Come experience Hawai'i like you have never experienced it before!
Explore rain forests, volcanoes, hot springs, thermal caves, waterfalls, black sand beaches, and the beautiful Pacific through the lens of mindfulness:
a nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness.
Rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit the Aloha way.
Domonick's Yoga Hikes incorporate yoga stretches, breathing exercises, qigong and mindfulness meditations with hiking, as you dive into the beauty of the Big Island. Come breathe some of the freshest air on the planet, slow down, feel the sun on your face, and open your heart to the beauty all around you.
Perfect for beginners to more advanced students.
Mindfulness provides a new framework for exploring your established yoga practice, or a means for observing your experience as you begin a practice. The focus is on waking up to your body and to its connection to Nature. Mother Nature doesn't mind if you can't strike the perfect pose. Learn to lighten up and have fun with yoga.
Yoga Hike Hawai'i Slideshow
TESTIMONIALS:
"Domonick’s gentle teaching style brought me
closer to myself and to nature. Each day offered
new adventures in settings that were far from the beaten paths of most tourists - places and
experiences I would never find on my own”.
Amy Chun
"Domonick’s teachings transformed mere
exercise and beautiful site-seeing into a
transcendent experience”. Maureen Wesley
"One day, after an invigorating hike through the forest, zigzagging across the maze of roots and
lava rock, standing under the enchanting banyan
trees, gazing over the breathtaking blue ocean
we discovered a private paradise on a beautiful
white-sand beach”. Debbie Brooks
WHEN:
Accommodations will be available starting Sunday, March 8th. Airport pick-up will be available at 4pm on Sunday the 8th. Our first Yoga Hike will be on Monday, March 9th. We will check out of our accommodations on Sunday morning, March 15th.
WHERE:
The retreat will take place at the Ramashala Retreat Center on the Southeast side of the Big Island near Pahoa. The nearest airport is Hilo Airport (ITO).
WHO:
Well, you, of course...and Dr. Domonick Wegesin. Domonick combines his experience in yoga, massage, mindfulness meditation, dance and psychology with his love of Nature to create unique, heart-opening outdoor yoga experiences. You can read more about Domonick by clicking HERE.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
We will be staying at the Ramashala Retreat Center just 200 yards from Kehena Beach. You can visit www.ramashala.com to take a virtual tour of these architecturally fascinating accommodations, which include ocean views, a large yoga studio, tropical gardens, a hottub and luxurious sleeping accommodations. You will be enchanted by Ramashala; it truly is a magnificent place to be.
MEALS:
Our own private chef will be plying us with delicious meals (primarily vegetarian, with some fish options). Breakfast and dinner are included in the price of the retreat. Lunches will be enjoyed at local eateries on the island, and for some hikes we will pack a bag lunch. Participants have their own separate kitchen to prepare snacks or lunches, and we'll stock up on snack/lunch needs at the local co-op.
SCHEDULE:
Here is where my Germanic sensibilities of timeliness collide with what is referred to as "island time". No worries, I won't be playing revele at 5 o'clock in the morning. This is a vacation retreat, so we'll begin our days at a more reasonable hour, with a qigong practice in Ramashala's tropical garden at 8:00 am, followed by breakfast at 8:30. After breakfast we'll coordinate our transport to the day's Yoga HIke site, where we will enjoy the Yoga Hike of the day. This will be a 2-3 hour adventure with plenty of rest stops to enjoy the scenery.
Most afternoons you will have a choice to join a group outing, e.g., to visit a beach, to go snokeling in heated tide pools, to sit in geothermically heated caves, etc., or to enjoy your own time on the island, lounging on the beach, taking a walk or getting a massage (try a Watsu treatment at nearby Kalani Resort - floating shiatsu in a heated pool - yum; we will also have a local masseur visit Ramashala to provide treatments).
We will have a goup dinner in the early evening, around 6pm (the time depends on how far afield our afternoon adventures have taken us). The evening practice will be a self-guided mindfulness meditation practice or a breath practice. Instructions for the evening practices will be given after dinner.
While I encourage you to participate in the group activities, all of the practices are optional, including the Yoga Hikes. I invite you to go with the flow of your experience, settling into cultivating a relationship with your body and spirit, and knowing that however that manifests at the time is perfect.
There will be no group classes on Saturday, the 14th, to allow you to enjoy a more extended day trip or simply unwind at Ramashala or Kehena Beach.
RATES:
Rates start at $980 and include your accommodations for the week, daily breakfast and dinner, daily Qigong, Yoga Hikes and meditation sessions, one hula lesson with a native Hawaian kumu hula, ground transportation to and from the airport in Hawai'i (limited schedule) and to all Yoga Hike sites.
| |
single |
double |
triple |
quad |
| Ramashala A: |
$1450 |
$1200 |
- |
- |
| Ramashala B: |
$1450 |
$1200 |
- |
- |
| Ramashala C: |
$1050 |
- |
- |
- |
| Ramashala D: |
$1050 |
- |
- |
- |
| Prana Up: |
- |
$1450 |
$1250 |
$1050 |
| Prana Down: |
- |
$1450 |
$1050 |
$980* |
Bali Hut |
$1200 |
$980 |
- |
- |
*Quad rate in Prana Down is dependent upon 4 yogis requesting quad accommodations. If fewer yogis, the rate increases according to the number of yogis housed in those accommodations.
You may click on the underlined accommodations above to see photos and descriptions. Ramashala C & D are single rooms that share a bathroom; they are smaller than Ramashala A & B and have no deck or mini-fridge. The Bali Hut is a separate Balanese hut in the garden, with a shared bathroom.
Please be aware that room assignments will be based on a first-come-first-served basis. Thus, it behooves you to enroll early. If you are signing up with someone else, please indicate roommate choice on your registration form.
Not included is the cost of your airfare to Hilo airport, daily lunch, and any equipment rental, e.g., for snorkeling, diving, biking, etc. You may choose to rent a car, if you plan to explore the island independently during your free time; Ramashala is across the street from Kehena Beach, but distal (beyond walking distance) from other sites. It may be possible to share the cost of a rental car with other participants. Contact me if you are interested in car-sharing, and I will connect interested parties. Availability of the van will be limited to group activities.
REGISTRATION:
To register, complete the REGISTRATION FORM, print and mail it with your deposit or full payment to:
Domonick Wegesin
2859 Burton Dr.
Oakland, CA 94611
A 50% deposit will reserve your space in the retreat; date of receipt of the deposit will mark your place in line for room choices. The deposit is refundable until January 1st, less a 15% cancellation fee.
The full balance is due by January 1st. No refunds can be made after this time.
10% DISCOUNT when you register before Thanksgiving
QUESTIONS:
Please contact Domonick with questions by emailing: Domonick@TheOpener.com or calling 510-219-1851.
Listen to your heart. This is an opening to your intuitive knowing. The mind can make excuses. The body can worry if it's in good enough shape. The heart knows. Follow your heart.
Domonick's photo courtesy of Michael Smith Photography
