The last week in April marks the return of two wonderful yoga teachers — Susan Urquhart-Brown and Michelle Gilmore — who will be co-leading their second yoga retreat with us. If you’re looking for the chance to relax, renew, and rejuvenate, then this could be the perfect holiday for you.

Incorporating hatha, vinyasa, and restorative yoga classes along with daily meditation will give you the opportunity to dive deeply into your practice. Sharing delicious meals, the warm Baja sun, and the profound beauty of Pacific coastline will replenish your body and your spirit.

We asked them a few questions to help you get to know them better and to offer an idea of what a week on retreat would be like. We hope you enjoy it!

Prana del Mar: Can you describe your approach to teaching yoga and the areas where you place your focus?

Susan: Our approach to teaching yoga is to build a community for students to explore, practice the yoga they love, and try new things in a comfortable, encouraging and safe environment. We are both calm and nurturing as we offer an eclectic practice that is energizing and gentle. We believe in suggesting modifications and options for those who want less as well as those who want a bit more of a challenge.

Michelle: We draw from the Iyengar and vinyasa traditions, incorporating restorative aspects as well as teachings that focus on healthy aging. We emphasize a well-balanced active asana practice that also includes meditation, pranayama, and deeply relaxing restorative poses.

PdM: How did the two of you meet and what drew you together? How do your styles complement one another?

Michelle: Susan and I live in Oakland, CA and have known each other for 10 years. We met in the business world and quickly realized that we had a love for yoga and meditation in common. Susan had experience organizing and leading retreats, and I have attended many yoga and meditation retreats over the years. We decided we wanted to share our love of these two disciplines and hold retreats together.

Susan: Our first retreat was a celebration of Michelle’s 60th birthday and my first year in my own yoga studio: Anjori Yoga in Oakland, CA.

PdM: What is unique about the retreats you lead?

Michelle: The focus of our retreats is rejuvenation, relaxation, and celebrating life — there is no pressure to perform! We offer individual support for each student and encourage them to listen within to what is true for them in the moment.

PdM: Why did you choose Prana del Mar for your retreat?

Susan: We chose Prana del Mar for it’s remoteness and beauty — white sand beach, amazing sunsets and night sky, as well as the delicious food, spacious accommodations and friendly staff! Combined with yoga and meditation, one leaves feeling calm and relaxed — the goal of our retreat.

PdM: Can you give us an example of an experience – either yours or a student’s – from a past retreat that exemplifies the spirit or aim of what you try to provide on your retreat?

Michelle: As a retreat leader, it is essential that you are able to adapt to the circumstances at the moment, especially when something unexpected happens! I was teaching yoga on the roof one afternoon and we heard a horse whinny loudly very close by. Somehow the horse got through the gate into the courtyard and was running spiritedly as he tried to get out. So I asked the class to do horse pose as we watched the excitement as a staff member settled the horse and helped him out the gate. We laughed and continued class…

PdM: What have past retreats taught you?

Susan: In my experience, people want to connect with others in a deeper way than in their everyday lives. Being with a group of like-minded people develops camaraderie, friendship, fun and the chance to talk in-depth with each other. We have people returning each year to be with the friends they made at the last retreat!

Many thanks to Susan and Michelle for sharing a bit about their approach and the intention they bring to their retreats. This retreat has already passed, but if you’d like to see other retreat that we offer, please visit our Calendar of upcoming retreats.

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.
          – Robert Frost

We’re so touched by a poem shared with us by a returning guest, Jane White, who expressed in beautiful verse how she felt during her recent retreat with us. We hope that you’ll enjoy it as much as we have. Thank you, Jane!

There is an impossible place
where the ocean and the desert meet;
souls are called here
by deep rolling waves
whispering wisdom
to the twitching ears of jack rabbits
jumping quick to catch every word.

They come to shift through the sands of time stored here,
where each grain holds infinite knowledge
guarded by ancient Saguaro
always at attention.

They come searching for themselves
in the fresh eyes of friends not yet met
and in the smiles of old friends not forgotten.

Together the souls dwell here for a while,
communing with wise jack rabbits
questioning cacti
contemplating grains of sand
to the distant sound of cow bells
and learning how sea spray
is turned into stars
by the dusky twilight.

But they must leave this place,
this impossible place;
for its magic contains a mission
for those who find it
and are open to all it has to offer.

When it is time
and they have been kissed by the sun
and blue sky threaded with white hope
settles on their shoulders,
the souls leave
carrying in their hearts
the possibilities of the impossible
to share with the rest of the world.

          – Jane White, 2015

Why go on a yoga and writing retreat?

Because it is the perfect symbiosis. Both yoga and writing represent tools for self-discovery. They invite us to examine and feel what is deep beneath the layers of our being. They welcome us to observe what the eye cannot see, to explore what lives past the stories we tell ourselves and tell others about ourselves. They invite us to seek and explore who we are beyond our own limitations, doubts and fears. Together they represent an art of inquiry and exploration.

How does yoga support writing?

Halina Duraj, co-instructor and professor of literature and creative writing at University of San Diego, beautifully describes this:

The best writing is done by the body, not only the language-part of the brain. Your hand holds a pen, or your fingers touch keys, or you open your mouth and tell a story with your voice. Stories need the body to exist in a world larger than the storyteller’s own mind. Stories are born in our bodies—born in them and born by them, until we’re ready to tell or write them. Just as we carry our emotions in certain parts of our body (anxiety in our shoulders, fear in our butterfly stomachs), we hold our stories in certain parts of our bodies—our guts, our hearts. Many people think writing comes from our heads, our intellect, but that is only one of three tools we need to tell stories. As novelist Fae Ng, says, we must write first from instinct (our gut), then from imagination, then from intellect.

Most of us who have explored yoga know that we have the power to access and explore our deepest emotions when we practice asana and meditation. Sometimes it is a conscious choice. We seek to learn more, and we seek to perceive more of what’s beyond the veil. Other times, the feelings just surface without forewarning and we may be “forced” to sit with it.

When we pair yoga with creative writing, we can gain access to material that may surface from newly explored places inside ourselves. As our emotions come to the surface, we are then encouraged to explore them with “compassionate curiosity,” as Halina puts it, and bring it into our writing.

Renee Gauthier (yoga instructor and co-host) illustrates how yoga not only helps us access our emotions, but also our “somatic intelligence.”

B.K.S. Iyengar talks a lot about the intelligence of the body: “A yogi’s brain extends from the bottom of the foot to the top of his head.” When we tap into the awareness of the body, we not only tap into emotions, but also a certain level of somatic intelligence, inner knowing.

Through the yoga asana, meditation, and relaxation, we clear out mental clutter and bring to light different parts of ourselves. A new sense of awareness is revealed. What’s next? This is when the yoga continues off the mat. On this retreat we will continue our yogic exploration through writing. We will carry the energy of openness and mindfulness from our yoga practice into our writing. The yoga helps us to open up, to be less guarded or hindered, to be less attached to outcome. The writing will be an opportunity to go deeper in this self-exploration. This retreat will nurture and support discovery and creative expression, as well as remind us of the wisdom that is already there.

How will this writing and yoga retreat benefit you?

The Art of Inquiry Yoga Retreat will offer each of us strategies to deepen and support both our yoga and writing practices. The retreat is open to practitioners of all levels, and yogis/yoginis and writers alike.

During our time together we will:

• Learn new skills and techniques for accessing our creative energy.
• Identify meaningful raw material for our writing during and after the retreat, as well as explore new paths for existing projects.
• Uncover areas where we feel blocked or stagnant physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically.

Through movement, mindfulness, and creative expression, our students will come home to a more integrated, balanced, and inspired sense of self. As retreat leaders, we hope that our students will leave the retreat armed with the tools and the motivation to continue their own journey in the Art of Inquiry – exploration in yoga and writing.

Created and co-written by Paloma Neuman, Renee Gauthier and Halina Duraj.

Yoga teacher Renee Gauthier is returning to visit us this December to host her second yoga retreat at Prana del Mar. She recently wrote an article on why she chose to schedule a retreat the week prior to Christmas and why she thinks it is so important to take a step back during that time of year – to reflect on the past, to embrace the present, and to set intention for the future.

 
December and I have a complicated relationship. Being raised with both Christmas and Hanukkah traditions, having my birthday right before Christmas, attending multiple holiday parties and New Year’s Eve, means that life in December teds to be extremely busy. It can be tiring just thinking about it!

It’s also an exciting time of the year and, mostly, I do love this season for the opportunities to see friends and family, indulge in yummy foods, and focus on my sense of gratitude for all the blessings in my life. The trick is how to enjoy the holidays fully without ending up exhausted. Therefore, I decided to organize a yoga retreat during the holidays as an alternative to all the busy energy of the season. To some, this seems like not-the-best time of year to retreat: too much going on, too much to prepare for, not enough money after buying all the presents. However, I figured there must be folks out there looking for a way to escape, relax, and recharge. Also, I led a yoga retreat at Prana del Mar this May and couldn’t wait to make another trip back! So here are 10 reasons to consider retreating this holiday season:

1. Invest in your well being.
   De-stress and recharge from daily life. When we take time to nurture ourselves, we are more productive, less likely to get sick, more relaxed, and happier. This energy has an impact on our work, our relationships, and our overall well-being.
2. Prepare for the new year with a renewed you.
   Take time to reflect on the past year. With time and space away from our everyday routines, we can focus on clarifying our visions and intentions for the coming year. This can be a time to jumpstart New Year’s resolutions that seem so hard to maintain. Our New Year’s resolutions then change from starting something new, to remembering and honoring the positive things we are already doing.
3. Avoid too many holiday parties.
   Don’t get me wrong. I love parties. And often I have a party in December. But with the numerous holiday parties out there, we can all get a little partied out. Having a special trip planned is a great reason not to feel obligated to say yes to all the holiday invitations.
4. Avoid the mall.
   Need I say more?
5. Treat your body to healthy, delicious meals while skipping the surplus of holiday treats.
   It’s difficult to say no to the abundance of treats around the holidays, as temptation abounds. When we surround ourselves with healthy, delicious, and beautiful meals, we are less inclined to crave unhealthy foods. And by retreating into a slower, more relaxed pace, we are more likely to be in tune with our body’s needs. The chefs at Prana del Mar are amazing! Each meal is an absolute treat to the senses. The colorful and beautiful presentations are exciting to see. And then sitting down to enjoy the array of healthy, clean, and creative delights is truly an inspiration to continue this way of eating after the retreat.
6. Be active in a beautiful place.
   For those of us who tend to slow down and feel less motivated in the colder winter weather, being in a warm, beautiful place can inspire us to be more active. Prana del Mar is an ideal place to enjoy the healing energy of being immersed in nature. The expansive beach, the deep blue ocean, the rugged desert landscape, and the fantastic mountain views all nourish the soul and invite us to be outside in nature.
7. Spare the environment from unwanted gifts and too much wrapping paper.
   Let’s face it. Re-gifting is kind of rude. But what do you do with those gifts that you really don’t need or want? And wrapping paper? Hopefully, it goes into the recycling, but not always, and even then it was created by cutting down a tree. Meaningful gifts are wonderful – especially those that you put particular thought into or even made yourself for someone special. Set an example of living simply and participating less in the consumer culture of holiday overspending on material items.
8. Come home feeling refreshed and re-energized and with more love and energy to give to your family and friends.
   I come from a large family and community of friends, so I understand the desire to be close to loved ones during the holidays. But so often many of us lose connection to our own rhythm while trying to keep up with so many social obligations. By taking a few days of tranquility for yourself, this not only benefits you, but also sets an example that it’s OK to take time and space to focus on your well-being. And when you return, refreshed and renewed, you will have more energy to share with your loved ones.
9. Reconnect with this part of yourself.
   Being on a retreat can help us to remember parts of ourselves that sometimes get lost in the shuffle of life. Slowing down, going inward and reconnecting with ourselves on a deep level can help us to remember the balance, inner calm, and harmony that’s already inside. We retreat to remember, and to carry that energy back with us into daily life.
10. Why not?

This retreat has already passed, but if you’d like to see other retreat that we offer, please visit our Calendar of upcoming retreats. Treat yourself to an amazing, uplifting and rejuvenating experience. We look forward to welcoming you!

Silvia Mordini and Jake Young of Alchemy Tours are a peripatetic couple who travel the world offering exceptional yoga retreats and unique experiences for their guests. This year alone, they have planned over a dozen different opportunities to explore the globe, touching down on four different continents. With 14 years of experience guiding groups – and destinations as varied as Mexico, Tuscany, Bali, Brazil, France, the Galapagos and beyond – you can rest assured that you are in the caring and capable hands of folks who know the secrets of successful travel.

Beyond the thrill of external exploration, however, Silvia and Jake are also gifted guides for internal discovery as well. Using the various practices of yoga – asana, pranayama, meditation, and more – Silvia guides her guests in peeling back the superficial layers to reconnect with what is most important on an internal level. And using these insights, participants can better set intentions and goals for changes that they’d like to see in the here-and-now, as well as their future trajectories.

For their return visit to Prana del Mar, Silvia & Jake have a special itinerary planned. In addition to twice daily yoga classes, walking meditation in our labyrinth, journaling exercises, and wandering our wide-open golden sand beach, there are also lots of opportunities to explore the Los Cabos region beyond our retreat center. Whether you want to visit Cerritos Beach to surf, peruse art galleries and Mexican shops in the quaint town of Todos Santos, or cross over to the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula for a kayak and snorkel adventure, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know the wonders of Baja.

Silvia and Jake’s enthusiasm and energy are contagious – and their experience guiding retreats shines through. This will be a special week and you’ll be glad you attended. So take a look at the full description of their offering and be sure to check out the Alchemy Tours website. They are offering a special discounted rate of $200 off for double-occupancy packages and $250 off for single-occupancy packages. It’s the perfect time to jump in and join us for an experience that will set the tone for the year to come!