Wake up in the Woods
Let Nature Be Your Teacher
Hi, my name is David, you might know me as Manos from Yoga.
When I’m not writing…like a lot of folks…I like to be out in nature.
Here I am, running up one of my favourite sand dunes, not far from my home in Northumberland.
The Early Years
It started pretty early. When I was 12yrs old I walked a collie dog for an hour each day for a neighbour who worked away on the rigs. I didn't realise at the time but those wanderings were my first walking meditations.
More than 3 decades later, I'm still meditating outside.
Meditation
Once you've established a formal meditation practice, you realise you don't actually need a formal practice or a special technique in order to meditate.
What you do need is dedicated time to yourself (which means prioritising your own needs - for once).
You need a good chunk of time where the mind is allowed to wander without purpose.
Ideally, this would be in nature but anywhere you feel safe and held.
Luxury
People talk about going on luxury retreats, but for me, the biggest luxury in life is SPACE.
Space to smell the fresh morning dew or space to feel the sun's rays on your cheeks.
Space & Spaciousness
Space and time are synonymous. Without time there is no space.
If you can slow the mind down enough then even somewhere like a packed tube on the London Underground can feel spacious.
When I look for yoga retreats, I avoid those with packed schedules and endless ceremonies…I just want enough yoga or movement to feel good and centred in my body and somewhere that offers plenty of opportunity for free time - maybe by a river or a campfire.
Why I Moved Yoga Outdoors
Nobody...and I mean NOBODY, was running yoga classes outside in the North of England when I first started my beach yoga class (with Wim Hoff and post-lockdowns it’s all changed these days thankfully).
Yoga was a studio thing, a village hall thing, a leisure centre and a community centre thing. It was not, 'Hey it's February and the sand is frozen' thing!
But I just loved being outside and I knew what the outdoors could bring to a class.
And it worked really, really well!
The people who came to those beach sessions loved their mornings dedicated to being outside.
There was something magical about being around other folks who were also happy to sit in nature. To move around a little and playfully explore their own body and find new ways to breathe.
My beach tribe would tell me it was their weekly 'non-negotionable'....the thing that they shuffled the rest of their week around as it was that important to their wellbeing.
Outdoors Versus Indoors
Stunning sunsets, swans flying over our mats, a pod of dolphins swimming past. Indoor yoga just can't compare. Not that it needs to…it’s just a completely different animal.
One of the things I really like is that it's also really hard to do things perfectly outside...impossible even...and so we soon let go of our perfectionism and embrace more fun and playfulness.
You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Mary Oliver
Spending the Night Outside
The longer you can spend outside, the more you tune into the environment and the more the environment tunes into you. Birds, in imparticular come a lot closer once you've settled in their space.
July is a lovely warm month of the year in order to take those tentative first steps into overnight camping.
Team Work Makes the Dream Work
One thing I’m keen to make different from other yoga retreats is to focus on playfulness as much as relaxation.
I've previously made the mistake, and I think a lot of the yoga world does this, of focusing only on relaxation.
Of course, we need to know how to relax and get really familiar with how a relaxed body feels, but we also need to know how to move through all the gears of our nervous system.
Can we be stimulated and not get overwhelmed or stuck in a loop of fright or flight?
It's not about bringing our stress levels down at all costs, it’s about being able to move freely through all the various temperaments.
Can we try a little thrill to go with our relaxation?
Between Dan, and his team at Northern Outdoor, and myself at Physical Freedom, we have a unique and very broad palette of skill sets.
Dan will be responsible for all things adventure-related over the weekend; the tree climbing and zip line stuff.
Yours truly will be responsible for the yoga and meditation stuff and between the both of us, we’ll be making sure you have what you need camping and comfort-wise.
Mouth Watering Food
Luckily for Dan and me, we don’t have to worry about the catering side of things. This means we can dedicate our time and presence fully to anyone attending the retreat.
Laura, my good friend and food genius at Kooked North is responsible for our delicious scran.
Nobody knows high-quality locally sourced food better than Laura! And, she's so much craic...I absolutely LOVE her to bits!
The FAQ’S
Who is it for?
Anyone who wants to reset
When is it?
21-23 July and another one in Autumn
Where is it?
Twizel Woods (private woodland just off the a1)
What can I expect?
See above and more to come!
What you'll need...
Find our equipment list here.
How much is it?
Introductory Offer Price
£360 per person
£320 if you’re a Substack Shit & Love annual member
£680 for couples/ friends booking together
What do I do now if I want to book or just know more about it?
Click Here for the scoop!