Mandala Yoga, Reiki and Holistic Massage, Water Element 🌊🌝
Last night, my amazing yoga teacher, Katie, hosted a Mandala Yoga, Reiki, and Holistic Massage retreat on beautiful St. Mary's Island. It felt like perfect timing, especially since the last moon had just passed. I knew it was a powerful moment to release anything that wasn't serving me, and I was really drawn to the idea of connecting with the water element.
St. Mary's Island is just so peaceful! As soon as I walked into the venue and saw some familiar faces, I felt this wave of calm wash over me. Before we even got started on the mats, we were invited to pick a card from a lovely deck. I pulled one out, and it said, "Do more of what makes you happy." I just laughed! I mean, I try to live by that, and being at this retreat, surrounded by yoga, Reiki, and massage, was exactly what I needed.
We began with a gentle yoga flow, designed to help us connect with the fluid nature of water. We moved through poses that encouraged flexibility and openness, like the ebb and flow of the tides. Katie's voice was so soothing. After a long day of college, I was quite happy to lie on my mat and take it all in.
The focus on the water element was really profound. Water represents emotions, intuition, and our ability to adapt. As we moved through the yoga, I felt a deep connection to those qualities within myself. The recent last moon, a time for releasing and letting go, really amplified that experience. I pictured the moon's energy helping me shed old patterns and negative thoughts.
The Reiki session with Jacqueline was incredible. Her gentle touch and focused energy helped dissolve any remaining blockages, letting my energy flow freely. During the Reiki, I felt a warm, comforting heat in different parts of my body. Jacqueline seemed to know exactly where I needed healing, releasing knots of tension and promoting deep relaxation.
Throughout the whole experience, the theme of release was so strong. The last moon's energy was palpable, encouraging me to surrender to the flow of life and let go of anything holding me back. The water element, with its fluidity and adaptability, became a metaphor for this process.
When I left the retreat, I felt this incredible lightness, like a heavy blanket had been lifted. It was a feeling I hadn't had in a long time. Talking with the others, I felt more like myself again.
Here's what I took away from the experience:
The Power of the Water Element: Connecting with the water element really helped me understand my emotions, intuition, and adaptability.
The Importance of Release: The last moon's energy was the perfect time to let go of old patterns and negative thoughts.
The Healing Power of Nature: St. Mary's Island was the perfect, peaceful setting for this transformative experience.
The Benefits of Holistic Practices: Yoga, Reiki, and massage together were so powerful for healing and release.
Honestly, if you're feeling like you need to reconnect with yourself, let go of some baggage, and just soak in the calming power of water, I can't recommend Katie's retreats enough. It's not just relaxing, it's genuinely transformative. I usually work on Sundays, but it was like the universe was telling me, 'Nope, stay in that peaceful bliss!' My meeting got cancelled, and I just knew I was meant to hold onto that feeling.
This morning, along with the thought of needing to rest and recharge, another idea popped into my head: I want to learn Reiki myself. I was so moved by the healing I experienced, and I'd love to be able to share that with others. It felt like a real calling, like I'm meant to explore that path.
It reminded me of 'Kintsugi,' the beautiful Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold. We don't have to be perfect, or pretend we are. It's okay to have cracks, to have scars. The first step is just being honest about them. Being human means we're going to have 'headaches,' both literally and figuratively, and that's perfectly alright.
