Animal Yoga™ was both presented and experienced at the almighty fabulous Rustic Retreats over the last fortnight! It was very well received with retreatants asking for the sequence, how to be kept informed, when the first workshop is and just generally sharing in the excitement about Animal Yoga’s seemingly long overdue formation.
Rustic Retreats is an off-grid, eco-friendly animal-loving yoga getaway nestled in the valleys of the Sierra Espuna mountains in southern Spain. There is plenty of wildlife surrounding us as we practice our yoga and go about our daily life there – living with the animals and alongside them is key. The setting also makes for plenty wildlife-watching opportunities, especially as far as diverse insects are concerned! There were numerous ways in which our commitment to ahimsa (non-harming to all beings) was both challenged and put into practice, including trying to go around ant trails along our paths, rescuing bugs caught in the pool water, practicing oneness with nature as we got used to sharing our home and tent with potentially a few little harmless creatures and being all the more mindful in our yoga practice to divert our bodies around any unexpected visitor onto our yoga mat! The odd accident of course did happen despite the bestest of intentions. This quote fits in wholesomely with this:
“Ahimsa is a comprehensive principle. We are helpless mortals caught in the conflagration of himsa. The saying that life lives on life has a deep meaning in it. Man cannot for a moment live without consciously or unconsciously committing outward himsa. The very fact of his living – eating, drinking and moving about – necessarily involves some himsa, destruction of life, be it ever so minute. A votary of ahimsa therefore remains true to his faith if the spring of all his actions is compassion, if he shuns to the best of his ability the destruction of the tiniest creature, tries to save it, and thus incessantly strives to be free from the deadly coil of himsa. He will be constantly growing in self-restraint and compassion, but he can never become entirely free from outward himsa.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
From the last image in this selection, you’ll see how there is a beautiful ginger cat all bandaged up. This was after a huge rescue effort from Elliot who owns Rustic Retreats. Mr M – this resident, semi-wild cat – had been bitten or injured somehow quite badly on his neck and it was going to get infected and who knows what if just left. Elliot was of course not going to let this happen but we all feared we may have to let nature take its course as Mr M was not playing ball and didn’t understand we were trying to help him and would continuously escape capture for veterinary help. He even evaded tranquilisers in his food. There was no giving up though and teamwork proved the way to solve this conundrum – luring Mr M into a small closed-in building, ensuring he did not get out and sticking with the mission despite Mr M of course being very scared and threatened and jumping all around the walls! Eventually he was cornered (somehow!?) into the cat carrier and the rest of us emerged from our yoga practice to the triumphant jolly jolly news indeed! 🙂
Rustic Retreats is a perfect spot for Animal Yoga™ thanks to the animal-loving nature of Elliot, the owner, and thanks to the wild location 🙂 I look forward to sharing Animal Yoga™ here with more retreatants in time to come 🙂
Right…. now back to developing Animal Yoga™ further 🙂 More posts and news incoming 🙂 xxx
