Music Yoga Camp!

Back to Beau Soleil Island in Georgian Bay, to Queen Elizabeth Y Camp, this time with music added to the yoga mix. Very rejuvenating. Every day it was sunny and the skies were blue. A bit cool, but that didn’t stop some from jumping in the lake while I enjoyed the view from the rocks.

I had driven up on my own and met Liz, Anita and Chris at the camp. Over the next few days we would share meals and create some happy memories. One of the highlights was a smudging, kindly offered to us by Sonia, one of the volunteer yoga teachers. She disclosed that although not native herself, she had studied with an elder. The ceremony was held outside in the afternoon sun and seemed a fitting way to celebrate and strengthen bonds between us, and to the island, honouring the four directions and elements.

Every morning started with qigong and meditation on the rocks, right next to the lake, and hearing the birds and seeing the ripples from fish on the surface of the water. I would show up in my pajamas with my meditation cushion and loved every moment. Feeling the chi inside myself and sensing its embrace all around me. I’ve taken some of the gentle movements back into my home practice.

Saturday morning there was a hike and we paused on our way to enjoy the pink lady slippers that were in bloom. Ed, who was leading the hike, also called out to some of the warblers in the area, using a recording of male bird-song to draw the defenders of territory into our view. We heard the tree frogs and saw a toad. Dragonflies and other bugs weren’t very numerous this year, with the speculation being that cooler temperatures were delaying the hatch.

I absolutely love the patterns of the moss and lichen, such dramatic designs.

In the afternoon there was a sing-along. It was a fun, encouraging group. I had brought along some kazoos in lieu of my ukulele, and ended up doing a kazoo solo during a Dylan song, ‘You Aint Goin Nowhere.’ My first (public) kazoo solo!

We took a sunset paddle in the war canoe, and then later in the evening, the ‘real’ musicians came out to play, and we listened to the sounds of Trio Cappuccino from Haliburton. The inside the mess hall had been transformed with fairy lights and candles, creating quite a magical vibe. Liz, Anita and I sat in the front row and we could see bats flying about in the darkness outside as we sang and swayed along with the music. One of the songs was John Denver, Take Me Home Country Roads, and when we hit the last Home it became a nice, long Om. Feeling the Om in Home with all the voices raised. Fantastic!

Also treated myself to a massage that was a bit different from my usual, it was more focused on the lymph system so there was a therapeutic light touch that released some tears and tension. Melissa, the massage therapist, showed me some techniques to use at home. Although it is definitely not the same as having a professional session it is still a good option for self-care, almost anytime and anywhere.

Once again the food was sensational. A bell would ring, and we would head to the mess for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Meal planning, preparation and clean up takes so much time and mental energy, it was great to trust others to the tasks and just savour the meal and company.

I took five yoga classes. They were gentle and easygoing, not the Iyengar style I usually practise, but still a fabulous way to get out of my head and just be on the mat, in the moment. I brought my singing bowl up and talked Linda, the yoga instructor volunteer, into a quick sound bath. She was striking and ringing her bowl as I was doing the same with mine. We both liked it so much it may become a workshop at next year’s Music/Yoga weekend.

Four days later I am still thinking of how perfect the weekend was... thankfully I will be taking a return trip in September.