A Bhakti Yoga Retreat in the Beauty of the Spanish Countryside, celebrating our voices, our connection with Mother Earth and the infinite wisdom of our own hearts
September 19-24, 2017
Near Tarragona, Spain with:
Brenda McMorrow, Rafa Martinez and special guests: Tara Walsh and Kirana Stover
Join us for a nourishing and unforgettable retreat immersed in the rustic, eco-pastoral beauty of Mas del Romaní
The retreat will include:
-5 nights shared accommodation (Mongolian Yurt, Native American Tipi or Cottage) at “Mas Del Romaní”. Each one-room building sleeps 6-10 participants.
-3 Delicious, organic, vegetarian meals daily (beginning with supper on Tuesday, September 19 and ending with lunch on Sunday, September 24)
-Daily Yoga classes with Kirana and Tara
-Daily Chanting & Meditation Practices and workshops with Brenda
-An introduction to a healing Peruvian Shamanic journey and Despacho ceremony with Rafa (Despacho means “sending a message or care package” in Spanish and it’s an act of love that reminds us of the interconnectedness shared between all beings, elements, spirits, and sacred places)
-1 day excursion to the beautiful Spanish city of Tarragona and Mediterranean beach! (participants will pay for own meal while on excursion)
Not included: Airfare, Airport Transfers, Travel Insurance
Retreat Cost:
Your Investment:
700€
A 300€ non-refundable deposit will hold your space
Full retreat payment due by August 19, 2017
For more information and to receive registration form and make payment please email: info@brendamcmorrow.com
For more information about Mas del Romaní: (www.ankakuntur.com/mas-del-romani)
*Please note the rustic (but lovely and comfortable) nature of the accommodations. For those who are keen on the retreat but not in staying in rustic/shared accommodations, there is a nice hotel 10 minutes away Mas Boranat: http://www.masboronat.es/
Retreat Schedule (subject to some change)
Tuesday, September 19
2:00-5:00 p.m. Arrival (pick ups from train station)
5:30-6:30 Welcome/Opening Circle
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30-10 Evening Program/Chant Circle
Wednesday, September 20
7:00-8:15 a.m. Yoga
8:30-9:30 Breakfast
10:30-12:30 Peruvian Despacho Ceremony
1:00 Lunch
2:30-5:00 Free time
5:00-6:30 Mantra and Meditation
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30- 10:00 Evening Program/Chant Circle
Thursday, September 21
7:00-8:15 a.m. Yoga
8:30-9:30 Breakfast
11:00 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. Day Trip to Explore Tarragona and beach time
(everyone buys their own lunch in town at a selected restaurant)
7:00 Dinner
8:30-10:00 p.m. Evening Program/Chant Circle
Friday, September 22
7:00-8:15 a.m. Yoga
8:30-9:30 Breakfast
10:30-12:30 Guided Peruvian Shamanic Journey
1:00 Lunch
2:30-4:30 Free time
4:30-6:30 Yin Yoga/Mantra
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30- 10:00 Evening Program/Chant Circle
Saturday, September 23
7:00-8:15 a.m. Yoga
8:30-9:30 Breakfast
10:30-12:30 Chanting and Movement program
1:00 Lunch
2:30-5:00 Free time
5:00-6:30 Mantra and Meditation
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30- 11:00 Evening Program/Optional Temezkal (Sweat Lodge)
Sunday, September 24
7:00-8:15 Yoga
8:30-9:30 Breakfast
10:30-12:30 Closing Program
1:00 p.m. Lunch
2:30 Departure
More Information:
The Retreat will be held in the countryside near the beautiful Spanish city of Tarragona. We will take a day trip during the retreat to explore the wonders of Tarragona (and the beach!)
Some photos of our beautiful retreat venue, Mas del Romaní!
Inside the Geodesic (sacred geometrical) Dome where our kirtans, workshops and yoga classes will take place
Mas del Romaní (main building and Geodesic Dome – kirtan, yoga and workshop space)
Mas Del Romanï with a view of the beautiful Geodesic Dome, home to our workshops and kirtans.
The trail to the outdoor fireplace at Mas del Romaní
Mas del Romaní. A view of a group gathered at the outdoor fireplace, the Temescal structure (sweat lodge) and the Tipi peeking through the trees!
Our retreat location Mas del Romaní
The Geodesic Dome (built using Sacred Geometry) at Mas del Romaní, home to our yoga classes, kirtans and workshops
A group enjoying the beautiful space of the Geodesic Dome at Mas del Romaní
Our retreat setting, Mas del Romaní
Our wonderful host and chef Lidia! Lidia Hidalgo, evolutionary nutritionist, naturopath and expert in active cellular nutrition, creates balanced, delicious and healthy menus for her guests.
Beautiful shared accommodations in the Yurt at Mas del Roma
Shared accommodations in the cozy cottage at Mas del Romaní
The food at Mas del Romaní is exquisite
About your retreat leaders:
Brenda McMorrow:
photo by Jeremiah Hill
Canadian devotional chant artist, Brenda McMorrow, is known for her unique and warmly embracing style of mantra music, in which she blends elements of acoustic folk, world rhythms and ancient Indian chants with a sweetly introspective singer-songwriter’s sensibility.
It was when Brenda participated in her first Sanskrit chant while attending a Yoga workshop in 2004, that she had a profound knowing her musical journey was leading her to places more expansive and heart-opening than she had ever imagined. Brenda remembers: “It was a very simple chant (Om Namah Shivaya), and at the time I had no idea what it signified: all I knew was that every cell in my body started vibrating, and I felt absolute joy”. While in India soon thereafter, Brenda began combining her own songwriting with ancient Sanskrit chants – and she has been flowing with this divine wave of Bhakti (Devotional) energy ever since. Brenda has been leading workshops and retreats, combining devotional chant, meditation and self-inquiry (jnana yoga) techniques worldwide for over 10 years.
Yoga Journal describes Brenda as having “a knack for expressing the deepest realizations in the sparsest lyrics”. As spiritual teacher Ram Dass has said: “Brenda has a gift”, and her music has been touching people’s hearts worldwide. With 4 celebrated devotional chant albums, Brenda is a featured artist on the White Swan Records roster, a Colorado label well known for it’s high-profile yoga-inspired artists like Deva Premal. She has accompanied Grammy award winning cellist David Darling and esteemed Kirtan musicians Jai Uttal, Wah!, David Newman, Girish and Dave Stringer. Brenda has been invited to Festivals and events across North and South America, Europe and Asia as part of her most recent tour schedule.
Rafa Martinez:
Rafa Martinez is an artist, musician, and percussionist. For over a decade he has been integrating art and spirituality through music. Trained in West African percussion, he has participated in many events and festivals on different continents. He is a member of several music groups and has accompanied such internationally known artists as (Guem, Mamadou Kan, Gowlé Yiri, Mankava…) His own inner search led him to incorporate music and art into his spiritual practices, including yoga, meditation, and the performance of pujas.
He has been initiated into the mystic tradition of the Andeans of Peru by Q’eros priests who are descendants of the Incas.
Currently he is director of Shaman Laika, a ceremonial art/music group whose aim is to serve the community and awaken spiritual consciousness.
Rafa has also accompanied kirtan artists such as Tina Malia, Peia, Brenda McMorrow, Jai Uttal, Ajeet Kaur, David Newman, Shawn McSweeney, Ravi Ramoneda and Manu Om.
By offering meditation spaces, devotional song, Kirtan, Bhakti Yoga and medicine songs, Rafa shares beauty, consciousness and sensitivity, developing and expressing his own potential as a human being.
He offers Totemic Dance sessions and workshops via ANKAKUNTUR, the school of Andean Spiritual Arts which he co-founded.
He is dedicated to individual and collective evolution. Rafa leaves an impression on everyone he meets. His devotion is visible in the spaces he creates which embody internal connection-This is visible in the flower/natural element mandalas he makes at every concert. These inspiring mandalas are his personal signature.
His purpose is to serve Love for the sake of Love.
Tara Walsh:
Originally born and raised in London, Tara spent many years travelling and working with different spiritual and yoga teachers from all over the world before settling in Spain in 2011 and setting up her own yoga studio, Satya Centro de Yoga.
Satya, meaning Truth, is one of the key principles taught on the yogic path: Truth in thought, word and action. Through the years of searching for this Divine Truth within herself, Satya came to be born as a space for exploration on the ancient art of yoga. From her studio in the mountains Tara gives weekly yoga classes, voice and mantra workshops. Tara studied classical music, piano, flute and voice throughout her youth, and rediscovered her love of music through Bhakti yoga, sacred song and mantra. She has collaborated with various kirtan and sacred music musicians such as Peia, Ravi Ramoneda, and of course the wonderful Brenda McMorrow. In 2015 she released her first solo album: The Silence of Another World, which brings together texts from the mystical poets, mantras and devotional song. She is delighted to be accompanying us all on this week of song and prayer, sound and silence.
Kirana Stover:
