Step onboard, release your luggage (in whatever form it may be), and take a deep, nourishing sigh of relief. Rustic Retreats asks that all students arrive at the center in daylight. Check-in on the first day is between 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. This means the latest train you should get from Alicante is 5:00 p.m.
This ensures everyone can meet and have an evening meal together before the retreat starts formally the following day. On the last day of the retreat, check-out is by midday. You need to bear in mind that it will take you a good three hours to get to Alicante–Elche Airport (ALC), so booking a late afternoon or early evening flight home is a good idea.
Styles of yoga to be taught
Mainly Hatha and Restorative: In the sessions, you can expect to linger luxuriously in some postures to really reach those deeper places within yourselves on all levels and to delve into a deeper relationship with each posture too. The morning sessions shall focus on an energizing Hatha practice, with the evening sessions focusing on a soothing, more Restorative practice — a perfect balance. Rustic Retreats believes the philosophical aspect of yoga is just as important as the physical, so you can expect to hear words of wisdom and inspiration as you make your way through your postures.
Your Rustic Retreats journey
The theme of light and lightness will be interwoven and felt throughout all the activities on the retreat: the meditations, the yoga, and the workshops. The meditation sessions will focus on guided meditations and sound meditations—two of the most accessible methods of meditation to begin with. The meditation practice will culminate with Trataka—candle gazing—letting the light from a single flame to melt away anything not serving you and those around you.
Each workshop serves the theme of light and lightness, and Rustic Retreats will discuss and share in more detail during the retreat about how this is truly the case, perhaps even more than you think right now. In the yoga sessions, you are all probably guilty of taking things far too seriously from time to time... remember—it’s just yoga. Rustic Retreats will be reminding you of this throughout in new and creative ways. Let’s keep things light and look for inspiration to assist you with this…
You will recall some key learnings from the previous yoga, meditation, and workshop sessions and slowly begin to connect the dots, forming a practice that is as holistic as possible. Rustic Retreats have an “open-door policy,” meaning you can talk to the team as much as you like outside of the yoga, meditation, and workshop sessions about anything they could help you further with.
Within the program, Rustic Retreats will incorporate two guided walks in the Sierra Espuña mountains, which will include a barbecue in the mountains.
Your workshopped program
1. Laughter workshop
What better way to embrace the theme of light and lightness than with this laugh-out-loud-guarantee workshop. You will create both genuine real belly laughs as well as initial put-on laughter (the positive effects are still the same in the body and brain and soon result in the real belly laughs too). The basic 'ha' sound that you make when you laugh is actually a mantra too; perhaps this is the essence of its goodness for you?
2. Trust workshop
Surrender into trust and let this ease your journey through life. In this workshop, you will be working with different partners and as a whole group on a variety of physical trust exercises to further enhance your ability and willingness to trust. This will help you to embody and feel a greater sense of lightness and for your light to shine ever brighter as you continue on your paths.
3. Yoga discussions
To lock the knee or not? To engage the buttocks in the upward-facing dog or not? Just two of the topics, you will be discussing that evoke a vast array of differing opinions. You will look at the viewpoints and facts from both sides of a few key issues that are commonly debated amidst the international yoga community, leaving you with a more holistic approach to each matter at hand and not feeling so lost and torn between opposing advice.
4. Fire ceremony (NYE)
In the fire ceremony, you intentionally raise your vibrations, sharing what you are grateful for and lessons learned. You let go of what no longer serves you. Bringing with you the feelings, thoughts, and patterns that have been holding you back, old habits, and stories.
Make space to focus your intention on new dreams, wishes, and what you want to create, invite in, and manifest now and for the year ahead. You will then feed this to the flames in an offering, whilst your companions hold and share the space, allowing the deep, clearing, cleansing, and purifying power of the fire to transform you all. Finishing with relaxation by the fire.
5. Animal spirit yoga and guided journey
'The animal world has a lot to teach us, but first we must learn to speak to animals’ Ted Andrews
Many of the physical positions (asanas) in yoga draw inspiration (and names) from the animal kingdom, and it was believed that ancient sadhus (yogic practitioners) used to imitate animals in the wild, to develop some of the positions you use today. Examples of asanas include cobra, downward dog, eagle, etc.
It is believed in shamanism that you can draw on the special qualities and abilities of animals to guide you and help you in your life. In native rituals, movement is often incorporated both to relax, but also to help align the individual with the energies and essence of certain animals.
At this unique workshop, you will be learning some of the secrets of the animal world, and participants will be guided to find their own unique animal totem. They will do this via a guided inner journey through a waterfall where their animal will appear to them. You will then learn about the role of animals as guides in shamanism, for example, some animals are nurturers and protectors, and others have great fertility and gentleness. Some embody strength and courage, and some can teach playfulness. Animals can help you recognize your own skills and know when to use certain skills.
Sample daily schedule
December 29th
- Welcome circle
- 16:00 Yoga
- 20:00 Dinner
December 30th
- 08:00 Yoga or meditation on the shala
- Breakfast or free time
- 14:00 Lunch
- 16:00 Workshop
- Evening practice and mediation
- 20:00 Dinner
December 31st
- Breakfast
- Hike in the Sierra Espuna Mountains and yoga
- Barbecue lunch in the mountains
- Back to Rustic Retreats
- Fire ceremony
- Dinner
- Live local guitarist Paco Mango
January 1st
- Sunrise meditation in the yoga shala
- Breakfast
- Free time
- 14:00 Lunch
- Free time
- 15:00 Workshop
- 16:00 Yoga
January 2nd
- Breakfast
- Hike in the Sierra Espuna Mountains
- 14:00 Lunch at Rustic Retreats
- 15:00 Workshop
- 16:00 Yoga
January 3rd
- Early morning travel Flow yoga
All times are given as a guideline and are subject to change.
