A First-timer’s Retreat experience
Tyraman Retreat Australia Day Weekend January 2014
I had only been participating in yoga for about four months when the invite to a retreat in the Hunter Region of NSW came on offer. At first, I was a little reluctant to go. Life was busy and my confidence in doing the poses (asanas) was a little low. Every person that I asked who had been before gave it a big ‘thumbs up’. From the moment I turned off the road and into the driveway of the property I thought to myself ‘wow’, this will be a really enjoyable experience. Plenty of bushland, with rolling hills, various bird noises and, encompassing fresh air, the kind that when you inhale, it brings a clarity of thought and an inner peace.
The layout of the house was excellent: a great room for yoga classes, very roomy kitchen for meal preparation, great spacious living room with a balcony, comfortable bedroom areas with a modernised bathroom and two toilets. Linda (the teacher), had organised everyone into groups. One group would cook on one day with the provided delicious vegetarian recipes, and the other group would do the washing up on the same day. New groups would take on the roles the next day. This was fantastic, as I found myself conversing, cooking and cleaning with fellow yogi’s of different ages, from different backgrounds and life experiences.
We had a class on the Friday afternoon, two on the Saturday, two on the Sunday and one on the Monday. Morning class time was about 7-10am, then we had brunch, a few hours to read, have a walk, think, to reflect, or whatever. The afternoon class time was about 4-6pm. Dinner was served about 7.30pm. After dinner we sat around and gave feedback on the day’s classes. Some serious questions and answers were asked, that were interrupted with plenty of laughter.
Personally, five yoga classes over three and a half days was perfect for me to really concentrate and pay attention to the poses, and the correct positioning of the body. It also allowed the teacher to pay more attention to the asanas, and make the necessary adjustments when needed. To be able to indulge into the practice in such an environment, was a turning point for me. I now have incorporated yoga into my life, and also appreciate that there is a lot more to it than just doing the poses.
Never to forget the wonderful, and extremely professional teacher, the beautiful, friendly and intelligent people I spent time with, and the truly tranquil, terrific location. I would highly recommend this experience to any person who participates in yoga.
Darren Picklum