CREATING SATTVA - A 5 NIGHT AYURVEDIC & KUNDALINI YOGA RETREAT IN THE HILLS OF ANDALUSIA
Tierra Cosmica, Monda, Spain
Friday 3rd May to Wednesday 8th May 2024
From £925 PP
Enquire Now
Overview
Join us in the warm, Andalusian sun for 5 days of deep rest, nourishment, movement and safe, nurturing community. This women only retreat will be infused with feminine energy, support, care and healing as we learn how to become more Sattvic in our every day lives. From each yoga practice, to the lovingly prepared plant-based meals and every activity in between, you will be held and encouraged amongst like-hearted women. Experience simple ways to increase your energy, balance your emotions and embody a state of calm and relaxation - these will form the building blocks as you return to life after our time together.
Creating Sattva
“Sattva, being pure, is illuminating and free from misery’
-The Bhagavad Gita
In Ayurveda there are said to be three main energies that affect our mind and bodies:
Sattva - the state of contentment and calm;
Rajas - the state of reactivity and excitability; and
Tamas - the dull, slow and stagnant state
We can all identify with these states and will have experienced each, brought on by our food and lifestyle choices in our daily lives. Sattva literally means “true essence”. It represents qualities like strength of character, wisdom and brilliance! When we want to be healed on every level of our being, this desire is realised through sattvic awareness. It is an understanding of truth and humility that we are ready to improve the whole self. During our five days together, we will step into a place of pure sattva. Through our food, yoga and meditation practices, relaxation time and time spent in nature we will experience the pure joy available to us when we cultivate the energy of sattva. Our 5 days together at the magical Tierra Cosmica will be a truly grounding, nourishing and cleansing experience, offering opportunities abound to learn new ways of living. At the end of our time together my greatest wish is that you experience the signs of a sattvic mind & body:
An ability to concentrate, as well as calmly shift your attention
Self-confidence
Sound sleep
Healthy cravings
Sustained energy
Emotional stability
What to Expect
As the days lengthen in the late Spring, we will enjoy lots of life giving sunshine. Days will follow the Ayurvedic principles of Dinacharya - daily routine - and consist of morning yoga, long table, feast style brunch, optional walks into the village or in the mountains, afternoons by the pool reading or taking a Yoga Nidra, or having an Ayurvedic massage, early, light dinners and evening yoga and meditation.
Our days will start in The Temple as we gather to experience the power of Kundalini Yoga. We will follow this with a delicious brunch and you are then free to take a walk into Monda or into the surrounding mountains before it gets too warm, or simply enjoy a gentle afternoon of sun worshiping, reading or even taking a Yoga Nidra in a shady spot under a tree. There are many wonderful, quiet spots around Tierra Cosmica where you will be able to find some solitude for journalling or simply gazing out across the landscape. An early dinner will be followed by our evening yoga practice and early bed! Sleep is one of the greatest cultivators of Sattva in our lives.
You will be served up foods which cultivate sattva - fresh, seasonal, lovingly prepared, simple and nourishing. Whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables will be the staples of our delicious meal times. Benjamin & Anne Marie who founded Tierra Cosmica, began their retreat journey with their stunning catering company, La Pachamama Organic Kitchen & Garden. With over 15 years of experience in retreat cuisine and with a cookbook to their names, they take pride and joy in creating delicious, nourishing, plant-based food that feeds the mind, body & soul. They use 100% organic whole food ingredients; produce that comes straight from the beautiful vegetable garden and fruit orchard at Tierra Cosmica, as well as from local organic farmers. Visit Pachamamaorganic on Instagram to whet your appetite!
This late Spring retreat will give you lots of space to deeply relax, re-charge and nourish the body, mind & soul. You do not need to have any yoga experience to gain a huge amount from our practices together. I, and my co-teacher Bogi, work predominantly with the women’s teachings from Kundalini Yoga - designed to help us reach our full potential as the most creative creatures on this planet! We use Kriya (a sequence of postures designed to create a specific effect in the body, specifically the glandular system), pranayama (breath) and meditation to help us elevate our divine creative energy source and become more graceful in our everyday life and interactions. Read more below if you are new to Kundalini Yoga.
Having run many of these retreats now, I know that ‘less is more’. In the early days I used to over schedule talks and workshops in a bid to ensure people felt they were getting value for money. It has taken me years to fully understand that time is actually our most valuable resource. So, I offer you space and time and the opportunity to explore the offerings we will put on for you. You can do as much or as little as you desire. I will always have some ideas of optional things you might like to try. I also offer you my time and will always be available for a chat or embrace. I quite often find that little ‘talks’ and mini workshops naturally evolve around the meal table and I will be led by the group energy at the time as to what we might most need to delve deeper in to. The women hosting this retreat with me come with their own set of incredible skills and huge, open hearts. They too will be on hand for anything you might need. Between us, we have all the bases covered! It is also my experience that the women who come on these retreats bring their own wonderful life experience and one of my greatest joys on retreat is to witness women holding space for one another as they develop bonds with their fellow retreaters.
Our Retreat Venue - Tierra Cosmica, Monda, Spain
"Hidden in the lush mountains behind marbella, a new place has emerged. a sanctuary for growth & transformation, surrounded by beauty"
A magical space nestled into the stunning Andalusian countryside, Tierra Cosmica looks out on a lush valley with small fincas and fruit orchards scattered around, flanked by hills dotted with cork oaks & pines. The green landscape of the valley is formed by the presence of life giving water that has attracted small farmers since ancient times. This special venue offers a truly peaceful space to reconnect with yourself.
Tierra Cosmica has been lovingly restored by its owners Benjamin & Anne Marie to create a special place where the human soul can flower through retreat & ritual. The Temple at the heart of Tierra Cosmica invites you to connect to Spirit through yoga, breath work, mantra, music and circle time with other women. Read what this beautiful venue has to offer:
A totally secluded, restorative retreat space, nestled into the ancient farmlands around Monda
Temple studio space fitted with sound system, underfloor heating, fire place, air conditioning & divine energy!
A stunning, spring fed saltwater plunge pool gifting us the perfect place to cool down on warmer days, with a jet for swimming against the stream if you wish
Lots of shady, quiet areas for rest & contemplation, either alone or with others
6 simply, yet beautifully decorated rooms, comprising twins and triples. Viscoelastic mattresses with pocket springs, gel memory foam and breathable bamboo fibre ensure a restful nights’ sleep
2 shared shower rooms with WC, Shower & vanity unit, cleaned daily
Small kitchen with a self-service tea & coffee bar, fridge and water filter
Beautiful dining area where inside meets outside. Protected from the elements, this garden room has lovely lighting, natural stone & lots of greenery
Wifi (though you will be encouraged to unplug as much as possible)
A short walk to the picturesque mountain town of Monda. The village is set in the Sierra de las Nieves biosphere, a beautiful mountainous area with many streams & forests, a lesser-known side of Andalucia. Monda offers small shops and a few nice restaurants.
40 mins from Malaga Airport
Cost:
Your investment is:
£925pp for Triple or Twin Occupancy top floor (lower ceilings) ** SOLD OUT
£1025pp for Twin Occupancy ground floor ** SOLD OUT
A non refundable deposit of £250pp* is required upon booking to reserve your place. Balance due 6 weeks before we commune. * If you do need to cancel I will do my best to fill the space and can then refund your deposit.
Please email me separately if you would like to set up a payment plan for a monthly payment between October - April, this is absolutely no problem. If you intend to come with a friend and share a twin or triple room, please state this (with both names) on the deposit payment form so I can ensure you are placed together.
Secure your place now with a £250 deposit (refundable upon cancellation as long as the space can be filled)
What’s Included
5 nights in twin/triple accommodation as per your booking
Cacao Ceremony
x4 Twice daily yoga sessions where we will explore Kundalini Yoga, breath work, movement, meditation, yoga Nidra and sound therapy. One session on arrival evening. Note none on departure day.
Delicious, full board, plant based menu prepared freshly every day using locally sourced, organic ingredients. We will have a large brunch and dinner format. Please note there is no alcohol on this retreat.
Teas, elixirs & fruit
x1 Ayurvedic Massage
Free E-book for an Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse ahead of our retreat
What’s Not Included
Travel to and from venue: depending on your departure airport the following airports are all options for coming to Tierra Cosmica: Malaga, Seville, Gibraltar and Jerez. Malaga operates the most frequent flights from the most UK airports and is by far the closest. If we have multiple guests flying into the same airport then transfers can be arranged for you once we know flight times. Typically they are between €30-60 per person each way from Malaga. We will group people together to keep them to a minimum. You're also welcome to rent a car as there is some parking on the property. Again, once we know flight times and locations we can put people in touch to car share. Please bear in mind when looking at flight times that access to the villa is from 4.00pm on Friday 3rd and departure time on Thursday 8th before 10am. You will be added to a Whats App group upon booking to arrange transfers etc.
Additional activities you may choose to arrange
Travel insurance and Personal Injury insurance (for outside of our activities together)
Kundalini Yoga
Our daily practices will be brought to you by myself and Bogi Fekete
Bogi and met 5 years ago on our Kundalini Yoga Level 1 Teacher training and have remained friends ever since. Bogi’s Sadhana was always one of my favourite as she brings such magic and joy to her teachings. I can’t wait to hold sacred space with her in May.
We work closely with the Women’s teachings from Kundalini Yoga.
A Woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretence and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and herself only - Maya Angelou
Deep fulfilment for a woman comes from attuning to her relationship with her soul and nurturing her physical, mental and emotional health. From this space, she radiates from within and externalised concepts such beauty & success become more insignificant as she grows more powerful through her connection with herself. As we enter the new Age of Aquarius, which is ushering in a new level of consciousness on Earth, it has never been more important for women to step into positive self-empowerment with courage, caliber, creativity and prosperity and take a stand to help uplift the consciousness of all on our planet.
In our time together we will use the Kundalini teachings for Women to learn about, and harness, our Shakti - our feminine power or energy force. This power resides within us all, but is often untapped as we unconsciously navigate the stress and strain of modern life. This subtle energy force can manifest in many different ways and once she is awakened she can literally empower any practice, project or task. That’s when spiritual and creative growth accelerate exponentially. And that’s why learning to tune into your own Shakti is so life-changing.
The purpose of Kundalini Yoga is to provide a modality by which people can achieve their maximum creative potential, free themselves from Karma (the lasting effects of past actions) and realise their life purpose - Pauline Drossart, Shakti School
To understand how Kundalini works, imagine you have a coiled snake in your spine. The Sanskrit word Kundal means “circular”. It can also be a noun for a coiled snake. The feminine kundali means a ring, bracelet or coil of rope. This concept was adopted as Kundalini into Hatha yoga in the 15th Century and by the 16th century it was used in the Yoga Upanishads.
These days Kundalini Yoga is a synthesis of many traditions and the Kriyas (sequence of postures designed to create a specific effect), meditations, breath work and mantras in Kundalini yoga are designed to raise complete body awareness to prepare the body, nervous system and mind to handle the energy of Kundalini Rising. Many of the physical postures are designed to activate the navel, spine and focal points of pressurisation on meridians. Through breath work and the application of yogic locks (Bandhas), the release, direction and control of the flow of Kundalini energy is achieved. The mantras are particularly helpful for women as we chant and open our throat chakras - many women suffer from blockages in this area resulting in difficulty speaking our truth and even physical issues with our thyroid and parathyroid.
The practice of Kundalini Yoga arouses the sleeping Kundalini Shakti from it’s coiled base through the six chakras that reside along the spine, and through the seventh chakra, or crown. Chakras are wheels or hubs of energy, through which energy or Prana travels like a superhighway to distribute energy throughout the body.
You do not need any prior yogic practice or knowledge to benefit from Kundalini yoga. It can be quite physical, but there are always adaptions we can make.
What Others Say About The Sacred Space Retreats
“From the moment we arrived on retreat we felt a warm welcome from Mai. The week was so well thought out and everything had been taken into consideration from the destination, the delicious food to the well planned daily activities.
I loved the fact you could do as much or as little as you wanted, I took the plunge and tried everything with it being my very first retreat and I have to say the new experiences did not disappoint!
My favourite day consisted of waking up to the smell of hot apples and pears cooking on the stove in the warm and inviting kitchen, venturing over to the tipi tent where Mai delivered an amazing yoga class which left me feeling truly liberated.
As we stepped back into the warm, cosy cottage our large kitchen table was set with the most delicious and wholesome cooked breakfast. The fire was lit and the lovely group of ladies I shared this experience with gathered to enjoy the breakfast and each other’s company.
In the afternoon we drove 10 minutes to a beautiful, peaceful loch where I experienced another first, cold water swimming! Initially I felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement but with Mai’s warm, gentle guidance we were led hand in hand into the freezing loch. Mai was constantly coaching us to breathe and follow her lead. This was a truly amazing experience and one I will never forget!
Early evening, we enjoyed a full body massage with the fire lit and gentle music playing. The massage was delightful and relaxed me into a restful night’s sleep.
The whole trip is a memory I will cherish forever and the beautiful souls I met contributed to this being one of the best experiences of my older years. Thank you, Mai, for making this all possible.”
-A Cook November 2022 Scotland Retreat
Secure your place now with £250 deposit (refundable if place can be filled)