Yoga for Beginners — What it’s Like Going on a Yoga Retreat
I went on a winter solo yoga retreat and a fall yoga retreat with a group, and I fell in love with yoga all over again.
“Work through the weakness,” the yoga instructor said, at the Flow and Let Go Yoga Retreat. I went with the YogaShakti Yoga Center Community. We took a 2-and-a-half-hour drive up to the City of Light Sanctuary for a 250-dollar weekend retreat this fall in Ellenville, New York.
The yoga instructor, Raj, repeated, “Work through the weakness,” as my legs wobbled in a yoga pose (asana), I can barely remember. A two-hour yoga session made me sweat like I ran 3.5 miles.
Pigeon Pose
Next, we prepared for the pigeon pose. I hate pigeon pose. I hate staying in pigeon pose. I hate preparing for pigeon pose. Instead of, “working through the weakness,” I give up too easily. I sat still as I usually do, just stuck in one place because I dreaded doing the thing I hated. That’s not life.
You know what else I hate? Planks. I think everyone hates that. I am so new in the practice that I wobble in plank position and my knees drop to the floor while most other students in the class are holding steady. There goes my other problem — I focus on what everyone else is doing instead of focusing on myself.
Why Go on a Yoga Retreat
That’s why I decided to go on a yoga retreat. I need to restore and get back into a steady yoga routine. I also need to focus on my own individual progress. I need to give myself grace for how far I have come. Most importantly, I need to face challenges in my life head-on with a smile on my face.
Going on a yoga retreat helps you to learn about yourself. In just one weekend, I learned how I can stop running away from challenges in life. If you’re going with a group, it’s a great time to bond with friends, family, and new people that you’ve met.
City of Light Sanctuary Flow & Let Go Yoga Retreat
Day One
After registration on the first day of the yoga retreat, we had a two-hour intense session. It felt like I ran for miles. I loved how I felt afterward. After that we had a veggie-friendly lunch, followed by a hike to the creek on the property. The hike was challenging as well because it was slippery from the rain and steep on the way back up.
Again, I sweated like I ran 3.5 miles. This release of endorphins is what made me feel good throughout the retreat. Then there was chair yoga. I love chair yoga because it helps to modify the poses and get into them more easily.
After, there was deep relaxation with Ma Mokshapriya. We laid down on mats and bolsters with a blanket, closed our eyes, and let her lead us into meditation. I was relaxed up until a fly bothered me and I had to swat it away repeatedly. I hope that one day, I can meditate so well that not even a little fly can bother me.
Day Two
The next day was 7 a.m yoga with Ma Mokshapriya. I wobbled in most of the poses as per usual. But that’s okay. I showed up and I tried my best. After there was a Satsang and I heard the most wonderful words that I needed to hear.
Ma Mokshapriya said, “You’re good enough.” Basically, I am good enough to do anything I put my mind to. Only, somewhere in my life, I started to carry the weight of thinking that I wasn’t good enough for a lot of things. I don’t believe that anymore.
Next, we had a one-hour yoga session with Yoga Instructor Kim Lebron. I was able to use yoga blocks to modify some of the yoga poses. I loved how gentle the class was after we had a long day the day before. Gentle but challenging. Still, I did not give up. And that’s what counts.
There was another workshop and a deep relaxation with Ma Mokshapriya and I did not want to go home yet. Ellensville is so beautiful and the energy I feel on the property is wonderful.
My First Yoga Retreat Experience
My first yoga retreat experience was also upstate New York for a solo yoga retreat. I used BookYogaRetreats.com to find a nearby yoga retreat at an Airbnb-style home studio for 750 Dollars in Wappingers Falls, New York.
I went on the solo yoga retreat as a gift for my 30th birthday back In January. My birthday was in December but I had to reschedule because I caught a cold. Since I was a true beginner and going through some financial struggles, most of my yoga experience came from YouTube videos.
Going on a yoga retreat had been on my bucket list. At that time, I was so stressed out that yoga just became a way of life, until I fell off again. Now, I don’t feel good unless I do yoga at least three times a week. Attending a solo yoga retreat was the first step in getting out of my comfort zone.
Solo Yoga Retreat
I didn’t want to go on a group yoga retreat for my first time. I wanted to have undivided attention on myself and my development. The retreat hosts helped me with that. They showed me how I can do walking mediations. I learned about reiki sound healing and crystals. I got way more than I expected.
Solo Yoga Retreat With Sara + Drew
I got off the Metro North at New Hamburg station where I took an Uber to the private home studio. There I met the first host Drew while we waited for Sara to come after with fresh farm market food for dinner that night. Here I was, on my first yoga retreat.
It’s intimidating doing yoga with experienced people who can do the tripod pose. That’s when you stand up on your head and put your feet straight in the air and you look like a standing tripod. I can barely stay in plank position let alone get on my head. But I’m 209 pounds right now, with a semi-poor diet that consists of junk food and soda — a habit I’m trying to break.
Day One
When Sara came, I was given a crystal that I later used during reiki sound healing. There was a home library with tons of yoga and meditation books to choose from. That’s where I learned what the word “shakti” meant as I have been going to an ashram in Queens called “Yoga Shakti” and had no idea about the history of yoga. It’s so much to learn that I will never know it all in this life, but I’m starting here.
After that, I had a sound healing session with Sara and Drew. My mind was transformed. At one point, I felt like I was floating.
Day Two
I started the day with herbal tea then headed to my first yoga session at 6 a.m. That was the first time using a chair and blocks as props.
In the afternoon, I had a challenging time doing my first walking meditation. With every breath, I had to lift my foot and place it down with an exhale. It sounds easy but it’s not. We walked around the lake within an hour. A regular walk would’ve taken under 20 minutes to complete. This took complete concentration and dedication.
What I learned and how I can incorporate it into my daily life
I learned a lot about myself during this retreat. I learned that I have been doing a lot of work to heal my past traumas but still have lots of work to do. One thing about meditation is that it takes you away from the past. It helps you to breathe and be in the now while appreciating the things you do have.
It would be nice to meditate regularly. Something that is hard for me since my mind goes to the past and the future a lot. That is what causes a lot of my depression and anxiety. I’m hoping that by learning to meditate on a daily basis, I can take that method with me in my everyday life and learn to be in the moment.
