Akasha Ellis: New Years Bhakti Yoga Retreat

Celebrate the New Year and your “New Beginning”

Yoga & Meditation Retreat Dec 27 2023 – Jan 3 2024 

This winter journey with us to the highlands of Guatemala and let the long winter months of darkness drift away as you play along the shores of Lake Atitlan, “the most beautiful lake in the world” as quoted by novelist Aldous Huxley when he visited Guatemala. The climate is fantastic. Warm during the day and cool at night. It’s the “closest thing to Eden on Earth” (Lonely Planet). 

Villa Sumaya at Lake Atitlan is an ideal setting to reflect, heal, rejuvenate and welcome in this New Year together. We will fill our days with sharing, yoga, non dual teachings, laughter and other activities like hiking, swimming, kayaking and massage. We wil draw our awareness inward revealing our true essence of peace and joy.    And in turn experience love and healing within ourselves, those around us, and mother earth.  

Mornings will begin with a group Sadhana including Mindfulness Meditation Kirtan and Kundalini Yoga followed later by a led influenced Ashtanga or Mysore session that will leave you feeling enriched and re-energized.                            

During the day we will explore and enjoy the amenities of Villa Sumaya and local Mayan villages or just relax and enjoy your surroundings. The center offers a solar hot tub, sauna, pool, places to hike, a beautiful lake to swim, kayak & paddle-boards and villages to explore on a nice day trip by foot or by boat. You will have access to a broad range of talented and wonderful healers. Their expertise includes intuitive energy healing, reiki, massage, tarot reading, feldenkrais, ayurveda and more. There are also plenty of serene places to nap, relax or read a book. 

Most afternoons we will meet once again to practice a restorative yoga set, mindfullness guided meditation, or explore Somatic Yoga. The evening session will leave your muscles relaxed, hearts open and mind and body ready for a restful night.

This retreat is open to all levels. No experience is necessary and we typically have a wide range of experience levels from beginner to lifetime practioner. 

More about Akasha: Akasha became a student of Kundalini Yoga at the age of 11 and continued practing many traditions. In his twenties, while living and working in India, he began studying Ashtanga yoga.  Akasha currently offers classes, workshops, retreats, and teacher training all over the world. He is co-owner of Birmingham Yoga studio. Akasha believes “a teacher must teach what they know” and this retreat will reflect his personal approach and will include the traditions of Non Dual Teachings, Kundalini, classical Ashtanga and Somatic Yoga for a heart-centered experience that will leave the student toned, stretched, centered and open, from the inside out. To learn more about this retreat email contact@birminghamyoga.com

To learn more about Akasha’s background click here
Scheduled Activities: This is a tentative schedule. All sessions are optional.

Morning:
5:00 – 7:30 am Morning sadhana (kundalini yoga, pranayama, meditation & chanting)
8:30 – 9:30 am Breakfast
10:30 – 12:30 pm Led Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow

Afternoon:
12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 – 4:30 pm Free time

Late Afternoons and Evening:
5:00 – 6:00 pm Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Somatics
6:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner

We will also schedule at least one half day excursion and have the opportunity to visit some of the local villages in the area. There are 16 villages mostly accessible by boat. 
                                                                                 Space is limited and we expect to sell out! Each room will be assigned based upon registration on a “first come” basis. You can request your roommate or we are happy to pair you up with someone.                                                                                                                                                                 
Payment options: Pay in full or pay in two installments.  First installment due at registration and remaining balance is due Sep 1. We will continue to accept reservations until all rooms are full, however if registering after Sep 1 full payment is due upon registration.

Price includes:

• Lodging for 8 days and 7 nights.
• 3 gourmet vegetarian meals a day (chicken and fish available at additional charge)
• All yoga classes
• Unlimited tea and coffee service
• Filtered water

Our retreat begins after 3pm Dec 27 with dinner and ends Jan 3 mid morning after breakfast.

Passports are required for travel to Guatemala from the US. A visa is not required.