Category: Blog

New Year’s resolutions are about trying to break habits. Most of us want to live a healthier life and let go of bad habits like smoking or physical inactivity.

As it is hard to keep up the enthusiasm for all those DON’Ts & MUST’s why not choose some of the following Ayurvedic routines which will bring change to your perception of your body and mind in a very short time.

Pick one of the following Ayurvedic routines. If you can stick to it for a few weeks, pick another resolution and so on.

1. Live by the sun, feel by the moon.

I know, it is not easy to change habits. Especially when it comes to sleeping times. I just love the daylight and when it gets dark outside I feel my energy level decreasing. So for me it is just naturally to go to bed early and to wake up early. I love to start the day quietly & get shit done with nobody bothering me.
For most people the ideal time to go to bed is at 22h. Our bodies are detoxing and rejuvenating from 22h till 2h caused by a metabolic energy boost. You are truly missing out on beauty sleep when staying up late because the metabolic energy  is diverted to mental energy, and we get activated instead.

2. Drink Hot Lemon Water in the morning.

This is an easy and very effective one. It helps to wash the G.I. tract and flushes the kidneys.

3. Oil pulling.

The perfect oral detoxification. It removes bacteria and promotes healthy teeth and gums! All you have to do is swishing a tablespoon of oil in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. Start with 5 minutes and use a tasty oil such as coconut oil or mint oil.

4. Exercise your body & mind.

Start with a short meditation and set your intention for your yoga practice. Already 15 minutes dedicated to your morning routine centers the mind and balances the body. You will be filled with energy. Moreover you will very quickly feel the progress. There will be nothing more easy than One-Legged Chaturanga 🙂

5. Have a healthy breakfast!

The Ayurvedic Theory suggests a warm breakfast to decreases the disturbance of waking from deep sleep. My favorite breakfast is a warm porridge with lots of fruits, nuts and spices.

6. Keep your mind tranquil.

Especially in the evening time it is better to avoid mental stimulation. Don’t get yourself excited with watching the news, planning your future or having intense conversations. It’s toxic for your dreams.

7. Dedicating the evening to non-digital activities.

This might be a bit harder for most of us as we are so used to check our phones many times per hour, watch a movie or browse the internet till we fall asleep. This is a very calming ritual and brings you closer to yourself and to „real life“ friends. Start with one hour before going to sleep and try to extent this time up to three hours.

Gleich zum Saisonstart hat uns Mady Morrison besucht. Mady hat einen Youtube Channel und bloggt über Yoga, Fitness und Lifestyle. Sie hat ein Tagebuch während ihres Aufenthaltes bei uns geschrieben und zudem auch wunderschöne Bilder und ein Video gemacht. Hier gehts zum Artikel und hier eine kleine Auswahl ihrer Bilder.

 

 

 

 Finally we made it to Marocco! Just a 1,5 hour ferry trip from the andalusian coast you gonna step into another world. A great addition to your Yoga Retreat with us.

Since years Marocco was on my travel list but I never made it to visit this country which is actually so close to our Retreat Location. I was sure I can’t go there without a male companion (read my résumé at the end of this article to find out what I think about this now). Well, last november after the Retreat Season my boyfriend and me got the tickets for the ferry, booked the rental car in Tanger and packed our bags.

There is no doubt: It is much easier and probably cheaper to take the plane from Málaga to Marrakech.

From Málaga we had to take a bus to Algeciras. It took us about 2 hours for the 140km. Close to the busstop in Algeciras you will find the harbour (walking distance, about 15 min.).  The ferry ticket is about 60€ round- trip per person and brings you in 1,5 hours to Tanger, a quiet big city on the north african coast. The best rental car offers were to find on the airport of Tanger. Thats a 1 hours bus ride from the harbour (MED) to the center of the city and another 20 minute Taxi ride from there to the airport.

As it was already late afternoon we decided for a short drive of 2 hours to Chefchaouen, the blue city in the Rif mountains. Marocco is chaotic like you expect it. Especially when you arrive on a national holiday and everybody is in the streets celebrating 🙂 But we made it, found a parking spot, a hotel in the Medina (the old city) and a very nice restaurtant. The next day we discovered this stunning town. Beautiful places, colors, good food and everything far away from being hippster. Although this place is quiet touristy we really enjoyed the atmosphere.

Next stop: Marrakech

Well actually we had other stops in between but what we really loved was Marrakesh! We were lucky to meet a friend outside of the city. He helped us to find a parking spot close to the Djemaa el Fna, the main square of Marrakech. At the edges of the square you will enter the souk, a traditional North African market with common daily needs of the locals as well as typical products for tourists.

When you visit Marrakech you HAVE TO live in a Riad. There is no other way to live. As we never make reservation in advance we were especially lucky to stay in the lovely Riad Al Rimal. Finding the Riad is part of the adventure as they are located in the labyrinth of the souk. Usually there are locals which will help you to find your way and after many corners and dark alleys you knock a door and what you find behind is more then you could have wished for.

Exploring Marrakech

After a short yoga session on the roof top we enjoyed the beautiful served breakfast with lots of fruits, fresh bread, yogurt and more. There are several things to do in Marrakech. As we just had 2 days here we decided to discover the souk and the Djemaa el Fna first.

 

 

A hippie’s shelter in the 60’s turned into a windsurfing Mecca: Essaouira

After Marrakech a visit in the nearby beach town Essaouira is a total must- do. This small town with it’s long beaches, blue skies and international vibe is a total contrast to what you have seen in the rest of Marocco.

Rooms are quiet cheap in the low season and you will have a great variety of vegetarian food. Everything is already quiet hip and you have to pay the price for that but you can still find more traditional and fair priced places.

Safety

Is it safe to travel trough Marocco by car?

I love adventures. If you want to explore Marocco by car you have to like adventures. I felt save all the time although you are driving through very rural and lonesome areas. Sometimes you pass a small town and there are just men on the streets. Of course I felt a bit strange as a women and I decided to not get out of the car. I would not recommend to do this trip without a man, just because it made me feel much better to be with a male companion.

About Marrakech: Is it safe to travel as a female solo traveler to Marrakech?

Ultimately, yes. Just like any city in the world, there is always some risk, when traveling alone. Everybody knows that in the Arabic society the understanding about men and women and their rights are different to the ones of the western world. When traveling alone in Marrakech you will get unwanted attention. Don’t panic, most is harmless and meant in a friendly way. Follow your intuition, be smart and confident.

I will definitely return to Marrakech, with or without a male companion.

 

Not just that she was the best Karma Yogi we could wish for, Natasja become a part of our tiny team! She wanted to come for 2 weeks and stayed the whole autum with us and enriched our team with her ALWAYS positive vibe. What we did not know about Natasja before she arrived: she also knows how to give divine massages.

And the best: She is coming back this autum!

Short Interview with Natasja
Why you decided to be a karma yogi?

For me it was the perfect combination for a holiday and working as a volunteer. First of all it was an oppurtunity to deepen my yoga practice. At home I will never do 2 times yoga a day. Simply because I am to busy with work, appointments,  etc. Beside that I really like to travel and meet new people. All this ingredients I could find in my job as a karma yogi.

What is a typical day for a karma yogi?

It depends  if you are alone or you share the job with some other karma yogi. But over all this was my schedule:

-Preparing small morning breakfast

-Help cleaning the kitchen after brunch

-Making smoothies

-Help in the kitchen after dinner.

-Beside that of course welcoming guests, give a helping hand, information etc.

Whas this also your expectation of being a karma yogi?

Yes and no. Of course Yvon told me before what are my reponsibilites. So that was no surprise, but I did not imagine before that it is so great to be a karma yogi. I have met so much lovely and inspiring people. Because you are 1 week together and share a lot of moments there is a really special and open energy in the group.

What means yoga to you?

Yoga and meditation is part of my life. More then 10 years ago I started with yoga and thougt that it was nothing for me. I felt stupid in the classroom. I was really stiff, did not knew the postures/vinyasas. I also had the feeling that I was not that “typical yoga girl”..

Nowadays I know better. There is not a typical yoga girl. All kind of people practice yoga and everyone on there own level with there own possibilities and bounderies. The lesson is to feel your body, what is happening inside, look for your bounderies, but not go over them. Respect them.

I am still quit stiff, but it is no need from me anymore to be the flexible girl. I feel that yoga is good for my body, but more important, It is good for my mind. I feel more relaxt, calm an flexibel when I practice yoga in my daily life.

What was your favorit part of the job?

Making smoothies and the famous “Chia pudding”. And also to eat/drink myself 🙂

Are you a vegetarian?

No I am not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat meat/fish every day at home. I expected that I would really miss it, but to be honest I didn’t miss meat for 1 moment. Anna is a fantastic cook and makes amazing food!  And once a week we eat really  YUMMY fish from the BBQ!

Favorite food at the retreat

Uhmm a lot of thing: I loved the Guacamole, spinach pancakes, porridge and of course the smoothies!

What kind of massages do you give?

I give a special Natasja massage :). I did a lot of different study’s/courses. In Bali I learned to give a Balinese massage, but I also learned to give a relaxting massage in Holland, Indian head massage and last year I finished my school as a Tuina Masseur and studied Chinese Medicine. I combine all the techniques and  give a massage witch is a good mix of releasing tensed muscles and relaxtion.

You are coming back in april.

Yes I am really happy to come back! Giving massages is my passion and how great that I can do my work in Spain, outside, surrounded by beautiful people!

What is your best memory from the last retreat?

Spontaneous pool parties  with all happy faces dancing and chatting together!

Yin or Yang

My nature is yang, so I have to take care of enough yin in my life! Sometimes that is easy, sometimes not. Just what life is about..

Day or Night

Definitly Day, or I can better say morning. In the morning  I have a lot of energy and focus. In the night it is my time to relaxt.

You would like to enjoy two weeks of yoga and and be part of our team?

The Dates

11.09.- 24.09.2016

25.09.- 08.10.2016

09.10.- 22.10.2016

Your responsibilities

You will prepare the pre-yoga breakfast, clean up after the brunch. You will prepare smoothies and help us to keep everything in order. Your daily working time is about 4  hours.

Whats the deal?

As a participant of the Retreat you can visit all the yoga classes, live in Casa Erica and also enjoy all other amenities. The total price for two weeks in a double room is € 350.

Why do I have to pay money?

Most volunteering opportunities are based on an exchange of work and free living and/or food. We have decided, that we want our Karma Yogis enjoy their time here and of course let them participate in the daily yoga classes. To guarantee that we want you to work a maximum of 4 hours/day.

You will like it here

If you are an easy going person which is able to work independently and sees which work has to be done. 

We have around 14 guests every week and we have a great community feeling. Usually, people like to gather and get to know each other. That does not mean that you have to spend all your time with others. If you are someone who needs a lot of time for yourself you should think if this is the right thing for you.

It would be great if your interest in yoga is the reason why you want to visit us.

You should be ok with getting up early (sometimes around 6.30h).

If you are interested we would love to receive an email from you (mail@yogaspiritcircle.com). Let us know why you want to work with us. What do you expect? If you want add your facebook/instagram link and everything else that you want 🙂

 

xxx

Yvonne

 

 

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