Womb Wisdom Women’s Retreats 2012

with Alexandra Pope and Uma Dinsmore-Tuli

Renew – Enliven – Awaken

10 – 12 February 2012, Hawkwood College, in the Cotswolds

26 – 28 October 2012, Kushi Ling Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre, Italy (mountains above Lake Garda)

Women’s Retreat for Healing, Empowerment and Positive Connections

At Hawkwood College, Stroud, Gloucestershire

starts 12 noon Friday 10 February 2012

ends 4.30pm Sunday 12 February 2012

An invitation to all women to deeply nourish your body and spirit through female practices based on the wisdom of your womb.

§      Feel nourished and renewed

§      Enjoy a renaissance of creativity and inspiration

§      Relish the authority of your feminine power

Over a long weekend you will experience delicious, relaxing yoga with other experiential processes, talks and an engaged dialogue that will allow you to gently let go into your power and beauty as a woman.

Uma will lead you in a therapeutic and fluid approach to yoga especially designed for women that integrates rhythmic asana (postures) with breath, sound, mudra (gesture) and bandhas (pelvic floor locks and seals) to enhance awareness of your feminine wisdom. For more information about the Womb Yoga at this retreat please visit Womb Yoga.

Alexandra will facilitate processes that will open you to the wisdom of your menstrual cycle—your unique rhythm of power as woman— that can transform your relationship to yourself, others and the planet. For more information about Alexandra’s inspiring work with the Spirituality of Menstruation work please visit her websites Woman’s Quest and Wild Genie

You’ll learn about:

§      The hidden resources within your menstrual cycle—your time of natural motivation and productivity, of heightened insight, intuition and visioning, and of the most exquisite intimacy and feelings of love.

§      The invitation that is menopause

§      How to support your body and soul within the demands of daily living

§      How to ease and heal menstrual and menopausal problems

This retreat is for any woman wanting nourishment, healing, life direction or time out whatever life–stage you are at.

You will also be able to enjoy various treatments such as Thai massage and shiatsu, Ayuvedic massage  and beauty treatments, and individual coaching sessions (with Alexandra)

For more information contact Alexandra on alexandra@wildgenie.com (regarding the menstrual work) and Uma Dinsmore Tuliuma@sitaram.org (regarding the yoga practice)

The retreat programme includes Dawn Light Meditations in the Woodland Meditation Space with Uma, Deep, supportive and inspiring  work on the Widsom of the Womb and the Spirituality of Menstruation with Alexandra Pope. Hatha yoga sessions to enliven and energise at every stage of women’s lives, Yoga Dance sessions in the main hall at Hawkwood, Woodland walks in beautiful Cotswold Hills, uplifting music and song, and more!

To view the schedule and read more, please download the retreatoutlinefinal

All served up with warm Cotswold hospitality and gorgeous meals in sparkling company. Take a look at the timetable, and treat yourself (and your sister, mother, best friend, daughter, favourite students!) to a place.

We are looking forward to seeing you there.

If you would like to chat about the event, please call Uma on 07595 322 779.

There is a bubbling spring with beautiful healing waters in the lovely grounds of Hawkwood College, splendid Cotswold views, cosy accommodation with roaring fires, plenty of delicious vegetarian food (all dietry needs happily accommodated at breakfast, lunch, supper and two breaks – morning teas and snacks, and afternoon tea) and friendly staff to take care of all our needs, two lovely light practice studios and and a woodland meditation space.

Pregnant women welcome. Babes in arms welcome. No extra charge for babies.

Price should not be a barrier to attendance, please email Uma to discuss concessionary rates and skills/energy exchange options.

BOOKING:

To reserve your place for this wonderful retreat now, please contact Alexandra Pope directly genie@wildgenie.com

For any questions or further details please email yoga@sitaram.org

Spring Renewal: Elemental Purification:

Hatha yoga and meditation with Uma

Burren Yoga, April 13 – 15th 2012

Purify your elements on all levels, let go of any obstacles or negative patterns, and reform yourself anew refreshed and replenished for the year ahead. Suitable for all levels and all ages – from beginners to seasoned yogi and yoginis.

This weekend will focus on key techniques to ensure optimum vitality, confidence and wellness as we let go of any negativities, replenish ourselves and get ready for the Summer ahead. Sessions will include effective sequences of asana and pranayama (movements and breathing) to promote the free flow of energy throughout the body. There will be deep relaxations and Yoga Nidra (psychic sleep) to tune into your own requirements at this time, enabling you to rest and heal profoundly in preparation for the coming summer months. All sequences will be tailored to the needs, abilities and intentions of each person attending, so everyone can work at their own level and promote their own well being most effectively.

Also we will build a personal toolkit of joint freeing sequences, postures, breath and sound work, and simple but profound meditations and awareness practices to utilize as you need in daily life.

There will be a mixture of energizing, revitalizing and restful practices, responding to the needs of the season, and the feel of the moment. Each session will reflect the nature of the day, time, and experiences of the group at that time. This approach to yoga, as a therapeutic and personal practice is a really fabulous way to establish or refine your own approach to yoga, and to boost your own deep sense of health, self-esteem, well-being and power.

Cost of the course: The cost of the course is reduced to €300 and includes accommodation and vegetarian meals. Further reduction to €280 for unwaged.  The food is cooked by Paddi the gourmet vegetarian chef who ran Seventh Heaven the well known restaurant in Galway city. A single room costs €60 extra. We eat lunch out locally and you will need to pay for this yourself.

All the bookings for this retreat are handled by Burren Yoga.

Women’s Yoga Retreat Week:

Shakti Rising – yoga for vitality and deep healing

July 13-15th 2012

Women’s Yoga Week

A fabulous opportunity to spend a week practicing Shakti yoga in the magical, prana filled environment of the Burren.

Uma will be leading daily yoga sessions designed to enhance your vitality, working with asana, pranayama, mudras, bandha, yoga nidra and meditations.

This retreat is about yoga for women’s health and vital energy. It shares techniques to feel, nurture and build the feminine energy of Shakti for the practical healing and benefit of women in all stages of life. The course presents therapeutic and enlivening yoga practices to support all experiences of femininity throughout a woman’s life.

It is for beginners to yoga as well as those who are regular practitioners and also suitable for yoga teachers who sense that yoga could be of more practical use to all women in managing health, vital energy and well-being.

Yoga teachers will find this retreat to be an excellent opportunity to deepen their skills and understanding of how to respond to the needs of women’s health issues in their classes. Uma will provide tutorial support and professional development for teachers wanting to grow their skills in this area.

The programme includes morning Shakti yoga and meditation, mudras and mantras for lunar practice, restorative yoga, yoga nidra, and also theory classes. The morning hatha class will be a fully integrated practice of asana, (postures), pranayama (breathing), mudra and bandha (energy locks and gestures) threaded with mantra (sound). Every hatha class will be specifically tailored to meet the needs and abilities of the women attending, with particular attention to respecting the different points in the menstrual cycle, or the cycle of life (postnatal, perimenopausal, menopausal) which each woman finds herself in that day.

As an experienced yoga therapist, Uma will be tailoring the practices to meet the needs and abilities of every student. There will also be opportunities for one-to-one yoga therapy consultations on women’s health issues, and sessions of restorative yoga for vitality and peace: supported postures using props, to enable everyone to access the deep essence of poses with zero effort. This approach to yoga is deeply restorative and reviving.

The usual amazing vegetarian food is prepared by Paddi the chef, and daily organised outings into the Burren hills and by the sea with Dave Brocklebank who runs the centre.

The course is presented in an enjoyable experiential way, and there are also theory classes which will give you background information and understanding of the principles behind the enjoyable yoga classes and the use of yoga to manage women’s health issues including menstruation, pre-menstrual tension, fertility, sub fertility, optimal fertility, assisted conception, feminine sexuality, and perimenopausal mood swings, headaches and hot flushes. Yoga practice will also address health issues related to the pelvic floor, including postnatal recovery and prolapse, and other issues of concern to women.

Devi puja (goddess worship through mantra) can be a very heart warming and empowering part of yoga for women; recognising and acknowledging the presence of the goddess within! So if you are interested, and the other course participants are interested, Uma can also lead sessions of mantra (chanting) focusing on the many aspects of the divine feminine energy within each and every woman.

The retreat combines theory and practice to offer you fresh perspectives, new understandings and a deep appreciation of the healing power of yoga as therapy to optimise your health and delight in feminine energy and vitality.

Cost,  €690 (€650 unwaged).

All the bookings for this retreat are handled by Burren Yoga.

Photos from previous years’ Shakti Rising Womens Retreat

Baby Eric leads the morning hatha class

A gorgeous campfire and singing was part of the programme

Yoga for the great change with Wendy and the giant balls

Chanting in the yurt with Uma