Ashtanga & Yin Yoga Retreat
Ashtanga Yoga meets Yin Yoga
& Meditation and Ayurveda
23.9. - 29.09.2023
Aigina / Greece
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23.9. Monday - Arrival
5.30 pm Opening circle
6.30 pm Yin Yoga
8 pm Welcome Dinner24.9. Tuesday
8 am Ashtanga Yoga Led
10 am Breakfast
Free time
6 pm Yin Yoga25.9. Wednesday
8 am Ashtanga Yoga Led
10 am Breakfast
11 am Workshop: Meditation
Free time
6 pm Yin Yoga26.9. Thursday
8 am Optional self-practice
10 am Breakfast
Free Evening / no class27.9. Friday
8 am Ashtanga Yoga Led
10 am Breakfast
11 am Workshop: Ayurveda
Free time
6 pm Yin Yoga + Yoga Nidra28.9. Saturday
8 am Ashtanga Mysore Style
10 am Breakfast
Free time
6 pm Yin Yoga
7.30 pm Closing circle
8.15 pm Farewell dinner29.9. Sunday
8 am Ashtanga Mysore Style
10 am Breakfast -
Limited additional treatments upon request:
Reiki Healing sessions
Thai-Yoga bodywork
Ayurveda consultation
Private yoga classes
(special price for retreat participants for 60 minute sessions = 60 euros)
Between the classes there is free time for rest, beach or small trips. One afternoon will be kept completely free for a longer day trip. In your free time you can book additional treatments with your hosts or explore the island. We are happy to inform you about free time activities and sightseeing highlights of the region, as one of the our hosts is Greek, knows the island and can assist you with additional information.
Max. 3 treatments by teacher are given in total during the retreat week
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Oikia Karapanou is above all a house with a soul. Somehow the essence of a house, surrounded by an enchanted garden. Nothing here is formal, nothing is standardised. We are not a hotel, nor a seminar factory. Oikia is a real house. Simple, spacious, poetic, refined. A place where guests often tell us that they feel as if they have finally arrived home.
Oikia Karapanou is at a 5min walk from the nearest beach.
The house can host up to 20 people.There are 10 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, numerous terrasses and balconies and of course the spacious and magical garden.
The upper floor of the house contains a bright and spacious 40 square-meter hall, surrounded by windows facing in all directions, which leads out onto two big terraces facing east and west.Oikia nestles in about 30 acres of ancient trees and plants, some of which are well over a hundred years old.
Yin & Yang retreat
What to expect?
This 7 days / 6 nights retreat offers a deep dive into Yoga practice including the theory and practice of meditation and the wisdom of Ayurveda (ancient Indian medicine system).
The program combines two yoga traditions: Ashtanga Yoga and Yin Yoga, allowing you to explore two complementary aspects of the practice. Yin is known as the slow, feminine, receiving and passive aspect of life, while Yang represents the dynamic, masculine, providing, and active part. The dance of these two aspects creates a balanced and fulfilled life.
The Yang aspect will be represented in the dynamic Asthanga practice in the morning and the Yin aspect in a calm and soothing yet gently demanding practice in the evening.
For whom?
The retreat suits both experienced practitioners who are wishing to deepen their yoga practice and understanding of philosophical aspects, as well as curious beginners who feel ready for a challenge of leaving the well known comfort zone. The classes will be adjusted to the level of the group and individual needs of the participants.
Language
The classes and workshops will be held in English. Only if all participants will be German speakers, we will switch to German.
Retreat package
1. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
The Vinyasa principle is based on Hatha Yoga and supplemented with dynamic transitions that bring deep, rhythmic breathing and movement into a harmonic flow. The goal is to create a powerful meditation in movement. Throughout the intelligent sequence of postures, the energetic intensity increases, reaches a peak, and then decreases to end up in deep relaxation. A truly wonderful way to start the day.
Ashtanga Led Classes the first days.
Guided classes completed with yogic breathing exercises and guided meditation. A great opportunity to learn the sequence (Ashtanga 1. Series) and gain physical strength. The classes are backed up with theory and philosophical background so that participants can not only experience, but also understand the great advantages of this practice.
Mysore Style Classes the last days.
Students practice at their own pace and level and get individual, in-depth adjustments and support from the teacher. Mysore style is a great chance to grow into the practice, dive into the deeper layers of the body-mind and learn how to practice independently.
2.Yin Yoga Classes
Yin Yoga targets different layers of the body and mind. Participants will learn all about the aim and the benefits of this slow and grounding yoga practice. During our week together we will learn how to practice in a way that is safe, while staying longer in the postures. We will explore how to stretch and stress the body in a yin way and learn to deal with the discomfort. Subsequently, unexplored levels of relaxation will be reached.
Yin sessions will be offered in different formats. Some will be pure Yin Yoga, some though will be combined with sound journay at the end and some with yoga nidra meditation.
3. Meditation Practice
Meditation practice will be added to both the Ashtanga and the Yin classes. We will learn how to apply different meditation techniques into daily practice.
Meditation Workshop
In this two hour workshop we will learn the basics and the theory of meditation. We will discuss what it actually means to meditate, learn about different meditation techniques and how to build up a meditation routine.
4. Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medicine system and the sister science of Yoga. Both focus on physical and mental wellbeing. Ayurveda principles can be applied in all regions of the world and are not limited to Indian food.
Ayurvedic Breakfast
Each day we will enjoy a rich breakfast buffet that follows ayurvedic principles all while using mainly local products and foods. The cooks only use fresh products, on season and as much as possible organic. The food is based on vegetables, pulses, grain and dairy products.
Ayurveda Workshop
An additional two hour workshop on Ayurveda will introduce the basic ayurvedic principles and present nutrition and daily routines that will support you in the transition period towards autumn.
(Further consultation to find the individual constitution and define a personalized nutrition and practice plan, can be arranged upon request).
Accommodation and Meals
Accommodation
There are 6 rooms with two beds, one with a double bed, one with three beds.
If there is a need for extra beds, 2 beds can be added in the larger rooms.
There are 5 bathrooms in the house. One of them is ensuite to one of the bedrooms. The other 4 are shared. There are also 2 outdoor showers in the garden.
Meals
Breakfast, as well as the welcome and farewell dinner are included in the price and are served at the Oikia Karapanou. For meals during free time, there are further options that can be found in the area.
Pricing
Accommodation & Meals
300 euros
Room with two single beds OR Room with three single beds.
Shared bathrooms, daily breakfast, 2 dinners.
Retreat Package :
450 euros
Included in the price:
Accommodation in rooms for 2 or 3 people – 6 nights
5x Ashtanga classes
5x Yin yoga classes
2x Workshops (Meditation and Ayurveda)
6x Breakfast buffet
1x Welcome dinner
1x Farewell dinner
Not included:
Flight ticket
Transport to the retreat location
Other meals than indicated above
Additional treatments
Leisure time activities
Your teachers
Justyna will be teaching the Yang part, i.e. Ashtanga classes in the morning and pranayama (yogic breathwork), as well as the meditation workshop.
Justyna has over 700 hours training in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, is a certified meditation and Hatha Yoga teacher, dance teacher and Reiki therapist. She has her background in academic research and worked in the area of molecular medicine for over five years. Science helped her understand the biochemistry of life, but it didn’t answer most of her questions about human nature, consciousness and spirituality.
Her calling and curiosity brought her to India, where she was studying Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga after many years of self- practice with different teachers.
In her teaching she combines modern scientific research, ancient eastern traditions, and her personal experience to help people reclaim their body wisdom as a gate to personal growth and healing.
Nikoleta will guide you through the Yin part of this journey, teach Yin yoga in the afternoons as well as the Ayurveda Workshop.
Nikoleta was introduced to Yin yoga and Tantra yoga a few years ago and since then her teaching style has evolved in a new way. She teaches primarily these soft and gentle yoga styles, combined with breathwork and meditation.
These yoga styles are soft in nature, they might even seem unspectacular from the outside. The practitioner experiences them as very powerful and partly challenging. They enable us to turn the awareness inward and learn how to relax and to ground ourselves.
Nikoleta is certified in Tantra Yoga and Meditation and has 600 training hours in Yin yoga. She compliments her passion for relaxation techniques with training in thai-yoga bodywork and she is an Ayurveda nutritional coach.
Make your booking & send your questions
You will be redirected to the website of bodymind.network.
Fill out the contact form and receive further information and an invoice via e-mail.
Booking & Cancellation policy
Booking
A deposit of 450 euros is required to hold your reservation (see cancellation and refunds)
The accommodation will be paid at Oikia Karapanou.
In case of cancellation, the policies as described below define to which refund the participant is entitled.
Cancellation
If the participation has to be cancelled the retreat organizers offer partly refunds as described on this site.
The transfer of your credit to another participant is possible. In this case someone else has to be nominated by you.
Penalties may apply depending on the time of your cancellation.
There will be no refunds or price deductions for arriving late or leaving early.
Refunds
A deposit of 450 euros is required to hold your reservation.
Cancellation 90 days or more (until June 25, 2024) prior the first day of the retreat: the participant receives a full refund of payments made.
Cancellation between less than 90 days and 60 days prior the first day of the retreat (between June 26 and July 25, 2024): guest receives a 50% refund of payments made.
Cancellation 59 days prior the first day of the retreat (on or after July 26, 2024): no refunds of the retreat package can be given.
Cancellation by the organizers: In case the retreat has to be cancelled by the organizers, a full refund of your payment will be issued within two weeks after the announcement of cancellation.