Art & Yoga Retreat

Are you ready to awaken your inner artist and explore the world of creativity? Join us on our Art and Yoga Retreat, inhaling nature’s inspiration and exhaling worldly stress...

We have a brand new exciting collaboration with Chelsea School of Art trained Louise Garman, who has exhibited and run art workshops in the UK and all over Europe. Louise will be inviting you to take part in a meditative Chinese Painting event, and a Colour and Feelings workshop, exploring mood through drawing and painting from nature.

Louise will be joining resident Anandas yoga and sound practitioner Madeline Diaz Meiners, where we invite you to embark on a transformational journey...

Imagine a secluded haven nestled amidst nature’s embrace, where lush landscapes whisper inspiration while tranquillity seeps into every breath. As the sun gently caresses the earth, casting a golden glow upon our sacred space, you get to unchain the depths of your imagination and awaken your creative essence.

Whether an art beginner or passionate painter seeking new techniques, our art and yoga retreats are designed to be your sanctuary of expression as you indulge in the rhythmic flow of yoga and ignite the synergy between mind, body and spirit. Madeline will take you through the practices of hatha yoga, breath, sound and meditation, suitable for all levels and abilities, tapping into the creative energy that resides within each of us. Let’s engage in soulful conversations, connect with like minded people and ignite the creative sparks that lie dormant within, fostering friendships that will transcend the boundaries of this retreat.

We believe that art and self-discovery go hand in hand. At Ananda Yoga Retreats we aim to help you embrace the beauty of your own journey, where every brushstroke, every note and every word hold the power to bring out the best in you.

With morning meditation and yoga, delicious meals and a bunch of exciting and relaxing art workshops, you’ll experience the breeze of calm and inspiration like never before.

Join us on this artistic pilgrimage and allow the serenity of our retreat to awaken the muse that dwells within your heart.

Arrival Monday 4pm

Settling in, Hatha Yoga and Meditation 6 - 7.30pm

Evening Meal 8pm

Tuesday  

Breakfast 8am

Art workshop 9am - 11.30am

Colours & Feelings: Transform Emotions into Abstract Art

Lunch 12pm

Afternoon accessible walk  1pm - 4pm

Restorative Yin into Yoga Nidra 4.30 - 6pm

Evening meal 6.30pm

Wednesday 

Breakfast 8am

Yoga practice 9.30am - 11am

Lunch 12pm

Afternoon Art Workshop 1 - 3.30pm

Chinese Painting: A Journey into Zen Philosophy

Evening Meal 6pm

Sound Bath Meditation 7pm

Thursday morning

Breakfast 8am

Check out 10am

The Workshops

Colours & Feelings: Transform Emotions into Abstract Art

Dive into the world of colours and feelings, exploring the magic of the colour wheel. Use pencils to sketch out your emotions, and then transform them into a captivating abstract painting on canvas. This workshop is designed for all skill levels, encouraging a connection between art and emotion.

Chinese Painting: A Journey into Zen Philosophy

Learn the art of Sumi-e or traditional Chinese painting. From birds, to flowers and landscapes using individual brush strokes on rice paper. You will learn different brushstrokes and be given different exercises to practice the art of Chinese painting. You will then create one/two paintings to take home. These final pieces can include blossom trees, bamboo sticks and leaves, or maybe a mountain scenery.

Yin Yoga & Sound Healing - Crystal Bowls and Gong Soundbaths

Yin works on the subconscious mind, unravelling the stuff we never truly dealt with at the opportune moment when it was held in the conscious mind. As a modern society of suppressants and consumers, we have become masterful at avoiding any kind of emotional discomfort. Over time, all our residual traumas become so deeply ingrained into the subtle fascia layers of our bodies, that they form part of the pysche, lurking deep within, waiting to be later triggered over and over again.

When you practice Yin yoga, you are creating nuturing space within the body and mind, to be present and to experience all of your emotions in full without the feeling of overwhelment. Learning the art of softening, of letting go, and allowing your emotions be present encourages the body to heal and release. Suppressing our feelings day by day becomes exhausting on the mind. Yin yoga creates an internal environment which encourages the mind and body to let go of emotions that aren't serving us well, and become aware of the things that need more of our attention. This helps work through mental blockages and find more peace, as the practice heals us deeply on a cellular level.

The most amazing thing about Yin is it's accessibilty to all levels. You don't even need to know what a downward dog pose is, or even tried yoga before, to be able to connect to Yin.... all you need is an open mind and the desire to heal. It's a meditation practice in itself and amazing for those who have never felt capable of entering into a meditation, as you are effectively meditating on sensations within your body - and this is where the magic happens.

Hatha Yoga 

Classical hatha yoga shifts the focus from strengthening and stabilizing the body, to strengthening and stabilizing the breath, the mind and the nervous system. It is a holistic practice balancing the realms of body, breath and mind. Artfully curated sequences, emphasizing expansive breathing, stillness and self inquiry, offer students the opportunity to drop deeply into their felt experience and become acquainted with the space between thoughts. Using physical postures and breath techniques as portals to deepen awareness, this practice is a potent way to cultivate inner peace, emotional stability and the ability to rest in the seat of the witness.

These practices are delivered without music and rely on longer holds in simpler postures to allow the student to develop an intimate relationship with their practice. The sequences and transitions are clean and easy to digest, to avoid creating busyness in the mind. The breath is the foundation of each class and various pranayama techniques are emphasized. Meditation is interwoven throughout practice and a formal seated practice concludes each session.

In a fast paced world of constant input, the stillness and simplicity these practices offer are a much needed reprieve and medicine for the soul.

Art with Louise Garman 

Louise Garman is a working, exhibiting, selling artist who also does an array of art workshops in a variety of settings.

"Director of Greater Manchester’s neo: artists, I have exhibited at an array of places, spaces and galleries, including for the Royal Society of Women Artists at The Mall Galleries, London, the GM Arts Prize in Manchester...and everywhere from the historic Hanging Bridge at Manchester Cathedral to a shop unit at Salford Precinct, to The Flourish Award for Excellence in Printmaking 2020 at The Woodend Gallery in Scarborough to Stockholm, Oviedo and Paris.

I am a Chelsea School of Art Fine Art and Sculpture graduate, attended Anatomy lectures at the Royal Academy and completed an experimental drawing course at the Slade School. My work involves creating uncompromising, experimental multi-media images with the volume tuned up to the unreal, suffused with dreams of beauty and decay. These are natural and man-made scenes, via drawings, video, installation, silkscreens and photos.”