For those of you who have never ever stepped foot on a yoga mat before, heading to a yoga retreat may feel a little intimidating! Our sister resort Atmanjai offers a fully inclusive yoga programme, from morning until evening, so you’ll be sure to find something that suits you!
“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about the lessons you learn on the way down” (Jigar Gor). This is one of our favourite quotes and it’s exactly what we stand by here at Atmanjai. You don’t have to be a flexi goddess doing handstands or bending like you don’t have a spine. It’s not about what you look like or even how flexible you are. It’s just as much about your mindset and mental attitude as it is about your physical body too.
The most important thing is having an open mind and learning to respect your body. Beginner yogis won’t get most of the poses in their first class, or even second or third class. The key is to not get bogged down by this. To not let this stop you from carrying on your yoga practice. We like to see yoga as a journey, you never truly stop learning. Having the motivation and perseverance is all your need to get back up again and try again.
The yoga classes on offer at our sister resort Atmanjai are intimate, so the teachers are able to come around during the class to give you that special attention and adjust you where possible. We also like to make sure that our guests respect and listen to their body during their yoga practice. If the teacher is instructing a new position but your body is just saying no, make sure you respect that and honour your body. Some days, taking child’s pose or savasana is all your body wants. This in itself can be so powerful to free your mind and reconnect with your breath.
We don’t expect you to be flexing all over the place when you leave Atmanjai. We just like to see our guests try something new, put their minds to it, set themselves new goals and challenges, and maybe even continue on in their yoga journey when they go home.
