Yoga is all about realigning the self. The mind and the body.
Pushing and pulling the right amount. Arranging and adjusting just enough. Realigning to find inner peace and clarity.
When I accepted this story I thought I knew what I was going to write about. I knew the angle, the story and the ending, but after leaving this place I got a whole lot more than I expected. The angle realigned.
MORE THAN A RETREAT
Located amongst the rolling fields of Eungella in NSW’s Northern Rivers, the modern hub of yoga retreats in Australia; the Krishna Village Eco Yoga Community lies within the silence and stillness of tropical lush green fields brought about from the ancient shield Tweed Volcano 20-million years ago. This eco yoga community sits on a green 1,000 acre farm that provides much more than a yoga retreat.
The farm is open for guests to explore. They have an East, West and Flower garden, Lake Manasi Ganga, a cow shed with around 100 cows that roam the farm, a Yoga Hall, KV Wellness Centre, Lotus Pod room, village centre, forest trails and the Krishna Temple.
Guests can choose from a range of accommodation options. Private cabins, guest houses and cottages; to several budget rooms, camping or campervan areas.
Joining the Retreat Stay immerses you in sustainable farm living, and politely encourages you: to live simply, live spiritually, be mindful of others and eat mindfully in the Bhakti Yoga way during your stay.
They run 3 yoga classes per day alongside 2-3 workshops based around simple, mindful and spiritual living. They also offer a range of training courses, making it a meeting place of people from all around the world looking for the same thing.
My 4-day stay started with a Welcome Tour filled with people from across the nation and oceans excited to do their Yoga Teacher Training, Massage Courses, Acupressure Training, and Ayurvedic courses. The man sitting across from me is a Bhakti Yogi from Iran volunteering at Krishna Village after volunteering at communities around the world. The woman next to me just needed an escape from her city life on the Yoga Retreat. Two older women were on a mission to try all the experiences at the Wellness Centre, while a younger man was looking for a new purpose. All were looking to arrange or re-arrange their lives at this place.
YOGA: FOR ALL LEVELS
I came for the yoga, and it did not disappoint. It exceeded. Krishna Village is known by Yoga Teachers around Sydney as an option to do their Yoga Teacher Training Courses.
Lead Yoga Teacher and head of the Yoga Teaching Program, Lila Kirtana writes the program, teaches the course and guides some of the classes on the weekly timetable alongside Senior Yoga Teacher Michael Laxmivan Kubitzky. If that name rings a bell, yes, it’s the Power Michael. The man that’s helped pioneer and develop several power yoga teacher training programs all over Australia.
This week, every morning begins with a Slow Flow at 5am, followed by a Gentle Hatha straight after. The afternoon has a range of Intermediate, Restorative and Gentle Hatha, Gentle Vinyasa or Gentle Yin depending on the day. It’s designed for a new yogi to get into the practice, and an experienced yogi to practice continuously throughout the day safely. Some classes are trainee-led, under the supervision of a senior teacher. These classes are labelled on the timetable for that week.
All yoga classes are held in the Yoga Hall, a long hall with one side made up of large windows that looks out onto one of their fields. The instructor sits along the window side, giving you a green outlook behind them, visually connecting you with nature during your practice. It has the same feel as some yoga studios in Bali.
I was fortunate to be able to attend one of Michael Laxmivan Kubitzky’s Intermediate Hatha classes. It was recommended by some of the teachers, volunteers and Yoga Teacher Training Course students, and it was a fantastic class. The class was an organic flow of intermediate postures that were communicated effortlessly and confidently with knowledge only gained through time and skill. He taught humbly with humour, purpose and intention. The class exceeded capacity filled with course students, volunteers, retreat goers, other teachers at the village, regular walk-ins, and walk-ins that travelled in for his class.
I found the 5am Slow Flow classes the most magical and realigning classes at Krishna Village, because it starts the moment you wake up. It begins with a walk down the hill, and through the farm in the darkness of the early morning. A walk with a sky full of stars above you and the brisk air around you. You can feel the space around you, and you can hear the silence of the morning.
I attended all 3 Slow Flow classes during my stay and each morning I was waking up earlier and earlier to take in this ceremonious walk to class. On the second morning I didn’t bring my flash light – the sky full of stars lit the way. You would wake up mindfully with intention, be completely present at a meaningful pace on the way to class, and arrive to class with inner peace. After class you would leave with a mind and body reinvigorated and awake.
KV WELLNESS CENTRE: MIX OF ANCIENT TECHNIQUES & MODERN TECHNOLOGY
Krishna Village knows that yoga and wellness go hand-in-hand, so their newest building on the farm is home to the KV Wellness Centre. A pleasantly, minimalist-designed building that doesn’t stray from the look of the village. KV Wellness offers an array of holistic experiences designed to transform, rejuvenate and heal your mind, body and soul.
They offer a range of Therapeutic massage therapies, kinesiology & energy healing, supportive counselling, Vedic astrology and ayurveda massages, alongside innovative LED light therapy and pressotherapy.
Head of KV Wellness, Paula Narvaez, says KV Wellness uses Ayurveda practices derived from ancient texts, proving that these therapies are still prevalent today. They intertwine old practices with top market technology for a holistic spa and wellness experience.
I tried an overly relaxing Ayurvedic Massage with Martin, and a Reiki & Sound Healing treatment with practitioner Veida. Reiki is a traditional Japanese technique using the flow of energy within everyone’s body. It’s a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement, treating the entire body, including emotions, mind and spirit; clearing chakra blockages in the body for rebalancing and promoting self healing. A sound bath compliments Reiki nicely, tapping into the natural vibrations of the body alongside the body’s energy. I felt calm, relaxed and peaceful after the treatment which stayed with me months later. You’re advised of any energy blockages found in your body, what that means and how it may be affecting you. This can be linked to trauma, stress or negative emotions. Understanding your blockages and taking steps to clear them leads to self healing. I was asked to take note of my feelings throughout the day and journal. I noticed I was less angry at things I would’ve been infuriated by before, less frustrated and more relaxed overall.
A Vedic Astrology reading with Guru Deva was eye-opening. Vedic Astrology readings are still used by most Eastern cultures for wedding and childbirth dates. It’s an interesting read on yourself, to see how and why you function the way you do. By providing your birth date, time of birth, and place of birth, a Vedic reader is able to formulate your own birth chart and the most accurate astrology reading. Vedic Astrology is India’s ancient system of knowledge based on the belief that the stars and planets have a gravitation push and pull, powerfully influencing our lives. Understanding your birth chart allows you to understand your nature in order to navigate your life to fulfill your goals. Guru Deva was precise about my personality and energy. He was on point about my past, and situations that have led me to where I am in life now. To be honest, I didn’t believe in it before, but I love being proven wrong. “People think I’m doing [spooky noise] things,” Deva explains “I’m literally here just reading a chart. It’s not crazy or hard”. Deva underplays the 2 years of daily training, and over 10-years of research, readings and hard work needed to be a good Vedic Astrology reader.
Despite the rise of amazing engineering and technology used for efficient healing, Paula still believes in the need for ancient therapies. They have been around this long for a reason. Alongside more technological additions the KV Wellness Centre are looking to add, Paula explains that touch will always be a care they provide. “Some people don’t want to talk, so a healing touch can be enough”.
WORKSHOPS FOR THE MIND, BODY & HEART
The most popular activity at Krishna Village is the cow-feeding tours every Saturday morning. Part of Surat Mitchell’s job as the Head of Agriculture is to look after and manage around 100 cows and bulls on the property. Krishna Village is a sanctuary for cows. After being donated or given to the farm, Krishna Village would nurse them back to health so they can spend the rest of their lives healthy in their forever home on the farm. The majority of cows living on working farms only have a life span of 5 to 6-years before they are slaughtered or milked to their maximum as dairy cows. A few of the cows at Krishna Village are around 20-years-old.
Every Saturday, guests can join a cow feeding tour where you learn how to safely feed and pat the cows. Guests are also welcome to interact and pat the cows if they come across them on the farm during their stay. As a result, the cows on the farm are very friendly towards humans. They will happily trot over to you and move their head in signal for rubs and pats, it’s a beautiful experience.
Over the past 4-years, Surat has been using the cows for regenerative grazing in a rotational agroforestry system, a sustainable farming system he has been putting into practice.
Throughout the week, workshops are available to assist you on your journey of self realisation. I tried a Meditation and Healing Soundbath with Dhama teaching you about sound waves, the vibrations within your body, and the importance and effect natural and man-made sound has on your body.
They also hold workshops on Self-Healing and Gratitude, Guided Meditation classes and partner classes, where you can hopefully take valuable life changing insights away with you.
A SHIFT IN THE MIND
After becoming completely immersed in the yoga farm don’t be surprised when change starts to happen to your life after leaving. True change doesn’t happen overnight. Your mind and body acclimatises and welcomes it. Coming from a Sydney-mindset and lifestyle, I know I left Krishna Village realigned.
Every aspect of the farm encourages you to slowen your pace. From the steady elevation of the land, the structure of the yoga classes, the experiences from the KV Wellness Centre, and the insights gained in workshops – the farm beacons you to live in every second, enjoy every piece of the place and to give that same time and deeper attention to your inner self. That’s when the true realignment happens.
Reviewed by Andrea Purnomo – published outdoor journalist and travel radio host on ‘Get Away with Dre’. You can follow her adventures HERE
