips on how I can bathe in a natural mosquito repellent that last all day and actually works, please message me!

Temple 

Home

Front Garden



The final thing I would like to add to this quarterly summary is that I have discovered not only do I need food to survive and supply my body with energy but I really do get pleasure from eating. My diet changed when I started living the single life, I became a 5:2 vegetarian and now I am almost no meat, but still eat seafood. I find this diet gives me energy, makes me feel better 'in myself' and maintain a healthy weight. And since the detox I have cut down drastically on snacks and alcohol, and caffeine but not completely, those things still have a place in my life just not as much!

Seafood Salad

Chia and Mango Pudding

Glorious veg and rice

Aubergine Salad

Friday's Indian Buffet

Vegetable Wraps

Just some of the amazing food choices I have here and what I eat on a weekly basis. I am keen to look into nutrition and very interested in food that heals. So this could become my new 'hobby'

If I would like you to take one thing away from this post it's that YOU are capable of anything you want, and whatever it is you want, go out and get it. Don't just dream about it - make it YOUR reality. I have been reading many travel blogs recently and particularly liked a post in one that mentioned would you still do you job if you didn't get paid for it? If the answer is yes, congratulations, if it's no, then change it. One of my favourite quotes at the moment is from Walt Whitman -

'Do whatever, just let it produce joy' 

I hope that reading this inspires you to get off your butts and go out and do something! Let it produce joy for you and yours, make your life mean something to you, and please please do not get caught up in the trap of working to live. 

Until next time - NamaSLAY xxx

Wednesday 22 June 2016

Detox - my experience, contains some graphic details!

I am trying the detox that we offer at the Yoga Retreat. It's a 3-day cleansing detox, which is supposed to draw out any toxins and impurities from the body, specifically from the gut. A deep cleanse, or interior clean as it's described in the manual.

Click here for full details on our website

Each of the 3 days follows the same pattern; apart from the first day you only do one colonic.
Spirilina shake (spirilina blended with coconut water) a glass of Kombucha (Probiotic) and a multi vitamin for 'breakfast'
3 watermelon or papaya shakes throughout the day - 10.30, 1pm and 3pm is suggested - these shakes contain fruit, physillium husk (fibre) and benonite clay (draws out toxins)
Your evening 'meal' is a vegetable and garlic broth, which you can add lime, salt and paprika to.
You are allowed herbal teas and 2 coconuts (water only not the flesh)

There are self-administered colonics too - water for the first one and you can add either coffee in the morning, or lime and garlic in the evening (these are supposed to draw out parasites) and coconut oil as your last one.

The day prior to starting I keep my food clean, eating a raw cacao bowl for breakfast, vegetables and rice for lunch and a fruit salad for dinner

Day One

Monday, 20th June
Moon day today so no practice, I actually wake up normal time and reset alarm for 7.30am and this feels like a pure luxury.
Making my way up to the retreat for my 'breakfast' I like Spirilina so this shake is ok, and I love Kombucha so try and savour this!


Spirilina, Kombucha and Vitamin pill

I go home and chill for a bit and then back up to the retreat for 11am to start my shift. I have my first shake, which is really ok (watermelon) but not really filling. Anyway, so far so good I don't feel hunger yet. I have my second shake (papaya) at 12 because they accidently make it for Teresa and she wanted hers to go, and once you have added the husk and clay you must drink it. So a little earlier than I had psyched myself up for but not to worry. I also have a coconut just before and it is so glorious, I try to drink it super slow and savour every swallow.
By 2pm I'm hungry so I have a peppermint tea to fill a hole, and by 2.30pm I've had my second coconut. At 3.30pm I have my final shake for the day - watermelon. So really I have been having the shakes and drinks every half hour or so, going maybe an hour after each shake so it doesn’t feel too bad.


Watermelon shake


4pm comes, the end of my shift and I am ready to try my first ever colonic in the colema room at the retreat. A mixture of nervous and excited (?!) I have an epic fail with the first try, not inserting the tube enough and spilling some water. I then try again and manage to do half of the bag (about a litre), however you are supposed to keep it in for 10-20 minutes, I last about 2 minutes, I literally couldn't keep it in, when I moved from my lying on back to the toilet seat I had a big pain in the stomach and then had to release, it was mainly the water and at the end a little 'waste' which looked like regular diarrhoea but did pong quite a bit (sorry if TMI) I manage the second half of the bag much better, but still only managed to keep it in about 6 minutes, I managed to lie still and breath, raise my legs up wobble about a bit, but was too worried that moving around the room might end in disaster!!! When this second lot is released it's only the water that comes out. I'm not sure so wait on the loo for another 5 mins, walk about a bit and go back to the loo, but nothing, I think it all came out plus a number one. I did wonder about the colonic as I have pretty healthy bowel movements but thought it might un earth some unsightly sights, but no.

As I came home I felt some mild stomach pain, which I am still feeling now, but not the need to go to the toilet, it's more of a gassy feeling. After a chill in the hammock and a walk to the laundry (in which I feel like a total space cadet) I come back for my watery broth, adding paprika, salt and lime and also had added some Apple Cider Vinegar. I find the broth quite comforting but not so tasty.


I then move inside as the wind starts whipping up and I know rain is on its way.... I get some weird almost hallucinations in the corner of my eyes, like bugs or something running across the walls. But try and chill.
I'm hungry now, although my belly doesn't feel empty. I am trying not to think about food but can't help it. I start a little battle inside my head 'come on you can do this' versus 'so what if you have to give up’!!!!

I have a lemongrass tea but I think it's made me feel hungrier! Balls, I was hoping not to feel hunger on day 1. I also feel tired, lethargic even, and have a mild headache (I presume this might be caffeine related)
So in summary of Day One - not too bad, but going to sleep hungry might be a problem, and how the hell am I going to make it through an Ashtanga Mysore practice tomorrow?!!

Day Two

I wake up and feeling very tired, and not having my normal coffee to wake me, I drink some water and head up to the retreat for practice. It goes ok, but I feel stiff, this I’m sure is to do with 2 days off (yesterday being a moon day) more than no solid food.
I make it through practice and head straight to the colema room, for colonic number two; I'm keen to try the coffee water as I feel I need some caffeine somehow! And because it is supposed to be good for flushing the liver. Anyway, this goes ok, but still very little waste coming out, which I presume is a good thing? Means I'm not too blocked in the intestines or colon.
I devour my breakfast spirilina shake and head home for a shower and a peppermint tea.
The rest of the day is fine, goes by quite quickly as I work on the something every hour principle, shake at 11, coconut at 12, shake at 1.30, peppermint tea at 2ish, coconut at 2.30 and then final shake at 3.30pm. I have a few hunger pangs during the day but nothing too bad, although I feel quiet and less energetic or sociable than normal. Next colonic is at 4pm, and this time, after talking and sharing with Teresa about my not releasing that much I try and take the whole bag in one go and keep it in, whilst doing bridge, rubbing the fluid around in my belly and legs up in the air, I then feel brave enough to try a shoulder stand but as I am trying to roll up I can't hold it and I have to get on the loo!!! Only managed 6 minutes, but feel slightly more release than the previous tries. I also have a bloated feeling afterwards which is still present now as I write at 8pm. I also feel very thirsty.
I 'enjoy' my broth, this time adding turmeric, lime, salt and cayenne pepper. It would make a lovely starter or palate cleanser!
I am hungry now, and my body aches, and thirsty, so I'm trying to drink as much water as I can but I can't stop going to the loo.... and getting up and down in the hammock is exhausting so I move onto the bed and try and distract myself with 2 episodes of Love Island!
I'm feeling pretty hungry now and almost dreading another day...I'm going to make myself a lavender tea and try to sleep, I can imagine that ether I won't be able to sleep or I will be having dreams of food, banquets and cooking programmes!
Wish me luck for tomorrow.
Summary of Day 2 - not bad, seem to be coping but feeling hungry tonight.

 Day Three

Well, writing this in the evening the morning feels like a lifetime ago...I woke not feeling hungry but lifeless, tired and worried there was no way I could do my practice. I also felt a bit depressed. I somehow manage to get through my practice and thankful that it was a cool morning I decided last night to skip this morning colonic as not a lot was coming out so I didn't feel it necessary. I then have my 'breakfast' and thank the lucky stars that this is the last time I will have to drink it, even though I like Spirilina I'm bored of the blandness of this smoothie, I still love Kombucha and will continue to drink it forever - Yogi Champagne!
I then shoot home for a shower, chill and a peppermint tea.
Back up at the retreat I have a watermelon shake, which I prefer the taste of over the Papaya, but the Papaya is more filling. Not feeling too bad at all on the hunger stakes I just feel lethargic and still a bit light headed. My chilled coconut tastes like the best thing ever. And the day goes fairly quickly; we are quite at the retreat so nothing too taxing to do. I manage to put together a newsletter even though even sitting at the computer feels draining.
At 4pm I'm starting to get excited as it's the end, the last colonic, this time with some coconut oil which will soothe the intestines and colon. I've not been surprised that my colonics didn't bring out much, but have left me feeling bloated.
After this, I go and sit in the herbal steam room, in and out for 30 minutes to draw out any last toxins. The smell in there is gorgeous Lemongrass and I have it to myself so it's lovely.
I then 'tuck in' to my final broth, it’s actually really soothing and feels nice on the belly. I also bring a takeaway papaya shake home with me to try and stave off the evening hunger, which has been the hardest bit for me, the hunger between 7pm-8pm.
I drink the shake at 6.45pm and also have a banana on stand by, as I really don't want to feel hungry tonight. I think my lack of feeling hungry has surprised me, and also taught me something about myself that I defo snack out of boredom rather than hunger. I definitely have been fantasising about food but have been quite good at putting the thoughts out of my mind

So, I'm almost ready to sleep, and not feeling too bad. I'm pleased that I made it through.
Summary Day 3 - probably the easiest day hunger wise - in fact only got hunger pangs a couple of times. Feel happy to be finishing because I hate feeling so tired and lifeless.

Day Four - post detox
I feel very weak and tired, exhausted even on waking and crawl on up to the retreat for a pre practice Kombucha, I have a very tired and laboured practice, but I manage to get through it, even the drop backs which I felt were my best yet!
I am so happy to be able to eat something after class, but going steady on the stomach is recommended so I have a plate of mango and papaya and a 'Beet Treat' juice, which are divine! I'm not that hungry it's just I'm craving energy...

Summary and thoughts on the whole process....

Not wanting to be negative, I can see how this detox is a fabulous way to kick start a healthy eating regime, it is perfect for people who have had bad diets, bad habits or have been mis-treating their bodies. Most people I have witnessed through the retreat on detox have struggled with it but came out feeling great. I have seen people come into the retreat looking tired and pale and finish detox looking great, their skin and eyes glowing.

I'm afraid my experience has not been so positive. I had been following a healthy, mostly vegetarian diet for a couple of years and the only 'bad' things in my diet since leaving the UK in February is the odd beer, glass of wine or a cheeky bag of crisps. So I don't think it had such a dramatic cleansing effect on me that it did on others. And I didn't like how it affected my energy levels and mood. I'm generally an upbeat person and I felt low and lifeless.

What I have learnt is that I don't feel hungry as much as I thought I would and therfore I sometimes so eat for something to do rather than hunger.
I definitely eat for pleasure, but if what you are eating is healthy, fresh, un-processed and works for your body then that's I think that's ok.
Also, you don't need 'snacks' I get 'peckish' quite a bit and that's when I snack on nuts or an energy ball or some dark chocolate, so maybe I don't need these things at all.
  I am very interested in how I felt lifeless, the lack of energy, and how much I craved protein or felt weak without it. I also started craving rice on the last day and felt the need to put some good carbs into my body.
 I'm very keen to play around with the foods I introduce back into my diet and how they affect me, specifically wheat or gluten and sugars.

I weighed myself, as I was hoping to loose a few pounds, and had not lost 1lb!!!!!! So it definitely did not work for me as a weight loss plan. But it was really about cleansing.
I'm going to edit this post over next couple of days to re-evaluate and see how I feel after putting some food (=energy) back into my body.

A few days later: not sure if this is down to the detox or because I am so happy to be able to eat a healthy diet again - but I feel great! I feel very slightly slimmer around the middle and today (Sunday) I actually feel more energetic and back to the old me again.
What the detox has done me good with is regonising that I do not need to snack, and that I only want to put good, clean, wholesome food back into my body. I don't have the urge to drink alcohol yet (I had a cocktail last night and it took me ages to slowly sip it and afterwards had a headache) and I definately do not want anything sweet or sugary.
So in summary - I would definatly recommend this detox to people who have poor diets, eat processed foods or food high in meat proteins, drink a lot of alchohol and smoke. (One of our guests gave up smoking after 3 day detox) Also if you have problems with your bowel movements this will clean that area up in now time and after changing your diet you should see an improvement in that.

I'm in no rush to do it again as I didn't like the way it affected my mood or energy levels, and I do have a good diet. But it has made me think about the toxins I do put into my body via alcohol and sugary drinks (and I mean store bought Ice Tea and Coffee not Coke, Sprite etc as I don't drink them anymore)

I'll leave you with some pictures of my first day back with chewable food and how glorious each and every mouthful was!
Baby Aubergine Salad with Coconut Sauce

Mixed Stir Fry Veg with Rice - amaazing!


Thursday 16 June 2016

Continuing Practice - all is coming?

I thought it would be good to update the blog with a Yoga bit - 

The daily practice of Ashtanga Mysore style is now in my system and I am reaping the benefits. Don't get me wrong it's not all joyous rapture, there are days when I question not just what I'm doing on the mat but in life in general, but this is kind of the point that I want to make in this post.

The benefits of a daily practice are not just physical, although becoming stronger and more flexible in the body does have it's benefits on a purely aesthetic basis, especially when you spend most of the rest of your time on the beach in a bikini! And of course there are benefits to the body that you can't see - how it affects your internal organs and strengthens things like the stomach, vital organs. 

But the benefits of the mental are far stronger in my opinion. I've always liked a routine, I think it's a Yates thing (organised fun is good fun!) but I think all creatures benefit from some kind of routine lifestyle. So firstly, the action of waking up (at Sunrise) have a pranic building coffee or tea then making my way to the shala gives an actual purpose to the day. This routine of getting on the mat for 7am to face the practice and the day ahead gives you a reason to get out of bed, and practicing before work means your purpose is not just to work, to pay the bills to survive etc but to do something for you, your body and mind. 

Even though you work through the same sequence every day no two days are alike. Some days practice flows through sweet and fluid, and some days it's stiff, rigid and frustrating, and on other days, well it's pretty much a mixture of those two things, and maybe even more emotions and feelings are thrown into the mix.

I really like this excerpt from the book 'Guruji' by Eddie Stern and Guy Donahaye, this is written in Guy's preface:
'When being adjusted in a challenging asana (by Pattabi) /i sometimes felt on the precipice staring down the abyss at the prospect of death or debilitating pain, but that maybe salvation somehow was at hand' He goes on to talk about how Guruji would get him into these postures and then remarks 'Oh! I didn't know that was possible! Put my troubles on one side for a moment, put aside all my preconceptions about what I am capable of doing. If one can do that for a moment, it affords one the ability to put these troubles aside and later on, to look at these troubles and let them go.

You see, working on your practice you are reflecting your life on the mat. As you work through postures you learn ways to deal with life situations. I teach a balancing focused classes on Friday's and I try to draw the students awareness of how you approach a balance in Yoga is how you can approach a situation in life that requires strength, focus, stability, even flexibility.






So, routine of daily practice reaps many rewards, if you want to try to do this and don't have the luxury of living and working on a yoga retreat or being able to go to a Mysore style class in your town all you have to do is wake up, roll the mat onto your bedroom floor and start with five Surya Namaskar A and five B, maybe close your practice with some mindfulness sat in easy cross legged and carry on about your individual routine. You've hit every muscle group in your body, used breath to link movement and it probably only takes 15 minutes of your morning before you have your breakfast. Try it for a week and see how you get on!

Meanwhile, if you need me, I'll be on my mat practicing my asana and working out my life!





Tuesday 7 June 2016

Staying in Thailand!

So readers, friends and family, it's been a while since I have posted about how hard beach life is and how living on a island you have plenty to choose from!

I have some news so thought it worth a blog post, plus will try to endeavour to post more frequently my thoughts and musings even if my day does mainly consist of yoga and beach.

EAT, YOGA, BEACH REPEAT.....

Back to the news - I'm staying in Thailand! I've handed in my notice! (for those of you who remember this little yoga jaunt I'm on is officially a sabbatical) After some deliberation I decided that my life right now is here on the island and that for the same reasons I requested a sabbatical I cannot return to my life as a lecturer/curriculum leader in rainy old Gloucester City.

I have had some amazingly rewarding times at GC and loved spreading my love for dance and the theatre to the young people of Gloucestershire, but the way the education system is currently set up in the UK is frustrating and life became more about retention and whether a student was attending a Maths or English class than whether indeed they could have the skills to give them a future in performing arts. This sad fact and the fact that after 9 years I had had enough of working in a low pay public sector role have made the decision to stay on at the Yoga Retreat a very easy one.

As I sit here writing on my new balcony (Thai version of living room) after my morning Mysore style practice I can hardly believe my luck of where my life is today.

Home for now

Being at the retreat I am still getting the same gratification of seeing people's lives change for the better, and that is the rewarding thing about this job. That and the sea view. And the beaches. And the healthy amazing food, ok so a little more than the gratification of helping change peoples lives!

Sophie the cat assisting me in one of my Yin Classes


I'm on the most part a sociable person so meeting people from all over the world is a wonderful daily activity. Hanging out at breakfast with guests, the talk is often of yoga, which is fine but also we have lots of laughs and giggles at other random topics.
My free time has now just gone up a notch as I have moved into my own little bungalow on the hill overlooking the beach at Haad Salad.
The sea view reminding me that whilst I deeply miss the folks back home this experience is what I was seeking, the ease and simplicity of island life. The shedding of the ego and material wants. The being content with what you have, and where you are right now.

View through the trees to the sea (trees give good shade means cool house!)


My yoga practice is getting stronger, and this in turn is making me a better teacher, more on this in next post :)

So, dear readers, those of you that are friends and family it would be amazing if you could start saving up your coppers and come over to visit, take a course, maybe a detox, or simply just hang out at the beach to catch the greatest show on earth....with a ice cold beer of course! Come and visit me, cause I'm not sure when I'll be back!!

The Greatest Show on Earth (that I didn't choreograph!)








Monday 2 May 2016

Beach Life

Sooo, I'm living on one of the most beautiful islands in the world, I'm working but still have lots of free time....and I'm a BIG fan of the ocean, so what better way to spend the last few weeks than exploring the many stunning beaches of the island.

Here's my potted guide to the beaches so far:

Haad Salad

This is my local beach, just a 10 minute walk or 3 minute bike ride downhill from my house and the Yoga Retreat

North End

taken from Haad Salad Resort decking

very quiet today
There is lots to love about Haad Salad, it is on the west coast and therefore is a wonderful sunset beach. It is very quiet, even though the resorts are plentiful nowadays. It does attract families with small children as the water is shallow, still and safe. You can snorkel further out to sea, but at this time of the year it is very shallow, so it's not a swimming beach, it's more of a paddle out and lie or sit down.

Some Haad Salad sunsets....




Haad Khom

North facing, alternatelvely known as Coconut Beach, this is a beautiful setting, very quite and has a little more breeze than the west facing beaches, and a little more trees to sit under. - Obviously you are taking the ultimate gamble when you place yourself under the coconut trees though!!!!


outlook towards west/Choloklum

outlook north, towards Bottle Beach

I liked this beach for a read and felt in solitude here, the water was also still shallow but you can swim out to snorkel and sometimes the serenity was spoilt by snorkel boat tours going past blaring western music out. You can also catch a small fishing boat here to Bottle Beach, but I'm saving that trip for a day off.

Secret Beach

Not so much of a secret as there is a big sign on the main road here saying so, but this is still a very quiet beach, mostly populated with a younger crowd, possibly as the beach bar shack plays awesome music all day long. The sea here is not the best, again shallow, but has more of a clay based base, but I really like this beach and I like the music aspect of it.


I'm also mentioning here Koh Raham, not a beach itself, but a really cool bar and restaurant which has many rope swings, hammocks and steps down from the end of the venue into deep water where you can swim (yay!) and be joined by many many tropical fish, so fab for snorkelling too.

from Koh Raham looking back onto Secret Beach

loving the hammocks 

sunset props 



Haad Chao Phao

So wrap up this post, I have to mention possibly my favourite beach bar (so far) which is awesome for sunsets - I think I'm going to have to post a sunset post all of it's own! 
The bar is called Pirate Bar and it is just tucked away in the south end of the beach, almost hidden by the rocks. It has a lovely little deck that juts out in the sea, so you feel like you are on a boat, and it is directly opposite the sunset at this time of the year. 
Later on some evenings they have DJ sets here, and they have a sand dance floor and a huge wall of speakers. I've been to a couple of parties, but being the diligent yogi that I am I have left them early before they have got too busy or too raucous! 





SO WHEN ARE YOU BOOKING YOUR FLIGHTS?????









Monday 25 April 2016

Sawadee!

So, I'm now into my third week at the fabulous Yoga Retreat, in Koh Phangan.

My good friends Teresa and Kes started this retreat in the stunning jungle location near Haad Salad beach in 2000, and since then have been working hard growing the business into the thriving retreat it is today.

Shala with jungle views 

They very kindly offered me to come over to the Island to teach the Hatha/Vinyasa classes at the weekends, with the added bonus that I can continue my practice with an authorised teacher.
I am also helping out at the retreat by covering the managers shifts and trying to raise the profile on social media (as you know I'm such a big fan of social media!)

Some pics of the spaces on the retreat:






So the last two weeks have been settling in and getting to know the set up here, meeting all the wonderful guests and of course practicing Mysore style daily.

I have also been exploring the wonderful beaches of the west of the island, each beach coming with it's own USP - beach bar music, coral reefs, solitude, swings, the beaches have it good here!

The retreat offers daily drop in classes or for the more serious or people with more time to develop their practice, we offer 5-30 day courses and detox programmes.
The Mysore classes and lectures, pranayama and meditation is lead by Shelley Smith, who is a Level 2 Authorised teacher and soon will be assisted by Kes who just got his Level 1 Authorisation in Mysore with me last month.

I am teaching my Vinyasa Flow classes at 4pm on Saturday and Sundays, and for the moment I am also covering the Sunday morning half led primary series class!!!

The retreat attracts people from all over the world, it has been lovely making new friends and chatting to people from different walks of life, all with the common goal of improving and developing their yoga practice, health, diet, minds and working on the other limbs of Ashtanga aside from the asanas!




At this point I am not sure how long I will stay, but it will be hard to leave that's for sure!
Next post....the beautiful beaches!