{"id":2892,"date":"2026-07-21T10:56:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T10:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/okidoyoga.org.uk\/blog\/?p=2892"},"modified":"2026-07-22T07:58:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T07:58:05","slug":"mini-retreat-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/okidoyoga.org.uk\/blog\/blog\/2026\/07\/21\/mini-retreat-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini-Retreat 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Okido Yoga UK\u2019s Mini-Retreat <\/strong>is a one-day workshop that offers an enjoyable experience of the essence of Okido Yoga. Watch a short video<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We held Mini-Retreat 2026 on 4 July at Loudwater Farm, which is located in the beautiful valley of River Chess. Just 25 miles from Central London, it offers peaceful countryside-like surroundings. This was our third consecutive mini-retreat. We had a full house, with 14 students and 5 staff members taking part.

The staff gathered at 9am to prepare the venue, and the students began arriving from 9:30am. The programme of the day and some highlights of the activities were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10:00-10:20 Self-introductions:<\/strong> Sitting together in a circle sitting, everyone introduced themselves by sharing their name and their purpose for attending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10:20-12:45 Morning Yoga Lesson:<\/strong> The morning session explored how to use the body with greater stability and how the mind-heart and breath relate to this. The practices took various forms, including individual and partner work, dynamic and static exercises, and activities both indoors and outdoors. As England was experiencing an unusually hot summer, the temperature was expected to reach 28 – 30\u00b0C around midday. Therefore, instead of taking our usual walk to the weir just before lunch, we held game-style exercises in the shaded garden at the beginning of this morning session.  

During the lesson time, the experienced staff members prepared balanced vegan meals, using organic ingredients whenever possible.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

13:00-14:45 Lunch:<\/strong> Before eating, we recited the Pledge to Absorb Nutrients<\/a>. To some people, this might appeal to be connected with a particular belief system. However, its purpose is simply to offer an example of self-affirmation by reflecting on what a meal means in supporting our lives. After lunch, we shared the washing-up. Although there was a dishwasher, we washed the dishes by hand while expressing appreciation through our actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14:45-15:40 Afternoon Yoga Lesson 1:<\/strong> Hand massage with a partner, followed by voice expression exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15:50-16:55 Sharing and Discussion:<\/strong> Okido Yoga philosophy is rooted in everyday life rather than abstract ideas. The discussion topic was \u201cRelaxation brings strength; Constantly pushing yourself leads to exhaustion; Do not constrain your mind-heart.<\/em>” Read the content<\/a> This was taken from the writings of Masahiro Oki. The discussion sheet had been distributed beforehand so that everyone could reflect on the topic in relation to their own daily life. The discussion was open, thoughtful and very positive.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

17:05-18:35 Afternoon Yoga Lesson 2:<\/strong> Asana, Pranayama, Meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18:35-19:30 Supper:<\/strong> Before supper, we again recited the Pledge to Absorb Nutrients. Some people ate indoors, while others enjoyed eating outside. The long summer evening was still bright, and a cool breeze made the atmosphere especially pleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To conclude the day, we gathered in a circle with a cup of tea and shared our reflections on the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19:30 Closing:<\/strong> We officially closed the workshop. Some participants who had a longer journey home left at this point, while others stayed to helped with the washing-up and cleaning the kitchen.

20:00 Onwards:<\/strong> All students left by around 8:00 pm. The staff members cleaned all the areas we had used and left at approximately 8:40 pm.

Feedback from students and staff members:<\/strong>
\u201cThank you all so much for making another wonderful restorative and respirative day in a lovely environment enjoyed with many now familiar friendly faces. It passes too quickly but many happy memories remain and life intentions are strengthened.\u201d

\u201cThank you very much for a wonderful and energising Okido Yoga Mini-Retreat. I loved every minute of it.\u201d

\u201cWe were blessed again with gorgeous weather for the Mini-Retreat. The rooms, grounds and river at our venue created a tranquil \u2018container\u2019 for our gathering to learn, practise and share from Okido Yoga. The teamwork with the staff and volunteers and sense of community was as uplifting as ever. It never ceases to amaze me how much can be achieved within a short time with good organisation and a positive spirit. At the end of the day, I was physically tired but happy that the day had gone well and everybody had left feeling in some way enriched by the day.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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