India | Egypt

India

Yoga journey to Delhi, Rishikesh, Agra (Taj Mahal) and Rajasthan
2-15th November 2009
£595 all inclusive (not flights)

This 2-week Yoga journey will start in Delhi on 2nd November 2009; then to Rishikesh to stay at an ashram in a tranquil environment overlooking the Ganges. There will be daily morning Yoga with the ashram teachers. The afternoon sessions with Jane will be designed to counter-balance this; thus (afternoon) probably gentle stretches, discussion, chanting and meditation to help the group to absorb and assimilate the richly layered experience of being in India. Back to Delhi, then to Agra and the Taj Mahal – which is even more beautiful than can be imagined. Then onto Jaipur in Rajasthan to visit the extraordinary Amber Fort. During the periods of travel, Jane will lead Yoga and meditation sessions as and when time, environment and location permit.

India is such an amazing country. After numerous visits over the past 12 years, I am still enthralled and fascinated by what I see; enriched and moved by what I learn, and inspired and humbled by India’s kind and generous people. Each trip brings more wonder, more joy, greater challenges, more understanding, more insight, more acceptance. My purpose with this Yoga journey is to guide you through the extraordinary multi-layered landscape of people, places and things, to help you see beyond the layers of dirt, dust, difficulties and strangeness, and become aware of the incredible beauty, charm, simplicity, and spiritual serenity that underlies everyday life in India.

I am not a travel agent or a tourist guide, just a common-or-garden Yoga teacher who loves India, Yoga, people and travel. So while not being academic or an expert, I’m very happy to share with you what I do know of India and the places we’ll visit.

For Jane, Yoga is a way of life, essentially nourishing for the body, senses, mind and spirit. After many years of practicing and teaching a very nurturing, gentle Hatha Yoga, including chanting and philosophy (nothing too strenuous….) Jane discovered Astanga Vinyasa Yoga (in 1996) and immediately knew this method was the most relevant and potent she had thus far encountered. Her original teachers in this form were John Scott and Shandor Remete over several years. Since then she has travelled far and wide, studying with many wonderful teachers of different approaches, ultimately finding the greatest teacher to be her own practice, and the sharing of Yoga with others through teaching.

John Scott, although he now lives in New Zealand, instilled in me over several years from 1986 certain key points and foundations which form the roots and branches of my practice; concurrently Shandor Remete helped me to trust my instincts, and to feel and ‘see’ energy and how to work with it; David Swenson’s lighthearted and humble approach helped me develop confidence to safely teach the little I knew, and more recently, Danny Paradise has encouraged me to be more open, playful and experimental in Yoga. Guruji was always very inspiring, surprising, patient, kind, humorous and light-hearted when working with this older, less able body of mine; I shall always be indebted to him for giving the wonderful legacy of Yoga (through Astanga) to the wider world.

Jane sees Astanga as a most beautiful moving meditation, available to anyone with a sincere approach and a willingness to be patient and persevere for the fruits of the practice. All forms of Yoga flow from the same source, and are all designed to bring forth the very best in each individual. Jane's students speak of her warmth, patience, and her ability to convey complicated concepts and asana instructions in a very clear and understandable way.

Jane is currently based in Brighton, and is available to teach workshops, one-to-one and private classes by arrangement. She will be teaching in Goa throughout the coming winter (December 2009 through to March 2010) then Egypt, where she will be leading workshops, retreats and private classes on the Red Sea coast and in and around Cairo, after which she will return to UK and again be based in Brighton, and available for IST’s (teachers training days) workshops et al...

Egypt

I look on my annual visit to Moon Beach as a special retreat time for me, both as a teacher and as practitioner. The groups are varied, mainly small and ever-changing as people come and go on their various vacations. It's like an advanced teacher training course on learning to work with the vastly differing range of abilities and experience of the students. Some students come back year in, year out, and we work ever more deeply on their developing practice. Some are first-timers, and benefit greatly from the twice-daily classes with hands on instruction and guidance. I take particular joy in the interesting challenge of accommodating the needs of both advanced and less experienced within the framework of each session. Each person works to their own own ability and according to the needs of their mind and body on any given day.

The Yoga studio is sited on the beach, with the turquoise (Red Sea) lapping and murmuring a few feet away. The feeling of being 'in nature' inspires, grounds, sources and illumines my teaching and the class content. Often I find myself teaching a flow sequence or meditation that comes from nowhere.....mmmm, there's that higher consciousness at play again.........

Moon Beach is miles from anywhere; there are literally no distractions to take you away from where you are, right here - right now. The sun rises high in the clear blue sky, day after day. The heat shimmers over the silent white sands. The silence is palpable. From about 10 onwards (depending on the wind) wind-surfers, sailers and swimmers dot the blue, blue seas.

We start our day with Yoga at 8am (it's a holiday remember...) If there are stronger, experienced practitioners, we meet earlier and practice together, sometimes in uninterrupted silence, sometimes I come out of my own practice to adjust or give quiet guidance for a particular move or transition. Meditation, release and relaxation comes easily in this beautiful setting.

Breakfast is a friendly affair in the restaurant overlooking the sea. People make their plans for the day, either 'on the water' 'in the Yoga room' 'on the beach' or maybe a day or overnight trip to Cairo and the Pyramids. The 'Spreader' beach bar and general area is where people meet up to see what's available re trips and outings, catch up on the wind and weather forecast, and generally chill out. The Moon beach team are very welcoming, a well-trained, helpful and efficient group of mainly young people who are here because they love people, sun, sea and watersports.

Most teachers at Moon Beach are also masseurs, I offer soothing, deep therapeutic massage with hot stones, to soothe tired muscles, sore joints, busy minds and aching hearts.....I've gathered a wonderful collection of stones from the beach, a nearby lagoon, and from historical sites around Egypt over the years I've been coming here. The stones are so potent, so healing. Each stone carries its own message of comfort and healing deep into your bones, to the very core of you.

The days are free to do whatever you want......you can walk for miles along the beach, seeing no-one - maybe the local coast guard will pass you by, seated astride a camel. Beachcombing is a pleasure here.......At 5pm the evening Yoga session, which will take whatever form is most relevant for the Yoga bodies who turn up. Often the water-weary wind or kite surfers turn up expecting a few gentle stretches, and are surprised at the diversity Yoga offers. We always end with a soothing guided relaxation, and a full Yoga Nidra when appropriate.

Supper at the restaurant, or maybe on the balcony, long chats over food, and maybe an early night, or a late night at the bar, be it themed or open.

Who comes to Moon Beach? All sorts of people, from all sorts of places: Europe, middle east, far east, the world. Cairo is a very interesting, very cosmopolitan city, and many 'locals' come down at the 'weekend' which in Egypt starts on Thursday evening through to Saturday night. So the peace and tranquillity of Moon Beach is most wonderfully altered by their arrival!! You'll meet a very rich range of people from all walks of life and can make some very interesting connections.

I often think that Moon Beach, like Astanga Vinyasa Yoga, should be issued with a health warning......"Please note that your life may be changed for the good forever - by practising this form of Yoga - even more so if you practice at Moon Beach." I hope to see you there......Jane

If you'd like more information or an informal chat about Moon Beach holidays or any aspect of Yoga,
please contact me and I'll be happy to help.

The unique charm of Moon Beach surrounded by desert mountains, is an unspoilt oasis for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. There are miles of untouched beaches, frequent dolphin sightings, and guided trails in the mountains and Bedouin homelands. Accommodation is in clean and simple 3 star chalets right on the beach, each having sea view, balcony, en-suite, ac, fridge and TV. Moon beach is already well established as a windsurfing resort, and has successfully included Yoga holidays since 2002. Jane will teach 2 Yoga sessions a day, Astanga am, general Hatha Yoga pm, either in the Bedouin tent on the edge of the sea, or the indoor panoramic waterfront studio.

Contact Jane for details or see www.moonbeachretreat.com for prices

Feedback

"I've been doing Yoga for some years and had some apprehension about doing Astanga, but you made it easy for us to learn what we needed to learn. You gave me the confidence to build on what I already knew and to take my practice much further than I would have previously thought possible. I'll be back next year for more of the same!" (student 6 yrs experience)

"Yoga in this Indian setting was a real delight, a journey of discovery for me. The instruction was superb and very inspiring, I felt challenged, trusting and gradually grew more confident as the days passed. I loved the whole experience, very grateful for the chance to explore so many new dimensions in such a different culture. The boat trip was an absolute joy and gave the time and space for the stirrings from Yoga to be released. Thank you for being our guide for so much inspirational change." (student, new to Yoga)

We cannot discover new oceans until we have courage to lose sight of the shore.....

"What I really appreciated was the adaptable and flexible approach that you showed to the classes. You seemed to be very sensitive to the needs, experience, energy and requirements of the group. As someone who hit a major energy slump halfway through the course I really appreciated this approach. I felt comfortable in defining my own practice and had the support to deal with the challenge to my ego of not being able to fulfil my own expectations. This proved to be a revelatory learning experience for me and I felt very strongly that I learnt some significant and powerful lessons. " (student 5 yrs)

"Kerala was enchanting. I loved interacting with the locals and watching the world go by after Yoga or massage. Astanga Yoga was a revelation for me! I am beginning to get a sense of fluidity rather than rigidity. Your very clear instructions contained simple but transforming concepts. I found the sequences fantastic for strength, stamina, centering and awareness. The classes were so well balanced - you cater amazingly well for such mixed abilities." (Iyengar student-25 yrs practice)

"I'll be returning home well toned, rejuvenated, and changed, with more insight, clarity and strength. The Yoga room was such a beautiful space for us. This was a Yoga holiday to reflect upon for the rest of my days. I feel well and truly blessed to have you as my teacher Jane. I learn such a lot from seeing you work with such ease with the different abilities within the group. I loved the blue, blue seas, my early morning swims, and meeting local people. The massage was exceptional, a real beacon of healing energy." (masseur, 3 yrs Yoga)

Put your life into a chalice....., and pour it out to the world

"The holiday was a wonderful mix of security and adventure. The hotel has been a home from home; our little haven of peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle of India. The Yoga space is so beautiful, and I feel I have deeply consolidated my practice, and regained direction and motivation, both in Yoga and in my personal life. The massages have been tip-top, really skilled, sensitive, intuitive, respectful, amazing and wonderful!" (Yoga teacher 7 yrs experience)

"Your approach is far more relevant to my state of health and energy - my breath is far more integrated with my practice, my Bandhas are stronger and more consistent. I have also found that I have begun to bring a deeper more attuned awareness to the practice - the whole has become a more sacred experience for me. This has really helped in establishing a stronger home practice - I bring a sacredness to the practice - it is more focused. The retreat was key to achieving all this - I feel that I have made a huge leap in my Yoga practice - not what I was expecting but fabulous all the same." (student 5yrs)

"I thought the boat trip sounded a bit dull - but it turned out to be the most amazing experience - I have never known such peace -I'm sure I've saved myself hundreds of £s in therapy! You have been a great teacher, facilitator and group leader - thank you - I'll be back." (Yoga teacher)

Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom
Which flows into you as Life. Place yourself in the full centre of that flood,
Then you are, without effort impelled to truth, to right, and to a perfect contentment
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Sigh….early swim to the rising sun, then Yoga, breakfast, sunbathing, massage, shopping, eating, drinking, meeting and making local friends, more Yoga……so much to do.. so much to take in…not enough time. Thank you for the inspired, insightful teaching." (student, 8-mths experience)

"The boat trip was fabulous - I loved seeing the Indian lifestyle as we drifted past. The birds were fabulous. It was just a perfect, relaxing weekend to help us lose any stray tensions we arrived with. I can't thank you enough for this whole life-enhancing experience" (Iyengar student)

"I wasn't very interested in the philosophy before now, but you made me see how what we learn through Yoga can have a major effect on all other areas of our lives. I've never worked so hard - or relaxed so deeply - thank you for showing me how to relax!" (student, 2 yrs)

"I feel so lucky to have found this Yoga course. I've learnt so much in such a short time, I can hardly believe how much was conveyed to us all in such simple language. I wish you lived near me back home!! (student, little experience)

What, after all, is Life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
The breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
The little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the sunset.

For further information or an informal chat about the India experience please click here

© Jane Sleven 2003 - www.yogatree.uk.com