bowen island yoga retreat

Svadhyaya: Meditation Techniques for the Sacred Journey of Self-Study

Svadhyaya: Meditation Techniques for the Sacred Journey of Self-Study

At the core of Svadhyaya lies the act of self-reflection. Through inner reflection, we gain insight into the tapestry of our thoughts and emotions, and how they play a role in our habits and experiences. All over the world, where yoga and mindfulness is practice, including right here at Nectar Yoga Retreat on Bowen Island, BC, we face our vulnerabilities, our joys and our sorrows, with a sense of clarity and acceptance. Encountering ourselves demands courage, a willingness to stay in the present, and with fully open eyes to witness our complexity and paradoxes. 

Fall Equinox 2026: A Yoga Practice for the Turn of the Season

Fall Equinox 2026: A Yoga Practice for the Turn of the Season

The fall equinox falls on September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere this year, when day and night reach equal length. Where the spring equinox carries the quality of emergence, the fall equinox carries the tone of return. The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus nox, equal night. 

For a few days on either side of September 22, the scales are evenly distributed. It comes as no surprise that this day also marks the sun's entry into Libra, the sign of the scales, whose symbol is the only inanimate object in the zodiac. Libra presents us with questions relating to balance, such as what is in balance? What feels asymmetrical? What is within your power to shift?