Born-Again Yogis

Hi Everyone!  Wow, it feels like it has been ages since I last wrote, but in reality it's really only been a week!  What a week though.

 

I was picked-up in Takaka, Golden Bay and driven up a winding, 4x4 dirt road to the top of a mountain overlooking Farewell Spit and Abel Tasman National Park.  The yoga retreat place wasn't what I expected it to be..... I experienced a lot of contradictions, and it wasn't a supportive place as I had thought it would be.  Most of the residents were what I have come to call "Born-again yogis", similar to born again Christians, in that all had had rough life experiences (mental issues, substance abuse etc.), and had "found" yoga.  Very dogmatic and not much open-mindedness.  Quite unaware as well, which I found to be very surprising.  After my Donna Farhi retreat in January, I expected a similar experience, but this was quite different. 

 

The daily schedule went as follows:

up at 4:30am for 5am chanting, then yoga and breakfast, and cleaning (karma yoga to elevate one's karma).  Then yoga nidra (relaxation) at 12:30, lunch, and then free time.  Dinner at 6pm, and then kirtan or more chanting.  Food was cooked according to a roster, mostly consisting of light watery soups and vegetables (mostly kale..... I think I don't want to see anymore for a few weeks!).  Don't get me wrong... I love good fresh organic vegetarian food and yoga and meditation, but I need to have one foot firmly planted in the real world as well.  Perhaps had Swami Muktidharma been there it might have been different, but he was away so I didn't manage to meet him.

 

It wasn't terrible though.  I gained a lot of perspective on small, intentional communities, and on spiritual seekers in general, while strengthening my own personal yoga practice.  The downside was that I developed an abcess in my dental implant and am now trying to get treatment over Easter Weekend.  Also, everyone up there was sick with a flu/cold and I have now managed to get that as well.  I'm very thankful for Meryl, an American girl who also found the whole experience surreal and strange.  We managed to keep each other sane until we got back to Nelson yesterday. 

 

I'm trying to do some research here today and then depending on what I learn may head on to Wellington tomorrow and see what I can get done there.

 

Hope you are all well and happy!  I love getting your emails and can't wait to see you all soon!

 

Love,

Kristi