Lessons from Goa

Tim 'easy rider' Feldmann and his yoga groupies

I have just returned from two weeks of study at the beautiful Purple Valley Yoga retreat in Goa. What an amazing trip!  My teachers were Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldmann, ably assisted by the amazing Santina Giardana-Chard and Erin Morris, who gave their all to provide the perfect environment to delve deeper into our understanding and appreciation of the Ashtanga practice.  As always on a yoga retreat, the lessons I have learned are far different from the ones I had imagined.  No matter how much I tell myself to practice non-attachment and try to let go of expectations when embarking on something like this, the ego is always in the background, saying 'Yeah, but it would be great if you could come back doing handstands and wrapping your leg round your neck.'  Of course, this was not to be, and the universe was quick to remind me of that when I broke my toe on day two.  However, after I dried my tears, strapped my toe up and got back on the mat, here are some of the things I learned instead:

1.  I need to be more patient, with myself and with others. There is a reason that Pattabhi Jois was fond of saying 'Practice and all is coming'.  When I was forced to take my time, listen to my body and try to put in the effort where I most needed to, I got so much further.

2. I quite like being a vegetarian.  After two weeks of amazing meat free, raw food, I feel great and am seriously considering how to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals into my weekly repertoire.  I snuck out to have fish a couple of times when I was feeling like my protein levels had dipped and I was low on energy, but I didn't miss meat and my body felt much lighter and happier as a result.

3. I may not be the bendiest, skinniest, most spiritual or most talented yogi out there, but I love my practice and want to commit more of my life to learning about all things yoga and passing that knowledge on to others.  I believe yoga opens up a whole new way of looking at ourselves and the world around us and feel very lucky to have this perspective shaping tool in my life.

Living the dream- headstands on the beach

4.  Ashtanga works.  My love/hate relationship with the practice continues and it was only on the final day of Mysore class that I felt my body beginning to open up and a little bit of light flooding in to the dark places inside me that don't work so well. This made me both happy and terrified - ashtanga yoga is an addictive thing, when you crack things open a little you are compelled to keep going for fear that they will shut right back up again the minute you stop. But...

5. ... For me there is still more than a little room for other types of yoga practice.  I believe that the body needs different things at different times, and sometimes you need to back off to work on a different aspect of your practice - physically and emotionally - to keep yourself healthy, balanced and on the right track.

6.  As one of life's natural sceptics I remain suspicious of 'alternative' medicine.  However, I like to try and keep an open mind and am always curious about such things, so I was first in the queue for an auyurvedic consultation.  I was told that I am Pitta Dosha, but that my Vatta was disturbed and recommended a week of massages and detoxing enemas to clear up my toxins and rebalance my body.  This sounded like an interesting experiment so I signed up immediately.  By the end of the week I was feeling pretty good, although I was unsure if this was the holiday, the food, the yoga, the treatment or all of the above.  I was still feeling sceptical until I stopped to read more about the typical Pitta person and it rang many bells with me.  I don't believe that Auyurveda is a cure all, but I am certainly now more of the persuasion that there is something in it that is worth exploring as part of the eternal quest for health and happiness.

7. India is the wonderful, mad, colourful place I hoped it would be.  Go with an open mind and an open heart and you will not leave disappointed.

8.   When you practice yoga you meet many crazy, mixed up people, and you very quickly realise that nobody is perfect. But you will be hard pressed to find human beings who are more generous in the way that they share all sides of themselves with you.  This trip reminded me that we are all multi-faceted creatures with different talents, flaws, imperfections, issues and personalities and we all have something to give that people can learn from when we stop to look for it.  I met some wonderful teachers and students from the four corners of the globe and I am extremely grateful for the inspirational time I spent with them.   Thank you to everyone who made the last two weeks so special.

Namaste xx

The gang in all their glory.