Summer Cool Down: Body Balance Yoga Retreat

Ease into the fall and transition your mind, body, and spirit to the months ahead. Yoga instructor Marissa Allyn will lead you through a morning of shavasana, Ayurveda, a forest meditation walk, and a lunch provided by Friends & Family in Portland.

The yoga flow is for all levels. The flow will focus on poses that cool and calm the body and mind. You will start the morning with a guided shavasana, then an Ayurveda discussion. Ayurveda is an easy way to incorporate this cool down practice into your daily life. Ayurveda believes in opposites, balance; cooling the body down on a hot, sunny, summer day.

The silent meditation walk will focus on the sights, sounds, smells, textures of the farm and surrounding area, as well as a five minute seat to fully surround the body in the ambiance. Participants will then fold into a bountiful and nutrient lunch provided by Friends & Family, a wine and small plate bar in Portland. At Dandelion Spring we believe that by engaging all of our senses through sharing nutritious food, we are setting a table for conversations about larger cultural and environmental issues related to our communities.

Marissa’s classes reflect her own disposition, creating a trusting and sunny space. Her classes as a whole, embody a consciousness linking each physical pose with each inward breath. Marissa holds both her 200 and 500 hour teacher training certifications with Fluid Yoga School, as well as certifications in SPA and HEALing yoga. Marissa is forever deepening her knowledge and holds an Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher certification with Shiva Shakti Yoga School and enjoys practicing and studying Tibetan philosophy and meditation with Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. When not teaching yoga she enjoys spending time with her husband and dog at the beach or in the woods.

Time Line:

9-10:15 yoga flow with guided shavasana

10:20-11:20/30 Ayurveda discussion, what it is, how to balance, how to incorporate into daily practices, food/ health/movement

11:30-12: silent walking meditation

12-1 Lunch, open discussion, question and answer

Student material list:

• Yoga mat or blanket/towel
• Water/ coffee/tea
• Weather dependent attire/ layers, sunblock, hat (anything you may need to feel comfortable outside for a couple of hours)