Workshop letter

Welcome to join Astanga Yoga Retreat on Houtskar Island, Finland.

Special weekly program:

• Yoga Philosophy / Janne Kontala (1st and 2nd weeks)
• Yoga Sutras / Måns Broo (3rd week)
• Ayurveda / Kavita Guptas Ayurveda private consultations (if she can attend the retreat) are to be charged separately: 45 min consultation 50 euros; 90 min health survey 90 euros; can be paid by card at Yogashop.

Retreat Payments:

payments should be done in two parts, check the prices and account information on web page Prices:

1. Yoga Price (minus deposit already paid) should transferred into bank account
   Nordea 101130-269406 (Helsingin Astanga Joogakoulu)
   IBAN: FI1610113000269406
   SWIFT: NDEAFIHH
   
   
2. Houtskars Folkhighschool (Folkhogskola) workshop price (includes boarding and lodging)
   should be transferred into account (also payable in cash by arrival)
   (National account number: Houtskars Sparbank 440630-213039)
   IBAN: FI7244063020013039
   SWIFT: HELSFIHH
   

• Foreigners should confirm their reservation by transferring the registration fee into Yoga account ASAP!
• The rest of the payments can be paid either by money transfer into Yoga / Houtskar accounts or by cash at the Retreat.
• Take the money transfer receits with you in case there is any problem to identify your transfer.
• In money transfers include your name as an information message!

How to travel there (from Helsinki):

• Direct preordered bus from Helsinki to Houtskar leaves on Saturday July 2nd from Helsinki Railway station Eliel Square 11 am (The bus leaves next to the railway platform 19, behind the Scandic Hotel and opposite of the Sanoma-House). NOTE NEW PRICE 33 euros one way should be paid in cash in the bus. Places in the bus should be reserved beforehand from summer@astanga.fi or tel. +358 45 1320 300 / Heidi. July 24th (the last retreat day) the bus will come to take yogastudents to Helsinki.
• Express buses from Helsinki to Turku:
change the Express bus at Kaarina into Houtskar's bus, which leaves from Turku (remember to walk to the bus stop on the other side of the road, there is a passanger way going under the road), and wait about 20 minutes the Houtskar bus. You may have to change the bus also at Korppoo, but this goes easy, as the bus is there already waiting. Check the Express bus time table at Matkahuolto
• Own car: there is 3 ferries on the way from Parainen (Pargas) to Houtskar, and if you have to wait on car queue, the travelling time may become quite long. So it is good idea to start around noon time from Helsinki to reach Houtskar at least 6pm (ferry from Korppoo to Houtskar leaves 4:50 pm). On Saturdays the ferry from Korppoo to Houtskar leaves 1:50 pm, 3:10 pm,3:45 pm, 4:50 pm, 6:25pm

What you need to take with you:

• your own bedsheets and towels (you may also rent bedsheets at Houtskar Folkschool, the cost is 5 euros)
• yoga mat and yoga towel
• there is also yoga shop at Flickinternatet house: mats, books etc available

Lodging, meals and workshop meeting on Saturday evening

• Heidi Ruokoniemi takes care of room reservations at Houtskar folkschool, and the official lodging day is Saturday (retreat weeks 1-3) and she is working from noon to 9 pm. You can call +358 45 1320 300.
• Evening meal is between 5:30-7 pm at Folkschool restaurant, and the kitchen prepares tasty soup with side dishes
• Workshop meeting at 7:15-8 pm: program includes greetings from Retreat teachers and Houtskar folkschool, retreat info, yoga practice times and karma yoga groups.
• Scheduled morning yoga practice timetable can be checked at Restaurant info deck on Saturday 8:30 pm.
• Sointu Järvinen will be the workshop secretary and she prepares the practice timing lists. so you can ask Sointu for timing changes after the meeting.

Retreat Yoga Program

• yogashala is at the ground floor at Pojkinternatet-house, entrance on the back side of the building
• morning yoga as mysore practice starts between 5-830 am
• led beginners class from Sunday to Tuesday if needed time 845-10 am
• practice for children 6-9 years on Mon to Fri 40min starting around 10am
• ask teachers privately (5 minutes) time 12-1230 pm at the Restaurant
• Playground yoga on Mon and Thu 4-4:45-5:30 (two groups)
• paranayama-breathing exercices from Sun to Fri time 5:30-6 pm
• evening meditation Sun, Tue, Thu time 7:45-8:15 pm
• plus discussions, yoga videos, oil bath
• karma yoga - yoga of working, everybody is invited to co-operate to make the retreat!
• silence on the area and houses 9 pm

Meals

• tasty vegetarian meals, also without milk or gluten available if needed
• inform the kitchen about any food allergies
• early breakfast time 5-7:45 am for late yoga practitioners
• breakfast (porridge (fresh and cooked), mysli, fruits etc) time 8-10:30 am
• lunch (is the daily main meal with bread and salad) time 12:30-1:30 pm
• snack (fruit etc) time 3:30 pm
• evening meal (soup or other easy digestable warm meal) time 6:15-7 pm

At the retreat served meals are mostly based on India/Thai tradition. However the meals are not hot spicy but deliciously vegetarian!

Breakfast:
Porrige, rawfood porrige, musli, soy-oat-rice milk, bread, vegetables, sprouts, spreads and juice.
Same basic breakfast everyday exept porrige that will differ by different grains.

To every lunch there will be a salad table with shredded vegetables, salads, dressings, sprouts and hummus.
The breakfast and the dessert isnt included in the below list of food for the retreat.

1. Lunch: Chanadal flavoured with orange, ginger and coconut; Qinoa; Subji of cabbage and green peas
Dinner: Summerfresh vegetables in butter, lemon and salt; Basmati rice

2. Lunch: Spinach and coliflowersubji with roasted tofu
oven roasted summerpotatoes
Dinner: Summer vegetables in ajwarsauce; Vegetableburger

3. Lunch: beetrootcutlets with french potatosalad (dijon, apple, parsley, salad and sourcream or oil)
Dinner: Thainoodlesalad with vegetables and herbs; redcurry-fried TVP (Soymeat)

4. Lunch: Vegetarian paella with youghurt, mango and spinach; mintflavoured summersalad
Dinner: greek farmers-soup (fasoulata), lemonrice; Steamed broccoli blended with butter and roasted seeds.

5.Lunch: moussaka; bread; greek salad
Dinner: Chanamasala; Basmatirice with sesame; Coriandersalad

6. Lunch: Green Curry with vegetable and tofu; Jasminrice; Thaisalads
Dinner: Greenpea soup with horseradish; Bulgursalad with vegetables and greenleaves.

7. Lunch: Quazidilla with corn/blackbean salad.
Dinner: Mungdal; Brownrice; Cabbagesalad with coconut, tomato, rosted peanuts and herbs; Lassi

8. Lunch: tajhine from marrakesh (wfc); cous cous
Dinner: Roasted capsicumsoup; dijon chickpeas with brusselsprouts

9. Lunch: auberginewok from Mekong jasminerice;
southeast asian salad wih tofu and beansprouts
Dinner: minestrone and bread

10. Lunch: aloo goobi; basmati; chapati
Dinner: sambhar; brown rice; haricots verts subji

Karma yoga

• working in groups, all yoga students may join at least one karma yoga group:
• to keep Restaurant clean and decorated with flowers
• to clean the yoga shala
• to heat up and to clean sauna
• to play the gong at Retreat area - signs the start of day and evening program

Other things

• the water supply on the Island is not as abundant as in the cities, so lets minimize water consumption: wash clothes by hands and wash yourself at sauna whenever possible
• also washing machines avalable, one round costs 1-2 euros
• internet available daily from 9 am to 6 pm, computer room at Pojkinternatet-house 1st floor, entrance on the right
• mixed sauna (ladies and gents together) every morning and evening, sauna for ladies only time 2:30-4 pm, sauna is resting 12-2 pm
• everybody cleans own room, Folk school cleans common rooms
• take your shoes off at entrance to keep houses clean
• you can borrow Folkschool's bicycles and rowing boats free
• also peasant sailing boats available for sailing
• group excursions with water bus can be organized weekly to visit Jungfruskär -island, where speacial outer sea Island nature meets green groves, if enough interest
• lodging houses have kitchen and fridge
• Näsby village center 700 meters from Folkschool: there is 2 minimarkets, bank, pharmacy, library, travel info, ice cream, boat harbor and harbour minishop
• Health care center 200 meters towards Näsbyn swimming beach

Have a good and refreshing Retreat!

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• registration
• registration form
• getting there
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