Doing yoga every day, twice a day, and having all your meals made for you is a dream. Doing yoga every day, twice a day in the mountains with a small group of lovely people and the wisdom of a wise teacher, was a waking dream - a dream that continued with open eyes.
The Dharma Mountains in Norway were our host. Rocky greys, snowy whites and tall green trees enveloped us. Over our seven days, winter left and spring crashed into the peace. The icy lake melted, the buds on the trees popped and insects and wildlife awoke. A red squirrel and two magpies danced and fought and flew through the trees outside our studio, and all our yoga paused.
There are many sayings about busyness. If you want something done ask a busy person. Those who are wise won't be too busy and those are too busy can't be wise. Beware the barreness of a busy life... There are not too many sayings about stopping.
And sometimes, you don't realise you are too busy until you stop. I have to apologise to my fellow yogis. For the first three or four days, I could only manage the yoga and the eating, and the rest of my time was spent sleeping. I could not stay awake. The yoga rested my bones and out of my muscles and pores poured whatever had been holding me up. I thought it was the affect of the mountain air. I know the yoga helped. I know not doing helped.
We had one trip out of our retreat, to Kistefos, a sculpture park. This was the first day I stayed awake, happily.
With a fire pit, breathing and story telling, with so much yoga practice in skillful hands, with sleeping and eating well, a breakthrough on the final day for me - a handstand, a long-(upside down) standing dream of mine.
Here is the skillful teacher, Monica Voss, talking about her yoga beginnings and her times with Vanda Scaravelli (from about 10 minutes in). And if you would like a taste of this yoga, here is Tama Soble, Monica's colleague, teaching a lovely class for you.
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