Melanie Cooper and her partner Emil have treated us and our guests to many stunning retreats at least yearly since 2011. Always committed, knowledgeable and generous it’s a pleasure to host these yoga holidays that are lighthearted but always delivered with integrity.
Generally, Mel leads a 07.00 Mysore class for the experienced Ashtanga yogis looking for guidance and expert adjustments to take them further. Beginners can also join in, slowly building the sequence up and learning the method, to take away a home practice. Both Mel and Emil assist and adjust. This is a really great opportunity to develop a Mysore style practice where you work at your own pace through the Ashtanga sequence guided by your breath.
Around 09.00 there’s a led Ashtanga class taken slowly with careful attention and in intricate detail. This means it’s towards the end of the week before the led class is moving through the majority of the series. For teachers it’s a rare opportunity to hear and feel their way through in such detail as the week unfolds. For newbies it’s an incredible start to have such a thoughtful and thorough exposition of this style of yoga.
Yin yoga classes take place most afternoons normally with Wednesdays and Friday free to gad about. These sessions may also include pranayama, yoga nidra and meditation. The Yin yoga classes, where the poses are held for several minutes, aim to physically and mentally balance the much more active Ashtanga mornings. During recent retreats Mel has led some chanting under the stars for those who fancy it after dinner.
