I arrived home from Thailand on Monday night after a rather long delay. I feel refreshed and ready to create a more balanced week with my new pranayama skills and appreciation after having 2.5 weeks off. Almost every day I tried to get in to the sun and swim in the salt water, in between our 8 hours of class.
We would start our day at 6:30am (however I was kindly woken by the rooster at 5am), unless we had a fire ceremony starting at 6am. Each morning we would spend a few minutes in silence acknowledging what we were grateful for, asking for help and acknowledging if we were sorry for any events that had played out in our world. We would then spend about 30-40mins in quiet meditation before we stood up and began our kriyas and pranayama practice. Kriyas are cleansing practices that massage the internal organs and get things moving. Pranayama is breath work that nourishes the nervous system. It activates the lower abdomen (mula bundha plus more) allowing the diaphragm to rest, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and causing the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) to rest. There are many practices involved in pranayama and by the end of the 2 week course with Paul Dallaghan at Samahita Retreat we were prescribed a specific morning practice appropriate for our individual circumstances. I hope to continue this practice each morning.
An example of one of the pranayama practices which I was first introduced to in India in 2010 is Nadi Shodhana - otherwise known as alternate nostril breathing. Nadi means channel & refers to the energy pathways through which prana/qi or our energy flows. Shodhana means cleansing - so Nadi Shodhana means channel cleansing.
This practice of pranayama is also very useful during asana (yoga postures - what most of the western world think yoga is) practice as it allows correct breathing while twisted and bent in many different postures.
The coconuts were endless (and only $1!) while in Thailand which I absolutely loved, however the beds and enormous pillows not so much. I experienced a colonic while at Samahita which had a few differences to what I have normally experienced back in Australia. The practitioner massaged the colon meridian which seemed to run down the leg, a point just behind the ear and somewhere else which I can't remember. It was fantastic and I felt like a new woman afterwards...no need to give you all the details I guess :)
The food was fresh while staying at Samahita, with plenty of different and delicious salad dressings that livened up the lettuce that felt right to eat in such a hot climate. I did manage to use the steam room a few times which was an excellent finish to a big day of learning.
On the final weekend of my stay once my course was finished a few of us took off to Koh Phangan - an island just north of Kho Samui. It's known for its full moon parties, however we went to the northern end of the island and lazed around in a little hut eating banana pancakes and listening to Led Zepplin after plenty of sun and salt water. It is a gorgeous island with lots of little restaurants and cafes on the beach serving fresh, cheap and delicious food.
I met some gorgeous people from all over the world at Samahita and really enjoyed learning from such a well respected teacher (with quite a lot of humour thrown in). As I said at the start, I'm looking forward to implementing my new learnings and benefiting from the practice. It was a much needed rest that provided some time for re-assessment of where I am direct my energy and time with my business.
Here are a few snaps of my holiday :) - my favourite dish of betel leaves and fresh cashews, ginger, chilli, green mango, spanish onion, chilli and toasted coconut with a sweet sauce, Anthea and I after a great scooter ride, the view of the beach in front of Samahita, our day on Koh Phangan (Sue, Karen and I) complete with delicious banana and sticky rice snacks, and last of all the shala where I practiced everyday.
We would start our day at 6:30am (however I was kindly woken by the rooster at 5am), unless we had a fire ceremony starting at 6am. Each morning we would spend a few minutes in silence acknowledging what we were grateful for, asking for help and acknowledging if we were sorry for any events that had played out in our world. We would then spend about 30-40mins in quiet meditation before we stood up and began our kriyas and pranayama practice. Kriyas are cleansing practices that massage the internal organs and get things moving. Pranayama is breath work that nourishes the nervous system. It activates the lower abdomen (mula bundha plus more) allowing the diaphragm to rest, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and causing the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) to rest. There are many practices involved in pranayama and by the end of the 2 week course with Paul Dallaghan at Samahita Retreat we were prescribed a specific morning practice appropriate for our individual circumstances. I hope to continue this practice each morning.
An example of one of the pranayama practices which I was first introduced to in India in 2010 is Nadi Shodhana - otherwise known as alternate nostril breathing. Nadi means channel & refers to the energy pathways through which prana/qi or our energy flows. Shodhana means cleansing - so Nadi Shodhana means channel cleansing.
This practice of pranayama is also very useful during asana (yoga postures - what most of the western world think yoga is) practice as it allows correct breathing while twisted and bent in many different postures.
The coconuts were endless (and only $1!) while in Thailand which I absolutely loved, however the beds and enormous pillows not so much. I experienced a colonic while at Samahita which had a few differences to what I have normally experienced back in Australia. The practitioner massaged the colon meridian which seemed to run down the leg, a point just behind the ear and somewhere else which I can't remember. It was fantastic and I felt like a new woman afterwards...no need to give you all the details I guess :)
The food was fresh while staying at Samahita, with plenty of different and delicious salad dressings that livened up the lettuce that felt right to eat in such a hot climate. I did manage to use the steam room a few times which was an excellent finish to a big day of learning.
On the final weekend of my stay once my course was finished a few of us took off to Koh Phangan - an island just north of Kho Samui. It's known for its full moon parties, however we went to the northern end of the island and lazed around in a little hut eating banana pancakes and listening to Led Zepplin after plenty of sun and salt water. It is a gorgeous island with lots of little restaurants and cafes on the beach serving fresh, cheap and delicious food.
I met some gorgeous people from all over the world at Samahita and really enjoyed learning from such a well respected teacher (with quite a lot of humour thrown in). As I said at the start, I'm looking forward to implementing my new learnings and benefiting from the practice. It was a much needed rest that provided some time for re-assessment of where I am direct my energy and time with my business.
Here are a few snaps of my holiday :) - my favourite dish of betel leaves and fresh cashews, ginger, chilli, green mango, spanish onion, chilli and toasted coconut with a sweet sauce, Anthea and I after a great scooter ride, the view of the beach in front of Samahita, our day on Koh Phangan (Sue, Karen and I) complete with delicious banana and sticky rice snacks, and last of all the shala where I practiced everyday.
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