Yoga | Vision Board | Gong Bath – East London Holistic Christmas Retreat

As we near the end of the year, it can bring about lots of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Tiredness may have kicked in. You may have asked yourself where has 2019 gone? Have I achieved what I wanted this year? What does next year have in store? When was the last time I took some time for myself?

With a hop, step and jump away from Christmas, and 2020 just around the corner, is now the time to take that well earned time out for yourself?

Angela and Benita welcome and invite you to a multi-dimensional day retreat in East London to shake off 2019, land in the present and expand visions and intentions for 2020.

Four packed hours to transport you on a whirlwind journey of relaxing the body, creatively working the heart and mind to bring to life your deepest dreams and visions, and an extra special deep relaxation which will have you saying ‘why didn’t I do this sooner!’

We plan to make the retreat relaxing and fun, with sensory experiences throughout from tasty refreshments and nibbles, music, scents of heaven to breathe in and special gifts.

We will be hosting the event at the lovely canalside – Boathouse Creative Studios, and we will provide all the extra touches to make sure you are well looked after and your retreat experience is one to remember!

FAQs

What is the Schedule of the day? 

09.45 – 10.00 Arrival and registration (15 minutes)

10.00 – 10.45 Yoga (45 minutes)

10.45 – 11.00 Relax and Hydrate (15 minutes)

11.00 – 12.15 Vision Board (with snacks) (1 hour 15 minutes)

12.15 – 12.30 Relax and hydrate (15 minutes)

12.30 – 13.30 Gong Bath (1 hour)

13:30 – 13:45 Close (15 minutes)

What to expect?

– an energetic, whole body yoga movement session to get your body and mind relaxed, led by Benita

– creativity and fun as we delve into our dreams and desires through creating our 2020 visionboard, led by Angela

– a deeply powerful gong bath experience as you lay on the floor and feel the vibrations of the gong, led by Benita

Tell me more about the Yoga, Vision Board session and gong bath?

– Yoga – The slow flow yoga class will be an invitation to explore and connect with your body through gentle movements and awareness of the breath. This experience will bring you to a present moment, to where you are, without judgements or comments. It will help to bring the mind into a neutral space between effort and ease where you tap into your intuition, desires, your inner-knowing.

– Vision Board – A Vision Board is a collection/collage of images/words that represent your deepest goals, dreams and visions. It serves as a great visual reminder of what you truly want and to motivate you to take action, and with the intention to serve as inspiration and motivation for 2020 and beyond.

Think health, career, home, fun, family, travel, love…

• Where do you want to be in 2020?
• What do you want your life to look like?
• How do you want to feel?
• Which area/s of your life are you ready to bring into alignment with your true self?

In this session you will learn how to create your own unique Vision Board. Reading a magazine will never feel the same again as you work your way through visual ‘magazine’ cues of your goals, dreams, visions and desires.  Using the simple technique of scissors, glue and stick to bring laser focus to your visual board, you will walk away with your 2020 masterpiece!

 – Gong Bath – With the vision you have created, you will be guided on a personal sound journey. Gong Bath is a submersion in the ocean of sound. All you do is lye comfortably on a mat and close your eyes. Gong Player will create the soundtrack and you submerge in the deep ocean of sound, your mind, body and soul is bathed with the tones of the Gong and other healing instruments. The aim is to go into a deep state of relaxation, taking you to a space of non-ego or neutrality, a space of bliss where the body’s natural healing process begins.

What is provided?     

All equipment will be provided for all activities (see the next two points for additional items which you are welcome to bring along)

What do I bring?

Feel free to bring along water to stay hydrated.  For the vision board session, we will provide magazines but feel free to bring any old magazines lying around and any photographs (of loved ones) or postcards, inspirational/aspirational images which you would like to add to your vision board.

Will food be provided?

We will keep you hydrated with refreshing drinks throughout the retreat and healthy, light snacks will also be available (welcome to bring your favourite snacks to share). If you have any specific dietry requests then please do let us know in advance.

What do I wear?

Dress comfortable for movement and sitting, and layer up.  As we will engage in different activities you may wish to add or remove layers, so come prepared!

How do I get to the venue?

This spacious and quiet studio by the Roding River is only 10min walk from Barking Station. Parking is also available for those driving. Please let us know if you need a code for the parking gate. If you’re not familiar with the area you may want to check the directions.

What happens after the retreat?

You’ll walk way relaxed and energised, seeing out 2019 lighter and more focused having planted a seed of 2020 visions and intentions, and leaving behind dead weight which no longer serves your pathway ahead. Take away  with you your 2020 visionboard, a special Christmas gift If you would like to relax for a while after the retreat, with new made friends, feel free to use the lovely Boathouse Café just opposite the studio.

Photographs on the day

We would love to take photos on the day for our 2020 retreats. If you would not like your photo taken then please do let us know by email or on arrival, on the day.

Refunds and cancellation policy

You may cancel your booking up to 21 days before the start of the event, in which case we will refund the amount you’ve paid, less the online fees. If you cancel within 21 days of the start of the event there will be no refund.

If you have any other questions which have not been covered then do feel free to email us and we will be happy to help.

With only 16 tickets available, tickets are selling fast so be sure to book your ticket/s early.

See you on the 1st Dec!

Angela and Benita

A great introduction to vinyasa yoga for completely new students. In this course we take an in-depth look at some fundamental yoga poses (asanas) and are introduced to pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation.

This course also helps you develop the physical fitness and you learn useful hints and tips to take on to any other physical activity.

I will lead you through this course to deepen your awareness of the connection of the body and mind, to recognize how you can support your goals in life through the yoga practice, while developing fitness, flexibility and peace of mind.

Course will start on 3rd of February and finish on 9th of March, Monday 8.15pm – 9.15pm.

Venue: The Boathouse in Barking, 62-76 Abbey Rd, Barking IG11 7BT (parking available)

For further directions to The Boathouse click here.

Cost £55* for the course.

You are welcome to bring your own mat, otherwise we keep spare ones in the studio. Other yoga props will be provided.

Please contact me on benita@benita-yoga.com or Facebook: Benita-Yoga for more details.

*non-refundable, non-transferable

Join us for a Winter GONG BATH in Barking on Wednesday 5th of February, 20:15 – 21:15.

The temperature of your body may drop during the session so please bring a blanket and cushion to stay warm and comfortable. We keep some mats, blankets, cushions, bolsters and eye pillows at the Boathouse, they will be given on first come, first served basis.

Cost – £12* (Gong Bath only) or £20 (Yoga + Gong Bath)

*non-refundable, non-transferable

The Boathouse
62-76 Abbey Road,
Barking, IG11 7BT
For further directions to The Boathouse click here. Parking available.

Don’t predict anything that can happen in the gong bath, please bring an open mind with no expectations. This is an adventure. Just relax and drift off where the sound takes you 🙂

What to expect in Gong Bath?
You simply submerge in the sounds, in the ocean of sounds. All you do is lie comfortably on a mat, close your eyes and slow your breath. Just like during the relaxation after our Yoga class. You prepare yourself to become the receiver of sound. In the place of stillness you become more open and aware of each sound that comes in. Then I create the soundtrack… Your mind, body and soul is bathed with the tones of the Gongs and other instruments. The aim is to go into a deep state of relaxation, taking you to a space of neutrality, a space of bliss where the body’s natural healing process begins… It’s all about opening the passage of energy flow throughout the body to make you healthy and happy.
When you awaken, you are ready to come back to the outer world, revived, calm and full of energy.

What’s behind this technology of sound vibrations?
Sound has been used in various cultures for thousands of years to move us from a place of imbalance to a place of balance. The sound vibrations, based on scientific research help return your body to a natural state of harmony. Sound helps to facilitate shifts in our brainwave state. Our fluctuating brainwaves are synchronised by providing a stable frequency which the brainwave can attune to. By using rhythm and frequency it becomes possible to down-shift our normal beta state (normal waking consciousness) to alpha (relaxed consciousness), and even reach theta (meditative state) and delta (sleep; where internal healing can occur). We experience this brainwave balancing to clear the mind, release stress from the nervous system and allow us to feel a deeper inner sense of peace, balance and vitality.

Last opportunity this year to start or deepen your meditation practice. I know it can be difficult to do it on your own but hopefully with this foundational meditation course we can approach meditation in a clear and practical way. We will cover the key areas which form the basis of a meditation practice.

We will explore them over the 4 weeks, as well as begin or deepen our ‘at home’ meditation practice. Each session includes meditation practice and related teachings to the practice. I will be sharing my experiences with you and you’ll have an opportunity to share yours if you wish in a safe and supportive environment. You will be encouraged to practice meditation between sessions so each next week you come to the course prepared and with more of your own experience that you may want to discuss if you wish.

We’ll be meeting on Saturday 9am – 9.45am (just before morning yoga class) on: 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of February.

Venue: The Boathouse in Barking, 62-76 Abbey Rd, Barking IG11 7BT (parking available)

For further directions to The Boathouse click here.

Cost £35* for the course.

You are welcome to bring your own mat, cushions or blankets (anything that allows you to sit comfortably on the mat) otherwise we keep spare ones in the studio.

Please contact me if you need more details.

*non-refundable, non-transferable

-would you like to begin your regular yoga practice but don’t know where to start?

-have you attended some yoga classes and not sure ‘you’re doing it right’?

-want to learn how to modify the pose for your specific needs?

-would like to continue the exploration of yoga poses (asanas), pranayamas (breathing techniques)?

-or maybe you need to slow down your current yoga practice, pause to listen to your body and breath more, revisit the foundations of yoga?

This course may be for you 🙂

I will lead you through this course to deepen your awareness of the connection of the body and mind, to recognize how you can support your goals in life through the yoga practice, while developing strength, stability, mobility and peace of mind. Plus some useful hints and tips to take on to any other daily activities.

Course will start on 12th of February and finish on 18th of March, Wednesday 8.15pm – 9.15pm.

Venue: The Boathouse in Barking, 62-76 Abbey Rd, Barking IG11 7BT (parking available)

For further directions to The Boathouse click here.

Cost £55* for the course.

You are welcome to bring your own mat, otherwise we keep spare ones in the studio. Other yoga props will be provided.

Please contact me on benita@benita-yoga.com or Facebook: Benita-Yoga for more details.

*non-refundable, non-transferable