Join Iyengar teacher Eve Holbrook for a 4-day retreat at the magical island of Møn in springtime. We will stay in an old Danish farmhouse situated on the Baltic Sea, just steps from the beach (Råbylille Strand), It is a peaceful, soulful place to relax, reconnect and develop your yoga and meditation practice. This is a small retreat, with space limited to 10 people.
Eve will lead an early pranayama practice, followed by an active asana class in the morning, and a restorative practice in the afternoon (see detailed schedule below). As the retreat progresses, we will build towards a deeper, more refined practice that addresses individual needs, and develops each student’s skills and abilities, bringing physical, mental and emotional strength and stamina.
This retreat is appropriate for students with substantial Iyengar Yoga training who are well practiced in standing postures, Salamba Sarvangasana, and Salamba Sirsasana. They should be able to push up into Urdhva Dhanurasana (or if not, know how to modify with maturity). Intermediate postures, including Sirsasana variations and seated Pranayama are taught.
Eve Holbrook has been practicing Iyengar yoga for 32 years and teaching for over 20 years. She is a Certified Level 2 Iyengar instructor who has been fortunate to study with the Iyengar family in Pune, India for extended periods on multiple occasions since 2006. Her senior teachers have been Mary Dunn, Kevin Gardiner, James Murphy, Lara Warren, and Glenn Ceresoli.
Yoga ultimately teaches us to find a sense of retreat within ourselves where we can re-align and re-energize physically, mentally and emotionally regardless of our external circumstances. For many of us, this experience becomes more accessible and profound when we withdraw for an extended period of time from our usual routine and environment to a place that supports mindfulness and slowing down. Without the distractions, responsibilities and stresses of our daily life, we have an opportunity to touch the depth of our practice; gain insight and perspective, re-assess our circumstances and weave that understanding into the way we live our lives.
Our accommodations are elegant and charming along with being rustic and humble.
The retreat center, in order to help keep costs low, has a minimal staff. Therefore, retreat participants engage in very basic "yogi jobs" like setting the table, rinsing dishes, loading the dishwasher and keeping the dining area tidy. Sharing the workload is an ancient and noble tradition that is meant to be considered as part of our practice.
Between sessions, there will be some time to savor the afterglow of your practice in the unspoiled island setting- relaxing at the farm, taking a swim, a walk along the Baltic sea, or amongst Møn’s gorgeous woodlands and meadows. A bit further afield is the historic town of Stege, the village of Nyord, and the stunning Møns Klint (White Cliff’s of Møn).
PRICING:
The full cost of this retreat is $750 / 5250 DKK for a shared room, and $900 / 6300 DKK for a single room. The price includes all yoga classes, three lovingly-prepared, vegetarian meals per day, three nights accommodations, and use of Strandgården’s grounds. It does not include ground transportation or airfare. In pure old Danish farmhouse form, there are no en suite bathrooms. There are four separate bathrooms to be shared by the group of max 10 people.
Everybody helps with setting the table and clearing after the meals. There will be coffee, tea, fruit and nuts during the day as well as afternoon smoothies, juice, or cake.
TO REGISTER:
Please fill out and submit this registration form, noting your room preference (private or shared), and we will confirm availability and send payment instructions. A $500 / 3500 DKK deposit is required to hold your space in the retreat at Strandgården. The balance of payment is due on February 23, 2025.
Since space is limited to 10 people, it is expected to fill quickly, so we recommend reserving your space soon.
RETREAT SCHEDULE:
Thursday, May 15
3 - 4 pm Check in
4:30 - 6 pm Early arrival Restorative class
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8 pm Orientation
Friday, May 16
7 - 8 am Pranayama class
8 - 8:30 am Coffee, tea, fruit, snack
8:30 - 10:30 am Asana Class
10:45 - 11:45 pm Full Breakfast
12:00 - 4 pm Freetime to be a tourist on the island, go for a walk, enjoy the sea or immerse yourself in your own projects.
4:30 - 6 pm Restorative class
6 - 7 pm Dinner
Saturday, May 17
7 - 8 am Pranayama class
8 - 8:30 am Coffee, tea, fruit, snack
8:30 - 10:30 am Asana Class
10:45 - 11:45 pm Full Breakfast
12:00 - 4 pm Freetime to be a tourist on the island, go for a walk, enjoy the sea or immerse yourself in your own projects.
4:30 - 6 pm Restorative class
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Q & A
Sunday, May 18
7 - 8 am Pranayama class
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 - 11:30 am Asana Class
12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch and Departure
DIRECTIONS via train/bus from Copenhagen’s airport (CPH):
1. Take the train to Copenhagen’s Central Train Station (15 minute ride)
2. Transfer to the train to Vordingborg (1 hour and 15 minute ride)
3. At Vordingborg station, walk about 20 yards to the bus stop where you transfer to the bus to Stege (45 minute ride)
4. Get off the bus and take a taxi from Stege to Strandgården (15 minute ride).
*DIRECTIONS via car from Copenhagen's Airport (CPH):
(can also be found on Google Maps GPS or the Maps App)
1. Continue to E20
2. Follow E20 and E47 to Monsvej/Route 22/Route 59 in Vordingborg. Take exit 41-Vordingborg from E47.
3. Continue on Route 59. Take Route 287 to Bundgardet 45 in Stege.
*Møn is a relatively large island (84 sq mi), so if you plan to do sightseeing beyond the area of Strandgården (Råbylille Strand), please consider renting a car. If you are interested in sharing a rental car with other participants, please indicate so on the registration form so we can put you in touch with each other.
To learn more about Møn, you can check out the links below. Some of the Danish sites have English versions (look for the American or English flag icon), and if not, you can always paste the danish text into Google Translate to see the english translation 🤓:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Møn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Møns_Klint
https://www.visitmoensklint.dk/danmark/download-brochure-fra-moen-og-sydsjaelland
http://www.moensklint.dk/geocentermoensklintuk.aspx
http://www.moen-atlas.dk/index.php?id=97
http://www.harbollehuset.dk
http://www.moen-ishest.dk
