Last Friday morning, a group of Adore students left a cold, dark, rainy Sydney and journeyed to the Daintree Rainforest for a 5 night Yoga Retreat. We were all looking forward to a few days in paradise, but it turned out to be even more than we’d hoped for.
Our destination, about 20 minutes south of Cape Tribulation, was a purpose built yoga retreat called Prema Shanti. Nestled in the lush green rainforest, Prema Shanti attracts iridescent blue ulysses butterflies by day and cute little bandicoots at night and were all lucky enough to spot cassowaries in nearby bushland.
The retreat started with a relaxing afternoon practice in the Yoga Temple, a light, open space with a beautiful polished wood floor and views across the lawns to the forest. After stretching and breathing away our day’s journey, we sat down to the first of many mouth-watering vegetarian meals. Mara, our host, has produced her own cook book in response to customer demand and several us went home clutching our new food bible!
Each morning we enjoyed a 90 minute energizing yoga class, while evenings were given over to a more relaxing and contemplative practice that included pranayama, meditation and yoga nidra.
The bright, warm, sunny days were perfect for exploring the region. From a dip in the pristine Blue Water Hole next to our retreat to an afternoon lazing at Cape Tribulation Beach, we relished every minute in the dramatic natural beauty of the Daintree.
A week in the Daintree can be as quiet or busy as you choose. Some of the participants opted to relax in a hammock at the retreat while others headed out to snorkel on the reef, sail down the estuary on a crocodile cruise and explore local produce at the exotic fruit farm, the organic ice cream factory and the Daintree Coffee Company.
All of us indulged in massage and beauty treatments, courtesy of the divinely talented Suzanne and Andrew who brought their skills to the retreat every day for relaxing massage, reiki and energy healing sessions.
Although we all enjoyed the scenery, the amazing food and massage, the magic of our Daintree retreat lay elsewhere. It was in the extraordinary rapport formed by the twelve very special people who participated. Through yoga, meditation and shared experiences, they opened their hearts, shared their stories and experienced the transformation that a dedicated yoga practice can bring.
After taking a break from routine to focus on our own thoughts, feelings and intentions, it was time to take our new found clarity back into our daily lives. It was hard to say goodbye when our last yoga class was over and, as we exchanged photos and email addresses with new friends, we knew that we’d be back.
The next Adore Yoga retreat is our Spring Detox Retreat, just 50 mins from Sydney CBD, 14-16 October 2011.
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