RETREAT OVERVIEW
Join us for this unique offering led by Tina Pashumati James to delve deeper into the wisdom and benefits of restorative yoga and various styles of safe, hands-on assistance in asana yoga class settings. This training is open to yoga teachers and students alike. Tina will give you the essential tools you need to begin to understand and implement this powerful work so you can feel confident as you embark on your own practice.
Restorative yoga is considered the true antidote to stress because it allows you to relax deeply with awareness. Relaxing with awareness is the key to bringing the mind-body into a state of balance or homeostasis, similar to the effect of meditation.
Tina's Restorative Yoga Teacher Training at nectar yoga is available for people wishing to dive deeper into healing through Yoga.
”Hand’s on assists from a teacher to student can be a powerful and integral part of helping students deepen their yoga practice, especially at a more advanced level and deeper awareness of physical, mental and emotional and spiritual.
In this course, students will learn about the philosophy, technology, and practice of restorative yoga. The goal of this offering is for practitioners to gain an understanding of the poses and learn how to expertly set up restorative yoga poses for themselves and other people, develop breathing techniques to help promote relaxation and restoration in the body and teaching methodologies of restorative yoga classes.
True rest is rare and undervalued.
Not only is it easy to forget the essential nature that Yogic texts speak of, but our natural restoration and healing are often compromised in our current society. Exhaustion, anxiety, irritability, and chronic, stress-related conditions have become common.
The receptive, inclusive practice of restorative yoga provides critical rest and balance for teachers and students alike. It helps to preserve our health and wellbeing by supporting our nervous system, internal organs and subtle body.
Equally, it offers a coming home to our inner life, to the present moment, and to the universal - the bedrock of our presence, relationships, and actions in the world. The ripples of this run beyond what we can ever know
This retreat will take place at Nectar Yoga, a beautiful sanctuary 20 mins off the coast of Vancouver on the ancestral and unceded territory of Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island, BC). To read more about Nectar Yoga, click here.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
4-nights accommodation of your choice*
*(if you choose a shared accommodation, we suggest booking with a loved one if not booking the entire cottage privately)Non-accommodation spaces available for Bowen Island locals - limited spaces available
All vegetarian meals that nourish the mind, body and spirit
Welcome circle
Opening meditation and yoga class
Daily meditation, asana yoga and chanting practices inspired by Jivamukti & Astanga yoga lineages
Guided forest bathing sessions
Workshop sessions overviewing the history of Restorative Yoga and building safe sequences
Practical lectures on the subtle body and assisting
Therapeutics of forward bending workshop
Building relationships/consent and trauma-informed teachings
Pranayama sessions and lessons on assisting using sound therapy
Restorative yoga practice and crystal bowl sound bath offering
Shamanic fire ceremony and kirtan offering
Free time for rest and reflection
Closing connection circle
DELUXE COTTAGES | Amethyst, Jade and Quartz
Option for Private or Shared Accommodation | Sleeps 2 in Twin Beds or 1 in King Bed with attached bath
Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book and a warm mug of tea. Wake up and take a luxurious morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, year-round outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s natural centrepiece, our magnificent maple and alder grove trees.
Choice of 2 XL twin beds or 1 King bed *close together, so we recommend booking with a loved one if you choose the Shared option, otherwise we offer the option to book it Privately
Covered front deck with year-round seating
Reading nook with picture window
Writing desk
Mini fridge, kettle, mugs, assorted teas
Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi
Clean, non-smoking facility
A-FRAMES | Opal, Jasper and Sunstone
Private Accommodation | Sleeps 1 in a Double Bed with detached shared bath
Warm, pine-clad angled walls welcome you at our modernized 60s-throwback A-frames. The comfy beds and luscious linens await your dreams, while the picture window and its lush foliage views await your daydreams. Use the space for creative pursuits, or as a basecamp for a walk in the forest. Rainy day? Sit outside on your covered porch and enjoy the fresh, pine-scented ocean air and the sound of raindrops caressing the old-growth trees.
Private Accommodation, sleeps 1 guest
1 double bed
Covered front deck with year-round seating
Access to 2 shared, detached bathrooms with shower
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Wi-Fi available in the Onyx Lodge
Clean, non-smoking facility
ONYX LODGE ROOMS | Amber + Turquoise
AMBER + TURQUOISE ROOMS
Private Accommodation | Sleeps 1 in a Double Bed with shared, detached bath
These cozy rooms are the perfect space for solo travelers. The window opens to a view of our property and the comfy bed offers a space for restful sleep.
*Please note that these rooms are located upstairs in the Onyx Lodge, so some sound from the kitchen and Onyx Lodge gathering space is to be expected during waking hours.
Double bed
Detached, shared bathroom with shower
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Smart TV
In-room Wi-Fi
Clean, non-smoking facility
THE PRACTICE SPACE - THE GEODESIC DOME
Our geodesic dome is the sacred hub of Nectar. To preserve and respect this energy, we ask that the space is used mindfully.
Usage of the dome includes all props (blocks, bolsters, blankets, straps). We encourage guests to bring their own mats. If props are used, it is asked that they are put away mindfully.
During the cooler months we heat the dome with a wood burning fireplace. Perfect for adding the element of fire in the cooler months.
Guests are advised to dress in layers to maintain their preferred body temperatures.
THE ONYX LODGE | LOUNGE + DINING ROOM
Your arrival at Nectar Yoga is down a long forested driveway, across a bridge over a babbling stream, and at the end will emerge our Onyx Lodge, Nectar Yoga's communal gathering space.
Outside the Onyx Lodge is a parking area and a central check-in boutique, Nectar Goods, that welcomes our arriving guests. The front entry has an enclosed boot room with adjoining bathroom. After removing your outdoor gear, you will enter into the central space. With soaring 25' ceilings overlooking the alder forest, casual sofas and lounge chairs, a long family dining table, double doors that open to a covered outdoor space with a secondary seasonal dining area and relaxing outdoor sofas.
WHAT TO BRING
A smile or two
Your favourite snacks
Layered clothing for the season
Journal and pen
Water bottle
Travel mug
Waterproof footwear
Comfortable clothing
(white clothing encouraged for closing ceremony)
A yoga mat
(we have sanitized mats and props available for all students to use if you do not wish to travel with yours)
Any crystals or tools you generally incorporate into your practices
If you have a meditation pillow that you love to use, please bring it
THIS RETREAT IS FOR YOU IF…
You love the outdoors
You want to learn more about yourself and your connection to nature
You like mindful yoga practices and learning the history behind them
You want some time for introspection, for yourself
THIS RETREAT IS NOT FOR YOU IF…
You have a serious health condition
You cannot sit (in any position) for 30 mins straight
You cannot eat vegetarian food
INVESTMENT & REGISTRATION
Please view our registration page for room costs and details
Payment in full is required to secure your space.
Non-refundable, non-transferable.
Taxes applicable – all prices are in Canadian dollars
*Travel to/from Nectar Yoga on Bowen Island is not included
PAYMENT TERMS & CONDITIONS
Once booked, this retreat is non-refundable. In the event of a government ordered closure, your booking will be moved to another date or you will be issued a credit valid for 12 months that you can use towards our Nectar Experience Package. No refunds will be given.
ABOUT THE HOST
A former mountaineer, marathoner, and competitive equestrian rider, Tina believes in living life to the fullest while advocating for the flora and fauna of the earth.
Tina owned Loka Yoga serving and building a community for 20 years with her yoga teachings steeped in Bhakti and indigenous ceremony both in England and Canada. She has facilitated and led various workshops and teacher training programs, including a 200-hour YTT at Nectar Yoga during winter 2022.
“Environmentalism and animal activism are why "I became a yoga teacher" to honour the earth with my First Nations elders very much about respect for nature and the sacred ceremonies, and to use it as a platform to share the torture and murder of sentient beings worldwide.”
Tina is an authorized Senior Ashtanga yoga teacher by Manju Jois at the European Academy of Ashtanga yoga.
"lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu"
May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.
