Learn Yoga | Hot Yoga, Meditation & Detox Retreats
Hot Yoga Retreats with Jen and Jaime
First Retreat in 2012: Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th February
Can following a series of postures (or asanas) really change your life for the better? Can it really restore health and vitality? Can it really affect your consciousness?
Come and experience the answer for yourself with Energy Therapy, which has just launched its series of uniquely powerful Yoga, Meditation and Detox weekend retreats at the delightful space of Witherdens Hall in Wingham, Kent.
We want to remind you that your body is an extension of Non-Physical source energy and contains incredible wisdom within every cell. The fascinating thing about human beings is that we can live in our bodies but feel completely disconnected from them. We often aren't aware of our breathing, and we aren't aware of the various levels of tension and tightness we hold in various parts of our bodies until we become energetically depleted and ill.
Yoga is very much a life-long journey, helping to unfold one's consciousness whilst restoring vitality at every level. However, YOU have to start the process. You have to begin somewhere... and we can think of no better place to start than a beautifully nurturing environment, with two dedicated teachers of the Light.
Jen and Jaime's yoga retreats are ideal for beginners up to intermediate level and each class follows a similar format whether it is your first class or you have been practising for many years. The focus is not about achieving a perfect posture, but exploring your body safely within your own limits for improved health and Well-Being.
Even if you don't think you are flexible, or strong enough, with a little time and patience you will be amazed how quickly your flexibility, strength and balance can improve. In fact, the heated room provides a safe environment to do this, much more so than a cold room, where the body is liable to injury.
Places are limited to just 14 students, which means a maximum of 7 students per teacher. That means you can receive plenty of attention and good instruction to help you improve, no matter where you are.
If you are thinking of joining us, why wait? First come, first served... Come and learn why yoga is about what you do off the mat, just as much as it is what you do on it!
Dates and cost
The first yoga weekend in 2012 is scheduled to run from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th February 2012.
Cost for the weekend is £350 for the three and a half days' tuition, including lunch and dinner, but not accomodation. Students can book their accomodation directly with Witherdens Hall. There is one double room, and a twin room on site, and plenty of excellent accommodation within a short walk/drive (details sent out on booking). Early booking advised!
A deposit of £150 is required by 9th January, with £200 balance required by 31st January 2012. Direct bank transfer preferred, otherwise a 3.5% fee will be added to cover credit card costs. Please email jaime for the bank details you need to complete a direct transfer.
On this page you will find commonly asked questions, and further information on the Absolute Hot Series that Jen and Jaime teach.
Commonly Asked Questions
What will the weekend be like? What will I learn?
Thursday evening: 7-9pm
Meet and greet. Interactive group discussion: "View of the body as a decaying machine versus a rejuvenating, energy-filled body", plus "How to connect the Physical Aspect of Self with the Non Physical through the practice of Yoga Asanas." There will be some time spent sensing auras and chakras.
Friday through Sunday
Hot Yoga classes in the mornings, review of the benefits and key actions of various Asanas in the afternoon, Yin Yang Yoga classes in the early evenings, sound-based meditations and satsang after dinner. Full vegetarian lunch and dinner provided each day.
What sort of food is provided?
How long is the class?
Each class is 90 minutes.
What about dehydration?
You should drink plenty of water before and after class, and take small sips of water to stay hydrated during class. You should avoid eating directly before class, as this may cause you to feel nauseous, and it is recommended that you only eat light foods about 3 hours before class.
What should I bring with me, and wear to class?
- For the hot classes women usually wear sports top and bottoms, and men can wear just shorts. T-shirts or vest tops are optional. For the evening classes you may want to wear loose trousers or leggings and either a tank top or long-sleeved top.
- A bottle of water (preferably 1 litre)
- 2 large towels (1 for class and 1 for showering afterwards)
- A light blanket for yin classes/evening meditations
Should I bring a yoga mat?
Yoga mats are provided for free but, of course, you may bring your ownHow hot is the Hot Yoga room?
The practice room is heated to between 38 and 41 degrees for all hot classes.
Why learn yoga?
Jaime and Jen are passionate about sharing their deeper understanding of "why yoga works" to improve both mind and body to all those who are interested in learning more.
The body is a dynamic, self-repairing organism. It is not as subject to decay and degeneration as most people believe. Many of us start losing mobility in our twenties, especially with today's sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, but regular yoga practise increases mobility and flexibility over time, counteracting the adverse effects of aging. Each posture/asana is specifically designed to stretch, strengthen and tone every single nerve, muscle and tissue of the entire body and, more critically, massage and nourish the internal organs of the body with fresh, oxygenated blood. This can help prevent routine aches and pains that Western society has attributed to getting older!
At its simplest level, yoga improves oxygenation of your cells by helping you to breathe more fully, and with more awareness. Have you ever noticed that common stresses and tensions cause you to hold your breath? A big sigh is often your way of letting go of that tension. Yoga asanas help you create more space in your body, increase blood circulation and help drain toxins out through the lymph, which is also why it is important to keep hydrated before and after class. Various postures also help expel stagnant waste sitting in the colon, which is a leading cause of impaired vitality, ill health and disease.
If practicing Hot Yoga, the heat increases flexibility to allow students to safely get deeper into the postures, making these classes extremely effective. The heat also provides each student with a cardiovascular workout which promotes detoxification and helps with weight loss (approximately 600 to 1000 calories per class!).
Your body wants to move and stretch! It wants to find its natural rhythm again, but years of negative habits often mean the body is achy and stiff, and out of balance - far more than it needs to be. Jaime and Jen's goal is to help you restore fitness, vitality and well being, whilst instilling a sense of calm, focus and equilibrium.
What if I'm unfit?
Whatever your fitness level, you will most likely find yoga both challenging and rewarding, which explains why so many people come back time and again. The postures (called "asanas") combine strength, flexibility and balance to give you a total body workout and, as with other forms of cardiovascular exercise, regular practice will also aid weight loss and regulate your metabolism.
Jen and Jaime's yoga retreats are suitable for all levels, ages and body types, and help develop mental and physical states of Well-Being for any student, regardless of age or ability.
What if I have a severe injury?
Whilst yoga is designed for all levels of fitness, if you have special medical conditions or injuries, please consult your doctor, osteopath, physiotherapist, or whoever is treating you; please inform your teacher before taking your first class, so they can help you with posture modifications.
How can I practise yoga safely?
You should begin to listen to your body. Explore poses within your body's limits, without overstretching. It is normal to feel a little discomfort due to the intensity of the stretching that naturally occurs whilst practising but discomfort doesn't mean pain. Try to do the pose as correctly as you can. Never compromise your alignment for a deeper stretch or "looking good". With correct alignment, your posture will improve over time. Yoga is not a competition, so don't compare yourself with the person on the mat next to you, or in front of you. You don't know how long they've practiced yoga or what their physical background is. Practice for yourself.
What are the benefits of Yoga?
Yoga...
- Provides you with a total body workout
- Helps alleviate many types of pain
- Improves physical strength and stamina
- Improves flexibility, and thus posture
- Reduces back pain
- Reduces the stiffening of joints
- Boosts energy levels
- Detoxifies/cleanses the digestive system
- Relieves tension and stress held in the body
- Calms the mind
About Jen and Jaime
Jaime was guided onto the spiritual path from a young age through his practice of raja yoga and martial arts as well as being a voracious reader of numerous spiritual texts that highlighted the unity of body, mind and spirit. After over twenty years of practising martial arts, Jaime began seriously exploring yoga in 2009, when Jen invited him to try out a "Hot Bikram Yoga" class nearby. Since then, they have both gone on to explore Yin Yang, Kundalini and Jivamukti, to develop their persona yoga practice and deepen their awareness of how yoga can help transform consciousness. Recently, Jen and Jaime recently qualified as Hot Yoga Instructors and brought the well-known and widely practiced "Absolute Hot Yoga Series" back with them from Asia. They are both Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructors.
Why Learn the ABSOLUTE HOT YOGA series?
Absolute Yoga is a high energy, invigorating series of yoga asanas (poses) that promote strength, flexibility, balance and well-being. During class, your body will benefit from the heat (the room is usually heated to 38-41C) which allows you to work more deeply and safely into the postures whilst simultaneously detoxifying the body.
Absolute Yoga evolved from the BIKRAM HOT YOGA series, contains a wider variety of poses, and includes a dynamic flow sequence.
A deposit of £150 is required by 30th December, with £200 balance required by 31st January 2012. Direct bank transfer preferred, otherwise a 3.5% fee will be added to cover credit card costs. Please email jaime for the bank details you need to complete a direct transfer.
There are 6 essential principles of Absolute Hot Yoga:
- The Heat
- The heat allows you to stretch deeply, increases your heart rate (for improved cardiovascular health), and promotes heavy sweating to detoxify and cleanse the body.
- The Breath
- The breath is key to unifying body and mind. By allowing the breath to flow through in a balanced, relaxed way, we can stretch and strengthen the body whilst keeping the mind calm and relieving the daily scourge of modern day stress. Breathing deeply in class will bring more awareness to your yoga practice and also help you deal more effectively with any challenges that you dealing with in your daily life.
- Stretch and Strengthen
- Many forms of physical exercise leave the body strong in one area (over developed) but stiff and weak in others (under developed). Absolute Hot Yoga is powerful because it helps to stretch and strengthen the entire body, creating balance and harmony inside and out.
- Relax and Release
- Absolute Hot Yoga is challenging and invigorating but there is a natural balance between working hard during each asana, or pose, and relaxing and releasing after each asana. This is a reflective principle of greater forces at work, called Yin and Yang in oriental philosophy. These essential moments of rest and relaxation give the body and mind an opportunity to recover and heal itself from the inside out. Absolute Hot Yoga is a great way to restore health and vitality.
- Grow in Spirit
- Much more important than how our postures look is how they make us feel. Ultimately, the most important reason to practice Absolute Hot Yoga is to grow in Spirit. By learning to let go, through the breath, your body will open and your mind will expand, leaving you feeling uplifted and empowered.
- The Dialogue
- The Absolute Hot Yoga series was designed to powerfully propel you along your yoga path through its dialogue led class. Contained in the dialogue are key alignment tips to help guide you in perfecting each asana. Each time you come, your awareness will grow, and you will hear new things, even if the dialogue is broadly the same each time.
What poses will I learn?
Integration postures: Child's pose / Cat Cow / Downward Facing Dog / Rag Doll
These postures allow you to come into your practice by focusing on your body and your breath. It shifts your mind away from the outside world to the inner world of your being, from distraction to direction.
Standing postures: Half Moon / Standing Backward Bend & Hands to Feet / Awkward / Prayer Twist
These postures invigorate your mind and body, lend strength and mobility to the hips, knees, neck, spine and shoulders; they utilise large muscle groups and warm the body at the start of your practice. These standing postures demand total involvement from your whole body, teaching you about firm grounding. In life, without a steady foundation, you will never be able to extend to reach your maximum.
Balancing postures: Eagle / Standing Head to Knee / Standing Bow / Balancing Stick / Tree & Toe
Balancing postures improve memory and concentration by engaging your whole mind and body. They teach you to stabilise your legs and gain a greater sense of balance and poise. Balance is the essence of any yoga practice: push/pull, open/close, expand/contract, inhale/exhale and so forth.
Separate Leg & Inversion postures: Separate Leg Stretch / Triangle / Side Angle Stretch / Extended Triangle / Twisting Triangle / Separate Leg Head to Knee
Inversions change the force of gravity and can help improve youthfulness in the body. They ease back pain by relieving stress on the spine and neck, and they help promote healthy digestion and elimination. Separate Leg postures create a powerful integration of leg strength and fluidity of the hips.
Seated postures: Seated staff / Seated Forward Fold / Half Hero Stretch / Head to Knee / Sage and Twisting Sage / Boat
Seated postures tone the abdominal organs, and calm the nervous system. They counter the ill effects of stress. Being fully supported by the floor allows you to explore how to let go and yield to a posture, rather than forcing or straining, focusing more on developing your flexibility than strength. They are considered to be calming, as they soothe the nerves and are energetically grounding.
Backbends & Spine Strengthening: Cobra / Locust / Bow / Pigeon / Sleeping Hero
Backbends counter the forward bending that dominates the day for most of us - sitting, driving, housework, and especially working at a desk. They invigorate our central axis of support, the spinal column, and strengthen weak back muscles. In addition, they tone the internal organs and glands, stimulate brain function, improve circulation, and refresh tired legs.
Kneeling postures: Half Tortoise / Camel / Rabbit
Kneeling postures are similar to seated postures as the body is supported by the floor. From a kneeling position we can extend, compress, and round our spine to our maximum range with far less risk of injury.
Reclining postures: Wind Relieving / Supine Twist / Savasana
Reclining postures serve to calm and ground the body. The reclined twist gently stretches the abdomen and increases the mobility of the spine and hips. They are generally done at the end of your practice and help to cool down the body and restore energy.
A deposit of £150 is required by 30th December, with £200 balance required by 31st January 2012. Direct bank transfer preferred, otherwise a 3.5% fee will be added to cover credit card costs. Please email jaime for the bank details you need to complete a direct transfer.