in a nutshell ….

Early Saturday morning and our preparations are well underway.   The days before each workshop are spent preparing; doing our own personal yoga practice, Gretchen & I talk about possible class sequences, Harley & I prepare menus and ingredients, Waratah & I tidy the house & studio, Harley & mates the farm & gardens. Gretchen enjoys the school holidays with her kids! It’s a great example of family teamwork.  I am very proud  and so appreciative of this great support to do these workshops. Hmmm.. Is that a baby bump Waratah?

Harley & Waratah  in the kitchen, garden ingredients harvested early morning.

Tasteing the green smoothie, we’ve perfected a summer green smoothie over the month, it’s a silky smooth & light green delight, alternatively guests are offered our own fresh oranges juiced with passionfruit.

During the warm ups Gretchen & I can observe how people are doing.  Why some have sore shoulders, others get headaches, backaches, kneeaches. These observations influence the way we teach the class.

Our final ‘Salute to Summer’ was a Pranyama workshop.

Balancing asanas to focus the mind.

Powerful supported asana to open the side ribs & intercostal muscles

Shoulder work & twists

Inversions beginning with Uttanasana,  Adho Mukha Svanasana, 

 Moving towards Sirsasana 

Supported Sarvangasana

Maha Mudra was the asana to complete the morning session.

For me a walk in nature is perfect to assimilate the practice.

It’s hot! We have Jaboticaba & honey iceblocks to take to the dam. A cooling swim was the order of this very hot humid day.

Lunch Menu: Ingredients from our garden: Cos lettuce, baby beetroots, carrots, garlic & spring onions, silver beet, young corn, zucchini blossoms, lemons & limes, coriander, thyme, parsley, tarragon. Locally sourced ingredients: Macadamia nuts, bantam eggs, buffolo cheeses, olive oil.

A Yoga Siesta after lunch comprises of supine asana that encourage good digestion, I usually play beautiful yoga chants a this time,  but on this day the skies opened to a very noisy thunderstorm, rain falling loudly on the tin roof of our yoga studio that really kept our thoughts here and now for 45minutes.

Gradually as the rain eased & the ‘yoga siesta’ worked it’s magic, the feeling of relaxation was in the room.  Pranayama became the intention of the sequencing of asana, now taken to increase the awareness of the breath, for Ujjayi Pranyama & sitting to say ‘Namaste’.

 Some sweetness at the end of the day. Chai and Cocao cake.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who came as our guests to any or all of these all day Saturday workshops.  They are our pleasure to share with our dear friends and newcomers.  We hope to continue these seasonal holiday workshops at Yarrahapinni Yoga Studio.  COME AGAIN!