The Flow Team spent Labor Day weekend at the sunny shores of La Union, the surfing capital of the North! The artsy Flotsam & Jetsam Artist Hostel was a very suitable venue for our boho beach retreat!
We welcomed the retreat with an opening circle where everyone shared their intentions and wrote them on ribbons which were then tied to a tree, allowing the salty summer breeze to blow off our personal intentions to the universe!
The day ended with an energizing samba dance class at night. Some learned how to play instruments while some learned how to shake off inhibitions and just dance the night away! Denise, our sambista, showed everyone how to dance to different samba styles and beats.
The next day, we greeted the morning sun with a Prana Vinyasa Yoga session with our guest yogini teacher,
Drinie, E-RYT, is a yoga teacher, martial artist, blogger, and courage catalyst empowering her students to make bold moves on and off the mat. Originally from the Philippines, Drinie was a former TV Sportscaster in Asia when she dedicated herself to a daily yoga practice. This led her to get certified in Hatha and Vinyasa from influential teachers like Patrick Creelman, Govindas and Shiva Rea.
Now based in Los Angeles her Vinyasa classes are inspired by her love for music, arm balances and inversions, which she makes accessible to all levels. Her focus is on alignment, energy flow, intuitive hands on adjustments and breath. You will leave her class feeling empowered and renewed.
While Drinie's style was a bit challenging, everyone did learn to push their limits, get to know themselves and their bodies more. Yoga under the sun was also great for sweating out those toxins away!
After stretching out our muscles, everyone enjoyed a fun surf session with La Union Surf School. The basics of surfing, paddling and popping up were taught on land and afterwards it was time to apply the basics on water. The waves were tiny but still thankful for the swell the sea gave us that day. Everyone was stoked and some even got hooked on it and extended their session until sundown!
BEGINNER SURF SAFETY TIPS!
Sure, surfing is really fun and could get addicting but we couldn't stress enough the importance of safety! Here we list down some basic surfing tips for beginners:
Always hire an instructor if it's your first time to surf
Never paddle out to surf and learn on your own. Go to a surf school, hire an instructor and get a lesson.
Instructors are there to guide you and teach you the basics of surfing. Some people regard surfing as a dangerous sport, but if you equip yourself with knowledge about the ocean and proper surf etiquette, we guarantee you'll have more fun in the water.
Learn to surf on a beach break
A beach break is a surf spot that has a sandy bed. This is the best type of wave for beginners as opposed to coral reef breaks which can be dangerous if you wipe out on a wave.
Warm up
Stretching your muscles helps prevent physical injuries. That's why yoga is just the perfect pre surf work out!
Wear a leash
A leash helps keep your board close to you and prevents your board from hitting other surfers or surfboards.
Surf with a friend
Never surf alone. If there are no lifeguards around, a surf buddy can help you out if you encounter problems in the water.
These are just a few safety tips to keep in mind but there is so much more to learn! Just always stay alert, be smart, respect other surfers and for sure you'll have the best time in the water!
Participants also learned the benefits of raw foods in the Green Smoothie and Raw Food Workshop. Flow surfer, Noelle demonstrated how to whip up quick and easy green smoothies, smoothie bowls, cashew dip and detox water.
On our last day, The Flow Team gave out more prizes to all participants during the closing ceremony. Everyone also received a Flow certificate, something to remind them about that amazing summer weekend of yoga, surfing, samba and wellness!
Flow with us to our retreats this year, see the full schedule at www.flowretreats.com
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