We've barely taken our bags out of the car, but already my yoga pal Becky tells me she is 'feeling a relax coming on'. And I know exactly what she means.
We've just arrived at St Non's retreat in West Wales and while we're barely a two and a half hour drive down the M4 from Cardiff...
A stone's throw from St Non's Chapel ('St Non' being the mother of Wales' patron saint, St David), the retreat location is a quaint stone building run by a group of Irish nuns as, in their own words, 'a place of spirituality, pilgrimage and
hospitality.'
It is the most sacred place in Wales, steeped in Biblical-type myths about how a well appeared from nowhere when David was born, and its water said to have healing powers. Even for those who aren't especially religious, there is an immediate feeling of serenity.
A short drive from the city of St David's (which would probably be a village if it weren't for its cathedral), the tiny chapel and the retreat centre sit alone on the rugged Pembrokeshire coastline. Aside from the sea lapping at the rugged rocks below, and the odd seagull, it is beautifully silent.
Idyllic setting
It's the perfect location for a weekend of Yin and Yang yoga with teacher Danielle Nicholls. A former Miss Wales body building champion, Danielle turned to yoga and meditation as a means of escaping and recovering from the gruelling training schedule she had been putting her body through. Although she has taught yoga for some eight years, this is her first retreat.
The weekend starts on Friday evening with an hour and a half Yin yoga class. Yin is a slow, floor-based practice which involves holding postures for around three to five minutes. It works deep into the connective tissues, rather than the muscles as most styles of yoga do.
Having studied extensively with Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers, two of the world's most respected authorities on yin, Danielle is one of the few teachers in Wales and the surrounding areas teaching this style.
She is pretty much posture-perfect, an inspiration to watch - but rather than feeling useless when you find yourself struggling in certain poses, her easy going nature, sense of humour, and tendency to use props to support you, ensures you get the most out of the sessions.
Stilling the mind
My mind is whizzing during the first few postures, but when you hold postures for such a length of time, the only option is to clear the mind and breathe deeply into the postures.
This slow practice is balanced with the more dynamic yang sessions. Danielle draws on all manner of yoga traditions - Iyengar, Astanga, general Hatha yoga for sessions that are both fast yet fun, challenging yet satisfying.
These two-and-a-half-hour classes are great, giving you time to fully explore postures and attempt various variations on poses.
Peppered throughout the day are 20-minute meditation sessions, not too long for many of the first-time retreaters here this weekend, but enough to satisfy the more experienced.
As someone who likes to get value for money, I was initially disappointed that we had a gap of some four hours on the Saturday - but the two-hour walk along the coastline amid the fresh sea air was as beneficial as any of the yoga.
That, coupled with the beautiful and nutritious vegetarian food prepared by the nuns and an impromptu life-coaching session held by one of my fellow yogis, completes the holistic experience.
Emotional cleansing
I've been practising yoga for almost eight years now, recently started a British Wheel of Yoga teacher training course and have been on yoga weekends before, so I'm fully aware that yoga can unleash all sorts of feelings.
By the end of the weekend I admit to becoming completely overwhelmed with emotion - I've never felt it this intensely before.
After the final session, I nip to my room and burst into tears. They don't stop for a good five minutes, and neither do I want them to. Perhaps it's the mind-clearing and focussing nature of the yin practice. Or the free time where there is literally nothing that needs doing, no work, no housework, no phone calls to be made.
Whatever; I realise with enormous clarity that there are things in my life that need to change, and although I've promised myself before that this will happen, this time I know that I mean it.
Despite being back at work the next day, the feeling lasts. I have truly not felt this peaceful for years.
Review by Cathryn Scott
Picture copyright: Phil Roberts. The image is of Danielle Nicholls.
Danielle Nicholls hosts her next yoga retreat at Lam Buddhist Centre, Usk, Monmouthshire from October 10-12. For more info, see www.daniellenicholls.co.uk
St Non's Retreat Pembrokeshire hosts yoga retreats by various teachers throughout the year. See www.stnonsretreat.org.uk
