Goodbye Goa

The sun has set on my time in India and I'm back in the UK. My flip flops are now in the cupboard and it felt very strange to put on boots for my dog walk this morning.  As I wrote in last week's blog, the retreat was a wonderful experience - Anahata Retreat Centre was a beautiful place to stay and India was as fascinating, colourful and interesting as always. 

India can be a challenging place to visit (the India tourism tv ads slogan tells you to "expect the unexpected") but Goa is a good introduction, easing you in gently. It has a laid-back vibe and the people are friendly and welcoming. Goa has wonderful beaches and great weather - the temperature is consistently between 30 and 35 degrees C but there is a lovely breeze which means you never feel too hot. The holiday seasons runs from October to March, after which the monsoon rains set in and the tourist ends. 

After the retreat my friend Suzie and I travelled down to south Goa for a few days, where we relaxed on the beach drinking Strawberry and Mint lassis, reading our books and planning next year's trip to Goa. 

Post-yoga breakfast

curious visitors to the restaurant (they're calves - cows
are sacred and are allowed to roam about wherever they like)

Patnem Beach

Strawberry Lassi

Lassi is a traditional Indian drink made of yoghurt, fruit and ice - so basically it's a milkshake! It's often made with cardamom for a more savoury drink or mango for a sweet one. I especially liked the Strawberry ones so I thought I'd share the recipe with you. 

You will need:

• 400g ripe strawberries, hulled
• 240ml plain yoghurt - I used Greek yoghurt which made it really thick so I thinned it slightly with a little bit of milk
• 2 tsp sugar, or to taste - I decided not to use sugar but, when I tasted it, I felt it needed a little so I added just half a teaspoon
• ice cubes, to serve

How to make it:

Blend the strawberries, yoghurt and sugar if you are using it until frothy and smooth. Add some ice cubes to the blender for a quick pulse and then serve. 

On the beach I had a Strawberry and Mint lassi which was delicious so I'll add a big handful of chopped mint to the blender too next time. 

The Root Chakra - Muladhara

Last week I talked about the Heart Chakra, Anahata, because of the connection to Anahata Retreat Centre, but I really ought to start at the beginning with the first chakra, Muladhara. Also known as the Root chakra, this energy centre is located at the base of the spine and it is concerned with stability and security. When the Root chakra is unbalanced there is a tendency to be frantic, scattered and unfocussed. When this chakra is balanced however, there is calmness, clarity and a sense of being safe and comfortable with your place in this world. The Root chakra has a physical association with the legs and feet, the skeletal system, the bladder, kidneys and large intestine.

Meditation is a good way to balance the Root chakra. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, you can take your awareness down to your sitting bones - your connection with the earth. Feeling rooted and grounded at your base you feel stable and secure, able to cope with whatever life may bring you.  Standing poses such as Mountain Pose, Warrior II and Triangle Pose all require that sense of grounding down through the feet, and seated poses such as Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) and Supine Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) also encourage awareness of being in contact with, and connected to, the earth.

The Root chakra's mantra is Lam, it's colour is red, and it's symbol is shown in the picture below.

Upcoming Retreats

Although I won't be returning to India until next year, I will be running 3 weekend retreats in the UK this year. If you feel that a weekend immersed in yoga, enjoying beautiful surroundings, nourishing food and the company of other yogis is just what you need, then do come along and join the fun. You'll leave feeling revitalised and relaxed, and recommitted to your yoga practice, and your health and wellbeing. 

The dates and prices for these weekends are:

22nd to 24th April at Florence House, Seaford, East Sussex - £360 (2 places remaining)

10th-12th June at Tilton House, near Lewes, East Sussex - £335 (4 places remaining)

14th-16th October at Florence House, Seaford, East Sussex - £360 (5 places remaining) 

You can come on your own - it's a lovely way to meet people - or bring a friend too. Don't worry if your yoga is a bit rusty, you'll quickly get back into the groove but please note that these weekends aren't suitable for complete beginners. 

If you'd like some more information please contact me a hi@thriveyoga.co.uk and I'll send you details of what to expect and some more photos of our previous weekends. 

Feeling on top of the world at Firle Beacon
 at the Tilton House retreat

Relaxing in the garden at Tilton House

The yurt where we do our yoga

Finally, a lovely video for you of the most beautiful flamenco dancing - definitely rooted and grounded, the dancers are strong, sure and believe in themselves . The video is by Iron & Wine whose album was, coincidentally, being played one evening at Anahata. Synchronicity :-)