Sunday, August 22, 2010

They Ate. They Prayed. They Found Inner Peace.


Taking a cue from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Your Daily Thread helped to host a one-day retreat where inner peace seekers embarked on a journey of self-discovery and relaxation through yoga, meditation, an Ayurvedic consultation and hypnosis.


The retreat took place at RakSa, an eco-friendly wellness center in Culver City, which was created to educate others on how to live a more peaceful and healthy lifestyle through different mind and body therapies.

The day began with attendees moving seamlessly from Uttanasana (standing forward bend) to Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) during a yoga and meditation session. With minds at ease and bodies calm, they then learned about Ayurveda, a holistic practice that aims to create balance in the body, spirit and mind. This is done by identifying one’s Dosha, and creating an appropriate diet, exercise and meditative lifestyle, based on energy levels, digestion, sleep patterns and pulse.

Having worked up an appetite, hungry participants enjoyed fresh bites from the RakSa café including grilled salmon, roasted seasonal root vegetables and kale with white beans. Some cooled off with refreshing organic iced tea while others opted for coconut juice, straight from a cracked coconut.

With their stomachs full, and otherwise relaxed, everyone returned to the Sala space for a hypnosis through love session. Some drifted off to sleep in deep relaxation, others allowed themselves to connect with their subconscious as the hypnotist guided them through the session.

As the day began to wind down, retreat-goers gathered their shoes and bags, said Namaste to Apinya Pokachaiyapat, the owner of Raksa, and made their way over to the theater for a showing of Eat Pray Love – a must see for any enlightenment seeker.

For more information on the different services offered at RakSa, please visit their website at raksasala.com. To learn more about Your Daily Thread, please visit yourdailythread.com.