Teaching in Turkey - May 2010

10 Jun, 2010

Well, we’re back from a wonderful week in Turkey. This first Yoga holiday was a great experience, I couldn’t have hoped for anything better. The group were absolutely lovely and the setting was perfect.

We arrived at the hotel to find a little haven beautifully laid out and set amongst mountains. I met the group and realised very quickly how lucky I was! What a special group of people they are, all very friendly and up for a laugh.

The Yoga room, a wooden platform with bamboo walls, was cool and cozy. There was also a new outdoor Yoga platform, so we were able to start the morning sessions outdoors looking over the lemon and pomegranate orchard, whilst watched over by the mountains. The experience of the group was a real mix, but everyone worked hard and were a joy to teach.

Aygul, the manager and all the staff at the hotel looked after us with such care, that they felt like family and everywhere we went we found the Turkish people to be welcoming, friendly, cheeky and kind.

The local town of Dalyan is set on a river, with views to some very impressive ancient ruins. An enchanting boat trip down the river takes you to the beautiful Iztutzu beach. The beach is a protected area for Turtles to breed and we got to meet one of these Turtles, Denniz, at the Turtle hospital. We also saw one of the large Turtles swimming in the river.

One of the highlights was a moonlit boat trip down the river. The beauty of the area was way beyond our expectations. We visited mud baths, chanted in the hot spring and ate glorious food under the stars to a full moon and the sound of frogs.

A final pranayama and meditation session in an old temple area of the ancient ruins of Kuanos will be a lasting memory.

All in all, I can’t thank the people enough. The place was amazing and I immediately booked to go back next year on September 5th 2011. A wonderful experience. Many thanks to all that came! xx

More photos on flickr.