24 August 2008

Yoga Retreats & Yoga Vacations with Health Habitravels

YOGA ENHANCED LUXURY ADVENTURE TRAVEL, ECOTOURS, CULTURAL TOURS, HEALTH SPA VACATIONS AND YOGA RETREATS

Yoga is an ancient movement practice that balances, strengthens and stretches body, mind and spirit. It can be purely physical, or go deeper to include meditation, and explore the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of existence.

In the 1960s a smattering of free thinkers, following the lead of super stars like The Beatles, went to ashrams in remote places in the Far East to study Yoga with gurus. Now there are Yoga studios on every street corner across America, and over 30 million people in the USA alone practice Yoga.

Unique Yoga Vacations & Yoga Retreats with HHT

There are different types of Yoga, and elements of Yoga are often incorporated into Pilates, strength training and dance classes. Sound Yogas such as chanting and drumming are additional branches of the ancient practice.

Accessible Yoga forms are included in Health Habitravels (HHT) adventure travels, ecotours, cultural tours, health spa vacations and retreats. If you're new to Yoga, what better place to discover this life enhancing healing tool than on holiday. If you already have an on going Yoga practice, the varied types of mind-body sessions offered by HHT may expose you to aspects of Yoga you have never explored.

Depending on which of our spa vacations, health and wellness retreats, luxury adventure travels, ecotours or cultural tours selected, the following various unique Yoga movement options may be available, taught by Tannis as well as other experts:

GYROKINESIS®: Known originally as "Yoga for dancers", these classes include acu-Yoga (self-massage) - Kundalini Yoga - pranayama (breath work), elements of Qi Gong, and Sufi trance-dance.

SOUND HEALING: Meditation and chanting led by expert sound healers using ancient instruments such as Tibet bowls, Peruvian healing vessels, chimes, flutes and chanting.

DRUM CIRCLES: A communal form of sound Yoga, led by an expert facilitator, and recognized by the American Heart Association as a wonderful heart illness healer.

WALKING MEDITATIONS: Guided hikes either silent or with focused intention, or walking labyrinths and mazes.

SWEAT LODGE: A safe place to learn about and experience the healing ceremonial practices of indigenous peoples of many destinations visited.

SACRED CEREMONIES: A chance to participate in ancient Earth honoring ceremonies at sacred sites.

PARTNER STRETCH: Partners and singles welcome - Release tensions through isometrics and partner stretches. Alternating isometric pressure with release alleviates pent up stress. This session we'll go for the extra stretch by using available hard surfaces (floor, chairs, tables etc.), as well as our own resistance - AND include partner stretch/releases with other attendees.

MOVEMENT CLINIC: A place to work on specific problems and goals. We will move, but also talk through each individual's issues and needs so bring paper and pencil and be ready to take notes.

GENTLE YOGA: A 30-60 minutes soothing mix of stress-reducing deep breathing and basic Hatha Yoga asanas that increase flexibility and open and balance the chakras, ending with a restful meditation that's guaranteed to send you floating out of the studio.

STANDING CORE: An inside-out tone and sculpt energy blast that melds Pilates mat principles with Yoga balance poses. Thera-bands, Yoga blocks and isometric resistance add challenges to this Pilates/Yoga fusion.

OUR YOGA RETREATS: We believe mind-body practices add immensely to any travel BUT we do not travel to distant destinations intent on devoting many hours a day to Yoga practice. If you are seeking a classic Yoga retreat that isolates you from the outside world in order to help you deepen your Yoga practice, then our programs will not meet your needs. We do "retreat" on shorter getaways, and a portion of our longer vacation adventures may be dedicated to inner-explorations in beautiful venues such as renovated monasteries and convents, temples, and remote retreat centers.

Health Habitravels specializes in unique vacation travel programs with mind-body practices that are harmoniously woven into environmentally conscious adventure travels, ecotours, and cultural tours infused with the comfort of luxury amenities.