Easter is a time when I’d normally be buying in the wine and getting excited about indulging in plenty of chocolate. This year, however, was very different, thanks to an inspirational yoga teacher named Elana de Veaux and her Easter Women’s Yoga Retreat, Shakti Yoga held in Belongil near Byron Bay.

Elana teaches Shakti Yoga which is an integration of over 30 years of training and teaching Yoga, Chi Gung, Breathwork, Voice, Dance and Meditation practices. I was initially attracted to the Easter retreat by the intimate nature of the course and the integration of yoga and meditation. Guests stay, literally as a guest in Elana’s beautiful home.

As I arrived for the four day retreat, Elana welcomed me with a healthy detoxifying minty drink and introduced me to the other people attending the course. Elana limits her courses to a maximum of ten people which allows her to be flexible to meet everyone’s needs and expectations.

During the first session in the light and airy yoga studio, Elana explained that in keeping with the theme of Easter, this retreat was going to be about transformation and rebirth. Through yoga, meditation, breathing exercises and other techniques we would be invited to release old concerns and welcome in new intentions.

The next few days of the course followed a simple structure of a dynamic yoga session and/or a bracing walk, then some free time in the afternoon followed by a yoga nidra and a restorative evening session. The walks were typically combined with lessons in Chi Gung and Elemental Breathing to help heal and rebalance the body and mind.

One of the retreat highlights was an evening of sound healing meditation with sound healer Elvina Munir. Elvina played a combination of Chakra Chimes, Tubular Bells, a Navajo Flute and Tibetan Bowls as we all listened from the comfort of our mats. The experience was incredibly peaceful and lulled us into total relaxation.

Prior to this retreat, I had only practiced yoga at my local gym in Sydney as a way to keep fit and become more flexible. Coupled with healthy food and great teaching, the Shakti Easter Yoga Retreat 2011 helped me understand how to combine yoga as a way of keeping fit with techniques to aid relaxation and relieve stress.