Classes & Courses

"We cannot do great things in life; we can only do small things with great love"

- Mother Teresa

The Buddha did it for 6 years in a solitary cave and Christ for 40 days in the desert. Throughout all of recorded history, the many great wisdom cultures have held sacred the power of silence and retreat above virtually all else. In the modern era it would seem that many people have begun heeding this call with a quiet revolution occurring across the developed world.

The number of yoga and meditation retreats springing up in the past ten years has increased exponentially. Like learning a new language, people are realising that only so much can be achieved from home. Often the best way to learn something new is to immerse yourself fully in that experience, away from the hectic demands of life. A weekend or indeed entire week of yoga and meditation in some exotic mountain top or beachside location, seems the perfect tonic for the restless masses.

Traditionally, periods of retreat were deemed essential for those serious about leading authentic, devotional lives. Stories of great masters attaining the lofty heights of moksha or spiritual liberation are nearly always accompanied by periods of intense silence and deep contemplation. Today, there are also those who strive toward these same ideals of awakening and freedom but this is certainly not the case for everyone.

So what then is causing the groundswell behind this resurgence of interest in spiritual and yoga retreats? We recently ran a survey amongst the many participants who have attended retreats with us over the years and discovered three main reasons standing out above the rest.

Firstly, retreat offers people the chance to improve their overall fitness and health levels through an intensive practice of yoga postures, breathing and meditation, combined with a high energy vegetarian diet. Secondly, it’s an opportunity for people to experience some much needed mental silence and a time for connecting with self and spirit. Overwhelmingly though, the most common reason given was space. It seems that more than anything, people are craving a little time out from family, relationship and career – ‘time just for me’.

The experience for many on retreat is that when they begin to relax and allow themselves this precious space from the incessant demands of modern living, an unspeakable magic begins to flow, penetrate and gently edge them toward transformation and deeper insights about their lives.

It seems the power of retreat is like adding gasoline to a smouldering fire. Within no time an inferno is blazing. The solitude and focus offers a precious chance for many to turn up the heat on their practice of yoga and also shine a much needed torch into neglected areas of life. And as one past participant so eloquently described, ‘in the presence of a skilled teacher and supportive environment it is much easier to truly let go and begin listening to those subtle whispers of authentic wisdom beckoning us toward a more intimate connection with body, breath and life.’

Undoubtedly, this current surge in people seeking retreat, spirituality and stillness is evidence that the fast pace of modern life is closing people’s eyes to the deeper truth of their existence.