The Power Yoga Company Retreat 2013
Lifestyle / February 4, 2013

The Power Yoga Company Retreat 2013

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A week of yoga, relaxation, healthy organically sourced vegetarian Indian food, and beautiful scenery

I can’t thank The Power Yoga Company enough for putting together such an amazing trip. This has been my first (and will definitely not be the last) retreat and I can’t find the words to describe the benefits and fun times we’ve all had.

With a group of 10, traveling from three different continents (UK, US and Australia), we all stayed together in the beautiful Lotus Yoga Retreat in eco-friendly bamboo huts in the tropical and unspoilt beach of Patnem in the south of Goa. Having strolled around the surrounding areas and beaches, Patnem beach was by far the best location to stay in – quiet, beautiful, a magnificent ocean view and palm trees along the beach.  Local markets were within an easy reach and they were a cultural experience on their own: You could find anything, from Indian spices and jewellery to cushion covers and hammocks, as long as you are willing to bargain how many Rupees you want to spend.

Each morning started with a nutritious breakfast and a 2hour-long power yoga class, which was then followed by a buffet of organically-sourced-vegetarian-Indian food – simply DE-LI-CIOUS. After that, activities ranged from a stroll along our beach or beaches nearby, chilling in the sunbeds, swimming or indulging in one of the many treatments that Lotus Yoga had to offer (from Ayurveda to deep tissue massages). Then another hour and a half of yoga, followed by another delicious meal and either a night in the retreat having fun discussions with the group, a candlelight session with the sounds of the waves, or a night out to a local venue.

I was under the impression that my practice was O.K, but it seems that there were many things that I’ve been missing all along, such as correct breathing and alignment. Michael’s classes were not just simple power yoga classes, but a combination of yoga practice and workshops on alignment, balancing postures, breathing and meditation. From the one-to-one power yoga session I was able to build the knowledge of those workshops as well as fix few things; now with just few tweaks on my Warrior 1 and 2 as well as the way I go into flow I can now say that I’m starting to feel the benefits of every single posture!

And… 4hours of daily yoga practice? WOW! My flexibility has increased, I feel much stronger with a better physique and other benefits that I don’t even know how to describe – I returned back to my normal London work routine and my creativity and energy levels have been at its max; I even found myself stretching and using breathing techniques while working, in random intervals.

So now what? I’m craving for only healthy food, find myself stretching and breathing consciously while on the London underground and am increasing my visits to The Power Yoga Company studio. This retreat has been the best way for me to kick start 2013, and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing about the next one.