Where to find the missing time
Most days, you can find me teaching public yoga classes. In a format of 60 or 95 minutes we undergo a set of activities rooted in the Jivamukti method, which has 14 points of practice. If you know the 14 points, you will find them in my class – though sometimes I miss one. It’s always the same one.
I run out of time for meditation. Can you relate?
Meditation is where the practice bears fruit, which I know from experience.
I cast a side-eye at the idea that the whole asana practice is just preparation for meditation. This is giving short shrift to the profound somatic experiences and self-discovery that can come through asana.
However, when we hop out of savasana and run to the U8 (iykyk) to get back to being productive, I do think something is left undone. Taking time to stay in the energy of practice and let it sink in more deeply is where the transformation is.
People have all kinds of preconceived ideas about what a yoga retreat is, which is fair enough when you consider the different experiences under the umbrella of yoga. Will it be flaky and weird? Will it be all super-yogis with their legs behind their heads? Will we be starved and in silence? Will it be cringe?
In the container of a retreat, you simply can take time to be as you are, to experiment with how you relate to yourself and others outside of the constraints of regular life. There’s no need to act normal, to impress, to perform.
You don’t need “yoga clothes” or any particular “level” of practice. You need a willingness to participate. The most advanced practitioners are those who can listen and follow instructions with equanimity while staying with the breath and not taking themselves too seriously.
For me, Triopetra is a place where I can instantly drop any pretence and be who I am. There is no village, just unspoiled, uncrowded, wild nature. Look out at the horizon, listen to the wind, feel the sun, collect rocks and watch the sun set into the sea. Swim at sunrise, enjoy the feeling of salty skin. Plan the day around the glorious sunset and take time to see the the stars at night. Feel how I am part of this and this is all part of me. I can’t imagine a better environment for reflection, envisioning, healing.
Some of the most profound experiences of my life have happened during or immediately after retreats. I would love to hear about your experiences.
Tara Sullivan 
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