My Melody Hill Yoga Retreat Review with Taryn-Elise Herselman of Shakti Yoga

My review of a recent Melody Hill Yoga Retreat with Taryn-Elise Herselman of Shakti Yoga

Located in Magaliesberg, not far from Johannesburg and very near the Cradle of Humankind, Melody Hill is a Yoga Retreat centre. Its fully equipped Yoga shala makes it a superb setting for hosting a Yoga retreat.

The accommodation has a rustic, countryside feel, with several rooms and shared accommodation options. Guests can enjoy a large swimming pool and take a brief walk to the Magalies River. Kahuna massage treatments are also available at Melody Hill during your stay.

Restore, renew and revive

This year’s retreat was centred on the theme Restore, Renew and Revive. Every Yoga class, workshop and teaching style was designed to help open energy channels in the physical and mental bodies, supporting complete and vibrant health.

The schedule provided plenty of opportunities to unwind between classes, while also featuring informative workshops on cleansing techniques and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Styles of Yoga

The retreat included Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and Transformational Yoga, along with plenty of Yoga nidra to revive weary bodies. Each morning also included Pranayama and meditation sessions.

Itinerary

Friday

1:00 pm Yoga Nidra

1:30 pm Lunch

4:30 pm Hatha Yoga Class

6:00 pm Discussion of Energy blocks and cleansing Techniques

6:30 pm Dinner

8:00 pm DVD: That Sugar Film (optional)

Saturday

6:30 am Mantras and Meditation (optional)

7:00 am Gentle Vinyasa Class

9:30 am Breakfast

10:30 – 12:00 pm Free time

12:00 pm Discussion of energy from a TCM perspective and Pressure points – practical exercise

1:30 pm Lunch

2:30 till 5:30 pm Free time

5:30 pm Yin Class

7:00 pm Dinner

8:00 pm Yoga Nidra

Sunday

7:00 am Mantras and Meditation (optional)

7:30 am Transformational Yoga Class

9:00 am Vaman / Neti Cleanse (optional)

9:30 am Breakfast

11:30 am Pranayama practice

12:00 am Yoga Nidra

12:30 pm Retreat Ends

Meals

Jacqui Webb catered the meals, and we highly recommend her meal plan for the weekend. Everyone relished an assortment of delicious vegetarian curries, salads and side dishes, as well as light breakfasts of fresh fruit salad, muesli and oats.

Everything was planned to complement the Yoga practice and cleansing techniques for those who chose to take part.

Working alongside another Yoga teacher on a retreat is always a real pleasure. You can experience their Yoga classes while supporting one another with food preparation, transport and administration. This creates an environment for shared learning and encouragement, while allowing students to benefit from varied teaching styles and knowledge.

Thank-you

A special thank-you to Taryn for inviting me to co-host this retreat and to everyone who joined us!