In the past few days everyone has asked me how the yoga weekend in Fujairah was, what we did, how the resort was, what our schedule consisted of etc. So here it is. How we spent our getaway and typically what to expect on a yoga retreat with 26 other buzzing yogis 🙂
To begin with, we all met at our designated meeting point, hopped onto our luxury bus and embarked on our journey to Fujairah. It was a good 2 & 1/2 hour comfortable drive. Of course we didn’t just fall off to sleep all the way. I came pre-planned with lots of gifts and my Bingo board. Thanks to Paul, our official Bingo caller, the excitement soon built up and we all were happily engaged in our effort to get lucky.
As we reached the hotel, we were greeted with a biggest smile that I have seen, literally 🙂 The staff at Miramar Al Aquah beach resort are super friendly so much that they actually wear a smiley face as a part of their uniform.
We head straight to our lunch area where we got some introductions done. We were such a varied group, all ages, from different cultures, different work backgrounds all come together to practice Yoga and to relax for the weekend. I guess you only witness this in a place like Dubai. Once the buffet was announced open, we headed straight for the food. After this we had some time off to check in, settle, wander about the resort etc.
Our first yoga class at 4pm was at the beachfront facing the beautiful blue waters of the ocean. Marcellene (mom) and myself held 2 simultaneous yoga classes. The sound of the waves were very prominent and hopefully this distracted everyone from the persistentheat. If you have ever practiced on the sand you will know that no matter how many times you dust the sand off yourself, it somehow still gets back on. and if you’ve had a sweaty class, god help you! It was lovely nevertheless being out in the open and amidst nature with the ocean in front and the sky above 🙂
We then went back to get showered & changed to meet together for the 7 pm evening Pranayama session & yoga nidra which unfolded at the Al Diwan conference area. This seemed to everyone favorite part of the weekend. I received a lot of positive feedback from our yogis about this session. Breathing is such an integral part of our Yoga practice. Hatha Yoga comprises of 2 components – pranayama(breathing) and asana (postures).
Our dinner was hosted outdoors and the overheads fans helped with some exposure of the light outdoor breeze. I usually prefer buffet as my personal choice as this give me options to select what I want from a variety of food and as a group I think it’s the safest bet. We all got ourselves dolled up for the evening and by now had to know each other better. After a scrumptious meal, some yogis meandered down to the beach for a bit of song and dance, while some enjoyed a Belly dance display by the gorgeous performer. by this time everyone was dead beat and retired for the night.
Next morning up and early, Lucy and myself were up at 5:30 am to catch the sunrise. And it was worth it. We spotted massive crabs scrambling about, some fast, some slow. It was special to be in touch with nature, feel one with it. The sunrise moment was as gorgeous and spectacular as we imagined it would be.
At 7am, the rest of the group joined us. This time round, we decided to have our Yoga session by the pool for a no-sand-on-my-mat session. Again two simultaneous sessions one by Marcellene and second by me. It was nice by the pool area with not many people up at 7am, we had the entire space all to ourselves really.
We then had our breakfast, explored our Chakras in a very relaxed ambience. And now was “this is my relaxing” time. Some made good use of the spa, while others just chilled out by the pool, some went snorkeling, even saw turtles!!
Our afternoon lunch was optional. Some preferred to spend time on the beach having a small snack, while others preferred a full meal. Once we checked out, we all met back on the bus. On our way back to Dubai, we were entertained by Paul (and his ukulele) and finished off with Sherif (his guitar and him singing one of his composed songs).
All in all, it was a brilliant weekend with a lot of laughs, yoga, music and most importantly some quality time spent with oneself in relaxation. . .
Keep your eyes peeled out for the next upcoming yoga holidays.