“An amazing day! The retreat space is heavenly, the meditations were awesome, fantastic food and a positive environment.”
Diane (Law Student)
On Saturday, 28 Sept. the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga held our famous Balanced Life Retreat in the rolling hills of the Tweed Hinterland. The weather couldn’t have been better, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The rays of the sun were so inviting that Steve took the Chi Kung class outdoors amid the bamboo and palms of the Nadia Retreat Centre.
Many of our regular retreaters were pleasingly surprised by the changes made to the meditation and relaxation space. After a complete makeover the area gives out refreshing, uplifting and relaxing vibes. If you have been to one of our retreats before, it is well worth another day at Nadia, just to see the magnificent changes, not to mention everything else the day entails.
Lunch proved most popular, with many going back for seconds or even thirds. We enjoyed an alfresco Asian banquet under the mango trees, with an array of tempting dishes. On the menu was Laksa soup with Vietnamese mint, enoki mushrooms and deep fried bean curd, Vietnamese summer rolls and sweet and sour sauce, green Thai curry with tofu and cashews, coconut cream rice with kaffir lime leaves, green mango rice noodle salad and a fresh garden veggie and hokkien noodle stir fry. Later on in the afternoon we had deep fried bananas in a rice flour, sesame and pandan batter served with ice-cream and chai. Exotic!
After lunch, Monika taught us how to make the Vietnamese summer rolls that we had all just tried. Summer rolls are rice paper spring rolls that are perfect finger food for entertaining or around the house snacks. They are filled with flavoured rice noodles and finely sliced salad ingredients and unlike spring rolls, they are not fried, making them light and fresh and perfect for the hottest summer days..
Over all, the day was a smorgasbord of so many things that the yoga lifestyle has to offer. Breathing, massage, delicious healthy food and cooking tips and stretching for physical health, relaxation for peace of mind and meditation; food for the soul. These ideas were the focus of the spiritual discussion in the afternoon, where Ray (a senior teacher at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga ) shared an analogy of a three legged chair. The only reason a three legged chair is able to stand with a strong foundation is because it is equally balanced on its three legs. If we took one leg away, the chair would no longer be balanced, despite it still having two legs. Physical, mental and spiritual health are our three legs. Just like a chair, when these three are in balance, we have a strong foundation for our life. Meditation and yoga techniques that we learnt today at the retreat and that we teach at other programs and classes run by the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga educate and encourage people to add this balance to their lives.
The perfect finish to the day was an uplifting group meditation accompanied by melodious Kirtan or beautiful chanting of sacred mantras led by Mrna. Oh, and not to mention the deep fried bananas and chai!
We invite you along to our next Balanced Life Retreats on October 25 and Nov 22. But be quick to book, they fill up fast.
Namaste,
Amara
Instructor
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga
