On the first day retreat, we Shone the Light.

On the 21st of February, Josh hosted the first day retreat entitled Shine the Light.

In the scenic tranquillity of Leicestershire countryside, the sun did indeed shine, during a season of uncharacteristic wetness and very little sunlight.

The deep work that we did in community was symbolic of the end of this dark and wet window and the dawning of a new season of potential. Together we planted new intentions in the form of Sankalpa (a heartfelt desire) which serves as a powerful seed of transformation.

Why do we do this work? Well, according to the philosophy of Illuminating Shadows - the website from creator and founder Josh Rivers - it is not only essential but our duty to conduct such work. We must illuminate our shadows, or our inner hidden aspect, in the noble pursuit of self-knowledge (a primary motivator within traditional Yoga, see Svadhyaya).

Self-knowledge is tremendously valuable as it leads to the path to truth (another Yogic principle, see Satya) and it is a fact that we only see a small portion of ourselves clearly. Just like an iceberg in water is mostly hidden beneath the surface, with only a relatively small pinnacle of the iceberg above water, so too is the nature of the mind and self awareness. It is true even that the deep and mysterious sea is symbolic of the subconscious mind. Without knowledge of what is beneath the surface of your own nature is akin to suffering. The absence of truth is suffering.

On retreat day, we explored these concepts in the form of insightful group discussion whereby we each answered 3 potent questions, the first being:

Who Am I?

This is the fundamental question that leads to self-knowledge. Individuals were encouraged not to answer the question in a practical sense such as "I am a man, my name is John, I am a son, I perform this role in society...", and instead were encouraged to consider the truth of who I am beneath the story - beneath the roles and identifications that we carry with us as part of our persona.

Interestingly, persona has its literal roots as meaning mask and points to the reality that each of us are 'playing the role of a character'. We each may have many masks, masks that are situationally dependant, that adapt or take on different appearances depending on the role, relationship, or duty required. Yoga, and the delicate process of illuminating shadows aims to strip back some of those masks to discover the fruitful unknown beneath the surface.

Take a moment to consider what masks you wear...

Maybe you are the funny one or the nice one or even the angry one or the sad one. Maybe you identify more as your role as a child, sibling, or parent, or maybe you mask is connected to your job role in society or a even a painful story from the past. All of this forms the ego - that who I think I am.

The second and third questions related specifically to what truth is asking to be lived here and now, and what blocks or prevents that from coming into reality.

It's at this juncture that the work of the shadow becomes a deeply personal endeavour, and the path must be walked with sensitivity and awareness.

Throughout the day, we familiarised ourselves with two essential aspects to conducting this work intelligently and mindfully... (and a wonderful shout out to one of the attendees for asking me so plainly in our first sharing circle, "how does one actually do Shadow Work?"). I answered this question as simply as I could, knowing full well how this path is one shrouded in pitfalls, intrigue, and obstacles, much like trying to navigate a dense forest in the black of night...

"To do Shadow Work, one must practice two things: Stillness and Listening."

We practiced our morning asana with this central idea of listening, adopting a Hatha Vinyasa style of practice which explores postures designed to bring about balance in the body (balance of opposites, such as left/right, feminine/masculine, dark/light). Postures are adopted and maintained a little longer during Hatha practice (5-10 breaths), which helps to cultivate not only steadiness/ease, but also strength/flexibility - which again are pairs of opposites.

Yoga aims to still the mind, the fluctuations and movements of the mind, and it was during the stillness of the asanas (postures) that we focused on a steady and quiet breath, whilst simultaneously listening and enquiring within. Practitioners asked...

How does my body feel? Do I feel grounded? Am I carrying tension or resistance in my being?

The flow of the day and the immersion in the event enabled all individuals to go deeper than mere surface level practice, and shortly after our afternoon discussion we took to nature for a revitalising cold dip in the lake (the geese were very kind to share their habitat!) before continuing with our elemental invigoration through sauna and some delicious afternoon treats (I must say the "snicker-bugs" went down a treat!).

The final session began with Breathwork, the great portal to the self. It is through this Pranayama (breath control, another fundamental practice within traditional Yoga), that we begin to connect more deeply to our energetic and emotional selves. Pranayama practices helps open the doorway to the inner world through the innately personal act of drawing back the layers to see one's own inner nature.

Remember that, traditionally, one of the primary intentions of the physical asana practice was to perfect posture so that one could sit to control the breath and meditate. This breath control helps to quieten the mind... to see clearly. So, the practicing of sitting is also the practice of stillness.

From connection to breath and the deeper aspect of the self, once the body had become stable and comfortable, we were ready to dive into the subconscious mind, the mind that had been prepared through movement and nourishment but also primed through personal inquiry (asking questions and listening) and the illuminating process of pranayama.

During Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) we each planted the Sankalpa that had been carefully and individually crafted throughout the day. This is a beautiful and sacred practice that can be benefitted from by all. Your Sankalpa can be worked with for any amount of time that you wish, and may change season by season, just as the reality of our very own nature is both transitory and yet ever present.

The Sankalpa is always phrased in a way that is positively framed, (such as the affirmative 'I am'), is simple (not complex or vague) and, essentially, constructed in the present tense. It is this stating to oneself in the positive and present format, using straight forward and clear language, that you can bridge the distance between yourself and the person you are becoming.

It is because of the mindful sowing of the Sankalpa in the fertile subconscious and because of the careful preparation of body, energy, and mind that this combination of Yoga and Shadow Work has such great potential for transformation.

Were you at Shine the Light Day Retreat? Please comment and share your experience.

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Next Day Retreat:

Join me for Rising Prana Day Retreat on Sunday 3rd May.

Same venue, different season, a whole new intention!

Rising Prana will harness that incoming yang season of sunshine and fire, enabling all to burn through obstacles with greater ease as you embrace natural rising energy in the environment in order to cultivate inner alchemy.

This will be a powerful day retreat with particular emphasis on The Chakras and Kundalini Yoga. Be sure not to miss out!

Get your tickets now.