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Retreat at a Glance
Dates: June 30 to July 6, 2012
Retreat Length: 7 Days, 6 Nights
Location: The Sanctuary Thailand
on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand.
Accommodation: Inclusive in the rate are female dorm and male private rooms (limited availability). Garden suites and a wide selection of private bungalows and stilted houses with ocean and garden views can be booked directly through The Sanctuary Thailand here.
Book by: April 15th, 2012
Price Per Person: $900.00
Retreat
Includes: Retreat program, breakfast and dinner vegetarian meals, filtered water, daily steam pass, snorkling and island boat tour with lunch, resort social and orientation, dorm accommodation on a space available basis. *Discounts will not be given when dorms fill up!
Does Not Include: flight, travel insurance, private accommodation, Private yoga lessons with Sati or Caroline, most afternoon meals, spa treatments or additional services.
Only
days to reserve your place on this retreat ...
Join Sati and Caroline in Thailand on the off-the-beaten-track jungle paradise island of Koh Phangan for a 7-day Ashtanga Yoga Retreat that explores the philosophy and practice of balancing masculine and feminine energy within the traditions of Yoga, Buddhism and the Ashtanga Vinyasa asana system.
Tentative Retreat Schedule
Subject to change…like everything
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Arrival Day & Settle In
1:00 PM Orientation & Welcome
3:00 PM Mysore Group 1
5:00 PM Mysore Group 2
7:00 PM Dinner
8:30 PM Meditation/Pranayama/Sound Healing/Special Event
Basic Schedule July 1-5, 2012
*Note exceptions below
7:00 AM Meditation and Pranayama
7:30 AM Mysore
9:30 AM Breakfast
11:15 AM Philosophy Studies/Discussion
Afternoon Open
6:00 PM Steam
7:00 PM Dinner
8:30 PM Meditation/Pranayama/Sound Healing/Special Event/Evening Check-in
Tuesday MOON DAY July 3, 2012
8:00 AM Meditation/Pranayama
9:30 AM Breakfast
*12:00 - 6:00 PM Island boat tour and snorkeling tour (lunch included)
6:00 PM Steam
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Movie Screening
Friday, July 6, 2012
7:00 AM Meditation and Pranayama
7:30 AM Mysore
9:30 AM Breakfast
11:15 AM Philosophy Studies
1:15 PM Closing Circle
*There is Friday night party at a neighboring location if you choose to stay an extra night and dance the night away!
The private cove of The Sanctuary Thailand, the location of our retreat.
Ashtanga Yoga Instructor
Shannon Rose Chmelar (Sati) teaches the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system and the philosophical traditions of Samkhya, Vedanta, and Mahayana Buddhism. She is also a writer, massage therapist, and multi-media performance artist. Sati teaches in the United States, Europe, and Asia and will soon be based in Kathmandu, Nepal. In all of her work, she strives to illuminate how ancient wisdom teachings may help us overcome our daily struggles and cultivate a more compassionate existence. To learn more about Sati, see her complete bio. You can also visit her website: www.satiyogini.com
Caroline is a Yoga instructor and singer from New York City. She first came in contact with the art and science of Yoga in 1995 when a voice teacher recommended she study the breath through Yoga. Thus began a love affair. Since 1995, Caroline has studied many styles of Yoga—Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Iyengar, Kundalini and Tantra—and finally committed herself to the Ashtanga system. To learn more about Caroline, see her complete bio. You can also visit her website: www.carolinemcmahon.com
Ashtanga Yoga Instructor
Held at The Sanctuary Thailand, the retreat setting is that of a conscious community nestled between an isolated beach cove and dense jungle. This internationally renowned and highly regarded detox and health center offers a unique, laid-back atmosphere in which to delve deeper into your studies. Please be aware that The Sanctuary Thailand is not a traditional luxury resort, but rather, a soulful and inspired place that embraces nature in it’s formula for healing and spiritual exploration. You are certainly guaranteed to meet some of the most interesting people of your life at this island hippie hideaway and be transformed in the process. You can view more images of the retreat center here. Or view their flickr album here.
BRING NON-RETREAT GUESTS!
Please feel free to bring partners, friends and family members with you who are not participating in the retreat. Our arrangement with The Sanctuary Thailand allows you to book your over-night accommodation directly through the retreat center with non-retreat participants. Our schedule allows you to spend your open afternoons together to share a meal and explore the magic of the island. Your guests may also choose to partake in one of The Sanctuary Thailand’s many yoga and meditation classes or one of their detox programs while you are in retreat with us.
Our daily classes will be held in the stunning astrologically designed Prana Pyramid Hall shown above.
We have pre-booked the Zorba Dwelling Dorm rooms (shown above) for our retreat participants (only) and encourage you to sleep there if possible to help deepen the connections that will be established in our retreat community over the course of the week. The 14 bed main dorm is reserved for our female students and we have a few reserved private rooms for couples and male students. There is no AC in the dorm rooms. Please note that this is included in the retreat price and is offered on a first come, first serve basis. All other accommodation options must be booked directly through The Sanctuary Thailand. No discounts will be given on the retreat price once the Zorba Dwellings fill up or if you choose other accommodations. * Please let us know on your registration form if you are requesting a dorm space!
The Sanctuary Thailand offers a plethora of traditional Thai thatch style accommodation choices ranging from $40.00 - $180.00 a night that you can reserve online. Choose from a simple bungalow, a large stilted house with ocean views and a private deck or one of the brand new garden view suites with air-conditioning. Please visit their website here to pre-book your stay. We recommend doing this as soon as possible. All prices are quoted in Thai Bhat so you will need to do currency conversion.
Open to practitioners of the first or second series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, this retreat will have daily mysore, meditation and pranayama classes as well as lectures and discussions on various related philosophical topics. The retreat also includes fresh vegetarian meals, a daily steam pass and an island boat tour and snorkeling trip. Retreat participants have the afternoons free to rest and contemplate, receive spa treatments, join a fun class at the “Tea Temple” or explore the island with loved ones or other retreat participants. There are a range of activities including jungle trekking, elephant rides, ziplining, boat excursions and kayaking.
A NOTE ABOUT MEALS
To give students the option of sampling from the diverse menu that is offered at Sanctuary Thailand and explore the island during the afternoons as well as offer the option to eat with loved ones who are not attending the retreat, we have not included lunch in our retreat package with the exception of our excursion day. All other meals are included in your retreat package.
GETTING TO KOH PHANGAN & THE SANCTUARY
The Sanctuary is located on a small, beautiful tropical island called Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand, a sister island to Koh Samui. This island is far less touristy and developed than Koh Samui. You fly directly to the island of Koh Samui from Bangkok and from there take a short boat ride to Koh Phangan. Sanctuary is nestled into the corner of Haad Tien Bay and is most easily accessed via Haad Rin Town – either by car or by boat. To get here by boat from Haad Rin Town, locate the taxi boat drivers at the port. They can bring you to The Sanctuary, which is a short 15 min journey. More info travel and visa information here.
By Plane:
The most direct way to get to Koh Phangan is to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui Island with Bangkok Air. Thai Air also flies to Koh Samui so check out their offers too. Note that Bangkok Air has a very flexible ‘change your ticket’ policy and they have 20 flights a day to and from the islands.
PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES
THE RETREAT CENTER
Our philosophical studies will explore how the masculine and feminine principles are defined and understood in the traditions of Yoga, Tantra and Tibetan Buddhism. We will explore the various methods of investigating and balancing these energies that aid in our pursuit of greater well-being and final enlightenment. We will consider how these dual energies are specifically addressed within the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system and how we can deal with them in our practice on the mat.
OUR TEACHING APPROACH
We are devoted to giving each student focused, loving attention and seek to co-create a sacred space where students can explore their vulnerabilities and celebrate their breakthroughs during their time with us. We try to be available to our students outside of the formal teaching sessions to answer any questions or offer guidance. We believe that spiritual study and practice is not a luxury but a necessity and view teaching as part of our spiritual practice. Our teaching style, while individually is very different, is cemented in the profound love and respect we have for each other and our students. You can check out videos of our previous retreats on the Vasudhaiva YouTube Channel here. Bring an open heart and let the journey begin!
THE ZORBA DWELLINGS
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS AT SANCTUARY
