CELEBRATING SUMMER
Here is summer in full swing. Summer means freedom, sun, sea, solstice, gatherings, outdoor practice and pleasant being in nature. However, we face rising temperatures that could turn our summers into not-so-favourable seasons. Meanwhile, we allow ourselves joy and gratefulness, learning and growing toward more mindful life.
We have opened this summer with the second edition of the Kundalini retreat with our dear friends and teachers, Tim and Marieke, from Kundaliniyogaschool.com. They fell in love with Vis, enchanted by its beauty and wilderness, amazing turquoise sea and fantastic bays.
We gathered at this unique house in Talež in the middle of the island among luscious greenery and the sound of crickets, night owls, various birds and fascinating silence. Talež is a village with only one house. Living in this house is also a cultural journey as being here has its old school vibe, like living in the past times, only with modern home appliances and a pool as well.
The sensations of coming somewhere unknown, being exposed to new stimuli and fragrances, and in different routines with new people instantly unfold a new range of emotions and forgotten feelings. Slowly, with each sadhana, we start shredding our outer peel as the beauty of the place sneaks in and spreads inside. The natural scrub ritual is one small step toward releasing and letting go. Saying bye-bye to your old skin cells brings your inner beauty out. The happiness of rituals makes our eyes brighter, smile bigger and shine brighter.
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
The retreat started with Full Pink Moon in Sagittarius. Nights of the full moon on the island are so gorgeous that our cameras can hardly register that beauty.
We had just arrived, and all emotions were a bit stirred up.
On the retreat in nature we are more prone to feel Moon energy. Marieke and Tim prepared a fantastic sound bath ritual, supported by the fire energy of Sagittarius, which helped release the old and open to the new—immersed in the healing sound vibrations, our hearts open, feeling supported to remove the old and embrace securely whatever new beginnings bring. Mantras, chanting and sound has powerful influence on our subconscious and nervous system.
Surrendering to the power of sound vibrations washes away all the stagnant energy we don’t need anymore, leaving you with a sense of profound cleansing lightness.
Sunset at Talež, Vis island
‘PLAYING’ CARDS
We love so much the daily rituals of card pile picking. The messages we got are so accurate that it makes you smile inside. It is giving you answers to those questions rumbling in your mind. It seems as if each of us got the right answer, just like that, out of the blue, like the one about Perfectionism. The fear of mistakes is almost like a disease of the modern world. And it is only in a mistake that creativity arises.
CHANGE
“ Don’t scare yourself with the following 40 steps. All you need is that one next step.
You can say to Love:
‘Just show me the first step and change me into the one who can take it.”
AMBITION
May I offer all my deepest longings to Love Itself and
Invite a Divine plan beyond
The mind imagines.
Please, use me for the highest good!
Feeling blessed in community
The fascinating thing about retreats is the beauty of the diversity of the group. So unique, authentic ladies and gents of different ages, backgrounds, desires and traumas come together for the first time creating one fluid unity for a week of inner exploration and new connectedness.
In the healing talks, we all feel at ease to expose our deepest longing or desires, traumas and exhilaration, awkwardness and fears. We have all suffered during past years, more or less extensively, making us longing for connection with soft, gentle, like-minded souls in a safe and pleasant natural environment.
The decision to dedicate your time to yourself already brings healing. Having time for easy open talks without the pressure of doing something is already soothing. Then the magic happens, and we naturally slip into relaxation, release and restoration.
For example, BASICALLY….
You know how we all have one word that we overuse, so often that you get a nickname afterwards ‘basically’, like me. Talking and laughing about my ‘fill the gap word’ and other linguistic chats helped me get rid of ‘basically’ in a week. I became alert to the word and started to hear myself speaking it and accordingly skip it. It was quite an achievement for me. That’s the power of a harmonious community.
WHAT DO WE DO all day ON SUCH A SMALL ISLAND
First, the number of beaches to visit and roads to hike is almost one per day. One should not miss the sunrise and the sunset are heavenly experience as well. We have many hours of daily sadhana, asana and evening meditations, which means three daily sessions.
Visit sandy beach Stončica with a natural spa ritual with peeling we made ourselves was so hilarious. Discovering people who left urban life and swapping it for islanders is always a treat. They are brave and relentless, ready to live far from the coast on the farthest island as a couple having the finest liquors bathed in the sun for 12 months. Cant decide which one is better cherry, aronia, carob or herbal one. Our visit and tapas served in this one table konoba, Stone Garden, was so deliciously tasty and made with love.
The last dinner together is reserved for Roki’s Konoba in Plisko polje to taste their superb local white Vugava and eat the best veggie peka and freshest fish.
We even visit Komiža to have a coffee and cake from patisserie Cukar, the best pastry shop on Island.
FOOD WE ENJOY
On the island, we like to eat as much as local things, which is also not easy as the draught is not so favourable to veggie cultivation. We are fascinated by how many wild herbs can be prepared to eat and be delicious. Wild arugula, chard and wild fennel are growing in the vineyard and motar on the stone, washed by the sea waves.
Motar is just shortly sauted on olive oil, sprinkled on vegs gives it a salty kick.
We like to prepare the wild green pesto with arugula, soaked cashew nuts, parmesan if we have any, and lots of olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Topped on pasta or roasted veggies is a real treat.
Everyone has a garden with veggies here, so our house owners, where we were picking mint, basil, zucchini flowers and the biggest zucchini ever.
Seeing a group of various people together happy at the table, mesmerised by the beauty of the place, blessed after chanting and blue at departure is a fantastic, fulfilling emotion worth every effort made on the journey toward retreat. Thank you all for the opportunity to be at your service and for making your time here in Croatia a memory in your mind, body and soul.
When you go for a simple sunset stroll, you’ll mainly see all passersby greet you with a smile.
It will be when you know you are in the right place.
Join our international group of practitioners this October
RETREAT WITH LARUGA, Rovinj, 3-9 October 2022.
CONNECT TO YOUR HIGHER SELF
The practices of yoga and meditation can help us know our higher self a bit better. Taking time to retreat helps us profoundly understand ourselves so we can have the life we dream of.
Our dreams can manifest from imagination into reality.
I invite you to bravely stand up to the parts of you that hold you back and go to that Retreat.
Your soul will thank you.
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