I just got back from our AcroSpirit Acroyoga Retreat in Amed, Bali and it was so damn good! This was I think our 6th or 7th AcroSpirit retreat, and it honestly feels like everyone gets better and better each time. This retreat especially just re-highlighted and illuminated how much I love sharing Acro and how special these retreats really are! Sadly due to covid lockdowns, it had been 5 months since our previous Acro retreat. So I think I was starting to forget how it felt to lead one of these events and how rewarding it can be.
I am super grateful that we managed to make this one happen, and I am actually very excited to organize the next one. This particular retreat was a bit of a challenge, delaying several times due to lockdown and restrictions. So for it to finally come together and with a beautiful bunch of students, it was really special. The community vibes, the amazing feedback that we got, and just the interactions and shared energy throughout the retreat were the biggest highlights for me. Plus it doesn't even feel like so much effort leading the retreat because I get to be part of it too, and very much participate in all of the activities. It's kind of like an acro retreat for myself too! :)
So anyway, as I'm on a high right after this retreat, I want to share what we got up to and my favorite bits from an awesome weekend. To give you an insight into what one of these events is like. First off, we ran this event in Amed which is on the far east coast of Bali. It's a diving hub that attracts some tourism for its dive spots, calm oceans, and nice warm weather. The retreat we choose was nice and isolated and situated right on the beach itself. So we had amazing views of the ocean, and also a really nice pool and yoga shala. We started off the retreat with an opening circle and some icebreaker games and name games so that everyone got comfortable with each other. Then we moved straight into the first acro class which was good fun! In actuality the class was maybe a little bit too challenging for the level of students, so we ended up adjusting the content down and in the following classes, which ended up working out really nicely. After the acro class, we had a nice group dinner and then headed down to the beach for a bonfire hangout and music jam. This was probably one of my highlights of the retreat, being super cozy on the beach with a roaring fire and getting to play guitar and sing songs together is always so much fun.
The second day we started with Laura's prehab and movement class which was such a nice start to the day. Followed by our second acro class after breakfast where we shared some basic pops, and other foundational skills. The pops I absolutely loved teaching, and seeing how a few little cues make such a difference, and how people go from never having done a pop to suddenly surprising themselves with how high they are popping! After lunch and chill, we had an afternoon therapeutic session that I led. Where I taught some flying therapeutics and also some Thai massage. This is also a class that I love teaching because it really has an entirely different approach, it's all about slowing down, working with the breath and the body, and presence, focus, and touch. Afterward, we had a beach sunset acro jam where we took some pictures swam in the sea, and had a chilled little session. Then we rounded out the second day with another group dinner and a games night.
I'm a bit of a nerd for games, so this was a lot of fun for me playing some social group games that Brent organized!
On the third day, everything came into full fruition with Laura's morning prehab and inversions class, which saw everyone working on their handstand drills. Then after breakfast, we went into our final acro class which was putting together everything we had already shared. The end result was an acro flow that involved some pops, some fun exits, and re-entries, plus a couple of cool transitions like forearm stand rolls and a little pop exit from whale etc. At the end-all of the groups made a little acro performance, each showcasing their flow with their own unique flavor and personality which was super cool! Seeing everything we had taught come together in one moment was really nice. Then we finished up with the closing circle and had a final lunch together with a bit of pool acro and hangout. I had so much fun just being part of the retreat as well as teaching and leading, and I am pretty excited to make the next one even bigger and better.
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