Surya Kriya, a Hatha Yoga Retreat at SOMA Wellness Singapore
We dive deeper into the practice with SOMA Wellness Singapore with a two-day retreat at the gorgeous Villa Samadhi
Text: Lynda Williams, Rebecca Morais
At the end of last year we got to try a 2 day wellbeing retreat and were fully immersed in the SOMA Wellness’ Mastery Over Limbs experience at Villa Samadhi. True to its name, this therapeutic practice revitalised the body on all levels, including the muscles, circulatory system, skeletal structure, and nervous system, leaving us feeling refreshed and felt like we had an entirely different body at the end of it. The wellness program included three supportive aspects of yoga practice: A yogic diet, Earthing & Pranayama. It also had a staycation option for those wanting a holistic approach and roll out of bed and straight into early yoga class.
Villa Samadhi’s name aptly means the highest meditative consciousness. Indeed we truly felt that by the end of a day’s worth of intense stretching, meditation and chanting. Samadhi retreats aim to detach guests from their everyday lives and recharge their minds in their relaxed state, which was just what we needed after another rollercoaster of a year.
Though many of us are familiar with yoga in general, some don't realise the extensive benefits yoga offers. Hatha yoga is the practice of yoga poses or asana for achieving self-transformation and provides multiple health benefits. These yoga poses involve twisting, bending, balancing, or squeezing your body and are designed to promote the calmness of the mind, spirit, and body. It also requires you to focus on breathing and channeling your energy.
SOMA Retreats’ next upcoming Surya Kriya Program will be from the 19th to 20th February 2022 and is a potent ancient yogic practice designed for holistic health, wellness, and complete inner well-being. Kriya activates the solar plexus and channels energy for better stability of the body and the stillness of the mind.
Traditionally available only to select groups of yogis, Surya Kriya is being offered by Sadhguru as a comprehensive spiritual practice that is perfect to detach from the hectic pace of life today. Surya Kriya will be practised at the SOMA Retreats and is priced at $350 nett per person, including brunch.
Key benefits and highlights of Surya Kriya hatha yoga, including:
1. Builds stronger muscles
Hatha yoga builds strong core muscles that are important for our daily routines. Particularly the ones we don't even think about, like walking to get a cup of coffee in the morning, bending over to put on a pair of shoes, or lifting grocery bags.
2. Increases flexibility
As your muscles work during hatha yoga, they are also stretched and moved through their full range of motion. This can help with strength, joint mobility, and flexibility, especially as we age.
3. Improves stress management
Busy, busy, busy! Aren't we always moving from one task to another? One of the things you'll learn in hatha yoga is mindful breathing. This helps with your transiting to challenging poses and makes you more conscious of your breath. Focusing on your breathing can ease your mind when you're going through stressful moments.
4. Better posture and easing pain
By sitting, bending, and drawing your posture upwards, hatha yoga gradually develops good posture. So if your lousy posture or sedentary desk job has your back in knots, yoga might be your saving grace for back pain relief.
5. Healthy, glowing skin
Hatha yoga improves skin tone by boosting blood flow to the nerves underneath the face. Bonus points from the blood circulation reduce dullness and tiredness while plumping the skin. Perspiration during yoga is perfect for the skin as it reduces pimples and acne breakouts and flushes out the toxins. It also lessens wrinkles and fine lines, strengthening the facial muscles and promoting blood flow throughout the skin.
Visit the SOMA Wellness Facebook page for more information on SOMA Retreats and Surya Kriya hatha yoga practices.
