THE PLACE TO ENJOY
YOGA RETREAT AT IMLAUER HOTEL SCHLOSS PICHLARN
Experience relaxation, inner balance and invigoration during a yoga retreat on the Advent weekends. In the midst of the wintry tranquillity of the Styrian Enns Valley, surrounded by majestic mountains and snow-covered forests, we invite you to leave the hectic pre-Christmas period behind and experience the power and tranquillity of Iyengar yoga on an exclusive yoga retreat.
Enjoy the exclusive atmosphere of our hotel with comfort and indulgence at the highest level and experience the soothing tranquillity of this special place of power. The clear mountain air and the silence of the snow-covered countryside will clear your head and let you feel the true magic of the Advent season. A walk around the extensive castle grounds, a cozy tea break by the fireplace or a soothing bath in the spa – there are numerous ways to find peace and quiet.
What can you expect from our yoga retreat?
In the four sessions of the yoga retreat, postures are practiced in the style of Iyengar yoga. Iyengar yoga, named after its founder B.K.S. Iyengar, places particular emphasis on precise postures and the correct alignment of the body.
Through targeted support with yoga aids, participants – regardless of their level of experience – can delve deeper into the individual postures (asanas) and gently challenge and strengthen their body. The method promotes flexibility, inner balance and improved posture while calming the mind.
Our retreat is suitable for beginners as well as experienced yogis. Through the careful guidance of our qualified yoga teacher Magdalena, you will be introduced to the techniques step by step and can experience the effects of Iyengar yoga on your own body. Each yoga session ends with a short relaxation session, the Shavasana.
Interview with yoga teacher Magdalena
Magdalena Weinzerl has been inspiring our guests as a yoga and fitness teacher at IMLAUER Hotel Schloss Pichlarn since 2011. She has been an enthusiastic follower of Iyengar yoga for many years and has deepened her knowledge and yoga practice with numerous training and further education courses.
We conducted an interview with Magdalena and talked about the yoga retreat and her love of yoga.
What have you planned for the yoga retreat?
The classes will be designed in such a way that they are interesting for both beginners and advanced practitioners. As is usual in Iyengar yoga, the focus is on the postures (asanas). With precise instructions from me, we will practise various postures to strengthen individual areas of the body. This can be a little strenuous at first if you have never done it before, but it is like any new sport or fitness exercise that you learn.
Iyengar yoga is just as suitable for beginners and older people as it is for advanced practitioners and younger people because we work with specific aids to make the postures easier. This improves stretching, strengthening and stability and makes the body more flexible. This yoga retreat is therefore also suitable for people who are not (yet) very flexible. Iyengar yoga is an experience with your own body.
How long have you been doing yoga?
I’ve always done a lot of sport, I was very active and always needed to move. Then someone recommended a teacher to me who gave stretching classes. I really liked it and did it for a long time.
I was introduced to Iyengar yoga at an open day at a gym. I thought I could do it easily, but it was very strenuous. I was about 24 years old at the time and there were people in the class who were 60 or 70 years old. That fascinated me. When I come to my home town today, I still go to that yoga studio because the teacher from back then is still teaching. I find that very beautiful. So much has changed, but that yoga class is still there and people are still enthusiastic.
What is important to know when doing Iyengar yoga?
You should have no problem being corrected. Some people find it uncomfortable, they see it as something negative. But in Iyengar yoga, the exact execution of a posture is very important, and only by correcting it can we learn and develop further.
It is perhaps also important to know that in Iyengar yoga you always experience the body first. When the body is ready, other exercises such as breathing techniques, extended mediation, etc. come first. In this retreat we will concentrate on the physical exercises.
How do our guests benefit from the yoga retreat?
In Iyengar yoga, I have to really concentrate during the exercises and focus all my attention on the yoga: how do I do this particular asana, how do I hold my arms, etc. I have to pay attention and follow the teacher’s instructions. I have to pay attention to the teacher’s instructions and follow them. This makes me forget what I’ve been doing all day and just be in the moment. This is a form of meditation that ultimately leads to more relaxation and balance.
Practicing in a group yoga class is also a special experience, especially if you usually practice mainly at home with videos. Practicing in a group is usually more intense than practicing alone.
You also gain from having a teacher who demonstrates the correct posture and you can check whether you are doing what you are practicing at home correctly. It’s only normal to become a little less accurate over time. Even I, who have been practicing yoga for almost 20 years, always go to a trainer to correct my postures. If you don’t do this, you stop developing. We learn all our lives.
The retreat on the Advent weekends could also be a good impetus to perhaps start a regular yoga practice in the new year. You can take a lot from yoga into your life and regular practice ensures that you also become calmer and more relaxed in everyday life. Yoga is change.
What do you particularly like about yoga?
I appreciate the long tradition of yoga, but it is also interesting in our modern times and has many benefits for everyday life. The practice of yoga never ends because you get deeper and deeper into it. That fascinates me. Even though I’ve been practicing yoga for 20 years, something still surprises me.
I thought for a long time that I was too impatient or too active for yoga, but that’s exactly what I need. I find the peace in yoga that I can’t find anywhere else.
