Yoga Moves in Nepal 2008 (FULLY BOOKED)
Dates: Saturday 27th September – Friday 10th October
As a general guideline, we will spend the mornings at the hotel in the rooftop yoga hall enlivening the body and senses using various forms of bodywork including yoga, meditation, Ch'i Gung and Feldenkrais. There will also be some assigned reading from the retreat text. (The text will be decided as I get a sense of who will be attending). This will be balanced by time in the afternoons to rest and relax and/or you will have the opportunity to join me as we visit some of the main cultural and spiritual sites in and around the Kathmandu Valley. Although participants will be encouraged to join in the whole programme, individuals are free to choose to not participate in some activities and/or free to explore further afield on their own.
Our time together will include:
- 1 or 2 group movement/meditation sessions a day with Usha.You need no previous experience or particular level of fitness to attend the trip or do the classes but you must be interested in deepening your experience and understanding of movement and meditation.
- an opportunity to take part in the Dasain festival, Nepal’s longest and largest festival of the year. It is usually timed with the end of the summer rice harvest and is about fifteen days of very joyful and colourful parades, pilgrimages and pujas (ritual ceremonies) to the city shrines. Similar to a thanks giving festival, it culminates in the once a year viewing of Kathmandu’s ‘living goddess’, the Kumari. (As the timings of the festival events are not finalised until after April, I have not included a day by day itinerary below).
- group visits to the main sites of interest in and around Kathmandu including Thamel, Swayambhunath, Patan, Boudnath, Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square) and Bhaktapur.
- a visit to Paschupathinath and if our timing with the moon is right - an evening arati (lamp lighting) ceremony at Paschupathinath
- there will be at least one guided group walk in the countryside beyond Kathmandu city or Nagarkot (the details will be finalised closer to the time as the length of the walks will depend on those participating).
- a Nepali tasting menu at Krishnadapaan Restaurant which is located within the grounds of a very beautiful converted Newari palace
- a classical dance performance (yogic dance)
- a 3 night stay in Nagarkot (closest place to Kathmandu from which to catch a glimpse of Everest if the skies are clear of cloud)
- lots of time to review, reflect and dream new dreams or simply do nothing.
- plenty of good food and good shopping!
Possible Optional Activities:
I would encourage you to purchase a travel guide (Rough Guide or Lonely Planet) to Nepal or visit some of the websites suggested below for your own interest and research but some other activities you may enjoy during the time are:
- walks/excursions further afield. There are many, many beautiful walks in the countryside often to other sites of spiritual significance. Most are within an hour’s travel by car from Kathmandu. These are very easily arranged and are inexpensive.
- a morning flight around Mount Everest
- a classical dance lesson (yogic dance)
- resting on a banana lounge on one of the hotel rooftop gardens and cafes or in one of the million cafes in Kathmandu
- massages
- endless shopping opportunities (Kathmandu is a treasure trove of thangka (Tibetan paintings), hand woven Tibetan and Kashmiri rugs, metalwork, jewellery, clothing, pottery, handicrafts.
- 1 or 2 group movement sessions a day with Usha. You need no previous experience or particular level
of fitness to attend the trip or do the classes but you must be interested in deepening your
experience and understanding of movement meditation - 1 full body massage OR 2 x 30 minute reflexology treatments
- A Balinese dance class
- A full moon performance of the Kecek chanting and trance dance.
- A trip to the new Ubud Botanic Gardens
- A ‘rijsttafel’ (literally ‘rice table’) which is a traditional multi-course menu consisting of rice served with zesty side dishes
- A degustation (tasting menu) experience at Mozaic with renowned head chef, Chris Salans (see Les Grandes Tables du Monde, 2004)
- Plenty of good food, good sleep and good shopping!
- Time to review, reflect and dream new dreams or simply do nothing.
- at least one daily movement/meditation session with Usha.
- lots of time to review, reflect and dream new dreams or simply do nothing.
- plenty of good food and good shopping!
- group visits of many of Hanoi’s major tourist attractions (including Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Stilt House, One Pillar Pagoda, other historic pagodas, the Temple of Literature and the Museum of Ethnology)
- group meals at Le Tonkin, Emperor Restaurant and Brother’s Café
- a cyclo ride
- at least one walking tour through Hanoi’s old quarter
- a day at the Sofitel Metropole Cooking School (includes a market tour, cooking lesson and lunch at the fabulous Spices Restaurant
- a performance of the famous Hanoian water puppets
- a boat trip up the Red River Delta, followed by cycling or car touring through the rice paddies. Along the way we will visit the Dau and But Thap pagodas and two traditional handicraft villages – Dong Ha which specializes in woodblock printing and Bat Trang, the ceramic village. On the return boat trip home we will be served a Vietnamese feast.
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Yoga Moves Bali
Retreat, 2009
Dates: Friday 3rd April to Friday 10th April 2009 (8 days and 7 nights). Please note Friday April 10th is Good Friday and first day of school holidays.
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Yoga Moves Vietnam 2006,
Dates: Wednesday 12th April – Wednesday 26th April, 2006
Our time together will include:
Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
• 2 days and one night relaxing on a traditional junk boat, cruising the amazing World Heritage listed
Ha Long Bay. Kayaking and night fishing can also be done from the boat. Breakfast, two lunches and dinner included.
Hoi An
• experience the relaxed atmosphere and genuine charm of Hoi An
• a walking tour of Hoi An including visits to some of Hoi An’s historical buildings
• express tailoring/design your own clothes or take old favourites (clothes and/or shoes) and have them made within hours
• visits to the Cham Museum in Danang and a few days later to My Son, the Cham Towers
• a dinner at Café des Amis prepared by local legend Mr Kim.
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