Hey, everybody! I’m again this week with a publish all about my latest journey to Spain. On this publish, I will probably be speaking all concerning the retreat location, the meals, the lodging and the ethos behind the Kaliyoga retreat. If you happen to comply with me on Instagram, @positivelyjessicaward, you’ll have seen my latest yogi and explorer adventures.
After the insanity of Christmas and 2017, I assumed it was time I took some well-deserved time-out. Life can generally change into suffocating and we are able to change into swamped down with work. Generally we are able to start to let the essential issues slip; self-care, self-motivation and internal gratitude. With out therapeutic ourselves and retaining ourselves mentally and bodily energised, how can we count on to achieve success and productive in our day-to-day lives?
I’m responsible of permitting my life to take over and I’m additionally responsible of the ‘workaholic’ title. Though I am keen on what I do, and I am keen on working onerous, having some downtime is important for development. My life has improved dramatically since 2017 and I couldn’t be any extra grateful. I remind myself each day of how life has handled me; with kindness, generosity and love. We might expertise the unhealthy instances, however they all the time reveal the great instances.
Experiencing a retreat was one thing I wished to do for myself, an opportunity to be free and an opportunity to discover new practices in health and psychological wellbeing. I’m acquainted with yoga, sound remedy and numerous different therapeutic therapies, nonetheless, each expertise is all the time totally different. I wished a retreat that might mentally loosen up me and bodily energise me, sounds ridiculous and really formidable, doesn’t it?! However this retreat I attended in February, is the little push I wanted and I believe it did the job properly. Being a lover of meals, journey, yoga and health, I assumed a retreat could be the best rest methodology.
Generally, after we journey, we are able to rely a lot on the ‘vacation feeling’ that we neglect that internal happiness isn’t found elsewhere, it’s cultivated from inside. So with that in thoughts, I advised myself, that if I am going away and luxuriate in myself, that’s all that issues and I’ll must work on my motivation, myself.
Once I was contacted by Kaliyoga, I used to be very overwhelmed and really grateful. I couldn’t consider the chance and I couldn’t consider the timing! I did shed a number of completely satisfied tears after receiving the invite after which I quickly started to pack and prep.
After doing my analysis on Kaliyoga, I couldn’t wait to be part of their ever-growing yoga and retreat journey. Kaliyoga is based by Rosie and Jonji Miles, a pair of fun-loving, hilarious, deeply rooted, formidable and yoga-loving people. They each radiate kindness, ardour and real love; it’s mesmerising to see two folks so captivated with what they do.
Earlier than Kaliyoga had been shaped, each, Rosie and Jonji had skilled trauma and heartbreak of their life, and upon these detrimental experiences, they had been drawn nearer collectively. They ignite one another’s love inside each other and upon their shared ardour, they created the gorgeous Kaliyoga.
Authenticity, knowledge, fact, love, happiness, rest and kindness – they’ve created the last word location for true therapeutic and rest. To be part of their journey has made me very grateful. Jonji and Rosie have unimaginable aura’s and after spending time with them all through the week, I felt uplifted, motivated and completely relaxed. After visiting the retreat, I used to be motivated to work on my desires and ambitions and I used to be additionally extra related to the world round me, via listening to their tales. It was a real pleasure to fulfill them each and I’ve a really particular place in my coronary heart for them. They actually made me see the silver lining in my gray February cloud they usually made me realise how all the things we wish, is in actual fact, proper in entrance of us. Simply the way in which they realised and created Kaliyoga.
In addition to resting and re-energising on the retreat, you’re additionally mentored on wellbeing and mindfulness, two issues that contribute to wholesome dwelling, internal happiness and fulfilment (from my very own expertise). The picturesque views and the beautiful local weather, they couldn’t say no to this yoga dream location. Not solely do they provide retreats within the location I visited, however additionally they provide them in Italy and London, all places provide various tradition, love and fervour.
On this retreat, I used to be away for 4 days. 4 days of complete physique cleaning via the therapeutic energy of yoga. I furthered my data of yoga and its genuine advantages, I improved my rest strategies and I had some well-deserved deep relaxation. This was all guided by every day aware Vinyasa Yoga and Guided Meditation lessons.
After experiencing yoga and meditation at its core, my rest was accompanied by a deep tissue therapeutic massage. To provide my intestine some relaxation from the stress it had skilled over the previous few months, I had a vegetarian based mostly food regimen at Kaliyoga – this stored me fuelled, glad and hungry for extra goodness. As if that isn’t sufficient, I additionally explored the breathtaking Alpujarra Mountains and the magical O Sel Ling Tibetan centre (examine half 2 of those weblog posts for extra info on my actions on the retreat!).
Overlooking the mountains, birds singing within the bushes or waking as much as the glistening pool surrounded by palm bushes, you expertise nature like by no means earlier than and in a various manner. Their lodging ranges all year long, for instance, they’ve four-poster, twin beds, or veranda cabins… Or tepee’s in the summertime (which sound superior!).
I stayed on this gorgeous cabin, outfitted with the necessities and little extra. The blossom embellished this cabin in an angelic manner, while the recent inexperienced grass injected the encompassing areas with vibrancy and freshness. I felt relaxed, at-home and completely settled. This was the right pit-stop for rest after yoga or for a mid-afternoon snooze. As I woke within the morning, the solar would grace my home windows and add a increase of heat to my room, it was dreamy and it was the easiest way to be woken up. Nevertheless, should you don’t wish to set your personal alarm, a member of employees can gently wake you up by the sound of chimes, these are lovely too!
different necessities, sizzling water bottle, torch, water glasses and jug (to be stuffed up on the filter faucet within the sitting room), incense and matches, clothes storage, home made cleaning soap, Kaliyoga postcards (which they may publish for you!), a blanket for yoga or snuggling, a welcome e-book which outlines all the things it is advisable know and rather more!
Sizzling water bottles are supplied so as to add heat and luxury to your room. Within the evenings, I might stroll again to my room with a sizzling water bottle and light-weight some incense, not solely is that this enjoyable, it provides a contact of tranquillity to your night room rest.
If you happen to’re wanting extra firm, evenings and meal instances could be fairly social. There’s a warming sitting room with cosy furnishings and a heat hearth. So whether or not you wish to curl up beside the fireplace or chat with pals on the couch’s, you’ve the selection. There’s additionally a meditation room with a bookshelf and incense burning, that is the right place to unwind. Don’t have a e-book to learn? Don’t fear, they’ve their very own bookshelf stocked with yoga, foodie and wellness reads… These could be borrowed all through the length of your keep.
Additionally, don’t neglect, the yoga room (the yogashala) is open for meditation and unbiased yoga should you require some private house away out of your lodging. The yogashala has its personal compost rest room outdoors as properly.
Or, if you wish to discover extra outdoor, you should utilize any of the next services: infra-red sauna – (this has probably the most superb view and that is the right place to look at the sundown), additionally they have a solar-heated swimming pool (the temperature is dependent upon the solar!) they usually have their very personal studying rainbow hammock!
The meals I ate over the length of my keep was macrobiotic ayurvedic fusion meals. Day-after-day, I used to be greeted with probably the most gorgeous array of brightly colored, freshly made dishes and I wished to dive headfirst into all the things on provide! Being a real foodie, I used to be completely in my aspect. From freshly pressed orange juice to regionally sourced roasted greens, to probably the most decadent vegan chocolate desserts; my style buds skilled true pleasure! (Writing that is making my mouth water on the thought!).
Macrobiotic ayurvedic meals is a manner of consuming, oriented round meals drawn from Zen Buddhism. The important thing idea of macrobiotics is to stability ‘yin and yang’ energies within the physique, to embrace this we had a vegetarian food regimen. The rules of the macrobiotic food regimen – scale back animal merchandise, eat regionally grown meals which can be in season, and eat meals moderately.
Being a lover of meat and fish, I surprisingly didn’t discover this tough. The meals didn’t lack flavour, it didn’t lack freshness and it was bursting with pure color and vitamins. After consuming this meals for 4 days, I discovered myself consuming larger parts, feeling lighter, having extra power, having improved pores and skin and hair situation and I additionally slept extremely properly.
Experiencing an entire new manner of consuming was thrilling, scrumptious and completely refreshing. I realised that you just don’t all the time want animal merchandise for added flavour and density, you possibly can substitute this with plant-based options and nonetheless get the identical, nice, flavour! All it requires is a bit experimentation and a few confidence, cooking isn’t scary, it’s an superior studying expertise.
“If you happen to don’t maintain your physique, the place else will you reside?”
– Kaliyoga cookbook quote.
Nothing is ever an excessive amount of for the employees at Kaliyoga, their scrumptious connoisseur vegetarian meals is catered to each particular person. With three primary meals a day and snacks in-between, you’ll by no means go hungry. Within the sitting room, there’s a enormous vibrant fruit bowl, bursting with regionally sourced fruit – an all you possibly can eat fruit bowl, totally free! It’s superb and positively makes you eat your 5-10 a day.
Their meals can be gluten-free, vegan and coeliac pleasant. Not solely have they got gifted and passionate cooks, additionally they have their very own in-house nutritionists readily available to offer data and experience relating to meals options. Not solely is that this retreat a real explosion of foodie flavour, it’s additionally a studying expertise. While having fun with your meals, you possibly can study concerning the delicacies and study concerning the true advantages of vegetarian meals.
Famend for its world-class vegetarian delicacies, Kaliyoga has produced their very personal cookbook. You may acquire data on the meals you’re consuming and you may also re-create the goodness at residence. Consuming vibrant meals has impressed me to experiment extra at residence. I couldn’t wait to seize myself a replica of the Kaliyoga cookbook and re-create these superb dishes at residence for my household.
By means of their ardour for meals and well being, they’ve created a e-book that’s lovely and fervour pushed. This cookbook will carry deliciousness to your kitchen and it’ll additionally make your bookshelf look gorgeous; this e-book is wealthy in data, color, inspiration and true ‘Kali love’.
“Take this chance to achieve confidence with uncooked or cooked vegetarian dishes, study diet, perceive your physique and its wants or just strive one thing totally different … that is a lot greater than only a cookbook” – Kaliyoga.
A easy define of the meals
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, overseas or within the UK. At Kaliyoga, their breakfast selections assorted every day and there was all the time an enormous selection to select from. Whether or not you wished home made granola or eggs and avocado, you bought to decide on your favourites and pattern a bit little bit of all the things. Alongside the staples at breakfast, there was additionally a range plant milks to select from, home made chia jam and spreads, recent fruit, home made bread/vegan possibility too, yoghurt, recent pressed juices and yummy home made smoothies.
Snacks had been accessible all through the day should you required them. Nevertheless, breakfast would positively set you up for the day! If you happen to did wanted a lift of power, recent fruit, path combine, recent tea and water had been all accessible everytime you wished them.
Lunchtime was a rainbow of vitamins! Once more, there was an enormous selection to select from and all the things was recent, scrumptious and 100% home made. Lunch could be buffet fashion, similar to breakfast. A wide range of salads and slices of bread/crackers had been accompanied by one thing heat – (soup, beans, tarts) and these got here with an array of dressings, roasted veggies and quite a lot of leafy sides.
Night meals had been a real vegetarian expertise! From warming courgette noodles to chickpea patties with juicy beetroot, the three-course meals had been spectacular and actually artistic. Experiencing a three-course meal of vegetarian goodness, allowed me to expertise vegetarian meals in a vibrant and various manner. Earlier than we had been seated, we acquired to strive some scrumptious home made mocktails and quite a lot of nibbles too! (Nuts and probably the most AMAZING marinated olives).
Whether or not you’re desirous to expertise yoga at its roots, eat a vibrant vegetarian food regimen, hike within the picturesque mountains or expertise unimaginable holistic therapies – Kaliyoga provide a bit little bit of one thing for everybody. Being open-minded about retreats is the easiest way to be, that manner you’ll acquire from the expertise and are available residence feeling refreshed and constructive. Each retreat I’ve ever skilled has been totally different, even when their ideas have been related. Exploring new areas of the globe and being surrounded by the mountains was refreshing and rejuvenating.
After this retreat, I wished to take the Kaliyoga inspiration and inject a few of it into my life and my dwelling house. I wish to carry extra color into my surrounding house and a few extra nature, I wish to experiment extra with my vegetarian dishes and I wish to experiment extra with my veggie choice. I wish to use incense as a ‘swap off’ level for my evenings and I wish to expertise nature and the outside extra. Waking as much as the mountains each morning gave me an enormous increase, it made me realise the significance of nature for a pure power useful resource and it made me realise the pure magnificence we’ve got on the finish of our fingertips.
Retreats are an expertise you’ll cherish! On a retreat, it’s possible you’ll expertise an entire host of feelings as you’re taken away from on a regular basis distractions and you’re dwelling within the current second. Retreats could be mentally and bodily therapeutic they usually will help you on the subsequent stage of your journey via life. Generally we have to cease, join with our emotions after which transfer ahead. We’ve to take away any blockages which can be in the way in which after which proceed on our pathway. Expertise a retreat at its fullest potential by enjoyable, switching off and having enjoyable. Bear in mind, a retreat is your ‘down time’… Embrace it and love your self for it.
In half 2 of this weblog publish, I’ll talk about my yoga expertise, my holistic remedy, my hike and my foodie workshops and cooking demonstrations. I had a good time collaborating within the actions and I used to be positively stored busy, in addition to enjoyable and resting. Keep tuned for extra thrilling adventures with Kaliyoga!
If you happen to’re wanting to flee actuality for a short time and submerge your self in rest, take my phrase for it and e-book your self onto a retreat. Alternatively, a retreat would make an exquisite reward for somebody so you possibly can buy a voucher for them right here – Kaliyoga retreats.
Need to keep updated with the Kaliyoga adventures or e-book a retreat? Use the next hyperlinks under for extra info…
I might like to thank the entire workforce at Kaliyoga for this life-changing expertise and all of the fantastic bloggers I travelled with. I met some unimaginable folks on this journey away and I’ll cherish these reminiscences without end. I’ve learnt rather a lot about myself and the significance of self-care and self-love.
Keep tuned for extra Kaliyoga weblog posts!
Have you ever ever been on a retreat? In that case, I might like to know what you learnt!
Jessica, x