Come and join us for a one week Hatha Yoga retreat on Paros, one of the most beautiful islands of Greece. The Hatha Yoga courses on Paros hereby offered have a duration of 1 week/six days (no classes on wednesday). Classes will be 2 1/2 hour in the morning (5 times from 9:30 – 12:00), and additional 1 1/2 hour classes in the afternoon (4 times from 17:30 – 19:00). The rest of the time is free for yourself, other activities, and to enjoy the island.
Classes start and end with 10- 15 minutes of breathing/relaxation. The rest of the class we do asanas. Props will be used (pillows, blankets, belts and so on) to adapt the exercises to your own level. People of all levels are welcome; also those without yoga experience. The groups will be limited in size (maximum 10-12 persons) so that individual attention and correction is possible. Classes are in English.
The Yoga Instactor
Oona Giesen started with Iyengar Yoga 40 years ago, around 1973, when she was eight years old. She was trained by Agnes Hillen, Margriet Post, Victor van Kooten and most of all, by her mother Jeanne Buntinx. These yoga teachers were all trained personally by mr B.K.S. Iyengar and were one of the first yogateachers in the Netherlands and in Europe.
Oona started teaching Iyengar based Hatha Yoga 20 years ago, in her mothers yoga school in Amsterdam/The Netherlands. She started the first yoga school on the island Paros in Greece. Although she has a softer approach, you can feel the influences of B.K.S. Iyengar in her classes. She became expert by exp-erience in managing backpain with yoga sinece she broke her spine in a car accident in 1998 and since then recovered herself extremely well with her yoga. (For more information about this go in and click on the button interviews)
What Kind Of Yoga
Hatha yoga, based on the system of mr. B.K.S. Iyengar, but with a softer aproach.
Yoga helps you to be in better contact with your body. Yoga helps you, to find more balance, more strength, and more flexibility. Yoga helps to calm down the nerves, it brings down the bloodpresure and the heart beat. Therefor it is extremely helpfull in this modern times with a lot of external presure and competition. It can help to reduce stress related simptoms such as headach, stomach problems, sleeping problems and so on. Because of the importance of the alignment and the spine in many yoga exercises, it is also very helpfull against back pain. You don’t need to be ‘super-fit’ to do yoga. Everybody has stronger and weaker parts in his body. By paying a lot of attention to this while doing the yoga-poses, and by continuing this attention throughout the day, you will reach a better balance.
Classes
Classes start and end with 10 minutes of breathing. Because of the international character of the groups, classes will be given in English. No chanting, no worshipping but basic down to earth yoga practice with postures/asanas and breathing/pranayama. Emphasis on alignment and on the connection between the mind, the body and the breath.
Props will be used (pillows, blankets, belts and so on) to adapt the exercises to your own level. Small groups of maximum 12 people ensure enough personal attention and correction. Therefor people of all levels are welcome; from those without yoga experience, to more experienced yogi’s. Yoga for ‘every body’, for people of all ages, from 7 and up to 77, also for the less flexible and less sportive. For people with back problems. For other yoga teachers who want to deepen their knowledge about yoga and back problems, hands-on-adjustment and the use of props. No competition, everybody works at his/her own level. Classes will be given in an open way. There is space to ask questions. The atmosphere is friendly and non-competitive.
