If you are reading this blog, I'm going to make a soft assumption that
you already love Yin Yoga (me too).
So you might already be 100% on board with my blog title.
If you have never heard of, or practiced Yin Yoga, I hope to entice you with its deliciousness to either check out a class,
or go on a Yin Yoga retreat for the ultimate Yin experience.
(If you would like to try this style of Yoga, here are all my free classes)
If we have not met, or you have not read any of my blogs before,
hi, my name is Dr. Karina Smith.
I am a Melbourne based Acupuncturist and Yin Yoga teacher/educator.
And i absolutely love Yin Yoga!
And Yes, before we go any further,
you got me, I am writing this blog as plug for
my Thailand October Yin Yoga Retreat in Koh Samui called
"Rejuvenate".
And....
[above images are for Vikasa Retreat Centre, the location for my Yin Yoga retreat]
this blog really is my way of expressing a deep appreciation
for why I believe Yin Yoga truly is the perfect style of Yoga for a Retreat.
Come and take a read with me, and you might just agree...
Here are my top five reasons why Yin Yoga is
the perfect style of Yoga for a Retreat in 2024:
5. We all work really hard, and we want to relax on our Yoga Retreat
It's 2024, and we are all working our butts off.
Some of us have not had a proper break since the great unplesantness of
(ahem... the C word).
Some of us have not even taken a trip overseas since that time.
So when we are finally able to clear some space to get away,
we want to wind down and receive the kind of rest that will
fill up our tanks again.
And if you are like me, the kind of break that I want to take, is one where I feel like I can take care of my body, and do lovely self care things, rather than go away on a vacation and be even more exhausted from intense tourist traps, boozy nights, and bad hotel beds.
I don't want to go on a Yoga Retreat where I have to be up at 6am every morning for a 2 hour intense and sweaty flow practice.
I want to have a break!
Yin Yoga makes you feel like you are stretching out all those stiff, tight and dusty corners of your bodies (hello sitting at a work desk every day since forever), and help you actually balance your poor stressed out nervous system.
You might even take a little nap in the practice which is A-ok.
Imagine how good your body will feel
after 6 days of relaxing yin yoga practices overlooking the ocean!
4. Our lives are so fast, and Yin Yoga allows us to slow down properly.
Is it just me, or is 2024 the fastest moving year to date?
Seriously!
The weeks are just flying by, and unless we make the space to stop and slow down, it will literally be Christmas time and we won't have stopped at all.
In the age of Tik-Tok and "3 seconds to grab your audience" social media, we are being cooked in a speedy soup of short attention spans and pressure to be doing all the things, all the time, more than ever before.
Yin Yoga is intentionally slow.
Like snail slow!
And we need to have Yin Yoga, or something like it in our lives, to remember that we are not designed to be living in such a fast way.
If you go to a Yin Yoga class once a week, hooray!
Now, x that feeling by 600% because that is the magical feeling you would have if you were on a Yin Yoga retreat.
Imagine just how much awareness and presence you would have if you had a whole week to slow down and melt into daily yin yoga classes!
Followed by a swim in the ocean, a delicious platter of fresh fruit, a nap, reading your book by the pool, drinking pots of chai in the cafe over looking the beach,
oh the bliss just goes on.
3. When we get off the crazy hamster wheel of life,
we can often crash and all we want to do is lay down.
And how nice would it be if the place that you got to lay down in, was warm and tropical, where you could see and hear the ocean, rather than a bit of space you have carved out on your couch at home (next to the pile of laundry and mess everywhere).
When Yin Yoga first arrived in Melbourne, people were a bit unsure about it. At that time, hot yoga and power flow were trending hard. But once people "got it" and they knew that their Sunday afternoon yoga would predominately be laying on the floor, stretching and cuddled up with bolsters and blankets, every yoga studio on a Sunday afternoon was packed!
...
2. Have you been forgetting to breathe?
Well of course you are breathing.
If you are still reading along, then I know you are breathing.
But, are you breathing up high in your chest?
Or when you try to take a deep breath does it get stuck on the way down before you can even fill your belly?
I'm just going to put on my acupuncturist's hat for a quick second...
One of the most common things I note in my patients that are stressed,
is the tightening of the diaphragm, which makes the breath feel tight and constricted in the upper body.
Hat off... back to Yin...
Sometimes just having someone guide your breath for 75 minutes in a yin yoga class can be an incredible way to correctly get back into your breath rhythm and help your nervous system rebalance.
Not to mention all the proper oxygenation that will be going on when you are breathing deeply and smoothly once again.
Think of a week long Yin Yoga retreat as a huge reset for your body, your breath, and your soul.
Yin Yoga lets you truly reconnect with yourself.
Where are you?
Are you on track in life?
Do you feel aligned and full of joy with the way you are living?
Or, have you gotten lost under all the responsibilities, daily chores, running around for family members, trying to tick all the boxes and then crashing in bed every night?
Not everyone has nailed the morning self care routine of journalling and meditating, and let's be honest, it is just not super practical for everyone.
And we all need some dedicated time every now and then to have a circuit breaker from all of that, and come back home to yourself, somewhere warm, and beautiful where you don't have to take care of anyone else.
People tell me all the time about the profound things that arise in their yin yoga practice; solutions that come to them, insights, inspiration, mental clarity, sorting out the inbox of their brain, and so much more.
Yin Yoga is a place where you get to go within, without digital devices or conversational distraction, and actually check in with yourself, guilt free!
When else do we carve out time to slow down and lay on the floor, only to wake up like a freshly watered plant; revived, bright and ready for life again.
And what if there were some amazing extra things
for you on this Yin Yoga Retreat in 2024?
Like...
A complimentary Cosmetic Acupuncture treatment from me, to give you a beautiful facial glow up. (what is that?)
A jade gua sha tool gifted to you, and a tutorial on how to use this in your skin care routine to help improve your complexion and reduce fine lines. (what is facial gua sha?)
An optional daily slow flow yoga practice in the morning (just so we don't completely turn into yin yoga slugs).
A daily afternoon yin yoga practice guided by myself.
Stunning and comfortable beachside accomodation complete with Air Con and balcony where you can look out at the ocean.
The most delicious and fresh daily buffet meals included in your stay.
Special evening events such as sound baths, Yin and Pin events, and guided Yoga Nidra.
Did I mention we will be in Thailand?
So if you made it this far reading this blog, and you want to take a break this year and give yourself the kind of reset that only Yin Yoga can give you,
take a look at this awesome offering:
6 day 6 night
Yin Yoga Retreat
Vikasa Retreat Centre
Koh Samui
Thailand
Oct 27 - Nov 2nd
Early Bird Prices end 10th July
Twin share $2200 AUD
Private room $2750
Love Karina x
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