Summer Encounters - some voices and images from our 2015 summer retreat

Cape Men's Yoga held its sixth retreat over the weekend of 29 January to 01 February 2015. Each retreat has been a profound journey for those participating. We combine a mix of yoga asana practice, meditation instruction, self-understanding sessions, and some other practices including nature walks, mantra chanting and massage instruction.

For the Summer Encounters theme with worked with mindfulness of our relationships: relationship with nature, relationship with ourselves, relationship with other men, and relationship with the Divine or higher energy of the universe.

We've loaded the programme for anyone interested at the end of the blog. We thought we'd share some images and words about the retreat. 28 men participated.

"I have struggled to understand how to cope with a very busy mind and an OCD kind of response to my environment. I have had experiences such as knowing when a relative was about to die recently. I do not know how I know such things. It is disturbing to me. On the retreat I found I started to trust people more, to open up. I feel like I am just learning to fly a magic carpet. I still have to learn balance and calm, to master my mind and emotions and learn to do this right. Life is magical in that way and that is something I should not be scared about"

"For me, I come to the retreat holding feelings of guilt. I hate hurting people and yet sometimes I have to make a stand for what I need. I tend to suppress what I need but it makes me stressed and eventually it erupts to the surface. When I stand up for myself and this is not what others want, then I am left feeling guilty for affirming my own choices. The retreat is a time to centre myself, remember that I am human, remember my own inner truth and that I have the right to be happy. In the end, the divisions between us are illusions. We are united by love. We need to keep to a practice of truth and unity."

"During the fire meditation and the kapalabhati fire breath I had three visions in sequence: a vision of a fire breathing demon, a vision of a dancing god, a vision of a serene and compassionate goddess. These are not images that normally occur to me. I realised the demon was speaking to my fears about where I am in life - about what choices are coming up for me this year. I did not think I was feeling fear - I heard other men speak of fear, but it was only deep in meditation that I realised there is this fear - the fear of ageing, of failing, of loosing my way. The dancing god was reminding me that I am blessed, that I must trust my inner voice and courage. I have never been afraid. Why start now? The goddess is there waiting - serene, loving, compassionate, unmoved. I swam in the dam that night, under the moon and stars in the black water. I let go of the fear. Like a frog I found my medium in the water. I feel very blessed by this experience."

"When you get older you worry less. I hear all these younger men speaking about fear, anxiety, challenges. Don't worry so much. Getting old can be great. It can be the best time of your life. The sex is good. The adventures are good. There is comfort and peace. It is a time when you have more liesure. Be at peace with what is beautiful within us. Grow that awareness into a life practice."

"Sometimes life feels like crossing a great mountain range. You get to one summit, and then you realise there is a further one. You have to go down to mount the next summit. You may think you are just going up and down, but in fact even your dips are higher than where you started. It is a journey upwards. We have to remember that we are learning, becoming wiser and more experienced. We see more as we journey forward."

"I grew up as someone other saw as effeminate. In South Africa that is a tough place to be. There was all this pressure at school. I am in my 20s but with my yoga I am finding my path and self-expression. I still have my issues from growing up but I feel like my path is clear and opening up for me. When I came out as a gay man, I thought, this will be great, I will be respected. But it was not like that. I found people were dishonest, disrespectful. They wanted to take take take and not give back. The weekend opened a lot of deep feelings. I was really touched to be surrounded by men working on themselves - their consciousness, their spirituality, their growth. I felt surrounded by kindred spirits. I felt welcome and in a safe space. It was not an easy weekend with so many things surfacing for me but at the same time it felt very special and liberating."

"I would like to thank you for organising and facilitating such an incredible yoga retreat. These retreats are the highlight of my yoga journey and somehow each one resonates with me in a different way. Again I came back with a glowing heart. The kindness of all the men, the great laughs, creativity, inspiration, the beautiful setting, the pool of expertise, and the exceptional food all add up to a winning formula for those seeking to live our lives with compassion. I feel blessed to be part of this."

"it has changed my life - I cannot express how grateful I am for meeting with those people who lead me to this retreat. The feeling of love and oneness will be one that I never forget. I feel very blessed and I look forward to seeing how this manifests itself in my life outside of the retreat. I also realised only on the last morning that for me the natural world has all that you need. I will post some photos of some of my 'reflections' from my last morning where I had a very profound experience. Namaste"

"Thank you for the joy of allowing me to go through such a powerful process with such gentle kindness. I appreciate everyone's part in this wonderful experience 
Much love"

Summer Encounters – A Journey of Discovery

29 January-01 February 2015

Overberg

Thursday, 29 January

14h00: Time for check in, dam swim, nature walks, walking the labyrinth, meditation

16h00 – 16h30: Stone meditation on the Earth element;

16h30 – 18h00: Yin Yoga practice – the stillness of an encounter with Earth

18h30-19.30: Evening Meal

20h00 – 21h30 Orientation for the weekend

Friday, 12 September

06h00                    Optional early dam swim and Ayurvedic oil treatment

06h30 – 07h00 - Meditation on Water element

07h15 – 08h45 – Flow yoga – expressing the Water element (Sean)

09h00 – 10h00 - Breakfast

10h30 – 11h45 Andre’s self-knowledge exercise:

11h45 – 12h30 Walking the Labyrinth (weather permitting) 

13h00 – 14h00 – Lunch meal

16h00 – 16h30: Anapanasati – the mindfulness of breathing 

17h00 – 18h30 – Air Element Yoga – Awakening Mindfulness in Movement

18h30 – 19h30 - Evening meal

20h00 – 21h30 –

Group Event in the Milkwood Forest  – chanting the Gayatri Mantra

Saturday, 13 September

06h00                    Optional early dam swim and Ayurvedic oil treatment 

06h30 – 07h00 - Meditation on loving kindness (anahata chakra)

07h15 – 08h45 – Partner Yoga & Trust Building

09h00 – 10h00 - Breakfast

10h30 – 11h30 Origami boat making for evening ritual

11h30 – 12h30 Yoga Clinic  

13h00 – 14h00 – Lunch meal

14h00 – 16h00 Afternoon FREE time – Introduction to massage

16h00 – 17h00: Massage practice

17h00 – 18h30: Mysore Hatha yoga with a focus on the fire element

18h30 – 19h30 - Evening meal

                                                                    

20h00 – 21h30 –

Group Event – Fire Aarthi - fire meditation, fire breathing, moving mantra & releasing the Origami Boats (all) @ FIRE PIT & dam

Sunday, 14 September

06h30                    Optional early dam swim and Ayurvedic oil treatment

07h00 – 07h30 – Tonglen meditation on compassion / Metta meditation on loving kindness

07h30 – 09h00 – Garuda Bhakti Yoga – the Eagle takes flight 

09h00 – 10h00 - Breakfast

10h30 – 11h00 Laughing yoga

11h00 – 11h45 Reflection time – journey inwards, journey upwards

11h45 – 12h45 Raja Yoga - a communion with God and the Universe

13h00 – 14h00 – Lunch meal

Departure