Balance July 2018 - 64

N AV I G AT I O N S L U G

EN-CHANTING GOA
New techniques
and surprising self
discoveries

JIVAMUKTI YOGA
"Practised to support the
retreat's theme, each session
begins with a call-and-response
Sanskrit mantra. Durga Devi -
who opened the Jivamukti
Centre in London two decades
ago and now teaches at Triyoga
- inspires with her inclusive vibe
and powerful voice. It soon
becomes a favourite part of the
day - grounding and uplifting at
the same time. There's kirtan,
too (longer group chants), a
practice rowing in popularity.
Given the sense of connection,
it's easy to see why."
The surroundings
implore you to relax
and find your voice

BREATHWORK

UNLEASH YOUR INNER VOICE
We're staying at Kaju Varo, a beautiful
modern eco-resort, hidden in an
oasis of vegetation 10 minutes' walk
from Ashvem beach. Lucy runs
several retreats per year, each with a
different theme. "Finding Your Voice
is about using your vocals to sing or
communicate," she explains. "But it's
about much more than that.
"In a wider sense, it's reconnecting
with that authentic inner voice, taking
time to reconnect with you." Over
the next eight days the programme of
twice-daily yoga, plus a wide range of
treatments and therapies, from massage
and breathwork sessions to gong baths,
is designed with this goal in mind.

MY KIRTAN CALL
So did I find my voice? More than
anything a retreat of this type gives
you the chance to step away from
the busyness of everyday life and to

64

check in with yourself. Having sung,
chanted, tried yoga, breathwork and
many new treatments, I develop a new
understanding of the power of the voice.
Before I leave I brave a private singing
lesson with Andrea, and while my tone
may not have improved, I find myself
skipping around the room belting out
Hallelujah without a care in the world.
Since being back in London I've been
to kirtan and sometimes chant at home
(not sure what my flatmates think).
I love the upbeat mood it induces.
So here's to raising our voices - and
boosting our health and wellbeing. B
Check out forthcoming Chaya Yoga
Retreats, from magnificent stately
homes in the English countryside to
magical settings across the world,
at chayayogaretreats.com

BA LA N CE July 2018

AYURVEDA
"India is the birthplace of
Ayurveda, a holistic healing
system which originated over
3,000 years ago. Based on a
belief that mind and body are
inextricably connected, there
are three mind-body types (or
'dosha'); kapha, pitta, vata. Each
is made up of a combination of
the five basic elements (space,
air, fire, water and earth), and
everyone has a dominant dosha
Ayurveda aims to balance."

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

and we're soon harmonising (sort
of). Immediately, I find the benefits
of singing are real; it's uplifting, fun,
empowering and strangely emotional.

"Singing and yoga are intricately
connected to breath. Being
taught to breathe may seem like
an odd concept, but Nicola
Price, founder of Inspirational
Breathing, provides breath
pattern analysis and a staggering
percentage of people are not
accessing their full potential. We
learn to belly breathe, letting the
diaphragm move down naturally
- a simple but effective
technique for tapping into the
parasympathetic nervous system
and aiding relaxation."
http://www.chayayogaretreats.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance July 2018
