Yoga Retreats In Vogue

More than just a holiday, a yoga retreat can be an inspirational and transformative experience that you’ll never forget…

With early morning starts, detox diets and plenty of exercise, it may not sound like a relaxing holiday choice to some but as Yoga becomes ever-more mainstream, each year a greater variety of yoga retreats are on offer.

The Retreat experience is an opportunity to immerse in yoga practice for a weekend, a week or even a month at a time. It is a sanctuary away from everyday life, where you can properly unwind and recharge your batteries. Set in stunning, often secluded locations that make the most of what nature has to offer, a yoga retreat is so much more than just going somewhere beautiful to relax.

Yoga retreats are gaining in popularity because they offer something unique - ‘Active Relaxation’. Like anything in life, you get out what you put in and it actually requires the right kind of effort to relax properly. Yoga is that effort. The retreat experience seeks to improve well-being far and beyond the temporary relief of sitting by the pool just sipping cocktails for a week and where the more conventional holiday choice may be a quick fix, a yoga retreat offers more long term benefits so that the peace and tranquility which you cultivate doesn't just fade as quickly as your tan does.

FeatheredPipe Yoga Workshop

My yoga practice is the same way -- a mix of flow and holds. I like flow and sometimes my natural tendency is flow right on through my practice, leaving very little space for me to feel anything. Since I'm a fan of balancing things out, I add static postures into my practice because they go against my natural inclination (file this under: sometimes what you want isn't always what you need). That way I have flow but I also have the space to really get into my body and feel what's happening with me on any given day.

It would be an understatement to say that I never want to relive that chaotic time in my life again. I'm going to actually take that minute, hang out, breathe it all in, and act from a conscious place.

Anybody with me on allowing for space? Here's a little reading that's meant to be done s-l-o-w-l-y. Take that space that notice what feelings the word evokes. Then do the same on your mat. And then in your life Yoga Workshop is great

FeatheredPipe Yoga Retreats And Travel

At a Feathered Pipe retreat you will learn from the world’s most gifted teachers in a serene setting where everything is dedicated to enhancing your experience and your personal growth. Feathered Pipe is dedicated to providing a place for learning and serenity.  Everything we do – from the teachers we host, the service projects (seva yoga) we support, the yoga travel tours we plan, and the food we prepare – is done with the intention of cultivating our guest’s comfort.

For nearly 38 years, the Feathered Pipe Foundation has offered educational programs through our retreat and travel programs featuring the leading lights in yoga therapy, meditation and personal growth in optimal settings that inspire learning and the creative exchange of ideas. You are invited to join us on this journey of personal evolution whose purpose is to bring about the change we wish to witness in ourselves and the world.

Whether it’s within the pristine, natural, retreat settings of the Feathered Pipe here in Montana, Haramara and Blue Osa retreat centers in Mexico and Costa Rica, or via our other world yoga travel tours throughout India, South America, Southeast Asia and Europe, you are certain to find opportunity and opening to explore your potential.

Reconnect to yourself, discover and explore the world. In the spring we offer yoga workshops and yoga travel experiences in Mexico, Costa Rica and South America. From late spring through early fall, we are at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana. Sign up for our mailing list to stay up-to-date on all our upcoming yoga retreats and yoga travel programs, including our yoga therapy offerings.

Nurture yourself, cherish and enjoy life. Summer in the Montana Rockies is just lovely by itself. The Feathered Pipe Ranch, just outside of Helena, Montana, hosts master teachers in a pristine and peaceful mountain sanctuary. Add to the mix lovingly prepared organic foods, our pure mountain spring water, and the joy that comes from being surrounded by fun, open-hearted people and you have all the ingredients for a sublime experience for heart, mind, and body. Every summer season has its own magic, and we’d love to have you join us for a taste of it this year!  Every time you participate in one of our events, you help our service work and help to usher in a new season of humanity for this world.

Heal yourself, honor and help the planet. When you give the gift to yourself of attending one of Feathered Pipe Foundation’s yoga workshops, you support the vital humanitarian seva yoga that has been at the heart of our mission for close to four decades.

Seva Yoga

People who conduct Yoga for the welfare of mankind are called sevaks and their work is called Seva i.e. serving. Seva Yoga is a blessing in disguise. The joy and happiness you get by offering your love and affection to another human being becomes a blessing for you. Most people have their first experience of yoga by joining a yoga class and practice all the asana. When we begin yoga, it is often the physical body that is the centre of interest and priority. Hence yoga classes are oriented around the physical practices of asana and pranayama. We approach these practices with the understanding that they are going to be beneficial for the body.

However, as we progress in yoga, we realize that the benefits from the practices are not restricted to the physical body alone. Seva yoga is usually described as service in Sanskrit. Many times during the practice of yoga we are asked to do tasks that are not in accordance with our way of thinking or behaving. Similarly, during the practice of seva yoga, we experience and confront those same sensations and reactions, except this time in the mind. These moments of internal friction and resistance caused by the reactions of like and dislike can be transforming, in exactly the same way as resistance and tension in physical postures. It is in these moments that we can actively work towards purification of the mind, by remaining aware of the responses within us and yet still doing our best to act appropriately.

Usually when confronted with an unpleasant experience or circumstance, such as a painful sensation in the body, or a painful emotional reaction during yoga, the reaction is aversion. The pain in the body becomes more intense, the feelings and emotions become more intense. In the practice of asana, we learn how different conditions have different effects upon the body, and how to adjust accordingly, so there is minimal tension and conflict. The way the body performs a posture at 5.30 am on a cold winter morning is not the same way it performs the asana at 5.30 pm on a warm afternoon. Ashram life provides the conditions and circumstances over which there is no control.

Through repeated practice of this one can become aware of all the facets of the personality and begin to surrender those patterns and identifications that are no longer helpful. Regular practice of seva yoga generates an inner immunity to external factors so that the challenging and confronting situations in life can be faced with ease.

Yoga For Thyroid

Thyroid disorders are very common in people of all ages, all across the globe. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), around 27,000,000 Americans suffer from different types of thyroid imbalance at any given point. They also claim that thyroid disorders exceed the number of diabetes cases, by more than 40%. There are many different types of thyroid disorders that are known to affect people. Some of the most common thyroid disorders include –

·         Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid, wherein the thyroid gland does not produce an adequate amount of the thyroxin hormone.
               ·         Hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid, in which the thyroid gland produces an excessive amount of thyroxine hormones.
               ·         Postpartum thyroiditis, a problem in which a woman’s thyroid gland becomes inflamed and swells up, after delivery.
              ·         Thyroid cancer, an uncommon type of cancer, which occurs when there is a lump or a nodule found in the thyroid gland.

You may experience various symptoms, depending upon the type of disorder and its severity. Some of the signs of thyroid disorders include –

·         Excess weight gain or weight loss
              ·         Fatigue
             ·         Mood swings
             ·         Pain in the joints and muscles
             ·         Sleeping problems
             ·         Water retention

Very often thyroid disorders occur due to an underlying health condition. Most types of thyroid disorders need to be treated by a doctor, without any delay. However, in addition to medical treatment you may also benefit from alternative therapies, like yoga.

In case you are using yoga for thyroid disorders, do bear in mind that this practice only alleviates the symptoms of the condition and speeds up the recovery process.
Yoga Workshop does not cure thyroid problems and hence, it should be used in addition to medical treatment.

The Boat Pose (Navasana)

The Boat Pose (Navasana)

This posture is excellent in building abdominal core strengths and creating greater muscular resistance among the legs, hamstrings and spine.

Step One

Sit on the floor with your spine straight, your legs parted and outstretched in front of you.

Step Two

Gradually bring the legs up to a 45 degree angle keeping them straight at the joints, all the way.

Step Three

Let the torso fall back as you raise your legs, but take care not to bend your spine. The resultant position will be a ‘V’ shape.

Step Four

Stretch your arms out in a straight line in front of you, perfectly aligned with the shoulders.

Step Five

Balance your weight on your pelvic bones for as long as you can. Try your best not to let the assumed position collapse. Hold this posture for 10 counts, while you inhale and exhale at an optimum pace.

Repeat

Plank Pose (Vashisthasana)

Plank Pose (Vashisthasana)
This yoga posture can be continued from the Downward-Facing Dog pose discussed earlier. This enhances resistance in the abdominal muscles and also improves the strength in the arms and shoulders.

Step One
Having assumed the Downward Facing Dog Pose, adjust your body weight such that your arms are directly below your shoulders.
Step Two
Lower your hips till your torso is in a straight line with the legs.
Step Three
Distribute the weight among your toes and hands such that you can comfortably rest in this position without straining your limbs.
Step Four
Keep your neck in the same line with the rest of your body and hold this position for 10 counts.
Step Five
Exhale and relax your posture gradually to lie on your stomach, on the mat.

Hand and Knees Balance

Hand and Knees Balance
The following posture tests core strengths, builds muscular mass, improves balance while building your abs at the same time.

Step One
Rest your body on all fours, with your hands placed directly under your shoulders and your knees resting directly underneath your hips.
Step Two
Extend your right leg out and keep it straight on the floor.
Step Three
Lift your right leg to the same height as your hips. Keep them in the same alignment as before.
Step Four
Lift your left arm to the shoulder level and keep it outstretched.
Step Five
Balance your body weight on the right arm and left leg and keep your spine straight. Hold this position for 10 counts.
Step Six
Exhale as you return to your starting position.
Rest for 5 counts and repeat the posture with the other leg