Feel lighter, Move more easily,
Think more clearly, Improve your digestion,
Feel stronger and happier in yourself.
Spring Cleanse - Stroud Monastery
3.00pm Sat 20/9 to 2.00pm Friday 26/9
Early Bird Single Room - $1750
"The retreat provides a nurtured space for you to journey within. The teachers gently lead you to look deeply through the practices and their wisdom, love & support. The participants completed the circle with their love & support. Perfect ingredients for a banquet of growth and potential." Taking time out once a year during the transition season of Spring to cleanse your body, clear the mind and recharge is a proactive way to support and maintain your health and wellbeing.
It's like a service or maintenance contract to make sure you keep running smoothly. When you do everything works better and feels easier. "I feel totally rejuvenated and back on track with my yoga practice." It’s no different to cleaning your house. If you don’t get out the cloths and broom on a regular basis everything starts to feel gritty and sticky, and you start tripping over piles of stuff because the garbage hasn't been taken. One person recently described it as the sludge that builds up in the pipes under the sink or the washing machine hoses. No matter how well you clean on a day-to-day basis it’s simply what happens over time. Your body is exactly the same, if you are feeling a bit stiffer, moving less easily, have gained a little bit, or a lot, of extra weight, or bowels feel sluggish or stuck, or your digestion has lost its mojo, or maybe your skin looks tired, your mind seems more cluttered, and cravings and addictions feel stronger...then it's time to schedule a cleanse because there is 'sludge' in your pipes. Over time you may come to think of these states as normal and begin to accept them as a permanent part of your life. You start to believe that there is nothing you can do to change this ongoing decline. But you can! It may be that your body, and specifically your digestive system is being taxed by poor eating habits like; overeating, difficult to digest food combinations, eating late and irregularly, as well as the stress of thinking and doing too much, all of which compromise the body's ability to heal. The good news is that the key to optimum health is looking after your gut. Not only does a healthy gut help shift those chronic physical ailments, it also improves your mental health because of the direct relationship between gut bacteria and the brain. The connection is clear, good digestion and a healthy gut are core to your physical and mental wellbeing. Ayurveda and Yoga know this, and have done for thousands of years, which is why this Cleanse Retreat is based on the principles and practices of both these time honoured traditions. Practices that focus specifically on cleansing, resting, restoring and maintaining gut health. Within the Yoga tradition the Shatkarmas are cleansing practices used to regularly clean and rest the entire digestive system. When you clean and rest your gut, you give your whole body-mind a rest too. You feel lighter, move more freely, think more clearly, wake refreshed, and have more energy. It’s equivalent to giving your digestion some annual leave and you know how good you feel after a holiday. The Ayurveda tradition supports gut health with principles and practices that strengthen the digestion process such as regular meals at times that digestion is strongest and using fresh, whole, seasonal ingredients combined to digest easily. The pre and post-cleanse diet are based on these Ayurvedic principles to maximise the long-term benefits of the practice. Combine these with simply taking time out to step off the wheel and come into a space where you don't have to do anything or think about anything and you create the context for healing to occur. "I had no more energy to give my life and no amount of money could be paid to create what you have created and how I feel. It's priceless." Practice Options
The morning yoga class on the 2nd morning of the retreat is based on a Hatha Yoga cleansing practice known as the Shatkarmas. The practice involves drinking warm salted water before completing a specific sequence of yoga asanas (postures) and then repeating the 'round' . The number of rounds you do will depend upon your level of experience and any relevant health issues. 
Pre-requisites & Contra-indications
Teaching Team:
Each member of the teaching team is an experienced yoga teacher in the Satyananda tradition, and has both participated in, and supported a number of Master Cleanse retreats: 
"I could not speak more highly of the teachers. Rishi Hridayananda – began teaching yoga in the early 1960’s and has practiced and taught the Hatha Yoga cleansing practices known as the Shatkarmas for 50 years both in Australia and India. She is the author of the book Shatkarmas - The Cleansing Practices of Hatha Yoga.
Sangita - is also a gifted music teacher whose speciality is bringing participants together through the practices of chanting and kirtan. Sangita also loves sharing yoga and meditation for people living with cancer, as this has been part of her own journey, and has ultimately been the catalyst for positive change and personal growth in her life. Janaki Matar– is also an artist and lives on the far south coast of NSW. She has a passion for the Hatha yoga cleanse practices, growing/cooking/sharing food, and living in a down-to-earth connected way amongst Nature and community. She aims to share a holistic and creative approach to daily life through the uplifting practices and teachings of Yoga. Lalita – lives and teaches in Canberra and is devoted to deepening and evolving through her own yoga, mindfulness and meditation practice and brings everything that she has learnt and continues to learn to support the wellbeing of her yoga students. Tika - Vidyashakti's beautiful daughter will be part of our seva team on this retreat. Bringing her own beautiful energy and her beautiful mamma's. Girishaa – is also an Ayurveda practitioner and supports women to live more consciously using ancient wisdom and practical tools to help them navigate the shifts and changes in life so they can reconnect with themselves and their dreams. |
The Venue - Stroud Monastery: Built by hand in the early 1980’s by volunteers and members of the Franciscan community, our time in this charming mud brick complex feels like a warm hug. "Such a wonderful, spiritual, cocooning energy" The Franciscan values of inclusivity, simplicity, peace, hope and healing are ever-present in this tranquil bush setting providing the perfect space to pause, reflect and reconnect. Located on the edge of the historic village of Stroud in the Hunter Valley, the Old Monastery it is about 90 minutes north-west of Newcastle (not far from the village of Dungog). Some of the features of the complex include a purpose-built (yoga) practice space, a beautiful mud-brick chapel, a deliciously cozy community library/lounge area with a combustion fire-place and lots of space to pause and reflect. Watch this video to learn more about the Old Monastery. Accommodation The privacy of a Single Room is normally a rarity or an expensive option on most retreats. One of the things we love about the Monastery is that everyone can have a single room. Something we feel is important for the longer stay of 6 days and the deeper work of cleansing. Although the private rooms are simple and slightly rustic in keeping with the monastery origins, they are very well maintained and charming. Each one has an external door opening into the natural bush setting and the energy of the mud brick walls and floor is very special. All bathroom facilities are shared. Linen Hire - $15 or BYO sheets & towels (pillow and doonas/blankets provided) BYO yoga mat and supports. This should include whatever you need to sit comfortably and stay warm. It's a good idea to bring 2 blankets, one to hop under and another to put on the mat for extra warmth when lying on the floor for 30 mins during Yoga Nidra. A bolster and small pillows for under the knees are also popular ways to support the body when sitting. *** If you know you are easily disturbed please bring ear plugs.
Retreat Structure & Content:
Understanding the Shatkarmas
The Shatkarmas (meaning 6 actions), have been kept alive over the centuries passing from teacher to disciple. Recognised for providing a deep cleansing action on all levels of our being; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, the process is an exact science and cannot be learned at home or from a book. The guidance of an accomplished teacher is therefore essential to provide over-sight and care both during the practice and for the following week, and to access the full potential of these amazingly restorative practices. It is very rare to find the full shatkarma practice taught here in Australia, and even rarer to find it taught in conjunction with Ayurvedic principles. Rishi Hridayananda is one of the foremost masters of the shatkarmas and has been living and teaching these practices in Australia and India for 50 years. Her 'salt water' parties at Mangrove Yoga Ashram were famous and we are extremely fortunate that she continues to share her wealth of knowledge. More information: If you would like to find out more about the cleansing practices, the following references are provided. You can also contact us for more information or advice.
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