Vibrate! Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat • TWO DATES AVAILABLE!
May 9-13, 2024 — and — July 11-15, 2024
A Yoga & Wellness Retreat Presented by Anjali Sunita, Village Life Wellness, at the Pathways Retreat Center, Blue Ridge Mountains, VA
Rest, learn, introspect, meditate, restore, and grow during this long weekend retreat that will include a balance of Ayurveda lessons, Yoga, pranayama, community meals, time for solo experiences, and restful practices in a shared home in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (near to Charlottesville). We balance the summer heat and days of bright light with nourishing, grounding, cooling, sweet practices to combat burnout and fatigue.
Ayurveda provides us a soft lens to see, hear, feel, smell, and touch with awareness of our own nature and nature herself. We learn to engage with life purposefully, sensitively, and set ourselves up to live our unique natural lives, well. The greatest gift of learning Ayurveda has been, for me, the gift of remembering how to tune in (not out). Learning how to truly wake up, slow down, and stop to smell the roses has been an easy doorway to meditation. Ayurveda is medicine for minds, bodies, and hearts.
At the core of this work is connection. In a world in which we are always rushing, onto the next decision, project, stage of life, or even the next meal without time for acknowledgement, something is missed. We can know life through books and pretend to have lived it, by listing our moments on resumes or documenting them on social media profiles, but nothing beats experiences, felt fully. The magic happens through our own awareness, honesty, sincerity, and presence in all that we do.
Retreat facilitator Anjali Sunita provides opportunities to engage intentionally with food, body products, breath, and movement to build and sustain greater quality of life and to support the conditions for joy and meditation. We learn to engage with life purposefully, sensitively, and set ourselves up to live our unique lives naturally, sustainably, and well. Suitable for all levels of practice.
What you can expect from this retreat:
~ Daily Yoga, pranayama, and meditation
~ Delicious Ayurvedic vegetarian meals with learning opportunities for those interested in nourishment
~ Free time each day to rest and restore alone or in your new found community; have access to the trails, local community pool, and in-home hot-tub
Read Anjali’s related article in Pathways Magazine: Embracing the Cool Kapha Season
VIBRATE RETREAT SCHEDULE*
DAY 1- Thursday Evening
3pm – 5pm – Arrivals
6:30pm – Dinner: At dinner we will introduce ourselves and talk about the value of daily schedule
8pm – 8:30pm – Orientation
DAY 2 – Friday
8am – 9am – Breakfast
9am – 10:30am – Free Time
10:30am -12:30pm — Gentle Hatha Yoga Session: Theme: Be inspired
You don’t need to fit into a posture or an externalized shape. Learn to embody the postures in your own form through this slow-paced series focused on simple alignment and breath. When the pose becomes steady and easeful, the breath acts as an internal massage, integrating this mind-body experience. With plenty of room to adjust, come in and out of postures, or hold the pose and breathe deeply, this session will offer a comprehensive sequence which covers all major lines, points, and muscle groups, opening opportunity for vital energy flow, mental stillness, and insight. It will conclude with pranayama and deep relaxation.
12:30pm – 4pm – Lunch and Free Time (massage, hot tub, hike, journal, read, rest)
4pm – 6pm – (re) Introduction to Ayurveda & Ayurvedic Nutrition
A delightful experience of mindful tasting, we will explore the beauty of individual ingredients that are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Through Ayurveda, we will gain insights about our own body types and digestive capacities, and how we can design meals, optimized for our constitutions. This meal will lead us into a simple nourishing dinner.
6pm – 7pm – Dinner
8pm – 9pm — Prepare for Sleep: partner Thai massage/ assisted stretching (optional)
DAY 3 – Saturday
8am – 9am – Breakfast
9am – 10:30am – Free Time
10:30am – 12:30pm – “Ayurvedic” Yoga Session: Seasonal Practice of Yoga
The emphasis of this practice will be to acknowledge the language of our bodies and of the way nature speaks this season. We will discuss the qualities of the earth, sky, and water at this time of the year and how we can attune our practices to balance the qualities of the season. Then we will practice a series of kriya, pranayama, and asana for balance this summer. All physical practices will offer gentle options as well deeper bends.
12:30pm – 4pm – Lunch and Free Time (massage, hot tub, hike, journal, read, rest)
4pm – 6pm – Ayurvedic Herbs and Spices Playshop
In this playshop, we will make our own bath salts, body scrubs, spice blends, and powderfacemasks, while learning about the substances with which we are engaging! We will finish up by learning the strokes of Abhyanga Self Massage.
6pm – 8pm – Dinner
DAY 4 – Sunday
7am – 7:30am – Morning Meditation (optional)
8am – 9am – Breakfast
9am – 10:30am – Free Time
10:30am – 12:30pm – “Ayurvedic” Yoga Session: Seasonal Practice of Yoga
The emphasis of this practice will be on Pranayama and the various qualities of these breathing practices followed by learning the practice of Nasya Karma (nasal oiling).
12:30pm – 4pm – Lunch and Free Time (massage, hot tub, hike, journal, read, rest)
4pm – 6pm – Ayurvedic Nutrition
We will cook a meal together while learning more about various grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, and drinks by dosha.
6pm – 8pm – Dinner
Day 5 – Monday
8am – 9am – Small Breakfast
9:30 – 11 – Yoga Session, Community Vibes, & Closure Activity
11:30 Brunch & Departures
*Subject to Change
RETREAT REGISTRATION:
May 2024 • July 2024
Space is limited for each retreat! Register early to secure your spot – indicate on the form for which date you are applying. Pricing is the same for each retreat. Questions? Contact us: 240-247-0393; pathwaysads@gmail.com.
Pricing:
$1395 — Single Occupancy
$995 — Shared Occupancy (Twin Beds)
Lodging, Food + Beverage, Full Program Included
Massage Body Service Add-On: $150
Program designed and led by Anjali Sunita, ERYT-500, YACEP, Hatha Yoga Instructor, Ayurvedic practitioner.
Anjali has been sharing Yoga sessions for 18 years and studying Ayurveda for 10. Anjali fosters dynamic, accessible, communities centering health, peace, and wholeness. She guides you to engage with the qualities of the natural world from food, to scents, massage oils and herbs, Yoga and breathing practices, to find healing potential in the kitchen, bathroom, and garden such that regular life becomes more meditative and more joyful. As the former founder of Baltimore Yoga Village (2 wellness community centres in Maryland) and BYFREE (a non-profit program in Baltimore City), Anjali shares Yoga with a focus on both tradition and accessibility. She has numerous certifications and a deep respect for the ancestors who have maintained these living traditions throughout the ages. She does her level best to listen, educate, and de-mystify the secrets of these ancient healing sciences, such that you feel deeply grounded in your life and in your body.
Find her blog at villagelifewellness.medium.com
Free resource for Ayurveda on Instagram: @cookforbalance and @villagelifewellness; and courses and consultations at www.villagelifewellness.com.