Elemental Intensive: Exploring the balance between the elements of Air & Earth through heart opening mandala yoga

Join us at the estate for our fourth installment of an elemental intensive with Taylor Selby. This half day immersion is focusing on a new combination of elements, air & earth. This half day retreat is dedicated to finding an equilibrium between two elements that have many opposing qualities but when moved through together can create beautiful expansion. This half day will have a strong emphasis on heart opening, as both of these elemental flows focus on backbending from different perspectives. Earth first gives us the strength and confidence we need in our legs, to then further expand and create levity in our heart and chest from the Air element.

Mandala flows work to find balance within dualities of a yoga practice, balancing both the yin and yang energy through stillness and movement. Both classes begin and end with yin, with the middle portion of the class being dedicated to strong repetitive flows that move around the mat in a circle. There will be plenty of opportunities to play and explore within the practices, from arm balances to inversions, as well as pranayama and soft releases through yin.

The morning practice will begin with a 75 minute earth mandala, giving us the space to first ground and anchor us into our bodies and the practice. By beginning with an earth flow, we will be able to find a strong intention from the ground up, to further support us as we move towards the expansive nature of the air element in the second half of the day. Earth flows focus physically on the backline of the body, encompassing an opening and strengthening from our toes all the way up the spine. Practice begins with yin to slow down our energy and awaken the specific areas of the body in a softer way, followed by a strong continous flow activating our legs and spine as we move 360 degrees around the mat. Class will finish with yin to bring us back down and allow us to find rest.

The second practice after our snack and tea break will be a 75 minute air flow. Our foundation from the earth element will give us the space to truly expand from the ground up. Air flows work with backbending and heart opening, and by practicing an earth mandala in the morning we have laid the groundwork to find strong and supported backbends. Our yin will be focused on opening the front body, while our yang flow will connect back into the strength of our legs and feet from earth while dynamically opening the heart. Expect to be fully supported through a wide range of elevated heart openers and backbends. There will be a strong emphasis on breath as well as creating the levity of the air element through different breathing techniques. We will come back to earth through our closing yin.

Nurture your heart with a half day of flowing movement and curated stillness. Expect to find new space and explore your body and practice through the magic of mandala. There will be tea and refreshments as well as a small gift to take away with you.