Ashtanga retreat in Nepal with Andy Gill and Helen McCabe
Taught by: Andy Gill and Helen McCabe
Location: Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Pharping, Nepal
Cost: 130,000 Nepali rupees (at the time of writing, equates to approx USD $1,250 or GBP £900)
In October 2019, we welcome back Helen McCabe and Andy Gill for a one-week Ashtanga retreat in Nepal.
This retreat is one of only two events this year that they will teach together – a unique opportunity to study with two extraordinary teachers in one of the world’s most special locations. It is hosted in a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist monastery in foothills of the Himalayas, with which we have a unique collaboration for practice.
Image courtesy of Paul Barton
Through years of practice and teaching, Helen and Andy have each cultivated a distinctive approach. On this retreat, they blend their experience to bring a rare depth and roundedness that enables each student to grow and flourish.
Few teachers have their gift to bring together a diverse student group as one beautiful community, whilst paying dedicated attention to each person with individual guidance.
Image courtesy of Paul Barton
Overview of this Ashtanga retreat in Nepal
During the week, we will learn how to cultivate a deeper ‘felt sense’ of movement and breath in our yoga practice.
Image courtesy of Paul Barton
The retreat will include:
- Daily morning asana practice
- Afternoon workshops
- Morning and evening meditation
- Breath and Pranayama work
- Yoga Nidra, guided relaxation and an evening of sound bath
- Dharma philosophy from the head teacher of the monastery
- Visits/hikes to some ofthe great pilgrimage points nearby
- Time for quiet contemplation in the spectacular location and joyful connection with like-minded others
The retreat welcomes all. Those with an existing Ashtanga Vinyasa practice will be supported through morning Mysore to deepen their practice, while Helen and Andy will work with newer practitioners to guide them into the practice. All will find inspiration in the afternoon workshops and retreat journey.
Ashtanga retreat in Nepal – Moving back to centre
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a synchronised breath-and-movement system in which we flow with each posture, following the breath as we move. Each asana has a unique choreography of movements into and out of it, and it is this focus that ultimately makes this beautiful practice become a moving meditation.
Yet as we are challenged to maintain a steady, focussed breath, the practice can feel anything but meditative. It is easy to fall into patterns of thought and movement that don’t serve us, or to create a ‘story’ around our practice that may lead us to judge or analyse it too much.
In this retreat we seek to return to the simplicity of the practice: breath, focus and movement.
Image courtesy of Paul Barton
Throughout the week, Helen and Andy will explore components and techniques to developing a practice that will resource you. We will explore how to work in a way that suits your body and its needs, to create a powerful, safe and sustainable practice that you can continue throughout your life.
Helen McCabe and Andy Gill
Helen McCabe is a practitioner and teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga normally based in Dorset (UK), where she founded and directs ‘Yoga at the Space’. There she runs the weekly assisted self-practice programme as well as teaching beginners’ courses, mentoring new teachers and teaching pre-natal Yoga. She runs regular retreats and workshops both in her studio and internationally.
She started practicing yoga in 1991 when she was working in the film industry and had just had her first daughter. It has played a major part in her life ever since. Helen has studied for many years with John Scott and is a JSY senior teacher as well as a registered Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals. She has also had the privilege of studying with a number of fantastic teachers including Lucy Crawford, David Keil and Dena Kingsberg amongst others and continues to be a student of this amazing practice.
Helen teaches with a gentle, inclusive and incredibly encouraging approach that has brought countless students into the practice of Ashtanga. Her particular gifts include supporting students to connect to the energetic and meditative aspects of Ashtanga to evolve a personally-powerful practice that transcends the purely physical.
Andy Gill has been practicing Yoga for over 25 years, intially through Hatha and Iyengar Yoga before finding his Spiritual Yoga home in the Ashtanga Yoga method.
Andy has been teaching Ashtanga for over 15 years, and can be found teaching regularly at Stillpoint in London. He is a 3rd Series practitioner and has extensive knowledge and experience in teaching Primary, 2nd and 3rd Series asana practice in the Ashtanga method. He started his teaching through an apprenticeship with his teacher Gingi Lee at The Shala in London. His continued personal study and practice has taken him on several visits to Mysore in India, the spiritual home of Ashtanga Yoga where he worked with Sharath and Saraswati. Andy has also had the privilege to work with a number of top Ashtanga Yoga teachers including; John Scott, Lucy Crawford, David Swenson, Rolf and Marci Naujokat, David Keil, Dena Kingsberg, Greg Nardi and David Williams.
As a teacher and Life Coach Andy places the needs of the individual student at the heart of his teaching. He brings an informed and non-dogmatic approach to teaching Ashtanga whilst remaining true to the traditional method. Andy encourages students to explore and surpass their limitations — without fear and often laughing.
Both Helen and Andy have taught with John Scott on several foreign retreats resulting in them becoming two of only a handful of teachers to be awarded the John Scott Yoga 500 Hour Teacher Training certification. This is a unique chance to practice with both of them together.
Venue of this yoga retreat in Nepal
For Tibetan Buddhists, the hills of Pharping where we immerse for our retreat together is considered as sacred as Bodhgaya in India, as it is where is where the second buddha Guru Padmasambhava (“Guru Rinpoche”) attained the state of enlightenment, before going on to establish Buddhism in Tibet.
The monastery which is our home during the retreat makes important contributions to the preservation and sharing of the Buddhist teachings, and our stay there helps to fund education for the many young monks from remote areas of Nepal. The lovely guest accommodation has spacious and modern rooms, comfortable beds for deep and refreshing sleeps, all with attached bathrooms. The yoga space overlooks the rice paddies of the Kathmandu valley, and – when the weather is clear – gives us stunning views of the sunrise over the Himalayas.
It is the perfect place to go within and study.
Accommodation is on a twin-share basis, and the retreat fee includes a delicious, vegetarian and substantial brunch and wonderful healthy dinner each day.
Course fee
The fee for the course is 130,000 Nepali Rupees. For an indication on what the rate is in your currency, see xe.com. At the time of writing, this equates to approx USD $1,125 or GBP £900. Payment details will be sent to you on confirmation of your place.
The fee includes all your retreat costs from when we meet you to when we drop you back: return transfer from central Kathmandu to the monastery in a comfortable private bus, twin-share accommodation, all your delicious vegetarian meals, teaching from Helen and Andy, trips during the retreat.
Private rooms are available for a supplement of $140. Please let us know if you’d like us to reserve one for you.
Next steps
Simply compete and submit a registration form and we’ll help you from there.