Croatia Yoga Retreat, End of Week One

Week one on the Island of Vis passed far too quickly. The students were strong, devoted, and extremely punctual. Some even appeared 20 minutes early to class. The group was of all ages, 7 women and one man. They all individually held their own personal strength’s, and the effort put forth was admirable.

Everyone comes to a yoga retreat for a reason. Some to escape the day to day hustle and bustle of life, others to gain happiness, self confidence, strength and so on. I felt as if everyone in this group had their own unique purpose for being here, and each and every one brought a different, and delightful energy. We all bonded quickly, balancing into a beautiful coexistence.

I observed the group’s harmony grow by the day, along with the strength of both mind and

Art Therapybody.Everyone had their good days, and everyone had their bad days, but overall the attitude was positive.

body.Everyone had their good days, and everyone had their bad days, but overall the attitude was positive.

The morning classes were focused on power and gaining strength through many sun salutations, chattarangas and standing balance postures. By evening, we were relaxed by the days filled with excursions in the sun and nourishing meals. For our 5:30 pm class, we mostly remained glued to our mats, primarily concentrating on deep yin yoga, focus and extended guided meditations that lasted up to thirty minutes.

Every class held a lesson and an intention of a wide variety. One day was dedicated to releasing our fears, while others were simply focused on the health benefits of laughter or touch. Each new day brought on a yet another adventure, from the outside in.

Mid way through the week a tragic event occurred, bringing an air of sadness over the entire group. A family member of two attendees was lost in a tragic event, meaning that they would have to leave immediately. They were forced to cut their vacation short and fly home, across the world, in order to grieve and offer a shoulder to lean on for their family.

Mountaintop Triangle Pose

It was powerful. I watched the entire group come together with selfless love and support for one another. We said goodbye with sadness in our hearts to see them leave, and a new sense of appreciation for life. Following their departure, we continued to dedicate our classes to them from afar.

Overall, the week was filled with was filled with positive energy, laughter, tears, hugs, stretching, strength and love. I believe we all walked away with a warm sense of companionship and growth. We ended the sixth day with a celebration meal, and finalized our “sugar cubes”, short personal messages written to every person, kindly ending our week united together in yoga, adventure and camaraderie.