Ahhhh, the first signs of spring welcomed us home after hosting our Yoga and Surf Retreat with Shiva Rea and James Bailey in Costa Rica. The daffodils are in bloom, the nettles are emerging from the shadows and the cherry blossoms are lining the streets.
The first vegetables for the upcoming season have been planted and we look forward to nourishing many guests with this years' harvests. This spring and Summer is filled with opportunities to commune with us.

Summer Yoga and Surf Weekends in Tofino

*Surf Sister Billabong Yoga & Surf
Weekends for Women*
May 26-28th June 23-25th July 7-9th July 21-23rd
Aug 11-13th Sept 8-10th

Join Milagro Retreats and Surf Sister during our 3rd season collaborating on these Ultra affordable 2 night Yoga and Surf packages, in Tofino. Choose from 2 accommodation options…

Camp in style at BellaPacifica Campground, a magnificent oceanfront parkland reserve located on warm sandy MacKenzie Beach.

or...

Stay in a shared room at the new Clayquot Field Station at the Tofino Botanical Gardens. This is a 3 minute drive from the Campground where our meals and Yoga classes will be held.

Attune with Mother Nature and nurture the Goddess within at one of these All-Women Retreats.

Illumination Retreat in Tofino, August 25-28th

Join us for this 3 night Co-ed Package at the Tofino Botanical Gardens. The newly built Clayoquot Field Station offers accommodation for up to 32 guests, including a gorgeous practice space and Open Kitchen. Tofino Botanical Gardens are twelve acres of gardens, forest, and shoreline that explore the relationship between culture and nature.

This Illuminating 3 day weekend will be filled with daily Yoga, Meditation, 5 Rhythms, Transformational Breath and Feldenkrais classes. Participate in the most magical event of the summer in Tofino…The Lantern Festival

Ayurveda Spring Cleanse

One of the most inspiring components of our Costa Rica Yoga and Surf Retreat was the Ayurveda dialogs with James Bailey. He is a third generation physician and health educator who has been living yoga and Ayurveda for 20 years with his wife, yoga teacher Shiva Rea.

He practices Ayurveda, Oriental Medicine, and Yoga Tantra, aiding patients via the clinical Ayurvedic techniques of Pancha Karma detoxification, ayurvedic medical herbology, ayurvedic nutrition, marma therapies, acupuncture, pranayama, and meditation.

It is suggested that Spring is the optimal time to cleanse the body. To preserve our natural health through careful attention to our diets and lifestyles and eliminating residual winter toxins. When we do this, we are likely to alleviate the symptoms of common colds, allergies and seasonal flues. Like a flower preparing to bloom....

The following recipe is adapted from Dr. Claudia Welch.

In Ayurveda, things that we ingest are divided into three categories:

· Poison

· Medicine

· Neutral

Poison is defined as anything that hinders digestion. Medicine is considered to be anything that we ingest that aids the digestive process. Neutral is anything we ingest that gives support and nourishment without either aiding or hindering the digestive process.

Kitcheri is a unique because it falls under both the neutral and medicinal categories. It not only provides nourishment for the body, but, due to its spice combination, also benefits digestion. This makes kitcheri a food of choice for times of stress on the body, such as during a change of seasons, periods of overwork and during illness. It is a particularly good food for a mono-diet during an internal cleansing regime. There are variations to a basic kitcheri recipe. The recipe below is basic, easy to start with, and balancing to all three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha).

KITCHERI
Ingredients:

2-3 TBS ghee
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 small pinch of asafoetida ("hing") powder
½ cup split yellow mung dal, rinsed well, soaked overnight and drained. (It is best to use mung dal with the hulls still on if you tend toward constipation).
1 tsp rock salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup white Basmati rice, rinsed well and drained.
4 ½ cups water if using a pressure cooker. About 6 cups if using a regular pot.
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
4-5 thin slices of fresh ginger root

Using either a pressure cooker (much faster) or a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the ghee on medium heat. Ghee burns easily, so be careful. Saute the mustard seeds and cumin seeds in the ghee until the seeds pop. Then add the drained mung dal, asafoetida powder, turmeric and salt. Stir until the mix starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Then add the rice, water, cumin powder, coriander powder and ginger. Stir well, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker or pot.

If you are using a pressure cooker, fasten the lid on and turn the heat to high, let full pressure build up. Once the pressure has built up, turn the heat low and let cook five minutes. Then take the cooker off the heat and let sit until there is no more pressure and you can safely open the lid.

If you're using a regular pot, cover and bring it to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer until both the rice and dahl are mushy.

You may have to experiment with how much water you use to find a consistency that you like. (The more water, the thinner the consistency). A thinner consistency is preferable if digestion is weak. You will notice that kitcheri will thicken when it cools and you may need more water than you originally thought.

In order to provide the best quality of energy to your body, Kitcheri should be made the day that you wish to eat it and served hot. This recipe serves six.

Garnish:

Fresh cilantro (great for pitta - ok for vata and kapha)
Coconut (great for pitta)
Lime (ok for everybody)

The Full Moon in Libra at 9:40am, April 13th

This Full Moon is the time to celebrate our common source. Call it what you wish, God, Goddess, Infinite Intelligence, Pure Consciousness. By any name it is the same. We are all a manifestation of this unmanifested light and bliss. Think of this day as an invitation to enter into a sacred circle with everyone and everything you encounter. Talk less, listen more and learn from every word, every movement, every intimation, and every action.
~ Lisa Dale Miller

A Yoga Journey to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

Join Tara Crete for an inspirational retreat to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This is an amazing journey; one that combines exploration of an ancient culture and yoga practice (Knowledge of yoga not required). The Inkas had a deep reverence for Pachamama, mother earth, and possessed and utilized their connection to this spirit in order to develop a deeper experience of themselves. On this journey we will connect with Pachamama by visiting ancient ruins, participating in native shamanic ceremonies held sacred by the people of this land and attuning ourselves with the aid of our guide and shaman to the enigmatic energy and mystery of the Sacred Valley.

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