This winter journey with us to the highlands of Guatemala and let
the long winter months of darkness drift away as you play along the
shores of Lake Atitlan, “the most beautiful lake in the world” , as
quoted by novelist Aldous Huxley when he visited Guatemala. An ideal
setting to reflect, heal and rejuvenate. The climate is warm during the
day and cool at night. It’s the “closest thing to Eden on Earth”
(Lonely Planet).
Our days will be filled with yoga and the
opportunity to rest or play (with your choice of hiking, swimming,
kayaking, massage). 
Mornings
will begin with a group meditation and pranayama session followed by
your choice of an ashtanga mixed-level session or a beginner’s level
session that will leave you feeling enriched and re-energized.
And
after a day of exploring and enjoying the amenities of Villa Sumaya or
exploring local Mayan villages, we will meet once again to practice a
slower and more restorative asana and kundalini set that leaves our
muscles relaxed, our hearts open and our minds and bodies ready for a
healing and restful night.
This retreat is open to
all levels. Akasha will guide you through various practices giving you
the opportunity to experience being present thus opening you to the
benefits yoga has to offer each of us.
Akasha became a
student of the renowned master teacher of Kundalini yoga, Yogi Bhajan,
at the age of 11. In his twenties, while living and working in India,
Akasha began studying Ashtanga yoga with Pattabhi Joi’s nephew,
Vishwanath. Akasha has been leading yoga classes around the country and
in India for over twenty years. As Akasha believes “a teacher must
teach what they know”, this retreat will reflect his personal approach
and will include the traditions of Kundalini and classical Ashtanga for
a heart-centered class that will leave the student toned, stretched,
centered and open, from the inside out. To learn more about this
retreat email contact@birminghamyoga.com
We
will have plenty of time to play, relax and enjoy our surroundings. The
center features a hot tub, watsu, sauna, a spa to receive a massage,
places to hike, a beautiful lake to swim and kayak and villages to
explore for a nice day trip.
Scheduled Activities: This is a tentative schedule. All sessions are optional.
Morning:
6:00-7:00 tea, water and fruit
7:00-8:00am Morning sadhana (pranayama and meditation/chanting)
8:00-9:30am led mixed level ashtanga vinayasa session.
10:00-11:30am led beginner level ashtanga Vinyasa session.
Afternoon:
12:00-1:00pm Lunch
1:00-5:00pm free time
Evening:
5:00-6:30pm kundalini, pranayama and meditation session
6:30-7:30pm Dinner
9:00-9:30
meditation.
We
will also schedule at least one half day and full day excursion. We
will have the opportunity to visit some of the local villages in the
area. There are 16 villages only accessible by boat.
All of our
activities are optional. You can always choose to relax, swim, have a
massage or read a novel at the retreat center.
Price includes:
Lodging for 8 days and 7 nights.
3 Gourmet Vegetarian meals a day (fresh fish or chicken is avl upon request at an additional charge)
All Yoga classes with Akasha
Unlimited tea and coffee service
Filtered water
Our retreat begins on Saturday Feb 20th with dinner and ends Saturday Feb. 27th mid morning after breakfast.
Passports are required for travel to Guatemala from the US. A visa is not required.