Yoga encourages us to be aware of the impact of our choices on our own health and that of the planet. As a species we haven’t done brilliantly so far. A retreat is an opportunity to live mindfully for a short period at least. To connect with yourself and the natural world
By choosing a UK venue for your retreat you….
1) Don’t have the stress of the airport experience, from packing and parking, to time pressure, to the to the hustle and bustle of security and the potential for delays.
2) Don’t need to worry so much about your carbon footprint. Choosing not to fly is somewhere you can make a difference.
3) Don’t put your body out of balance before you even arrive. Even if there is no jet lag involved, plane travel is dehydrating, the food is not fresh, the atmosphere is artificial and harbours germs. In Ayurvedic terms flying increases your VATA (air and space element) while yoga retreats should be all about grounding.
4) Don’t have to readjust to a climate or diet that is not necessarily suited to your body type. Ayurveda teaches us that our gut health is best nurtured by eating food from our own country, in season of course.
Time for the positives….. you….
5) DO have a chance to car share with other participants – so making friends before you arrive. Most retreat organisers will be only too pleased to put you in touch.
6) DO have the option of using the our bus services which so need your support. According the the Department of Transport only 4 per cent of journeys were made by bus last year. When you travel by bus you help to save buses for others. And in our area we have the amazing Coastliner service too. So why not take the coast road ?
7) DO perhaps travel by ferry from The Netherlands or Scandinavia. It’s low stress; low impact and climate difference is not significant.
8) DO spend your retreat connecting with the energy of the seasons – something the UK does very well.
8) DO open your eyes to the beauty of the UK countryside with its immense variety and abundance of flora and fauna – and wildlife
9) DO have the flexibility to stay on one more night – or longer. Easy for drivers and pretty feasible with most forms for public transport too.
10) DO (and here’s where you may see my bias!), visit some amazing places. Whitby, which has just been named the UK’s most popular holiday destination, is only two miles walk, cross country, from our protected woodland site: Yogandspice at Valley View.
