Yoga and Meditation Retreat at Shanti-Som

About Audrey

Audrey is the resident yoga instructor at Shanti-Som. Originally from France, she discovered yoga while living in London and quickly felt its positive impact on her physical and mental well-being. Inspired by the way yoga helped her navigate stress and life’s challenges, she decided to pursue it wholeheartedly. Leaving her job behind, she traveled to India to train as a yoga teacher at the Trimurti School of Yoga, specializing in Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. She also spent time in ashrams, immersing herself in yogic philosophy and meditation under the guidance of spiritual teachers. Audrey has since taught yoga and meditation in Cambodia and Spain, with a passion for helping others experience the benefits of the practice. Her classes emphasize flexibility, balance, posture, and vitality, encouraging students to explore their limits while respecting their personal abilities. She believes yoga is a powerful tool for transformation, guiding individuals toward deeper self-awareness and inner harmony.

Styles of Yoga

Gentle and slower practice ideal for beginners to stretch and develop flexibility, find balance and improve mental focus. Hatha yoga is an alignment-based class to develop awareness of one´s own body and explore basic postures.
VINYASA YOGA

More dynamic and faster pace style of yoga. It is a flow connecting one posture to the other using the breath, like a choreography. Great for developing strength, flexibility, grace and vitality. Because it is more energetic than most traditional forms of yoga, it burns more calories. It is also an opportunity to learn more challenging postures to advance your practice. 

YIN/RESTORATIVE YOGA

This class is all about relaxation and deep stretch for ultimate zen! It is a more passive style of yoga: postures are primarily done on the floor and held for longer to allow for a deeper, grounding and more restorative practice. Most poses are supported with props like blocks, bolsters and blankets to so that you can sink deeper and release tension accumulated in the muscles and free your fascia memory. A practice for deep releases into tight spots and areas of holding, a deeper connection with the breath, slow down your heart and calm the nervous system.

An Introduction to Yoga Meditation Retreat with Audrey

• Breath Awareness
• Third Eye Activation
• Body Relaxation / Scan

TRATAKA MEDITATION

In this meditation you will learn about a traditional yogic meditation called “trataka” or “candle gazing”. A trataka is a different type of meditation, where you keep your eyes open and focus your attention on the flame of a candle. Because this meditation is done with the eyes open, it’s a great introduction to meditation and a great option for people who have trouble containing their wandering mind. A candle gazing meditation helps open the third eye, improves concentration and memory. It is also an essential preparation for all visualization-type meditations. If you’re struggling with meditation, you should definitely try this meditation!

CHAKRA MEDITATION

Chakra meditation is a specialized form of meditation that targets blocked chakras and is designed to cleanse, clear, and balance your chakras. You will gain a basic understanding of the chakras (wheels of energy in our body) and be guided to visualize each chakra in turn.

LOVING KINDNESS-METTA MEDITATION

Loving-kindness meditation (sometimes called “metta” meditation) is a popular form of Buddhist meditation and a great way to cultivate our propensity for kindness and compassion. It involves visualisation and mentally sending good and warm intentions towards ourselves and others by silently repeating a series of mantras. This meditation has been proven to increase positive emotions, such as joy, gratitude, contentment, love and compassion.

MINDFULNESS IN NATURE

Mindfulness is the cultivation of moment-by-moment awareness of our surrounding environment. It is a practice that helps us better cope with the difficult thoughts and feelings that cause us stress and anxiety in everyday life and instead boost your wellbeing. For this workshop we will go outdoors and enhance our connection to nature and our senses to feel more fully present using exercises such as mindful breathing, mindful observation, mindful listening, mindful appreciation. A powerful practice that you can easily add to your life!

VISUALISATION

Visualization is a meditation where your mind is being guided in a specific direction for a desired result such as a mindset, a feeling, or a body sensation. It will then lead you through mental images and visualizations. It is rooted in visual images and other sensory experiences. We work, with this meditation, for:

• Emotional healing and spiritual awakening.
  
• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations.
  
• Building skills to manage your stress.
  
• Increasing self-awareness as well as patience and tolerance.
  
• Focusing on the present.
  
• Reducing negative emotions.
  
• Increasing imagination and creativity.

PRANAYAMA

Pranayama are specific breathing techniques that teach us how to control, regulate and enhance our life energy: the breath. These exercises help us clear our physical and emotional blocks and have various effects on our mind and body: some are energizing and detoxifying, others are relaxing and balancing.