Yoga Retreats

The intention of this journey was to make time for looking inward while expanding the horizon outward, two seemingly opposite ideas that complement each other. Looking inward means becoming familiar with our habits and repetitive states. The adventure of sailing and the freedom of the open sea gave us space to observe them from a different perspective.

Sailing brings us into contact with nature in an unusual way and stimulates us differently from other environments. In the remarkable experience of boat, wind, and sea, we added yoga practice at nearly every anchorage and meditation while floating in quiet bays. In the evenings, Yoga Nidra enriched the gentle rocking of the boat and supported deep, restorative sleep. After two days at sea, we let go of the worries of everyday life, forgot the needs of the shore, and surrendered to the hands of our experienced skipper Janko and the sea currents.

The schedule changed from day to day with the weather and the group’s energy. We aimed to include a dynamic yoga practice, yogic breathing, meditation, and a walk each day, together with two delicious cooked meals.

PLANNED SCHEDULE:

In good company and a yogic atmosphere, we naturally entered moments of silence and laughter, with time for reading, sunbathing, and simply being.

We were delighted to accept an invitation to spend seven days on Biševo as part of the Biševo Island Artist Residency. Finding peace on a small Adriatic island at the end of August sounded like one of the truly rare oases of the Mediterranean as it once was.

Biševo offered even more: untouched nature, magnificent views, the scents of native plants, the constant sound of the sea, island food, generous hosts, and new friendships.

Biševo is an ideal place for deep, noble silence and contemplation, with views of wilderness and dry-stone terraces shaped by diligent human hands and planted with vines and olive trees. This setting naturally invites a genuine practice of yoga as the union of body and spirit or breath, our true nature.

We complemented the experience with personal ecology practices by eating local food and helping to build dry-stone walls. All of this encouraged us to consider how deeply and inseparably we are connected with nature and its changes, and how much the community of other beings, of which we are part, means to us. 

Evenings spent in a circle of friends, sharing deep human experiences and stories, added another layer to our stay, for which we were profoundly grateful. 

We thank our host Stjepan Tafra for opening his doors and helping with the organisation. Like the other programmes in the BIAR residency we contributed to the project by volunteering in the garden, working on dry-stone terraces, and cooking.

If you want to retreat with one or two people, a private retreat offers an intimate atmosphere and a focused practice tailored to the participants. We live a yogic lifestyle, practise yoga and meditation, explore ways to awaken digestion, breathe, spend time in nature, and cook specialised meals according to Ayurvedic principles. This kind of gathering offers many benefits and a very personal approach.

RETREAT FEATURES:
To retreat means stepping away from everyday life and releasing obligations, work, appointments, and hurry. We pause and devote time to ourselves. Through peace, natural surroundings, nourishing food, yoga, and meditation, we awaken inner strength and ease.

PRACTICES WE EXPLORED:
– Ashtanga Yoga with personal assistance
– Mindfulness meditation
– A morning practice each day, including: gentle mobility, yogic breathing and meditation
– Evening Yoga Nidra
– Massage: Thai massage with craniosacral therapy
– Cooking and eating according to Ayurvedic principles: vegan meals, plenty of home-grown vegetables, mindful food combining, seasonal produce, slow chewing, and Ayurvedic aperitifs and digestifs to support healthy digestive fire.

WHAT WE NEEDED FOR THE RETREAT:
– yoga mats, straps, and blocks
– large cushions and blankets
– a small gong
– yoga music
– healthy food, with the menu and exact ingredient list brought with us
– comfortable clothing

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE:

A warm atmosphere and shared experiences coloured the beautiful days we devoted to ourselves.