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I never thought I’d be standing in warrior position, with my arms outstretched towards fields out in the distance, in the same place as where Lord Nelson once learnt the art of naval warfare. Perhaps a stately home in Sussex is an unlikely place to practice yoga, being more Downton Abbey than secluded yoga sanctuary in the Himalayas. However, Sacred Mastery Yoga was not a conventional yoga retreat. The down-to-earth approach of the teachers is what made the experience so worthwhile, as it was far cry from the vacuous spirituality typically associated with yoga.
Set in the picturesque location of Oxon Hoath country estate, surrounded by winding country lanes, apple orchards, evergreen pastures and even an award-winning Lavender nursery, the leading mantra of the retreat was “unlocking the secrets of your own yoga mastery”. It seemed fitting to embody this mantra in a place associated with unlocking the mastery of one of the most important European warriors in British history.
The high standard of yoga teaching was evident from the outset. First thing in the morning, we were summoned to the yoga room with the ringing sound of an ancient gong. Following the intoxicating waft of incense trailing from the second floor, we ascended the antique staircase, and entered the yoga room through the heavy ornamental doors. I recall feeling immediately at peace. Wide, floor to ceiling bay windows framed the room, as a patchwork of colourful yoga mats decorated the ancient wooden floor boards.
Journalist Diana Kurakina holds a pose. Image courtesy of Andrae Wheeler/ Sacred Mastery Yoga
The panoramic views from the window overlooking the Kent countryside suddenly struck me. This vision would provide the backdrop to our yoga sessions, inspiring us to keep a steady, focused gaze into the far-reaching meadows. Joey Miles took our first session, straight away creating an atmosphere of comfort when he said, “This is a judgement-free zone”.
With this sentence, we were immediately saved from feeling self-conscious about our inabilities and inflexibilities. Clearly, everyone in the room had had different experiences of yoga. One woman had never tried yoga and simply needed space to clear her head; while another rose every morning at 4 am, and drove to an hour to Leeds to attend Joey’s early morning class.
Dispelling preconceptions, Joey made it clear that yoga was not only about flexibility or the body. Rather, the style taught by the Sacred Master Teachers was a mix of Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow and Jivamukti. Together, these types of yoga aim to harmonise breath with the body’s movement, the goal being to synchronise the body with the mind. Joey illustrated this point with an apt analogy. He compared the body to a cooking pot. The purpose of heating a cooking pot is to irreversibly change what is inside, that is, the food. Therefore, “heating” the body by making it physically agile was just the first step to bringing deeper changes to the mind.
Diana Kurakina intently listening to Joey Mile’s tuition. Image courtesy of Andrae Wheeler/ Sacred Mastery Yoga
This is why yoga helps improve every aspect of modern life. It exists not only for its physical health benefits, but it helps slow down the mind, bringing you back to your authentic self; the self that is usually rushing around, working for others, tangled in unrelenting patterns of thought. Indeed, letting go – both physically and mentally – was the focus of the weekend.
All three teachers – Joey, Lisa and Sally – brought their own flavour of “letting go” into the practice. Joey comes from a background of physical theatre, and his “letting go” philosophy was demonstrated through his laid-back and down-to-earth nature. He kept it simple and effective, adjusting our positions with his direct and hands-on approach. Lisa Dunn was boundlessly energetic. She amazed me when she showed real evidence of bringing her practice into everyday life as she remained perfectly serene when her car broke down at the end of the weekend.
Sally Griffyn was responsible for choosing the extraordinary location. She told me that out of all the possible venues she could have found, Oxon Hoath was the only place that felt special enough. She is a woman of extraordinary talent, who is also a music manager when she isn’t practising yoga.
Sacred Mastery Yoga in practice. Image courtesy of Andrae Wheeler/ Sacred Mastery of Yoga
The weekend was punctuated by luscious food cooked by the in-house vegetarian chefs at Oxon Hoath, with highlights including nut croquettes, carrot coconut and coriander soup, and a comforting Sunday roast to keep us satiated as we returned to our everyday lives. On a warm spring evening, a small group of us arrived to the estate with our own stories and problems, perhaps a little sceptical of just how much dormant “inner mastery” could be awoken in us in such a short space of time.
But in just one weekend, we managed to put aside our differences and became unified by a shared rosy glow and feeling of peace and resolution. This was thanks to the quality of teaching of the sacred yoga teachers, in the context of the secluded beauty of the estate home.
Joe Miles- a third series Ashtanga yoga teacher- led the sessions.
Image courtesy of Andrae Wheeler/Sacred Mastery Yoga
by Diana Kurakina
All images courtesy of Andrae Wheeler/ Sacred Mastery Yoga
Sacred Mastery Yoga will be running yoga retreats in the UK and in Spain throughout 2013 and 2014.