Yoga Retreat in Gran Canaria
A weekend in the mountains near San Mateo
Sometimes you are trying to find one thing and you end up finding something completely different. Charlie was testing plenty of coffee shops in Las Palmas to find those that you could work from. One afternoon, in one of these cafés, she discovered a little card with information about Yoga classes in Las Palmas. It was a bit bigger than a business card, but smaller than a leaf yet. Charlie’s eyes stopped at the “Yoga for Surfers”. She connected to the instructor, Alena, on Instagram and wanted to join one of the next classes. Whilst browsing through the Instagram profile, she saw a Yoga retreat that would take place on a Friday and Saturday in January on a finca near San Mateo in the mountains and Charlie would be there too!
Yoga and a vegan cooking workshop
The retreat started on the Friday afternoon with a little vegan snack, yummy banana bread. All participants met each other in the kitchen of the Finca and made a first connection over tea and cakes. The first yoga session took place at the Yoga Shala in the early evening. It was an easy flow with some elements of Yoga Nidra and meditation. Since it was January, Alena, the yoga instructor, guided the participants back through each month of the previous year. The purpose was to let go of any negative thoughts and start the new year in a positive way. Charlie relived some amazing memories of her surf trips to Newquay in Cornwall, Hendaye, San Sebastian, and Madeira. She mostly felt grateful.
After the first Yoga session, it was already time for dinner. Bea, the chef, had a delicious squash soup, carrot hummus and Fatteh prepared. The meal was accompanied by a lot of chatter and the participants got to know each other better.
Chanting and letting go
After dinner, they gathered again in the Yoga Shala for chanting and mantras. Alena had lyrics printed for everyone and played the melodies on her Ukulele. If the weather had been better, they would have sat outside around the fire. As it happens in the north of Gran Canaria and the mountains, it was raining. Charlie knew this from her other outdoor adventures in Gran Canaria. The singing had to take place inside.
They went outside for a short while to hold a special ceremony. After the first yoga session, everybody had written one thing from the previous year that they wanted to let go of. Now was the time to burn that piece of paper in a symbolic act. It was a magical moment in absolute silence where everybody got the space and time to burn their piece of paper.
They returned to the Yoga Shala for more chanting before they all went to bed at around 11 p.m.
Meditation at sunrise
The Saturday morning started with a meditation circle in the darkness. It was January and the sun would only rise at 8 am. All participants gathered in the Yoga Shala and cleared their minds in meditation and had a cup of tea made of fresh lemongrass followed by an intense Yoga session. It felt special when the sun eventually came up through the windows of the Shala.
Alena has a good way of embedding mindfulness into the sessions and adjusting the level for every participant. Charlie felt totally refreshed after this session and reborn. The yummy breakfast made by Bea completed the morning ritual.
Plant-based cooking
After breakfast, it was already time to start preparations for lunch. It was a plant-based cooking workshop. Bea had chosen 4 recipes and all participants split into groups to cook one dish each: Squash pie, Shakshouka, ginger dressing for a salad, and chocolate mousse. Charlie learned a lot that day about plant-based cuisine and everybody enjoyed the cooking workshop by Bea.
After lunch, they had a one-hour break. Some participants took a nap, others stayed in the kitchen to keep on chatting and Charlie went on a little walk to explore the surroundings.
Journaling session
Later in the afternoon, they all met at the Yoga Shala again for meditation and journaling. Alena had prepared sheets with specific questions to think about before filling the pages of the journal. All those questions were geared towards gratitude and manifestation. They made all participants realize how much they had already achieved in life and manifest the future they dreamt of.
They had a chance to speak about the things they wrote down before they did another soft Yoga flow followed by tea and cakes.
After this last session, they concluded the Yoga retreat in the mountains of Gran Canaria and returned to Las Palmas.
The location: Finca Shejala
The Yoga retreat took place at a remote finca near the town of San Mateo. The organizers Alena and Bea had offered rides from Las Palmas as they were driving anyway. It was a 30-minute drive. Alternatively, participants could take the bus to San Mateo where Bea and Alena would have picked them up.
Finca Shejala is in the mountains of Gran Canaria overlooking the Barranco de los Chorros. The owner Marta and her husband are living at the finca and created a space dedicated to Yoga. There is a dorm, bathrooms for guests, a kitchen with a big dining table, a Yoga Shala, and a Temazcal (a sweat lodge). You can also book massages. There is a big garden that leads to the valley. They have a dog, Lilly, and chickens.
Clear the mind and reconnect
It might seem short to only do a retreat from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, but it felt a lot longer and was well thought-through. Every participant mentioned that they felt it was a lot more than one day and everybody got a lot out of it. Even the rain didn’t stop them. If anything, it brought all participants closer together. Alena and Bea created some very special moments and everybody returned to Las Palmas with a clear mind and was refreshed to start the new year.
Upcoming retreats with Alena and Bea in the Canary Islands
- New Year Experience 19th to 21st January 2024 in Tenerife (including whale watching and hike to Teide)
- She is Water 1st to 4th of February 2024 in Gran Canaria (Chakra Vinyasa Embodiment)
Follow Alena and Bea on Instagram to find out about their next retreats!
