Staying present with what is: a week of Ashtanga, Intuitive Flow, Yin yoga and Meditation

Staying present with what is: a week of Ashtanga, Intuitive Flow, Yin yoga and Meditation

Getting away can be a wonderful way of evolving practise and deepening understanding. Being on retreat is an opportunity to experience more space, more content, more insight. This retreat has three highly experienced teachers: Inna Costantini, Maitripushpa Bois and Norman Blair. 

Inna, Maitripushpa and Norman emphasise accessibility and inclusivity. They know that yoga and meditation can be enjoyable ways to make available energetic potential that could enhance our lives. They know that yoga and meditation can help us to become more flexible, physically stronger and improve our stamina, focus and awareness. They aspire that practitioners on retreat experience release of tensions and anxieties. This week of different practices can be a beautiful experience of resetting, reinvigorating and rebalancing.

This retreat is open for all levels of practitioners – from beginners to advanced.

Retreat schedule

Each morning Inna will lead an Ashtanga class and Norman will lead an intuitive flow class; each afternoon there will be a two-hour Yin yoga class led by Norman. Every day there will be morning and evening sessions of meditation led by Maitripushpa. 

The morning sessions will be divided into 2 shalas

Saturday 4 May
Arrive after 3pm
6pm Welcome all!
7pm Dinner

Sunday 5 May
7am      Shala 1 Ashtanga
              Shala 2 Intuitive flow
10.30    Brunch
4pm      YinYoga
6.30      Dinner
8pm      Evening Meditation

Monday 6 May
7am      Shala 1 Ashtanga
              Shala 2 Intuitive flow
10.30    Brunch
4pm      YinYoga
6.30      Dinner
8pm      Evening Meditation

Tuesday 7 May
7am      Shala 1 Ashtanga
              Shala 2 Intuitive flow
10.30    Brunch
4pm      Afternoon off
6.30      Dinner
8pm      Evening Meditation

Wednesday 8 May
7am      Shala 1 Ashtanga
              Shala 2 Intuitive flow
10.30    Brunch
4pm      YinYoga
6.30      Dinner
8pm      Evening Meditation

Thursday 9 May
7am      Shala 1 Ashtanga
              Shala 2 Intuitive flow
10.30    Brunch
4pm      YinYoga
6.30      Dinner
8pm      Evening Meditation

Friday 10 May
7am      Shala 1 Ashtanga
              Shala 2 Intuitive flow
10.30    Brunch
4pm      YinYoga
6.30      Dinner
8pm      Evening Meditation

Saturday 11 May
9am      Breakfast
Check out

Teachers

Norman Blair
Norman began practising yoga in the early 1990s and he has been teaching since 2001. His practice and teaching embrace both Ashtanga yoga and Yin yoga as well as mindfulness meditation.

Through significant periods of training with teachers such as Alaric Newcombe, Judith Hanson Lasater, Richard Freeman and Sarah Powers, he has gained the Yoga Alliance 500 hour accreditation. He believes that yoga is accessible to all of us and through regular practice we can experience profound changes in our mind and body.

 His own experience has taught him that yoga is an enjoyable way to release and make available energetic potential to enhance our lives. Yoga can help us to become more flexible, physically stronger and improve our stamina, focus and awareness.

Norman teaches Ashtanga and Yin yoga classes and workshops throughout London, as well as leading retreats. His Yin yoga training courses are respected and popular. He has run yoga teacher mentoring groups for more than ten years.

Maitripushpa
Meditation with Maitripushpa is varied; this can be a great introduction to meditation and also a wonderful opportunity for existing practitioners to develop their practice. She will teach two sessions each day that may include body awareness, walking meditation, sitting or various contemplative practices. Maitripushpa has many years of study and practice. She is constantly watching and learning how the meditation and yoga practices enrich and influence each other.

Inna Costantini
Inna has been teaching Astanga yoga in London for over 15 years, and has led classes and retreats in Goa, Berlin, Paris, Italy and Scotland.
Inna first discovered yoga in London in 2000. With a background in media, anthropology and a stint in PR, she swiftly chose to trade her desk for a yoga mat, to study yoga at its source.
She practiced, as well as assisted, for over ten years under the guidance of Hamish Hendry at Astanga Yoga London. In Mysore, she received the Authorisation from R.Sharath Jois in 2014.
Inna is grateful for all the teachers and students she has shared the practice with, to Rolf Naujokat for his continuous inspiration, and to Norman Blair for his teachings of Yin Yoga.
Inna is fascinated by yoga in all its forms, its effects, and the intricate links between physical and mental well-being. She loves helping and watching students develop, and believes yoga is a lifelong learning process: a dedicated, regular – and yet non dogmatic– practice can only bring forth increased energy and happiness.

About Norman, Maitripushpa and Inna leading retreats together

Together Norman and Maitripushpa have many years of experience. They know that yoga and meditation can be enjoyable ways to make available energetic potential that could enhance our lives. They know that yoga and meditation can help us to become more flexible, physically stronger and improve our stamina, focus and awareness. They aspire that practitioners on retreat experience release of tensions and anxieties.

Inna stepped into Normans class 15 years ago. It was a 4 hour Yin workshop at Globe House, which she really struggled with! Since this day, Norman has been an influential inspiration, guide and friend over the years. Today Inna continues to be a yin-yoga student of Norman, and she shares both the yin styles and yang style (ashtanga) practices with her students. 

Together Inna, Norman and Maittripushpa will interweave yin yoga with ashtanga and meditation. This week will allow you as a student to explore different ways of approaching a yoga practice. 

Practical details about the retreat center

Currently the internet at the retreat is not reliable. If you are dependent on internet for work, we ask you to bring your own data on your phone, to which you can connect your laptop, if needed. Phones work very well. There is also a cafe 10 minutes from the retreat with good internet, however, it is a busy cafe and not very suitable for work. 

Finca Naranjas (previously Cristoforo), our retreat centre is a very simple yet beautiful place, built by an architect named Denis Devaris, who had an intention to create a meeting point for Spiritual seekers. Built slowly over 30 years using volcanic rocks from the island, the rooms are all unique with their own distinct personalities featuring beautiful details and personal touches. Given the nature of these types of buildings, imperfection is to be expected with a plumbing system not quite up to modern standards! However, set right into the land with a wonderfully lush garden, Cristoforo really is an oasis in South Tenerife. When packing for your retreat, make sure you add warmer clothes. From December till March the mornings and evenings can be quite chilly. The rooms are not heated, but are equipped with cozy duvets and hot water bottles for the beds.

The meals
The food served at the retreat will be mainly vegan and completely vegetarian, prepared freshly everyday by our wonderful retreat chefs. We try were possible to use local and organic products. We sometimes use eggs or dairy in the kitchen. If you have food allergies/sensitivities, please let us know. Gluten free options are available. We have a self service tea & coffee station for guest use and try to provide fruit for snacking during the day.
You have the option to enjoy your food either inside or outside in the beautiful garden.

The practice
Maximum number of students is 25.

Practice will take place inside the beautiful wooden garden Shala and the New Rainbow shala. Savasana is usually taken outside to make space in the Shala, especially during full retreats and occasionally afternoon workshops will take place outside. Make sure you pack warm practice clothes for Savasana.

Arrival day and check out. 
The rooms are available after 3pm. The retreat starts with an introduction meeting at 5pm, followed by dinner at 6.30pm. All students should aim to arrive for the introduction meeting. The first practice is on Sunday morning and the last practice is on Friday in the morning. The check out is on Saturday at 9am. 

Accommodation
We have 4 different accommodation options. The list below shows the rooms that are available to book. 

Premium rooms
The premium rooms are the largest rooms at the retreat. These rooms have attached indoor bathrooms.
Shared: 1250 GBP
Currently available: Venus, Casa Blanca

Single:  1550 GBP
Currently available:  Danae 1,  La Granja, Casita 2, Palmera

Standard
The standard rooms are smaller than the premium rooms. These rooms have attached, indoor bathrooms.
Shared: 1050 GBP
Currently available: Ficus, 5 Peldanos

Single: 1350 GBP
Currently available: 6 Peldanos

Budget
The budget rooms are the smallest rooms at the retreat. Some of the rooms share bathrooms, a few of them are outdoors bathrooms. In a few of the rooms there may have disturbance from the road.
Shared: 900 GBP
Currently available: Consulta 1, Fuente 2, Peregrino, Pino de Oro, Bella Dormiente

Single: 1200 GBP
Currently available: Consulta 2, Fuente 1

Dormitory (3 persons sharing)
The dormitory is a spacious room for 3 persons. It has an attached bathroom. 
Shared: 780 GBP
Currently available week 1: Danae 2
Currently available week 2: Danae 2

The accommodation price is all-inclusive (includes accommodation, all meals and yoga). There is an option to pay a deposit of 50% of the full amount to secure your place. The deposit is non-refundable and the balance must be paid at least 4 weeks prior to the start date.

Please note that we have a limited amount of single rooms for this retreat. Before booking a single room confirm availability with us on info@yogagoa.com.

To book this retreat, follow the link below and complete the form to make your payment. 

Book this retreat

To book this retreat, complete the form on our Make A Payment page