The Aligned Expression Retreat

Catherine, my teacher, mentor, friend, first African woman to lead Yoga teacher training in Africa (Cue applause) has been leading yoga retreats. 2020 was to be the year we co-led a yoga retreat, originally set to happen in April. Miss Rona was having none of that. We decided to go for it and have the Aligned Expression Retreat from the 1st-4th of October hosted at Watamu treehouse. She gave you the trailer and here we are with the movie.

(Pause for dramatic effect!)

This was my first visit to the Watamu Treehouse. Catherine, my co-lead, has to told me so much about it and shown me so many photos. All I saw and read does not do justice to this place. Magical? Yes. Peaceful? Yes. Harmonious with nature? All the yeses. I was wondering how to do justice to the experience of being at Treehouse and the beautiful bond we and our participants, nay friends, and moon sisters created. Get comfortable, you are about to see treehouse in a whole new light!

Day 1.

Arrival at Watamu Treehouse takes you up a narrow tree and bush line path. Something you recognize immediately is that they do not fight with nature to create treehouse. They did not cut a tree in the construction. It is built in a natural opening! (Read that again). We get there and are greeted by a manager and a security person. We go over the COVID 19 safety measures and the online check-in. Your room name is taken from the view that praises a particular natural element. Our participants began checking in and the connection was instant. By the time lunch was served it felt like a girls trip for friends who were itching to be together on holiday.

Enter SUP Yoga. A few of us knew our way around a paddleboard. I and a few others are not among them. ‘King’, as we chose to name him, and Baraka were our guides. They taught, briefed, and led the paddleboard in a way that left us feeling safe and ready to try. We got to a mangrove forest in Mida creek and waded through and out to this beautiful opening where we had our first meditation. I will be intentionally vague here in efforts to have you want to go and see this beautiful place. (Cliffhanger, yes?) I use beautiful because it is close to what this place is to the senses and so much more to the energy of it. Cut to fellow AYP yogi and SUP yoga teacher, Nico leading the SUP practice. For some, finding balance with our feet firmly on the ground can be a challenge, so when on a paddleboard trying to nail a yoga pose is funnier and more exciting than you think! In the evening we were met with the sunset and moonrise. I want to explain what it looked and felt like. The awe and simplicity of these simple natural phenomenon. We sat together on our paddles and witnessed it, together. With the moonlight around us, we were whisked back to Watamu treehouse.

Dinner!!! Oh dinner. Actually, all Treehouse meals. If you know me, you know a girl loves to eat! Loves to experiment with food. Allow me to say this for now… groundbreaking, birds singing, Simba from lion king intro music level food! All-natural, wholesome, fresh seasonal food.

Day 2.

A new day.

We created the Aligned Expression Retreat, to support our participants with Tools to self-align in any yoga class, Ignite their practice and discover what is holding us back from expressing ourselves authentically. We took the families of poses and got back to basics and worked towards the goals of our moon sisters and friends. The highlight of this retreat was the link we formed. It gave us the opportunity to share in each other’s struggles, successes, and everything in between. Out of respect and confidentiality, I will not speak about what the others shared. As a yoga teacher and especially in a retreat setting, we can sometimes take for granted that because we teach these things, that we are not transformed as participants are. On this retreat, during the sharing circle, I felt safe enough to unburden myself and share things I have not shared with anyone. The sharing circle allowed us to bring to mind or verbalize certain things that we no longer need to hold on to, to fully express ourselves authentically on and off the mat.

Day 3.

The Float. In life, like in the water, we go and are guided by the tides and the current. After a night of sharing, we took a walk to experience the community and the current. First grounding and connecting with an ancient Baobab tree. In Watamu, Tourism, the baobab tree, the coconut tree, the neem tree, and the sea are the main sources of income. Climbing a coconut tree is the joy and the work you never knew you needed. As for the neem tree. The photos will tell you that story. Its called Muarubaini (Swahili for 40) because it is believed that it has 40 health benefits. Out to the creek where we floated, carried by the current.

By going with the flow, or letting yourself go to be in the flow is not about following the next fad or being told or convinced by others. It is about trusting the natural energies that lead or guide you. In ourselves our energies are moving and flowing, when we resist them we get into a state of restlessness, panic, and exhaustion as someone swimming against the current. Alternatively, we could let go and fall into our internal tide and current and be carried, explore, navigate (which takes work) and discover ourselves.

Day 4.

See you later. Our retreat ended with a shared practice, a mind blowing breakfast and gifts!

The gift of connection and community with our moon sisters and friends.

The gift of nature and its presence and power in our lives.

The gift of holistic experiences and sustenance.

The gift of peace and tranquility that lives in us.

The gift of yoga, friendship and exponential growth.

Watamu Treehouse has won actual awards! It features in the top percentile as reviewed by guests. When we sat down with the owner, talking about this, Paul said something that will stick with us. “ I think it is because we bring good energy and care into all we do. You can have many people cook the same meal, same recipe, timing, and all other factors held constant, the energy you put into it shows up and is the difference between amazing, life-giving, wholesome experiences and ok things. (Marinate on that).

Day 9.

Catherine and I are back to work. Every now and then I see something that reminds us of the treehouse and our moon sisters and friends. My experience at this retreat will stay with me. I can be intentional about how I express myself in the world and with nature. I am intentional about how I express myself in the world and with nature. We will be back at Treehouse, it is only a matter of time! #StayTuned for our next retreat dates.

See you when we see you.

With love and aligned expression, Catherine and…

Julie.

An alleged yogi.