Raw Juice Cleanse, Gentle Yoga & Meditation Retreat
with Quen Koetter & Menlha Bruneau at Hacienda del Sol,
San Juanillo, Costa Rica
November 14-21, 2010

Cleanse your body and rejuvenate your soul with Menlha Bruneau’s celebrated raw food and juice cleanse! In addition to cleansing and learning about living foods, Quen Koetter will offer daily gentle yoga classes and meditation instruction to facilitate a deeper connection to source and clarity of purpose. There will also be dharma and nutrition talks throughout the week and the option of a liver cleanse and Rebalancing bodywork sessions.

This rejuvenating Retreat includes:

* Accommodation
* Raw food introduction – we begin and end the cleanse with raw food
* 5 day juice fast – chlorophyll drinks, noni juice, pipa juice (from coconut), vegetable protein drinks
* Colemas – 2 a day (colon cleansing)
* Daily gentle yoga & meditation
* Group sharing and inspiration
* Skin cleansing – clay baths
* Giving and receiving abdominal massage
* PLUS Healing Circle with Acupuncture with Mitra

Influenced by traditional Acupuncture clinics, receiving acupuncture in a group raises the frequency of the energy field and invites deeper healing individually and collectively. Before one is invited to participate in a group session, the person meets with Mitra for a private interview session to gather information about their state of being.

The group session takes place over a 3-4 hour period and the participants are scheduled to arrive in intervals of 15 minutes. Mitra meets with each person for a short consultation and then guides them into the group space to receive the treatment. At a certain point, there may be 7-10 people receiving healing simultaneously, creating a powerful energy field.

Informational subjects include:
* Your cleanse and about cleansing
* Juicing
* Raw food and food combining
* Colon cleansing
* Digestive system

Retreat schedule:
* Arrival late afternoon – Group begins with a raw food dinner at 6pm and introduction of participants and of the cleanse
* 1st day – Yoga, meditation, circle for information and for support, light food, introduction to colema (colon cleansing)
* 2nd – 6th days (5 days juicing) – Yoga, meditation, herbs, teas, noni juice, aloe vera, pippa and juices, colemas (2 a day), skin brushing, clay baths, information on cleansing your system, digestive system massage, days in silence (optional)
* 7th day – Yoga, meditation, breaking the juice fast. Raw food preparation demonstration, raw food lunch, closing circle and departure.

From Joy…
I did my first cleanse last year at Hacienda del Sol and it was a life-altering event. After completing the cleanse, I experienced more clarity and felt more vibrant than ever before. Giving my body a “break” from non-stop consumption and digestion allowed  for a very deep healing and shift in my entire being. Menlha’s teaching, support and presence is absolutely magical. She is a true healer.Hacienda del Sol is a peaceful oasis in the jungle of Costa Rica, approximately 45 minutes north of Nosara. Hacienda del Sol is a peaceful oasis in the jungle of Costa Rica meeting and dining areas as well as 12 cabinas suitable for 2-4 people each. The local beaches are also very close by.

Prices for this All-Inclusive Retreat Week::
Single Occupancy: US$995.00
Double Occupancy: US$875.00 (per person)

Liver Cleanse:

*If people are interested in a liver cleanse we offer that on the 6th evening. 5 drinks for the liver and gallbladder to cleanse and flush out gall stones.
Price – US$75.00

Rebalancing Bodywork Sessions:
* 1 1/2 hour sessions deep tissue and joint release – US$85.00
* 1 hour sessions – US$60.00

How to get to Hacienda del Sol:
San Juanillo is just over a 2hr drive from the airport at Liberia, Costa Rica. Which is served by Delta, American, US Air and Continental. Delta has also added a direct flight from Los Angeles to Liberia around the weekend.

The closest airport to San Juanillo (for domestic flights within Costa Rica) is Nosara. For your convenience, you can fly from San Jose to Nosara via a domestic commuter airline, flights are approx. 45 minutes in duration. For more information, prices, schedules & weight restrictions (small and strictly enforced), please contact:

- Sansa Airlines: www. flysansa.com
(Located at the International Airport, San Jose)
- Nature Air: www.natureair.com
(Located at Pavas Airport, a domestic airport 35 minutes from the International Airport)

The package price does not include transfers from Liberia or Nosara Airport however we would be delighted to assist with arranging your transportation arriving to and from San Juanillo. Please email Josh for more information: haciendadelsolcr@gmail.com

If you have any further questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 800-760-5099 or email us at hello@inwardbound.com.

In addition, Quen is an ITEC and MTI certified Holistic Massage Therapist and is grateful to currently find ‘home’ to be Nosara, Costa Rica. Where she lives with her dog Rattika Bonita Gonzales and is a practicing yoga instructor and body worker.

Through a Vinyasa Flow practice, Quen focuses on breath synchronized movement and alignment within each posture. Emphasizing a balance between effort and surrender, working hard and letting go. Constantly flowing, she begins with a gentle warm-up that gradually builds to a steady, moderate-paced asana flow, crowning with a deeply restorative relaxation. A moving meditation, that rejuvenates and creates space for the body, mind & spirit. Energetic yet relaxing, her class will build strength, stamina & flexibility. Tailored to the needs of each person, Quen hopes to guide people in their own self-inquiry and discovery of yoga.

On this note, I had the wonderful pleasure to interview Rita Trieger, who I deeply admire, and who seems to have this optimal balanced living down pat, or at least the right attitude about it.
Rita is the editor-in-chief of both Fit Yoga Magazine and Fit Magazine, and the author of “Yoga Heals Your Back” as well as a meditation cd. Besides her career in publishing, she is a highly regarded yoga teacher who works with numerous students as well as cancer patients.
Side note: I’m also thrilled to have Rita, along with Bruce Bassock, teaching for inward bound in Jamaica this March and sharing more of her insights and wisdom on retreat, in person!

Q: Rita, how do you do it “all” and keep your center?

A: For me, having a sense of humor is the key to staying centered. I need to laugh more than once in a while. I don’t get people who are dour all the time.
All of us get caught up in our daily dramas and all of us think that our drama is the drama that REALLY matters. The reality is that none of it matters. We just get attached to the busy-ness — the job, the title, the house, the car etc — and rely on whatever to define who we are; then when we realize [sadly, some people never do] that our attachments are causing us suffering, we get angry, depressed, anxious, and sometimes sick.
I feel fortunate to have two “jobs” – editor and yoga teacher – and they balance each other quite well. Being an editor of a national magazine is stressful. I work for people who are not yogis but my readers demand the magazine hold the integrity of a yogi. It’s a slippery slope more often than not, and for me that is the hardest aspect. I get to practice what I preach on a daily basis.
The stories and the ideas happen very organically – each issue seems to build itself. Very often my assistant editor, Lorraine, and I will look at a newly printed issue in amazement. We know we worked hard on it but it’s always a nice surprise.
And of course I am always grateful to be able to shut down the computer and teach. Even if I am in the foulest mood I will always be smiling afterward. It becomes my yoga practice. I usually teach what I feel I need, and it is always incredible to hear people say, “How did you know what I needed?” I think I “know” because I empathize with the stresses they face.
I often make a point to bring humor into my teaching too. I think it’s important for people to smile, or maybe even get a good belly laugh. Yoga isn’t brain surgery. It’s supposed to make you feel good in every way. Sometimes I’ll tell a funny anecdote while they’re holding a difficult pose. They’ll have these serious looks, and some will be struggling while others will be all full of ego. Then I’ll get to the funny line and everyone snaps out of their heads. The strugglers let go of the tension of “can’t do” and the egotists let go of their “perfection.” Humor allows us to realize what we are attached to, and, that it’s also possible to release attachment to our samskaras.

Q: Can a retreat really help give us tools to deal with life’s little and big challenges?

I especially love teaching on a retreat because the people that partake are seekers. They are giving themselves the space to learn and grow, and are open to experience. That attitude blossoms into a very creative environment resulting in an equal opportunity for the teacher to grow and learn. Destinations like Round Hill add an extra special, even magical dimension that makes the retreat experience even more valuable. Practicing yoga in the beauty of nature reminds us of the origins of the practice as well as our connection to something uniquely profound.

Q: When you write your “Letter from the Editor” each month, how do you decide how much of your personal life to reveal to your readers? Would you speak a bit to your creative process?

When you become a writer the most important lesson is to write what you know. The second lesson is not to be overly earnest.
Generally, I try to think about the overall theme of the issue and tie it back to some personal experience or memory. For example, if we feature a master teacher who is practicing advanced asana, I might discuss my trepidation for handstand, subsequent performance anxiety, and ultimate insight. However, I will often take poetic license to protect my privacy or the privacy of someone I may be writing about, even though the feelings are very real. I think when you reveal your heart it resonates with people even if they don’t agree with what you’re saying. Also, my letters are usually self-deprecating and a little funny, which is always acceptable in polite society, and hardly ever earnest!

Thank you Rita! As someone who is really living and fully engaged in both worlds, you offer such insightful perspective on this topic.

Read more about Rita at Fit Yoga Magazine and for her retreat in Jamaica at Jamaica Me Om

In closing, a friend who advises me regularly, told me that for every hour, or length of time, that she’s fully engaged in working, she gives herself that equivalent time to recharge and regroup. While initially that may sound a bit indulgent, especially to our hard working psyches, I find that by just holding that notion in my awareness I somehow begin to find more, or maybe create more, time and space in my schedule to relax and breathe. My next step is to get out of my left brain and play PLAY more!
(Although I’m still hoping the 4-hour work week will kick in at some point – if I read the book again, learn tango and hire a virtual assistant…maybe, just maybe?)

please email me your thoughts, ideas and insights around this topic.

In gratitude for all,
joy

joy@inwardbound.com

Optimal Practice, Optimal Life with Nixa DeBellis
Exhale Spa
980 Madison Ave, 2nd Floor
Thu 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM
Intermediate
www.exhalespa.com

As I sat facing the Buddha head in the Zen-like studio of Exhale’s Upper East Side location, Nixa DeBellis walked in, a true picture of summer with her blonde hair, flowing white yoga pants and purple tank top.

We began class in supported bridge using the yoga block. Nixa added the first of many twists on a traditional pose by having us bring one foot at a time back alongside our block, pressing the top of our foot into the floor in a Virasana-type leg variation. As Yoga Sleuth struggled to breath evenly into her slightly contorted toes, Nixa introduced us to the idea of “optimization.” She explained that we must constantly reevaluate what is most effective for us from pose to pose, practice to practice, and year to year.

We quickly built heat with a tricky transition of twisting high lunge to twisting crescent, followed by alternating straightening and bending our front leg as we synchronized our arm movements and our breath. During several rounds of this unique sequence, Nixa expanded on the idea of optimization to our lives off the mat, namely our relationships and our jobs.

Our final challenging standing sequence had us moving from standing split to Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana and then gracefully stepping back to the twisting crescent pose we had visited at the beginning of class. By this time, we were more than ready to find our way down to the mat for some less vigorous asana. We cooled down with Salabhasana, Vishnu’s pose and then, an inversion of our choice.

As we floated into a deliciously long Savasana, Nixa reminded us to reevaluate our optimum for that moment to find the deepest relaxation possible. Once Nixa slowly and gently brought us back to sitting, we closed with a single “Om.” It made Sleuth noticed how, at the end of class, the collective “Om” is always perfectly in tune and optimized for that particular group of yogis in that exact moment.

-Alison Richard for Yoga Sleuth

~inward bound is delighted to announce~

A Yoga Adventure in the French Alps

Corrine Champigny

August 17 – 26, 2010

and

August 31 – September 9, 2010

Chamonix Valley, France

Information and reservations:

Yoga Adventure France

Both excitement and relaxation await you at this mountain yoga retreat in stunning Chamonix Valley of France. Discover the charm of the French Alps as you immerse yourself in a seven-day yoga adventure. In addition to daily yoga and meditation, we’ll offer an array of activities for you to choose from including majestic hiking, guided rock climbing and walks to nearby villages.

Chamonix is a delightful mountain village with the cobbled-street charm of centuries past, and the sophistication of a modern resort town–creative restaurants, lovely shops, abundant bakeries, and a historical alpine museum. Our adventures will include a trip up the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world for a panoramic view the French, Swiss and Italian Alps and Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. We’ll visit France’s longest glacier, the Mer de Glace, take several lovely hikes amidst pine forests and breathtaking scenery, explore the beautiful medieval town of Annecy, take a day of guided rock climbing, and allow free time to explore the village, try the valley’s spectacular paragliding, or simply relax and bask in the sublime views from our Chalet’s expansive deck.

To learn more about your retreat facilitator, Corrine, as well as prices, travel and the itinerary – please visit the retreat site: Yoga Adventure France

A Yoga Retreat can be a powerful experience anywhere, even in our own homes. Yet when we come together with a community of like minds in a place far from our busy lives, the immersion of yoga promises to be deep and all consuming with the potential to transform at the cellular level so we can bring the peace that we truly are into our daily lives back home.

Chamonix is one of the prettiest places on earth with majestic snow capped mountains, crystal clear lakes and old style European charm. Discover your true nature in the awe-inspiring countryside of the French Alps for a transformation experience.

Open to all. No prior yoga experience necessary; yoga beginners are absolutely welcomed, as well as advanced yogis. Melissa and Corrine have created a beautifully balanced schedule of both activities and leisure time. Each participant is encouraged to follow their own needs and do as much or as little in the schedule as they desire.

Message from Corrine Champigny:

The question is indeed ‘to be or not to be’. Hmmm. We have all heard ‘we are human beings not human doings’ so we should be more and do less. It is my belief that most of us are meant to LIVE life. Most of us are not meant to take off to the Himalayas and escape from our lives permanently. I see a lot of that living in India, especially in our beloved Tiru (Tiruvannamalai), where people come searching and feel that if they leave their lives behind, they will find God. But God is in life and living life. By the way, the people that try to escape their lives still have their minds with them in India. And their mind is their fundamental problem.

When was the last time you did a retreat? And I don’t mean vacation, as that is an entirely different meaning and intent. I am talking about actually retreating from your life for a weekend or week. A retreat is a time to regroup, to rest and rejuvenate, to step away from our lives so that we can return home with a different perspective. Because isn’t life a matter of perspective? Have you seen the movie ‘Click’ with Adam Sandler? This is a great example of what I am talking about. The main characters entire life changes direction as he is able to click fast forward in his life and skip the uncomfortable parts, but then he ends up missing his entire life. Then, when he is able to go back and start again, he appreciates the little misfortunes, fights with his wife etc. as he has a new perspective.

I have had the great fortune of being able to attend many, many life- changing retreats. I started off with TM (Transcendental Meditation) years ago and then discovered the wonderful retreats at Deepak Chopra’s Center for Well Being. I continued immersing myself in yoga trainings which took me deeper still where at times I was meditating for four and five hours a day.

Now it is my pleasure to offer retreats in India, yoga studios across the country and now Europe. It is my joy in life to share the bliss of our true nature with others through the practices of meditation, yoga and mindful living. Our true nature is peace. Isn’t that what we are all searching for, inner peace? It may look like we are searching for gratification or happiness but it all comes down to a feeling of contentment. We are delighted to offer two yoga retreats this summer in stunning European locations. Very limited space so please email early. Check out http://tuscanyyogaretreat.com for info on our Tuscany Yoga Retreat!

Contact Info:

Yoga Adventure France

Click here to Register

HeartRise Children’s Yoga Teacher Training is a 100-hour yoga instructor training that offers certified yoga teachers from all styles of yoga an advanced training in yoga for children. This yoga training meets the standards of the National Yoga Alliance and provides graduates with a recognized credential for teaching yoga to children. The inherent flexibility in this training allows you to create an approach for many settings and to open more doorways as a professional yoga educator.

Honoring the ancient traditions of yoga, HeartRise Children’s Yoga Teacher Training draws from the foundations of what is common to many yoga styles being practiced today, but is not limited to the past for bringing yoga into the world of our children today. The skills and insight you gain in this training prepare you to reach children from your own unique understanding and embodiment of life experiences, interests and creativity, while adding to your professional teaching skillfulness.

Learning is greatly enhanced by sharing this journey with other dedicated teachers, all exploring the power of yoga for shaping a new future for our children. Each day is filled with direct experiential learning, blending powerful movement inquiries with playful flow sequences that deepen your personal yoga practice and develop understanding of the learning process. In an environment that fosters a rich immersion into deeper layers of your own childhood wisdom you are sure to discover new levels of wonder, joy and freedom. All teaching components of the training draw from your own practice and style of yoga as a source for integrating new methods and tools.

While much of the training focuses on school-age children, the curriculum also addresses adaptations of core principles for pre-school and adolescent populations. Program directors Tamika Schilbe and Carolyn Burke have a combined 25 years experience as child and family clinicians and offer creative solutions to working with behavior challenges and children with unique needs. Discover simple yet powerful ways to create inclusive learning environments that respect the individuality and dignity of each child.

Biographies:
Tamika Schilbe, M.S.W., R.S.W., E-RYT
Tamika is an award-winning counselor, consultant, author and motivational speaker. Certified as a Yoga Instructor, Nia™ Instructor and Social Worker, Tamika has studied and taught the art of personal renewal throughout North America and also in Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia. An experienced retreat facilitator, Tamika leads regular trips to Costa Rica where she is on Faculty at the Nosara Yoga Institute. Her classes and trainings offer a creative blend of movements and postures from different parts of the world, and have been described as joyful, fun, and inspirational.

Carolyn Burke, M.S.W., R.S.W, R.Y.T.
Founder of CBA Yoga Toronto, Carolyn is an experienced yoga instructor, retreat facilitator, family counselor, parent and trainer. Carolyn has designed and facilitated numerous wellness programs and therapeutic groups. Combining her clinical training with a holistic approach, Carolyn has created and successfully launched yoga programs for moms and babies, toddlers, school-age children and children with unique needs. It is a rare teacher that can fill a room with compassion and joy the way Carolyn can.

Don Stapleton, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Director of Curriculum Development for Nosara Yoga Institute, Dean of Kripalu Yoga Education. Don is a guest presenter and development coach.

Click here to Register

Yin Yoga is often called “the quiet practice” and similar to the restorative style naturally evokes a state of contemplation – more than yang-style practices or power yoga disciplines.  In our predominantly “goal-focused” culture we have become so habituated to look ahead, to improve, and to demand more from ourselves and our bodies. In Yin and Restorative Yoga we have the opportunity to let go into what is already here, to be nourished by being-ness. Instead of pushing, we yield and come home into natural Presence. Instead of being concerned with achieving and doing it ‘right’, we are invited to rest and to re-discover what is here beyond the concepts of right or wrong. We often hear the phrase “go with the flow” – Yin can teach us how to put that phrase into practice. Flow, actually, is about moving from stillness, knowing when to PAUSE instead of always rushing into action. In order to be in balance, it is essential for us to recognize the pause, and to let our doing to be informed by this, by this still openness that we really are.

And, Restorative and Yin Yoga are also great for people who have injuries but want to do something therapeutic, both mentally and physically, for restoration and healing.

Tell me more about the physical aspects of Yin Yoga…
Yin Yoga is suitable for all bodies, ages, shapes and sizes. It offers a perfect complement to a dynamic physical workout or other more yang-style yoga practices. Yin Yoga is a non-threatening yoga and there is never a feeling of having to “keep up” in class.  While most forms of exercise train the muscles and the cardiovascular system through repetition and quicker movements, Yin Yoga focuses on the ’slower tissues’ of the body.  It targets what is usually left out: our ligaments, joints, bones, and fascia – the connective tissues and parts of our body which deteriorate through over-use or degenerate through sedentary live-styles and aging. As we hold poses with the muscles relaxed for long periods of time, we effect passive stretches and therapeutic ‘stresses’ on precisely those body-tissues.  This stimulates and harmonizes the flow of Chi (or Prana) in our body, but more important, we can reverse and slow the usual aging symptoms. We don’t age in our muscles, but in our connective tissues, like our joints get dry, our ligaments shrink, and we feel more brittle and tight. When for example stiffness occurs in our hips or back, it is NOT a muscular problem, but because of our ligaments shrinking and contracting.  So in a Yin practice we cultivate elasticity and re-create space through a gentle pull and wait. This spurs deep releases in the connective tissues, but also stimulates the production of Hyaluronic Acid, which binds water and keeps for example our joints lubricated and young.

What is the difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga?
Restorative Yoga uses props to support and hold the body in positions in which it can completely relax and unwind for a longer period of time.  In Yin Yoga, we still ‘exercise’.  Like in Restorative, we also hold poses with the muscles relaxed, but we effectuate long, passive stretches on our joints and ligaments. We target those ’slower tissues’ of the body with a gentle ‘therapeutic stress’.

When the muscles do not engage as in dynamic workouts, they don’t “steal the stretch away,” it is the connective tissue that gets to “exercise.”

Let’s take the example of a Seated Forward Bend, or Pachimottanasana.  In more Yang Yoga styles, you activate your leg muscles, you engage bhandas and the muscles along the spine to lengthen your torso, and then tilt forward from your hip. In the same pose in Restorative Yoga we would place big bolsters and pillows under the torso, so we would lean forward, but resting and supported by the bolsters.  In Yin Yoga we also lean over our extended legs, but with the spine round and the muscles of spine, neck and head relaxed.  We don’t stretch and engage muscles or energetic locks to get deeper into the pose, nor would we support our torso up like in Restorative Yoga.  In Yin we simply hold this pose with the spine bent over the legs for 3 to 5 minutes, and allow gravity and time to do the work. As we are seated and ‘hang’ in there, the ligaments along the spine get slowly pulled and start to extend.  You often can literally feel the many releases along your spine with that.  I certainly can say that my body has opened up so much more in the last 3 years with Yin Yoga. It feels much more subtle, flexible, and energized in a very calm way.

Why should people practice Yin & Restorative Yoga?
Besides the numerous physical benefits we’ve discussed, Restorative & Yin Yoga styles are about including the other part of the equation – the softer more feminine side – of life. Yin and Restorative practices are not better than the more active styles of yoga, but instead can be viewed as a necessary component in our overly active yang culture and fast paced lifestyles.  The feminine side is always about nourishment and restoration. It is about experiencing and celebrating life. The masculine in us is about ‘the mission’, about getting things done, pursuing goals. But besides this necessary balance of Yang and Yin, of action and yielding, the ultimate aim of Yoga is to know our true identity and to reconnect to the sweetness and the openness that we are. Yoga is about the invitation to realize who we really are, it is about the timeless essence, the sacred.  I find that more contemplative practices like Yin or Restorative lend themselves wonderfully to that self-inquiry.  We are not too distracted by alignments or the form of the poses, but have ample space for insight, for stillness, and natural meditation to be revealed.

What is Energy Psychology?
Energy Psychology is a rather new field, but has already become well known, as it has proven to be an amazingly effective therapeutic approach. While in a more conventional therapeutic setting, one’s psychological problems are cognitively analyzed, Energy Psychology targets the underlying energetic component, the energetic field around the thoughts. So, in Energy Psychology the practitioner brings the attention shortly to the psychological issue, but then also notices simultaneously the habitual distress that occurs in the body with that. Through stimulating the energy points one then counteracts and releases the old habitual stress response in the nervous system and brain.  We can actually change our brain “wires” or more correctly put, neural pathways, and regain balance and emotional well-being. While with more severe trauma, personality disorders, or drug abuse, one should always consult and work with a mental health professional, there are nevertheless some simple and very effective tools that everyone can learn to be more relaxed and responsive instead of being driven by outdated anxious reactions.

What can someone expect to gain/receive in the retreat experience? Anything unexpected?
No goal other than creating space for deep nourishment, and letting go, and whatever else shows up that needs to be met and embraced.

Lastly, my signature interview question…what did you have for breakfast this morning?
The Harmony Special – eggs on a corn tortilla with avocado & black beans. Pura vida!

First of all I can’t believe it took me so long to visit Hacienda del Sol.
What an amazing place to be!

So I signed up for this 7-day Cleanse and didn’t really know what to expect.

I am pleasantly surprised!

I love my cabina. It’s important to have a comfortable place to retreat, if need be, when doing a cleanse. I have a loft, which I have yet to explore – and lots of space including my own hammock and porch! Note to self (sit in it tomorrow).

Everyone on the Cleanse this week is a woman. Super! Girl Power! What I came to Costa Rica for! It feels like a special week.

There are people on the cleanse who have flown to Costa Rica, specifically for the Cleanse, from long distances – way to get the word out there, Joy! Caroline came all the way from Belgium!

So now that I have been here for 2 days, I am getting to know the routine. I’ll fill you in on how it goes here.

Most of us wake up early, when it’s still a bit dark, before 6am. And, usually I’m up for the morning and can’t get back to sleep. (I am trying to balance that out tonight by staying up later than 8:30pm!)

Yoga with Joy is at 7am. It is so lovely. What a treat. Really! Then we have our morning check-in with our “green drink” not my favorite but, “it’s good for you Tierney!” This is what I keep telling myself. Everyone else seems to love them…?

Next, we do 1 of 2 daily colemas…which I won’t go into details. :) They’re intense – it involves 1.89L of water, an addition (coffee, lemon, garlic, apple cider vinegar or chlorophyll) and my colon and large intestines.

Today a few of us had a mud bath and laid on the deck in the sun until we were nice and crispy. End result: detoxified, beautiful, smooth skin.
Now its time for a another juice and off to the beach. Menlha calls it Venus beach. It is so beautiful and tranquil. I love this beach. It recharges the soul.

Back to Hacienda del Sol for another colema and then meditation at 5ish, along with some journaling and our “dinner” of potassium broth…and wonderful fellowship.

We get to do whatever we like, whenever we like. This IS good. It’s the kind of life I like.

My energy was really good today. The actual cleansing involved a lot of releasing and letting go which will eventually lead to more clarity.

So, my intention for this cleanse is to unplug, relax, clean out the colon, get clear and be present in the process.

I am inspired to eat more raw food and prepare more raw meals.
I am inspired to follow my heart and not waste time on frivolous things.
I am inspired to read more books that speak to my heart.
I am inspired to continue with my daily practice of yoga, prayer, meditation, and contemplation through journaling.
I am inspired to share joy, happiness and love with those around me. That’s you guys! woo hoo!!
I am inspired to follow my heart and bring my dreams into reality.
I am inspired to continue to be a channel and to be of service whenever possible in my daily life.
I am inspired to continue to be a true, happy, pure version of me.

Thank you for your love and support to help me become the best person I can be.

I love and miss you all so so much. You have a very special place in my heart.

Let’s hang out when I get back to the ‘hood!

I am here to love and support you on your journey in this life.
Life is precious, live it wisely.

And eat healthy. Because your body says so – it works hard for you so do it a favor!

Much love, peace, harmony, light and laughter to you,
Tierney

inward bound is an extension of her love for introducing people to new places, deepening their yoga and meditation practice, contemplating wellness and balance, and connecting like-minded individuals. Joy’s teaching style is a fun, creative vinyasa flow that draws from a variety of disciplines with a deep affinity for restorative poses. She is currently studying Anusara and Ashtanga Yoga along with Mer Ka Ba meditation.

Join Joy at the exhilarating July 5-11, 2009 yoga surfing retreat in Playa Guiones, Nosara Costa Rica, where she’ll be the lead instructor!

With a rare understanding of anatomy and the body’s energy systems, she provides both beginning and advanced students with a safe environment to explore, heal and integrate the body and mind. She believes we are all hungry to reconnect with anima mundi, the soul of the world; our source. This is precisely the process she experienced when first drawn to yoga decades ago.

Jane is also an expert teacher of restorative yoga and vipassana meditation. Not to mention her lifetime of experience as an astrologer which informs her themes so that your practice will resonate with cosmic rhythms. She is also an acupressure massage therapist and provides amazing hands on adjustments for her students. Jane and inward bound have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York and Los Angeles Times, Time-Life’s The Powers of Healing, Washington Woman, Mademoiselle, New Body, Yoga Journal,Vogue, Travel & Leisure, Healing Retreats & Spas, Wall Street Journal, etc.

Jane recently moved with her husband Fritz from Washington DC to Nosara, Costa Rica, where they created Heartwaves, a development to host travelers to this pristine paradise, a protected Pacific Beach, famous for surfing and yoga.

Join Jane at the July 12-18, 2009 Yin Yoga & Restorative Yoga Retreat to be held in stunning Nosara, Costa Rica.