This is not a typical yoga retreat! I was invited to shoot and participate in this Sattva yoga retreat, expecting women in lycra doing the downward dog, but it was something very unique with screaming, groaning and laughing – more of a spiritual awakening.
Sattva yoga includes a mix of kundalini and kriya yogas, meditation, breathwork, energy work, chanting mantras and movement.
Teachers Elena Rose Davis and Ela Mare came together to hold this Goddess Warrior Retreat in Amed, Bali. They now hold their own yoga retreats all over the world.
The mornings were silent.
We were not allowed to speak to each other until after we’d done our first morning class and finished breakfast.
This was a challenge and a little funny on the first day, trying to communicate using charades, but we soon really appreciated the power of being silent and really mindful of our mornings.
We were a group of women eager to learn more about each other but we were quite firmly told that sharing in “our stories” having a “pity party” of our hurt of the past and present was damaging, that we must focus on the present moment and energy.
That is something I already truly believe and try to uphold anyway, not dwelling on the negatives, but it was quite powerful to feel this in a collective group.
The week-long retreat included at least 3 daily yoga sessions. There was hardly a downward dog in sight though so if you’ve done a regular yoga class before, this was nothing like it!
Sattva yoga is intense. I would describe it as a method of tapping in to your own spiritual energy and learning how to channel it properly.
The puja rituals, prayers, breathing exercises and movement allowed some really deep meditations to take place.
Some women were more audible than others in how their bodies responded to this deep spiritual experience. And I’m pretty sure we all felt the kundalini rising in the room.
We enjoyed the most incredible vegetarian feast cooked on site by the staff at the Balila Beach Resort in Amed.
The staff at Balila were incredible, going above and beyond to ensure everyone’s dietary requirements were catered for and genuinely caring about and connecting with their guests.
They had some really nice rooms with luxurious touches overlooking the ocean as well as some really simple single rooms to cater for all budgets.
But this custom built yoga shala was the best part, opening out onto a lush water feature and an ocean backdrop – an epic place to go deep inside.
After the retreat, I remember feeling I was on cloud nine. I was beaming from ear to ear and this feeling of elation, peace and presence carried on for quite some time after the retreat finished.
I haven’t incorporated the kundalini practices into my regular yoga and meditation practice but I do call on certain aspects of it from time to time as it is truly powerful and something I hope to explore further in the future.
What a unique experience!
