Just the balm I needed!
This is the second year I've made it to the Queen Elizabeth Yoga Camp weekend. It sells out quickly so we signed up as soon as the notice came out in April.
I shared a no-frills cabin with Liz and Denise, just a short walk to the outhouse and water station, with just a few more steps to the Big Camp. Chris was there too, bunking in a cabin with Campbell.
Delicious meals appeared without having to think about their preparation or clean-up. What a treat! As was sharing the table with friends.
There were so many different activities offered: yoga, qigong, hikes, meditation, rustic spa, massage, crafts, open waterfront. It was often hard to choose.
Each morning I enjoyed qigong with the morning sunrise, followed by guided meditation on the rocks. I have been reading Thich Nhat Hanh on the topic of inter-being, so in seated meditation with my eyes softly focused I could wonder at how the rocks gracefully submerged under the water, the reflection of clouds above. A wonderful becoming.
I also relaxed with candlelight yoga, gentle yoga, yin yoga for neck and shoulders. I even fit in a short vigorous practice before a massage.
Even though it was mid-September the days were hot. Breezes were cool. The lake was the perfect temperature for swimming.
This is the first time I tried a "rustic spa" sauna. Fun! Slather warm oatmeal all over your body, smear olive oil and brown sugar on your lips and let it all dry. Then you need two buckets: one steel bucket to put rocks hot from a fire and the second for a bucket of water. Gather at least four friends and huddle yourselves underneath a tarp. Add water to the rocks - and presto - rustic sauna! Sweat until you've had enough and then jump into lake to remove the oatmeal and feed the fish.
The craft this year was making holiday ornaments. Everything was supplied and all the wood was sliced and ready to go, just waiting for embellishment. Little momentos of a summer's day, set aside for the winter ahead.
I shared a no-frills cabin with Liz and Denise, just a short walk to the outhouse and water station, with just a few more steps to the Big Camp. Chris was there too, bunking in a cabin with Campbell.
Delicious meals appeared without having to think about their preparation or clean-up. What a treat! As was sharing the table with friends.
There were so many different activities offered: yoga, qigong, hikes, meditation, rustic spa, massage, crafts, open waterfront. It was often hard to choose.
Each morning I enjoyed qigong with the morning sunrise, followed by guided meditation on the rocks. I have been reading Thich Nhat Hanh on the topic of inter-being, so in seated meditation with my eyes softly focused I could wonder at how the rocks gracefully submerged under the water, the reflection of clouds above. A wonderful becoming.
I also relaxed with candlelight yoga, gentle yoga, yin yoga for neck and shoulders. I even fit in a short vigorous practice before a massage.
Even though it was mid-September the days were hot. Breezes were cool. The lake was the perfect temperature for swimming.
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| Rustic sauna |
The craft this year was making holiday ornaments. Everything was supplied and all the wood was sliced and ready to go, just waiting for embellishment. Little momentos of a summer's day, set aside for the winter ahead.
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