Conde Naste Traveller magazine Top 10 Yoga Retreats in India

Building Your Daily Practice

Bamboo Yoga Retreat might bring to mind visions of a restorative, picturesque week away from the bustle of day-to-day life, and whilst restoration and nurture is part of the time spent at Bamboo, another part includes discipline and structure; waking up early to attend yoga or meditation sessions, and continuing the practice each day while away.

One of our recent guests, Ceylan, said that the routines she developed at Bamboo helped her to integrate a daily practice into her life when she returned home. We asked her to share her Bamboo experience, and offer some tips that she uses to keep up her practice at home.

Here is Ceylan’s Bamboo Experience:

My time at Bamboo was life-changing, not only for the rest and relaxation I had during week away, but the structure and routine of the twice daily classes helped me to incorporate what I learned into my everyday life when I returned home. Part of the joy of my holiday was knowing that I kept myself disciplined and dedicated by doing up to 4 hours a day of yoga or meditation each day.

When I’m at home, my yoga teachers always tell me that the key to enlightenment and a happy yogic life comes from having the discipline to continue a daily yoga practice. Bamboo Yoga Retreat allowed me to take the first steps of cultivating that discipline in a beautiful and nurturing environment, making it easier to continue when I got back to the daily grind.

Each morning, I was excited to wake up for my morning yoga session as I knew I would see a beautiful sandy beach and gorgeous sunrise. I looked forward to a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit and custom made juices, as well as time in the afternoon for contemplation, conversation or a quick swim. The evening sessions were equally appealing – meditating while watching dolphins jump in the ocean before a setting sun sounds almost too good to be true!

When I returned home, the foundation that I built at Bamboo made it easy to start a daily home practice. Here are a few tips that I use to maintain my daily home practice:

  • Start with just one asana – sometimes when I’m tired, I don’t feel like doing a whole sequence, but if I do just one pose or one sun salutation, it usually gives me the motivation to continue.
  • Don’t eat before practicing – this allows me to feel lighter and makes the practice easier.
  • Make it enjoyable – I often burn scented candles or listen to music that inspires me; this makes it a truly restorative time that I enjoy.
  • Get inspired from other people – if I don’t feel like practicing, I sometimes watch a clip on youtube or a yoga video from some of my favourite teachers (Kino MacGregor or XXX), and they keep me motivated to get on the mat.
  • Let go of judgement – I don’t beat myself up if I miss a day. Yoga is supposed to be fun, so I try to keep looking forward and if I miss a day, I simply let it go and move onto the next one and start again.

To find out more about yoga and meditation classes or yoga retreats and yoga holidays at Bamboo, please click here

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