Last Wednesday Brad and I got up at 5:15 am to drive an hour to Albuquerque, where we caught a plane to Baltimore, then another one to Albany.
There we were met by a lovely person named Lisa who patiently waited three extra hours for our late arrival and then drove us through the dark to our destination: Jiminy Peak Ski Resort in Massachusetts. We got to our room at midnight. It was a schlep but it was worth it.
We had arrived at the Berkshire Yoga Festival.
Back in the day, there were many Yoga Journal Conferences, held annually at Estes Park, CO; San Francisco; Lake Geneva, WI; Boston, and NYC. I was fortunate to be a member of the regular faculty, which means I taught yoga and meditation at all of these conferences for several years. Then the world changed, Yoga Journal magazine was sold, and the conferences were no more.
Thanks to Andrew Tanner and the BYF team, for the last three years the greater yoga community has been able to gather together in the Berkshire Mountains for 4 days of asana, sound baths, social justice panels, chakra balancing and meditation hikes. I especially liked indulging in caffeinated smoothies and shopping for hippie clothes.
But honestly, the best part was being with my yoga people. The first night we went out to the only restaurant for miles and sitting next to us were dear friends, Gary Kraftsow and Leslie Kaminoff. Leslie and I go waaaayyyy back to the ‘90s at Jivamukti. I had a chance for a quick catch-up with Seane Corne and Rob Stryker and I got to give Jill Miller a huge thank you hug for all the coaching and kindness she gave me when I got my hip replacements in 2018.
I also taught three classes and in each one, there were a few students that caught my eye due to their clear, grounded, organized asana practice. How chuffed I was to learn that these standout yogis had practiced at OM Yoga Center for years or even taken teacher training from me.
Of course, I recognized many of them from those good old OMmie days. My protege and friend, Gina Norman, showed up and spontaneously assisted and demonstrated for me. How perfect. The OM training is still right there in her muscles, bones and heart.
Gina owns Kaia Yoga, which has ten locations. This means that after studying with me for years, she has gone on to train many yoga teachers herself. So it seemed only fair that she wanted to give me a teaching note, a bit of feedback. After class, she said, “Everything you say speaks to the moment. There is nothing extraneous, no fluff. You only address what is happening right then and there.”
On the last evening we took the chair lift to the top of the peak, riding high over deep green, wild ferns waving in the wind. It was like an Eden revealed. We marveled at this lush growth and wondered if it was still there hibernating under the snow during ski season.
At the Mountaintop Lodge, we drank mocktails and schmoozed as the sun dropped behind the peaks, turning the sky red. A few hyper-yogis were trying to do handstands going up the mountain but most were happy to sit on blankets and drink in the painterly view.
Everybody at the party said the festival was magical, and it was.
But for me, it was also real. Real community, real shared purpose, real practice, a real re-balancing.
When I was teaching at those high pressure Yoga Journal conferences I worried about my status, recognition, exposure, opportunities. It did result in teaching gigs that helped me grow my career and I am grateful for that.
But the pure joy that I felt being with my friends, colleagues, and students means more than anything else. I never felt ambitious at the Berkshire Yoga Festival. The whole vibe was full of playfulness, exploration, and I felt super relaxed and open.
Still, we can’t live on the top of a mountain in yoga harem pants all the time. Along with my new Jade bamboo yoga mat and a faculty swag bag meditation bowl, I brought home magic and joy and a rediscovered connection to my yoga community.
As they say, family is everything.
This one is for those of you who can’t do a retreat during working hours. Sitting with a group of other meditators for 20 minutes every night this week will be more powerful than you might think. All you need to do is show up.
Join Cyndi Lee for two workshops at Souk Studio in NYC: Long Life Yoga Intensive on August 1st and The Dharma of Engaged Yoga on August 2nd. Sign up for them individually or join for the whole weekend.
Lifting the Gaze is an opportunity to withdraw from the demands of your life and gather yourself together within the beauty of Menla and the warmth of community.
Traditionally, a spiritual retreat is a time to touch your mind and touch your heart. It offers you a concentrated period of practice to help you get familiar with who you are, as you are, right now.
Personal practice is never about being better or different. It is not about rejecting any part of you, no part of your body and no part of your mind, your emotions, your anger or your love. It’s about opening to the basic goodness that lives inside you right now.
We will use the tried and true practices of yoga and meditation to experience the traditional benefits of joy and ease.
MORNING SESSIONS will include silent meditation, a dharma talk, Q & A and sustainable yoga practice.
AFTERNOON PRACTICES will include pranayama, restorative yoga, group discussions and outdoor walking meditation
ONE EVENING SESSION will offer a silent guided meditation.
During the retreat you will:
develop your mindfulness/shamatha practice,
strengthen your practice commitment by recognizing and relaxing your obstacles; and
gain the skills and awareness to bring your innate goodness into the rest of your life.
Together we will connect the dots between why we practice, how we practice, and the results of practice.
We will show up for ourselves and we will show up for each other…and we’ll make it fun!
All levels are welcome. Modifications will be offered to support those with injuries or physical limitations.
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