by Jasmine | Apr 10, 2018 | Meditation, Spirituality, Yoga Health, Yoga Retreat
Meditation Topics for Couples at Retreats near NJ, PA, NY
Venus Kriyas are meditation topics for couples and are excellent as a regular spiritual practice. There are several Venus Kriyas, but they are especially effective if couples choose one meditation to practice consistently for 40, 90 or 120 days to integrate a particular aspect of the relationship (40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit and 120 days to make the new habit part of you. These couples’ meditations are an especially beautiful practice that can elevate your relationship to a higher level.
Ideally at a retreat where there are meditation topics for couples. In the Northeast there are yoga retreats in NJ, PA, NY although most people usually want to go overseas for a yoga retreat.
Get closer to your significant other by taking time out of the day to bend and stretch together. Try these simple exercises.
When everyone is really busy and feeling stressed out, often the time with your partner is one of the first things to get bumped. Stretching with your loved one turns the tables on the rat race, allowing you both to be in the moment and renewing your connection.
Try these following stretches to reconnect with your partner. Whether you’re waiting for the coffee to brew in the morning or you set up an after-work date of stretching before must-see TV, these simple poses will provide the ideal break for you and your loved one.
Yoga Retreat near NJ in PA
PARTNER YOGA MOVES
Happy hug
Stand facing each other with toes touching. Hug! Relax deeply into your partner’s embrace. Breathe five long, deep breaths in unison with your partner. Let stress and tension fall away. Take turns rubbing each other’s back between the shoulder blades and spine for 30 seconds.
Tree together
Stand side by side. Lift your outside leg up and place your foot on your inside leg’s upper thigh. If your foot slips, you can hold it up with your hand. Wrap your inside arm around your partner’s waist and hold tight for balance and support. Stand tall and raise your head. Breathe in unison and relax into the pose. Take five deep breaths. Switch sides with your partner and stretch the other leg.
Upside-down smile
Stand back to back, about two feet apart and separate your legs by about three feet. Drop your upper bodies down like rag dolls with both arms hanging. Look at your partner in between your legs and smile — or make funny faces at each other. If you can, grab onto your partner’s arms or legs and pull yourself deeper into the stretch.
Tantric twist
Sit back to back, with legs crossed. Keep your lower backs as close together as possible. Twist around to your left. Place your left hand on your partner’s right knee. Place your right hand on your own left knee. Look behind you and relax your neck, pulling firmly on your partner’s knee. Take five deep breaths together. Switch directions and repeat.
“Heeling” massage
This is a great way to give a back massage without lifting a finger. Have your partner sit up with his legs straight out in front. Sit about three feet behind him, facing his back. Then, lie down and rest your feet on your partner’s back. Walk your heels up and down, and rub the sore spots in between his spine and shoulder blades. Rest your heels on top of his or her shoulders and push down. For extra leverage, raise your pelvis off the ground.
by Jasmine | Apr 2, 2018 | Couples Retreat, Couples Yoga, Yoga Retreat
Snowy AM arrival for Valentine’s Weekend retreat
We decided to teach a private couples retreat near Philadelphia for beginner yoga students at the Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, PA. We got to the farmhouse early and it was snowing out. It was quite a scenic drive and even driving outside of the city starts to transports you since you are surrounded by rolling hills, meadows etc and can feel yourself getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Temenos is a Greek word that means “sacred space”. It is a bit confusing for new students to visit us at Temenos since there is a main meeting space which is very clearly indicated with signage and then there is a small farmhouse that is 1/4 mile down the road that is not that clearly indicated with any street signage. We had a few students that were confused about which space to go to so the next time we do a private couples retreat 2012 near Philadelphia for beginner yoga students I will also call in addition to emailing the directions about where to go.
We restrict the amount of couples to 4 at the most. The space is nice and cozy so we want to keep an intimate feel and not crowd everyone so only 4 couples for each one. We encourage people to get there early for coffee and tea and to settle in. It’s a bit awkward at first since no one knows each other. Then after about 20 minutes of this we all start to make our way to the practice room. We then start to do the couples yoga and couples massage practice. Some of the poses are deep and meditative, others are silly and fun, other moves are very physically challenging and require a lot of balance and concentration.
As we transition to the massage part of the practice, we do a few restorative poses that help people to let go of some of the mind chatter and so they can start to drop down into a deeper place of stillness and relaxation. During the massage part of the practice, we are emphasizing intention and not focused on technique or massage therapy skills. I keep giving signals for the receiver to let them know how they like the pressure such as the thumbs up sign to let their giver know they are really loving the massage. They can also wave their fingers down if they want less pressure and wave their fingers up if they want less pressure. I also tell the givers to watch their partner’s diaphragm. If their breathing is slow and rhythmic that means they are really relaxing and enjoying the massage. I also tell them to periodically look at their receiver’s forehead to make sure it is not wrinkled up. They also can just feel if the muscles are tightening up under their hands or fingers.
After the massage part of the class, we then have a guided relaxation and then couples are all cozy together. We then close with a short meditation to get people present to their intention for their relationship as well.
by Jasmine | Dec 5, 2016 | Couples Yoga, Date Night, New Age, Partner Yoga, Romantic Date Ideas, Spirituality, Yoga Retreat
Teaching Yoga for Couples at a Spiritual Retreat near Philadelphia and Tantra in Pennsylvania
What Happens in Yoga Couples Classes
A lot of people ask how we decided to teach couples yoga. Actually it was because of my sweetie… my best friend, partner and hottie hellenic hubby.
I have been practicing yoga for over 15 years. When we first started to live together I used to practice to yoga DVDs in the living room. Occasionally he would practice with me but then he said once, ” I really want to do the poses where we are touching each other and helping each other get in the poses.”
So I started to research more couples and partner yoga poses. Most of the partner poses that were out there were fairly acrobatic, very challenging and demanding physically and there didn’t seem to be many poses that were geared towards people that were nonathletic and that didn’t want a Cirque Du Soleil audition.
I wanted to find a mix of poses that were silly, giggly, challenging, strengthening, bonding and once in a while a little scary (adrenaline can add really add some spice and passion to a relationship that is in a long rut) and where you could get that sense that you were beyond gravity in some of the poses. I bought tapes, DVDs, book, went to other partner yoga trainings and classes. I practiced the poses with other yoga teachers.
Almost every Friday night we teach couples yoga in Philadelphia.. in Manayunk, a hip, happening part of town and we teach them quarterly at Temenos in West Chester as a couples spiritual retreat as well.
Although it is work for us to promote the classes, set up, clean up, prepare and organize the classes, we mostly do it because the two of us get so much out of it. It has sort of become our date night although we are sharing it with other couples, most of which we have met for the first time.
At the beginning of class there is usually a mix of giddiness, anxiety, nervousness and excitement. I work with a lot of yoga newbies and people that do not have a regular exercise practice.
I never know what poses I am going to teach since I have to gage the ability of the group before I teach a pose. I’m not going to teach a bunch of crazy balancing poses to someone that just had hip replacement. I don’t want to teach a lot of weight-bearing poses, where one partner has to put all their weight on the other’s body if there is a big weight difference or especially if the woman is a lot heavier than the man.
If the couples are pretty athletic then I want to make sure the moves are fresh and challenging enough to keep it spicy so I’ll avoid the easier poses. If the group is really wound up and edgy, I’ll teach a fair amount of yin or restorative poses so they start to become more tranquil.
Teaching Couples Yoga
I also like to position students in class so that two dudes are not looking right at each other, I think men don’t want to appear vulnerable in front of other men so if they are not looking right at each other then it makes for less performance anxiety for the couples at a spiritual workshops or spiritual retreat.
by Jasmine | Feb 10, 2016 | Couples Retreat, Couples Yoga, Date Night, Partner Yoga, Yoga Retreat
Evolve Music and Yoga Festival in New Jersey
How did it go at our Couples Retreat.. NJ at the Evolve Yoga and Music Festival in New Jersey?
I don’t know if most people would think of the Evolve Music and Yoga Festival as a retreat but a few years ago, my newlywed hottie hellenic hubby and me decided to take a hippie-flavored Couples Retreat ..NJ. It was quite a long drive from Philly, we actually took a wrong turn and it took us about 30 minutes longer to get there. It was fairly loosey-goosey, which suited us just fine. When we got there there was a main music stage that had some pretty decent bands on there. We arrived during the day and there were lots of vendors selling things like raw, vegan, organic food, crystals, incense, clothing, jewelry and it was tough to resist buying lots of tempting stuff. There was also someone there that had a monarch butterfly tent and we got to play with the monarch butterflies at this couples retreat…NJ.
We went up the the yoga pavilion and every 1-2 hours there was a different kind of yoga being taught. I was most excited about the acrobatic yoga that was being taught. I’ve always loved acro yoga and found a studio in NYC that taught this on a regular basis. I am somewhat of an amateur with acro yoga.
It’s always been hard to find a yoga partner since they seem to come on two ends of the spectrum. the brand new beginner that I have to teach the basic moves to like folded leaf or the almost pro acro yogi who can fly people and toss them around on just their feet in the air like they are salad. It’s a lot easier to teach someone to be the flier and a lot harder to teach them how to be the base so when I am teaching someone I always end up basing them for awhile and that ends up hurting my knees if I do this for too long.
The last time I practiced with someone that is actually a professional acro yoga teacher then ended up dropping me on the ground ( fortunately it was the grass) but it was still a solid drop. So I had a quite large and quite painful and quite dark black and blue mark
So we didn’t end up doing too much acro yoga since I can only base someone for so long. Here are some pics though of when we did the acro yoga which is also called partner yoga.
I think we stayed through dinner time at the festival. It was starting to get chilly and we did bring some gear to keep warm but I was getting quite cold. We found a meditation tent and got to go into a sound bath filled with crystal chimes and zen bells. It really transported us…WOW!
At night, it was non-stop music that usually have a techno flavor to it. There were all kinds of bright lights, neon lights and fire spinning at the festival. I think the festival really heated up probably pretty late but since we had gotten to the festival so early in the day I had kind of had enough and was ready to just go to sleep at our hotel. Almost everyone else had camped out but we didn’t have our camping gear and we figured that by the time we bought all of our camping gear we could just get a cheap hotel room nearby ( although nearby ended up being about 45 minutes away).
The next day after our couples retreat..NJ we ended up going to a winery nearby called Warwick. They had the most yum-yum Rieslings there and we ended up buying a case of Riesling… I’ve never bought a case of wine in my life…
What a romantic weekend! What is your idea of a romantic weekend? Write your answers on our Facebook page.
by Jasmine | Mar 30, 2014 | Yoga Music, Yoga Retreat, Yoga Teacher training
One of my favorite things to do at places like Whole Foods or the store in a yoga studio is to put on headphones and listen to some of the music they are promoting. One of my main tasks when I am at Kripalu or Omega is to plunk myself down and go through dozens of CDs and then only let my self buy my favorite 10%.
Just so you understand part of my biases, if a CD has a lot of slow-moving and then fast tempo songs I tend to discard those, even if I really dig them since I want to have one consistent mood when I am teaching or practicing and don’t have to get up and change the music….I just find that disruptive for myself. I tend to stay away from stuff that has loud bells or chimes in the middle of a long tranquil spell since it breaks the mood. It’s hard to hold tree pose when all of a sudden you hear a clanging, “GONG”.
Most of the music works well for other things like massage and other spiritual activities and some of them are just slow and sensual and great for just chilling and romancing. if you don’t like hearing someone chant Oooooommmmm for a full hour when you are practicing then you can check these out.
So here is my list of Yoga Music CDs Reviews, in no particular order.
Creation by David Young – This is a great all purpose yoga, massage or just chill CD. It has an even ambient tone and no surprises on it. He has a lot of other great romantic, spiritual music, some of which are more suited to yoga than others.
Mirabai Ceiba – A Hundred Blessings. Some of the tracks are in English and some in Sanskrit and one is even in Spanish. Their voices are soothing and quite melodic but the transition from a slow paced to a fast paced song might catch you off guard if you aren’t watching the pace of your class. Suitable for a vigorously paced yoga class for some of the songs.
Snataum Kaur – She does traditional Kirtan or chanting, some in English, some in Sanskrit. One of my Indian friends hates going and hearing westerners chant in Sanskrit…she says it hurts her ears to have Westerners butcher the sacred sounds of Sanskrit. (Hey Nikita, sometimes it hurts my ears to hear you butcher the English language with your Bengali accent) Kaur’s voice is very pure and angelic. My favorite CDs of hers are Prem and Celebrate Peace. I’ve been to a few of her concerts, which are not as pulsating as Krishna Das but still a moving and profound experience.
Sounds of Sleep for Infants – I’ve never heard anyone else play this at a yoga studio or any hippy-dippy event. It is basically the sound of heartbeat with some very soft music in the background which was produced so that parents could have a way to soothe their colicky infants to sleep. I actually like playing this for myself when I go to bed and then I got the idea to play this during the restorative part of the yoga class. It’s quite hypnotic and ambient. I wouldn’t play this during a vigorous yoga class but perfect for shivasana or for a restorative or gentle class.
by Jasmine | Jan 8, 2014 | Yoga Retreat
Whether you own a yoga studio, or just own yoga pants, mastering basic yoga poses is essential to developing the strength, balance, and flexibility needed in performing more complex poses later on:
Tree Pose
Tree pose involves maintaining a steady balance on one leg. This will help strengthen the stabilizers in your feet, and increase stamina in your legs, back, and core muscles. Maintain this pose for at least 30 to 60 seconds before switching sides:
-
Standing straight up, shift your weight slightly onto your left foot, and bend your right knee. Your left instep and ball should be firmly pressed to the floor.
-
Clasp your right ankle with your right hand, and gradually draw the sole of your right foot up against your inner left thigh. Your right heel should be above the left knee, with your toes pointed downward.
-
Rest both hands on the rim of your pelvis. At this point, the center of your pelvis should be directly over your left foot.
-
Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor, and press your right foot firmly against your left thigh. Slowly raise your hands high over your head, and raise your chin.
Child’s Pose
This pose is meant to relax the body by lengthening the spine and stretching the back and shoulders. Because this is a resting pose, you can maintain this position for up to a few minutes before getting back up.
-
Kneel on the floor with your feet close together so that your big toes are touching.
-
Sit on your heels, and spread your knees until they are as wide as your hips.
-
Exhaling, lay your torso down between your thighs and point your chin to your collarbone.
-
Lay your hands face-up alongside your torso, and let your shoulders relax towards the floor.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
This pose improves flexibility in the hamstrings, as well as strength in the shoulders, core, and arms. As this pose requires more endurance, try to hold it for at least one to three minutes.
-
Begin on your hands and knees, with your hands in front of your shoulders, and your knees directly under your hips. Pull your toes back so that they are resting on the ground.
-
Exhaling, lift your knees from the floor, pointing your tailbone directly upward, and pulling the hips backward.
-
Straighten, but don’t lock, your knees and press your heels to the floor. Straighten your back.
-
Extend your arms and fingers so that your shoulder blades are contracting inward. Keep your head between your upper arms without letting it hang.
Cobra Pose
As strong core muscles are crucial to effective yoga, it’s important that they receive plenty of rest and stretching. Cobra pose provides such a stretch, and only needs to be held for around 30 seconds or so.
-
Lying face-down on the floor, stretch your legs back with the tops of your feet to the floor.
-
Rest your palms on the floor just beneath your shoulders, elbows against your body.
-
Inhaling, begin to straighten your arms until your chest is off the floor. Press your hips against the ground, and gently contract your glutes.
-
Pull your shoulders back and your shoulder blades inward while puffing out your chest.
Warrior Pose
If you spend much of your day sitting, you may find your hip flexors becoming tight. Warrior pose provides a full stretch of your hip flexors and defends against lower back pain. You should hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds before switching sides.
-
Spread your feet until they’re about three to four feet apart, and raise your arms straight up, fingers pointed upward.
-
Turn your left foot slightly inward, and point your right foot 90 degrees outward, then slowly rotate your torso to the right (shoulders should be parallel with the edge of your mat).
-
Plant your left heel, and slowly bend your right knee until you feel a pull in your left hip flexor.
-
Lift the ribcage from the pelvis and reach up with your hands. Complete the stretch by raising your chin towards your hands.
Sage’s Pose
This is basic pose is designed to stretch the back, glutes, and hamstrings. It also helps bring alignment to the spine. About 30 to 60 seconds on each side is sufficient.
-
Sit on the floor with your legs extended, ankles together, and heels on the ground. Then bend your right knee until your right heel meets your right glute.
-
Pull your left toes back toward you and push the ball of your left foot forward to straighten your leg. Press your right heel into the floor.
-
Exhaling, rotate your torso to the right and hold your right thigh with your left arm. Relax your right hip, and rest your right hand on the floor just behind your pelvis.
-
Lengthen the spine with each breath and bring your right thigh closer to your chest until you feel a pull along your right glute.
While there are many more important poses to add to your yoga repertoire, mastering these basic poses is a great place to start. When performing basic yoga poses, remember it is not a race against the clock. Just take your time, and remember to breathe deeply.
