FIND INNER PEACE ON A YOGA HOLIDAY

Does yoga relieve the strains of modern life? Spending time at a yoga retreat in Morocco, Niamh MacSweeney was converted.

Have you ever dreamt of taking some time out of your busy schedule and submerging yourself in a way of life that can boost mind, body and spirit while promoting a sense of selfempowerment? Then why not try a yoga retreat. I find it difficult to empty my mind, which is full of lists, deadlines and unfinished over ambitious projects. So I thought a retreat would be the perfect place for me to unwind and recharge. Stiff and stressed out I descend on a remote, Moroccan Ashram to relax and find spiritual peace. I was hoping to improve in my yoga practice and revitalise a body in much need of a detox. After all replacing caffeine, alcohol and meat for a healthy yogic diet could only be a good thing.

Searching Within

You can’t get much closer to peace and tranquillity than at Morocco’s Villa Soleil in Sidi Kaouki. A two hour drive along the coast from Marrakech leads to this beautiful oasis. Nestled among palm trees, cool breezes from the coast provide respite from the blistering Moroccan sun. If you’re looking to “get away” from it all you couldn’t pick a better location. Each room in the villa is tastefully decorated and has its own terrace. All are grouped around a large courtyard where yoga practice takes place. There is a large kitchen and communal lounge where we escape the sweltering afternoon sun for workshops and lounging around.

“Live a yogic lifestyle, explore your own potential, find time to listen to yourself and discover that all you need is within you” says our teacher and spiritual guider for the week, Chris Paris. An expert and leading authority on Sivananda and Astanga yoga, Chris boasts a wealth of experience in both yoga and meditation and runs this 11 day course to a tight and busy schedule. It is his aim to encourage people to come together on this retreat to share their lives, their practice and their insights. “The retreat is the best way to deepen your understanding of yourself and your spiritual life and it is my greatest pleasure to bring people together for this purpose”, he said.

The Ashram

The word ‘retreat’ can conjure up images of strict routines, comprising early nights, a vegetarian diet and drinking and smoking bans and while this is all true it’s a welcome break from the debauchery of typical life. This ashram is a simple austere place to study yoga and the yogic lifestyle, which I am hoping will sustain me when I return home. Communal living is an important aspect of the experience. Each person has a job to do from sweeping out the courtyard, to preparing vegetables or making yoghurt and panir. Karma yoga is an integral part of the retreat and ensures that my fellow yogis and I are contributing to the harmonious running of the Ashram.

Each day spent at the villa passes by in a gentle, structured and relaxed pace. With the main courtyard bathed in morning sunlight the only sounds are of the birds chirping excitedly. Daily yoga classes are held at 7am, followed by breakfast, which is a feast of fruit, nuts, homemade yoghurt and patties. It is an opportunity to chat to my fellow yogis, who range in age from mid twenties to early sixties and to find out what activities are planned for the day.

Wonderful Workshops

Although a large portion of the day is taken up with meditation and yoga, there are various workshops that are included. Drumming, astrology, healing and cookery workshops combine to fill the days, leaving little time for much else.

Benoit introduced great fun and laughter into the day with his innovative ways of teaching drums to beginners. While Haldi explained that Vortex Healing is a powerful, energetic healing art, which works solely with divine light and consciousness. Although I’m not fully convinced, one woman in the group swears that an old knee injury has been healed. Food is a prominent and important part of the whole experience and Finian is always willing to share his cookery tips. Exquisite banquets of sweet carrots, courgettes, aubergine and salads of tomato, avocado and cucumber are all eaten with great compliment and praise. The fact that we all serve somebody else adds to banter around the eating area as everybody tells their server what they want. In my case it was always the same request. “A little bit of everything please”. Hungry after an active day and with so many taste sensations on offer, who wouldn’t want to try it all.

If there is time in the busy schedule a walk along the beautifully deserted beach is always appreciated. Strong winds and currents make this sandy beach unsuitable for sunbathing, but it is nirvana to surfer’s who take advantage of the ripping breeze and regular swells. This vast stretch of coast, which is often disserted except for the odd camel vender, is fantastic for long walks and a refreshing swim.

Tracing The Stars

Ending the night meditating under a heavenly cabaret of Moroccan stars is the perfect way to finish the day. Carmen, an expert in astrology uses the night sky to trace the stars and to explain the solar system to keen ears. “Astrology is a celebration of the subtle and all-encompassing interplay between man and the cosmos reflected in everyday life”, she explains. After her reading of my birth chart I realise that the relationship between man and planetary movement works at a much deeper level than I initially envisaged.

A Deeper Understanding

By the end of the retreat I feel stronger yet totally relaxed and lighter. My mind has slowed down and I’m thinking more positively. I have become aware of muscles that I haven’t flexed for a few years and each night I eagerly embrace my bed by 11pm and fall into a deep and dreamy sleep.

The legacy of my retreat experience is a lasting love of yoga. I’ve learnt that although there is nothing inherently wrong in how I live my life there are some small but significant changes that can be made which will improve mind, body and spirit. If you like yoga you will love a retreat. There are few holidays that offer freedom from everyday stress and strains or hidden expense. Extracting yourself away from the normal trappings of everyday life is not always easy but the benefits are wonderful.

On the last morning of our stay at the retreat we rise at dawn for our final yoga practice. Chris, dressed in white, with an orange scarf covering his shaven head, looks remarkably Buddha like. Each morning and evening we have sat crossed legged facing him, obedient and in eager anticipation. He has never disappointed. Stretching our way through our asana – sun salutations, spinal twists, locust poses, and ending with the headstand, I feel that through this deeper understanding of yoga and the yogi lifestyle, I can now incorporate a routine of yoga into my life when I return home.

Yoga promises the possibilities of inner peace, freedom and a deeper identification and appreciation of the self. No longer driven by the need to constantly achieve something or to be rewarded for the simplest of daily tasks, here in Sidi Kaouki I’m just happy to be content with me.

For more information see: www.yogamaroc.com

Essaouira, Morocco	Sidi Kaouki Beach	Buddha