Kundalini Yoga Retreat at Spa Eastman
Have you ever thought about joining a yoga retreat? We were recently invited to experience the Sisters of the Moon women’s retreat at Spa Eastman situated in the heart of Eastern Townships. While offering a wonderful view of Mount Orford, Spa Eastman is the ideal venue for a health immersion to focus on self-renewal and wellness.
Over the course of this 3-day retreat coached by Nicole Richard, we explored both individually and collectively what our femininity means through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, and meditation. Kundalini Yoga is accessible to everyone and no requirements are needed prior trying this discipline.
Kundalini refers to a form of primal energy (also named shakti) said to be located at the base of the spine. Kundalini awakenings may happen through a variety of methods such as meditation, pranayama breathing, and the chanting of mantras. During our workshops, Nicole guided us with exercises and theoretical learning while respecting the rhythm of each person.
Early in the morning before the sunrise, we started our day with one hour and half of Sadhana which is a daily spiritual practice designed to allow oneself to turn inward. This spiritual practice is not related to a specific religion but simply a way to connect you to you. The Sadhana could include a mantra meditation, a yogic asana practice, the reading of a spiritual text, and much more. Nicole proposed us to follow a Sadhana designed with a series of Pranayama to focus on breathing, a series of Kriya Yoga to keep the body in shape, and a series of meditation for vitality. At the beginning, it was a bit challenging to keep the posture and to focus on deep breathing but it becomes easier as we progress in the practice.
With all those benefits for the body why was this Kundalini Yoga retreat exclusively reserved for women? In fact, Kundalini Yoga shares a wide range of specialized meditations and kriya for women to care for themselves and to become self empowered. We had the opportunity to try a couple of these exercises during the workshops and now we can continue to do it on our own at home. If you are curious about trying Kundalini Yoga, please visit Nicole’s Facebook page for more info, upcoming workshops, and online classes.
During our free time, we had access to the nordic baths which are a perfect complement to a day of yoga workshops. The heat helps to detoxify and to relieve mental fatigue, muscle tension and stress. While the cold, helps to decrease the body temperature, strength the immune system, and improve blood circulation.
Among the indoor facilities, the Igloo shower and the two Kneipp baths for arms and legs were our favorites. What we like the most about the Igloo shower was the delicate smell of the fine mist of essential oils. Also, if you have heavy and tired legs, we recommend you to try the Kneipp bath for the legs. It soothes the legs instantly!
We could not spend 3 days at Spa Eastman without talking about our food experience! Where should we start? First of all, let us tell you that having a vegan diet could be challenging when it comes to eating out! Fortunately, Spa Eastman’s restaurant features vegan dishes on their menu in addition to cook gluten free and dairy free culinary pleasures.
Under the name of Tonic Cuisine, Spa Eastman’s restaurant offers a unique culinary experience, colorful, and tasty. The principles of Tonic Cuisine are based on mostly organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, local and seasonal ingredients. Moreover, meat, poultry and fish are cooked at low temperature with particular attention. We hope that it opens your appetite and we invite you to consult Spa Eastman event calendar for the upcoming retreats.
