PowerYoga Summer Solstice & Aerial Yoga Retreat
at Nirvana Yoga, Belfast - 19 - 22 June 2015
Reckon this photo sums up the experience we eight yogis shared together in Belfast, plus me learning what the term "photo-bombing" means!
They say that "yoga takes you on a journey and that your guru appears at the right time" - well this was exactly how this retreat happened for me. I met Aine Dorman on the advanced teacher training with Ana Forrest in London two years' ago, when I'd just been made redundant from my full-time HR job. I knew I needed to focus more fully on my teaching and knew that I wanted to work more with the healing side of yoga. Thank goodness we met on that course as we literally kept each other sane amongst 40+ teachers! As well as learning the Forrest yoga, I also learned a great deal about Aine, we developed a very easy friendship and I just knew that she would be an awesome teacher and was desperate to try out her Aerial Yoga. So I just pursued my dream, put my doubts aside that it was a long way to travel to a yoga class (+ I'd have to drive a hire car out of Belfast airport!) and couldn't believe the other 7 spaces got snapped up within 24 hours of me advertising back in January.
We had 3 sessions of 3 hours+ at Nirvana Yoga, the first one being a total Restorative session on Friday night following our travels. Aine's knowledge and 20 years experience using Yoga as a healing tool is remarkable. She embraces different ways of moving and stretching, which includes the use of hammocks. The goal of her work is to create better movement and body awareness so that students get to a deeper understanding of themselves, on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. We got to use 'hedgehogs' which was a first for me, but I've now ordered 40 for use in my classes, especially my Therapeutic classes - the most wonderful tool for sorting out tightness in all areas of the back, shoulders and neck.
Saturday's session was the aerial yoga in hammocks. My first thought was how the heck did Aine cope teaching this and she admitted it's highly stressful. She's constantly on her guard as to what students get up to, as they don't always listen to instructions(!) as you get this feeling of being a total child and doing your own thing. It's very liberating, exciting and rejuvenating and I'm sure I felt younger following Saturday's session of being upside down for so long. Savasana cocooned in a hammock is the best thing yet plus the heartbeat drumming that Aine uses throughout was so soothing and relaxing. The other thing that happens is that you feel absolutely ravenous after aerial yoga! It must take a lot more out of you than you think, so we tucked into a huge pineapple with herbal tea + the odd biscuit after class.
Sunday's session was a personal shamanic journey for everyone. Aine has recently completed her own shamanic training in Ireland and we were very lucky for her to be able to share with us. This was my favourite session and I think the others loved it as much as I did. We're all desperately hoping that Aine will be coming over to Guernsey to continue this work with us in August. We held a Summer Solstice fire ceremony outside, with the beautiful Mourne Mountains surrounding us and there was a wonderful glow of peace, love, harmony and acceptance - this is what brings the 'Power' into Yoga and this is definitely my kind of yoga!
Roll on our next trip to Belfast. The people are just so kind and friendly and I love the accent, as well as the craic! Watch this space - we'll be coming to visit you again in 2016 Aine xxx
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