Yoga & Meditation Retreat - Samos, Greece

New Beginners Course
Includes gentle postures, breathwork, deep relaxation & introductory meditation. Develop body & breath awareness & improve flexibility.

Suitable for everyone, but particularly for those who are either new to yoga, have a little experience or are returning to yoga after several years break.

Beginners / Progressive Beg Course
Working with gentle postures, introductory pranayama, deep relaxation & developing awareness, this class progresses on from Beginners building on the foundations laid in this course. Develop strength, flexibility & focus through classical postures & learn Surya Namaskara (Salutations to the Sun).

Suitable for those who have a little experience of yoga, have mastered the practices in the Beginners Course or who want to review alignment of the postures.

Progressive Course
As your experience deepens, Asana & Pranayama become more complex & challenging. Yoga Nidra also progresses as you become established in the techniques. Develop your home practice & explore Surya Namaskara.

Suitable for students who have mastered Beginners & Progressive Beginners course & have knowledge of Surya Namaskara & basic breathing techniques.

Intermediate Course
Offers a deeper experience of the practices. Introduces more subtle aspects of yoga: Meditation, Mudra (psychic gestures) and Bandha (psycho-physiological locks) and Chakras (energy centres)

Suitable for students who have mastered the practices in the above courses or have previously attended regular yoga classes & practice regularly at home.

Open Course
All levels above beginners welcome.

Suitable for those who have some experience of yoga or have completed a beginners course. Please call first if you have not been to Abhijeeta's classes before.

Pregnancy / Antenatal Course
The aim of this class is to enhance the preparation of mother & baby; physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually. Classes are gentle and the class content designed specifically for pregnancy. The classes will help you become more comfortable during pregnancy, prepare for labour & aid recovery once the baby is born.

Suitable for pregnant women from the 14th week – no previous experience required. Also suitable for pregnant women who have practiced yoga before.

Introduction to Meditation Course
This course will introduce various meditation techniques. Learn what meditation is, where it fits into a yoga class & the importance of relaxing the mind. This course will enable you to practically experience the benefits of meditation. Each class is 1 hour long and will include asana, pranayama and meditation techniques to bring clarity and stillness to the mind.

Suitable for those who have had some (at least 6 months) experience of yoga.

Relax & Recharge (Casual Class)
45 minutes of pure relaxation. Relax & recharge with pranayama (breathing work) & Yoga Nidra (deep conscious relaxation).

Suitable for everyone!
 

• B&B

Accommodation:
We will be staying in 3 luxury villas with a beautiful swimming pool overlooking the sea with steps down to the beach. Villa Nicholas and Villa Stelios have 2 twin rooms & one double bedroom and Villa Catherina has 3 twins & one double bedroom. All villas offer an atmosphere of pure relaxation and tranquility. All bedrooms in Marnei Mare are twins apart from 3 (one in every villa located on the first floor) which are doubles. So, if you are a couple or friends coming together you can request a double or twin room. If you are coming alone, you will need to share with one other student.

Meals:
Meals provided will be vegetarian made with love by Maria, our local Greek cook. All ingredients are fresh and locally grown in season and as much as possible organic.

Marnei Mare only use organic olive oil from their olive groves - you can even pick your own grapes and enjoy tha rich amazing flavour. Bottled water is free, offered from Marnei Mare.
 
Retreat Leaders
Abhijeeta's style of teaching yoga is true to the Satyananda tradition, focusing on the meditative and spiritual aspects of yoga and incorporating the whole person, not just the physical body. There is an emphasis on awareness and you are encouraged to learn about all aspects of your personality through yoga. Through awakening individuals’ awareness and inherent self-healing powers, physical diseases and mental stress can be managed and relieved. By steadying the emotions and calming the mind, a sense of perspective can be gained, bringing a feeling of peace, freedom and inner strength.

I have been teaching yoga for over 7 years and love seeing the revitalizing, relaxing and transforming effects that yoga has on the students (and me!). I have a daily yoga sadhana and I believe that yoga is for everyone. It is my goal to pass on the ancient knowledge of yoga to my students, so they can experience the true spirit of yoga and begin to integrate some of this wisdom into their lives.

The combination of ‘Yoga and Sound’ is very powerful, especially within the special environment at Marnei Mare – it truly is a magical place. This week will expand, transform and awaken you in ways that you never thought possible. I feel it is very beneficial for anyone wishing to connect with ease in their body, mind and soul and find expression through voice. Read more about Abhijeeta

Narayani teaches both voice work and yoga and is also a devotional singer. She has trained with Chloe Goodchild and the Naked Voice as a voicework facilitator. She is currently training with Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation.

Her personal journey with yoga and sound, and the discovery of her powerful voice, had such a profound and transformative impact on her life that she passionately shares this with students and friends through devotional music, chanting sessions, sound and movement workshops, as well as teaching group, corporate and one to one yoga classes in and around London.

Her yoga classes involve working with the breath, asana, relaxation and meditation and are based on the Sivananda Tradition, where she has completed both the Teacher Training and Advanced Teacher Training Courses. She is also influenced by a number of styles of yoga that she explores as part of her own practice.

She has a degree in Health Sciences: Complementary Therapies which lends great experience to her classes and workshops.

"Narayani is a walking song. Her devotional chant penetrates the mind awakens the heart, generating deep stillness and inner peace. Her sincere commitment to the yoga of body and sound is empowering and inspiring for all who are blessed to practice with her"
Chloe Goodchild, The Naked Voice.

'Narayani is a true yogini in the bhakti tradition. When she chants she truly disappears, so that you can hear the divine mother resounding through her. Narayani embodies devotion and her contribution to the world through nada yoga is a delight and inspiration to us all.' Nikki Slade, Free the Inner Voice
 

About Abhijeeta
I grew up in Australia and from a young age I had a strong interest in health, meditation and complementary therapies.

I read many books on spirituality in my teenage years with a strong feeling that there must be more to understand about life. I was curious to learn and understand what all this ‘mysterious’, ‘esoteric’ stuff was about. I learnt Transcendental Meditation at the age of 19 and began practising meditation daily. Later, my path led me to yoga....

In 1995 I began practising yoga regularly - I began to know my Self and have a real understanding of my life purpose.

The close links Yoga has to traditional Thai yoga massage prompted me to learn this ancient form of massage and in 2001 I qualified in this art, having completed advanced training at the London School of Thai Yoga Massage. I have never experienced any massage that quite matches the powerful effects that Thai Yoga Massage brings, which is why am so passionate about it and why I choose to practice only this form of massage.

In October 2002 I began teaching yoga and completed the Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda Yoga™) Teaching Diploma in November 2003. I spent time studying yoga at the Bihar Yoga Bharati in Munger, India and regularly attend Satyananda Yoga programs for inspiration. I hold diplomas from the Bihar School of Yoga (India) and by the British Wheel of Yoga, the governing body for yoga in Britain.

I love teaching yoga and seeing the revitalizing, relaxing and transforming effects that yoga has on the students (and me!). I practice yoga daily and I believe that yoga is for everyone. It is my goal to pass on the ancient knowledge of yoga to my students, so they can experience the true spirit of yoga and begin to integrate some of this wisdom into their lives.

In 2004 I started Shiva Health in order to make yoga and Thai yoga massage more available to all.

In 2005 I was given the spiritual name 'Abhijeeta' by my guru, Swami Niranjanananda. A spiritual name represents the nature of spirit with which we can identify with. It brings to the surface the connection of an individual with the inner higher nature and recognises their potential. Every time we are called by our spiritual name, more power is invested in it.

For years I have held the vision of creating a space where people could come and reconnect, nurture themselves and rediscover the inner-balance that can be lost in our busy lives. I wanted a place that would be open and fun and would attract people with the same vision.

In 2006, this vision became a reality with the opening of Shiva Rooms in September 2006. Shiva Rooms is a space where these values aimed at promoting health and wellbeing, are harnessed by bringing together a community of like minded individuals. As well as offering all aspects of yoga practice: asanas (postures); pranayama (breathwork); Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation), meditation, shatkarmas (cleansing practices) and kirtan (mantra chanting), there are a host of holistic therapies, to include various workshops and courses to nurture mind, body and soul.

I look forward to sharing this space with you.