Yin & Yang
5-Elements Energy Discovering
PENELOPE ZIRI | 7 - 13 JULY
WHO IS IT FOR
This yoga retreat is the perfect opportunity for those who wish to step back from their busy lives and invest in their physical and mental wellbeing. Our ‘Yin and Yang’ yoga retreat is intended for everyone, regardless of your experience with yoga, or how flexible you consider yourself to be, if you can breathe, you can practice yoga!
Engage in practices that deeply connect us with the Five Elements within and around us. Explore your own relationship with these elements through nourishing daily yoga and movement practices, connection with nature, breathwork, meditation and journaling.
A small group format allows Penelope to give each participant individualized attention. Modifications to asanas ensure progression for all participants, making this retreat rewarding for beginners and experienced yogis alike.
THE CONCEPT
Incorporating principles of traditional Chinese Medicine. Yin and Yang are the Taoist concepts which describe the two relative qualities present in everything around us. According to Chinese Medicine there are 5 elements that are fundamental to the cycles of nature and are reflected in the cycles of our bodies. The elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element is associated with its own particular season, emotion and organ system.
This retreat is particularly designed to equilibrate the physical, emotional and spiritual body by balancing the Yin & Yang energies of our existence. Discovering and accepting all aspects of ourselves, we can perceive and feel the wholeness. Bring awareness to the present moment and become more aware with the energies that flow inside our bodies, while moving, walking, eating, breathing and practicing yoga. (or to your daily life)
During the retreat, we will engage in practices that deeply connect us with the Five Elements within and around us. Explore your own relationship with these elements through nourishing daily yoga and movement practices, connection with nature, pranayama, meditation, and journaling.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Penelope started her Yoga Journey after graduating as a Physiotherapist.
Her thirst for personal and educational development led her into completing several seminars and workshops with teachers from around the world. For the last 14 years she has been working privately as a physiotherapist, specializing in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, spinal problems and injuries, and sports injuries.
She is a certified yoga teacher and she teaches in yoga schools in Greece and Thailand, offering 200h Teacher Trainings and Therapeutic workshops. Her teaching style combines Hatha - Vinyasa yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Restorative, Therapeutic and Yin Yoga.
She has adapted the teaching of yoga as a therapeutic tool in combination with physical therapy methods, proposing a holistic intervention aimed at achieving balance in body and mind. Always with a sense of humor, her classes aim to help develop awareness around the anatomy and physiology of the body to gain a better understanding of its needs. She is the founder of Physioyogatherapy method.
"Happiness and healing are found in moments when body and mind align"
THE YOGA PRACTICE
When these terms are applied to yoga, Yin yoga is a slower practice where poses are passively held for longer, working on the deep fascia, the connective tissues and joints in the body. Yang yoga is the more traditional hatha vinyasa practice that develops muscular strength, stamina, and flexibility.
You will have 2 daily yoga classes working both at a yin & yang pace.
Some of the benefits you will achieve throughout your yoga practice :
Yang Yoga
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Strengthens and tones the body
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Improves flexibility and circulation
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Increases stamina
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Calms the mind down by inviting us to synchronize movement with breath
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Removes tension and obstacles in the body to allow breath and prana flow
Yin Yoga
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Stimulates the meridians (energy channels) balancing the organs in the body
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Improves flexibility and joint mobility
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Calms and balances the mind and the body
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Reduces stress and anxiety
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Works deeply on the connective tissues (fascia, tendons and ligaments)
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Prepares the practitioner for meditation practice
ITINERARY & RETREAT SCHEDULE
Each day is dedicated to one element (Yin and Yang Theory, Chinese Meridian facilitation with asana, breathwork and meditation), allowing us to get a clearer picture of how we fit into the natural cycles that surround us and how we are affected by them.
Awaken your vital energy through daily morning yoga. Morning practices are focused on warming up your joints and muscles, becoming more flexible and strong. Yang practices are more dynamic, but always accessible with opportunities for those with less experience and amazingly helpful for those who want to dive deeper in yoga alignment principles.
Practicing Yin Yoga in the evenings can free up constricted circulation and energy flow in the body, leaving you with a feeling of ease, calmness and a deep relaxation.
Especially effective for those suffering from stress, anxiety or tight muscles.
Arrival day
Welcome ceremony, Presentation and lecture: Intro to Yin Yang and Chinese meridians, Grounding meditation
Saturday
Water Element: Kidney and Urinary bladder
Sunday
Wood Element: Gallbladder and Liver
Monday
Fire Element: Heart and Small Intestine, Pericardium and Triple warmer
Tuesday
Earth Element: Stomach and Spleen
Wednesday
Metal Element: Lungs and Large Intestine
Thursday
Cacao closing ceremony
ACCOMMODATION & PRICING
NUTRITION
Nutrition is an essential part of optimal health, not only physically, but mentally too. Food can impact our memory, concentration, mood and a lot more.
Yang foods are dense, heavy and hot with high sodium content. Yin foods are contracting, light and cold, and rich in potassium.
During this retreat we will find balance between these two elements so we can adopt new diet habits and live a less toxic and stressed life.
The diet is based on whole grains, lots of vegetables, legumes, and soups.
At Anandamaya we know how important it is to always choose seasonal foods, as they not only taste better but also have a higher content of beneficial nutrients. The food you eat can either support your health or diminish it.
This wellness retreat could be a cornerstone to your life, and is an opportunity to discover a new healthy lifestyle.
Your battery will be charged up with the goodness of whole nourishing foods, which is also very efficient to your nervous system. You will feel revived physically, mentally and emotionally. The raw material derives from our very own vegetable garden or from local farmers and producers.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Beach exploration along Evia's
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Exploring north Evia' s crystal clear beaches
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Walking distance secluded beaches for daily swimming
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Hike at a secret beach
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Unique -monastery and ancient ruins- mountain hike
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Candle meditation - Eye cleansing
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Fire gathering
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Cacao ceremony
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Balanced Yin-Yang menu with delicious and home made recipes
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Parasympathetic system activation with the hot & cold natural spring water
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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6 nights at Anandamaya' s thematic rooms
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10 yoga practices, breathwork & meditation
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Full-board nutrition with local, bio products
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2 Hikes (Mountain & Beach)
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Night bath at the natural thermal springs of Edipsos
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Local transportation
TYPICAL DAILY SCHEDULE
08:00
10:00
12:00
18:00
20:00
Yang practice
Brunch
Beach / Hike / Free time
Yin practice
Dinner
WHAT TO PACK
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Beachwear, hat & sunscreen
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Hiking boots, back pack & flask
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Mosquito spray
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Legs, shoulders and upper arms need to be covered when visiting places of worship
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Plug adapters if needed