Hi there, it's BT here. How is the summer starting for you? What is your plan to enjoy (or avoid) the heat this summer? I'll be in Norway (and maybe north of Rome) for a few weeks in July/August before returning to the fabulous August in Tokyo. If you happen to be in these places this summer, please reach out!
Last Saturday I spent a beautiful after-the-storm kind of sunny day with 13 other gorgeous yogi friends at the Higo-Hosokawa Garden near Waseda University, during our Yoga & Traditional Bathhouse Afternoon Retreat. The garden is breathtaking and it was a really special thing for me ❤️
In my usual Yoga Quick Dive editions, I bring forth to you a Body topic (most likely a yoga pose, or how to work with certain injuries), a Mind topic (breathing exercises or something useful for your mental health) and a Life topic (anything above the Earth and below the Sun). This week is going to be a little different. Short & sweet. Something that encompasses Body, Mind and Life, all at once.
A Note from my lovely partner Beth Thomas about our Yoga & Traditional Bathhouse Afternoon Retreat
You don’t need to leave the big city to retreat: that’s a key takeaway for the 15 lovely yogis who gathered together on June 3 at the Higo-Hosokawa Garden in Edogawabashi in central Tokyo. As soon as they entered the gates of the tranquil historical garden on the banks of the Kanda River they found themselves in another world, a world that allowed them to explore their yoga practice. Led by instructors BT and Beth we practiced in beautiful tatami rooms in the Shoseikaku pavilion (the historic residence of a clan from the Edo era) overlooking the gardens. Our three-hour practise took us through breathwork, deep yin yoga, an energizing flow and partner work. After a 15-minute savasana, we closed out the retreat with tea and delicious snacks from BTs kitchen. After all that work came the recompose of a hot soak in the charming local bathhouse of Toyokawa-Yokusen, a five-minute walk from the gardens. As teachers, we loved the great vibes that everyone brought to the retreat and the sense of community that it created. Best of all, the memories of the afternoon were captured by our yogi-photographer Shintaro (@shinaplus). We're working on more retreats in exceptional locations, so please watch out on Instagram for announcements!
The way we spent that Saturday afternoon was to me the perfect summary of Body, Mind & Life, all within just a few hours.
Connect with me on Instagram: @beeteeyogee_
Connect with Beth on Instagram: @yogaraku
Thanks for reading! But don't leave just yet!
Ask me TWO questions or leave me TWO comments below. I'd love to hear from you.
Until then, take a deep breath and keep your worries away!
Love,
BT
Yoga Quick Dive is a series of bimonthly newsletters that should take no more than 5 minutes of your reading time. Let's deep dive quickly into 3 topics: Body, Mind and Life.