We don't run retreats at Ask Retreat Center anymore
The last retreats were in the Summer of 2023. Thanks to everybody who has been participating since 2004.
You can find yoga retreats all year round at our sister retreat centre in southern Sweden: Haa Retreat Center.
Chakra – Esoteric Yoga
New Book by Bjarke
The book can be ordered from the Publisher: www.binduas.com.
Chakra – Esoteric Yoga
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Innovative yoga book with QR codes and over seven hours of online audio and video instructions.
The book is both a foundation in classical yoga and tantric meditation and an introduction to deeper, esoteric yoga. It is a guide to exploring the chakras by using the powerful tools of classical yoga. This book is structured to be enjoyed by both established yoga practitioners and those new to yoga. You start by getting to know your body, breath, and mind through simple relaxation, good meditation poses, undemanding yoga exercises for the back, basic breathing techniques, and meditations.
Next you follow the yoga tradition’s approach to awakening the Kundalini power, the dormant energy: First you gain better contact with Sushumna (the central energy flow) by cleansing and balancing Ida and Pingala –the two main energy currents in the body. Furthermore, you develop the contact with each chakra through physical poses, breathing techniques, other energy techniques, relaxation, and meditation related to the chakra. Throughout the book, you will gradually learn the integrated chakra meditation called the Source of Energy.
QR Codes
The techniques of the yoga tradition are best learned by following oral instruction. Through the book, you will find QR codes for some of the techniques with links to video and audio files. There are over seven hours of instructions that make learning easier and provide greater benefits from the techniques.
The book is based on the classical yoga tradition and the sober Scandinavian form that this yoga has acquired through the Danish yogis Swami Janakananda and Per Peo Olsen – in addition to my own experiences both in life, on the yoga mat, and through teaching.
Discount: Everyone who buys 10 books or more gets a 40% retailer discount
Breath
Addendum to the book ‘Chakra – Esoteric Yoga’ – by Bjarke
Breathing is autonomous. This means that it happens by itself—unconsciously—most of the time. Fortunately, you might say, since we breathe on average 25,000 times a day.
At the same time, breathing reflects the inner state here and now and will, over time be affected and changed by that inner state. A stressed state results in faster, more shallow breathing higher up in the chest. This breathing will at the same time—if it is allowed to unfold over time—affect the inner state so that it settles in the body and mind as a habit—a more permanent state of stress that affects all areas of life.
But breathing is not only vegetative. It can also be positively influenced in different ways, both through the way you breathe and through different breathing techniques, which in the yoga tradition is called Pranayama.
When we breathe, a complex process takes place that affects every aspect of our physiology. The way we breathe affects everything from physical health to mental well-being.
Nose breathing vs. mouth breathing
Humans have evolved to breathe through the nose, not the mouth. The nose acts as a natural filter for the air we breathe. It captures dust, allergens, viruses and bacteria. It also warms and moisturises the air, making it easier for the lungs to process it. And the air automatically has more resistance when it enters through the nose, so it also automatically becomes slower. Mouth breathing is a backup function: If your nose is completely blocked, it’s of course a relief to be able to breathe through the mouth and also if you’re in an acute fight or flight situation.
When we breathe with our nose, the sinuses release large amounts of nitric oxide (NO), which reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, dilates blood vessels and increases the flow of spinal fluid to the brain. This is important for detoxifying the brain, hence we may be able to stem the development of Alzheimer’s *.
Nitric oxide also kills viruses and unwanted bacteria, which research has linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The breathing exercise Bhramari and Shambhavi Mudra also increase nitric oxide production. Mouth breathing does not let our bodies take advantage of the sinuses' production of Nitric Oxide.
Mouth breathing, on the other hand, can lead to a number of health problems, especially when it is chronic. It reduces the amount of nitric oxide produced, dries out the airways and can increase the risk of infections, dental problems, poor sleep quality and high blood pressure. In addition, mouth breathing can lead to hyperventilation, where you take in too much air, which paradoxically reduces oxygen utilisation. It is much easier to breathe both quickly and take in too much air with the mouth than with the nose, which can easily develop into over-breathing.
Over-breathing is closely associated with mouth breathing and is a widespread problem in modern society, often caused by stress, a sedentary lifestyle and a constant connection to social media. Over-breathing means that we take in too much air, often through the mouth, causing us to exhale too much CO₂. This triggers a cascade of negative effects, including reduced oxygen supply, increased heart rate, nasal congestion and more anxiety or stress.
Chronic over-breathing can also lead to a range of health problems, such as asthma, sleep apnoea, high blood pressure and even metabolic disorders. This is a form of ‘hidden hyperventilation’, where you may not realise that you are breathing too much, but are suffering from the subtle symptoms of poor oxygen supply and increased stress.
Respiratory rate
The normal breathing rate at rest today is 10-18 breaths per minute. Just 50 years ago, 8-12 was considered normal. The optimal breathing rate at rest is 5-6 breaths per minute—something that is practised in yoga in the first step of Alternate breathing (Nadi Sodhana Pranayama). Meditative breathing (Ujjayi Pranayama) will often have a somewhat slower breathing rate between 3-5 breaths per minute.
Research has shown that the vagus nerve is best stimulated at around 5-6 breaths per minute **. This reduces inflammation in the body and introduces a more relaxed state.
The role of carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Contrary to popular belief, CO₂ is not just a waste product. Breathing is not just about oxygen uptake, but also about maintaining a delicate balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
When we breathe, the oxygen enters the lungs. Through an extensive process, it binds to the haemoglobin in the red blood cells. In order for oxygen to be released to tissues and cells, a certain level of CO₂ must also be present. This phenomenon is known as the Bohr effect. When the CO₂ level gets too low, which happens with over-breathing or hyperventilation, the haemoglobin retains more oxygen. This reduces the amount of oxygen delivered to the tissue, even if the oxygen saturation in the blood is normal.
When CO₂ levels are normal, it helps the haemoglobin release the oxygen, freeing the oxygen from the blood to enter the cells’ mitochondria, where nutrients and oxygen are converted into energy. Carbon dioxide also protects the mitochondria from oxygen damage, making CO₂ a powerful antioxidant.
It’s not a lack of oxygen that causes us to take our next breath, but a build-up of CO₂. Chemoreceptors in the brainstem control CO₂ levels, and when they reach a certain level, a signal is sent to the diaphragm to move downwards, which starts the inhalation. Low tolerance to CO₂ leads to faster breathing, which is the hallmark of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, with prolonged mouth breathing and stress, this low tolerance for CO₂ can set in as a new normal.
Fortunately, this negative trend can be reversed by breathing more slowly and easily and eventually holding your breath. This will increase your tolerance for CO₂, which improves your body’s ability to release oxygen where it’s needed most. This is done in yoga’s most important breathing exercises, such as Nadi Shodhana and Ujjayi. It increases energy, improves cognitive function, makes the blood pressure more flexible and balances the autonomic nervous system. Increased CO₂ in the blood also neutralises lactic acid and reduces inflammation in the body.
When you train in this way to increase your body’s CO₂ tolerance, you may initially experience some air hunger—a feeling of not getting enough air—, but with training, your CO₂ tolerance will establish itself at a new and higher level.
In addition, favourable levels of carbon dioxide (together with nitric oxide) keep the airways and blood vessels open when we breathe. When there is enough CO₂, the smooth muscles—which surround the airways and blood vessels—relax and expand, allowing air to flow easily in and out of the lungs. This is one of the reasons why slow breathing and holding the breath (as practised in many breathing techniques) can open up the airways in the nose and, in some case, relieve tension headaches.
Slow breathing increases melatonin production in the body. In addition, a low breathing rate will have a pain-relieving effect.
Breathe with your diaphragm
Breathing with the diaphragm is an important part of healthy breathing. The diaphragm is the most important muscle involved in breathing. Using the diaphragm primarily for breathing not only improves oxygen uptake, but also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and recovery.
For many people, the diaphragm is almost disconnected from breathing and has become rigid. A breathing technique such as the Wave Breath can be a great exercise to work with—both to get more in contact with the diaphragm and to release tension in the area.
Rapid, chest-based breathing, which is common in stressed individuals, engages the upper airways and can trigger the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. This can increase feelings of anxiety and stress.
Slow, controlled breathing with the diaphragm allows for more efficient oxygen exchange and promotes a calm and relaxed state. Breathing should be light, slow and deep rather than fast and shallow.
Breathing and the autonomic nervous system
Proper breathing is essential for balancing the autonomic nervous system, which controls non-volitional functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and the body’s stress response. Dysfunctional breathing, particularly over-breathing and mouth breathing, keeps the body in a state of stress by constantly activating the sympathetic nervous system. Over time, this can lead to chronic stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, poor digestion and sleep problems.
On the other hand, slow nasal breathing—especially with a longer exhalation—can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which contributes to relaxation, better digestion and general well-being. This is something we specifically explore in the different stages of Nadi Shodhana.
Sleep quality and breathing
Many people breathe through their mouths when they sleep. If you breathe through your mouth during sleep, you will typically snore more, wake up with a dry mouth and need to urinate more at night. Nasal breathing during sleep ensures better oxygen supply and reduces the likelihood of airway collapse, which can cause sleep apnoea. In addition, nasal breathing throughout the night will ensure better sleep, which in turn improves your overall quality of life—and makes it easier to remember to breathe with the nose during the day. I can recommend taping your mouth shut at night with surgical tape (or Sleep Tape, which can be purchased online) as a phenomenal technique to ensure nasal breathing throughout the night.
Conclusion
Breathing doesn’t just have to be a passive process of air moving in and out of the lungs; it can also be a powerful tool for optimising health, reducing stress and preparing the body and mind for deeper states of inner peace and more energy. Breath training—focusing on nasal breathing, increasing CO₂ tolerance and utilising the diaphragm—improves oxygen uptake, supports the body’s natural rhythms and promotes a sense of calm and well-being.
By breathing less, breathing lightly and breathing through the nose, you can release your body’s full potential, both physically and mentally. The breathing techniques offer a path to better sleep, increased energy, more inner peace and greater resilience to the stresses of modern life.
Test your breath
It’s possible to do a test that gives you a nice feedback on how functional your breathing is and what your CO₂ tolerance is.
Patrick McKeown, an Irish breathing coach and author of the book The Oxygen Advantage, has developed a test called the Body Oxygen Level Test—abbreviated as the BOLT score. The test examines how long you can comfortably hold your breath after a normal exhalation. It shows how functional your breathing is and can be used as an indicator of your breathing efficiency and CO₂ tolerance.
Here’s how the test works:
When doing this test, either lie down on your back or sit in a comfortable position with your back relaxed and straight. Be prepared to spend about 5 minutes on the test.
- Lie on your back with your legs straight and slightly apart. Your arms are slightly out from the body, the back of the head is resting on the floor and your eyes are closed.
- Lie still and become aware of the spontaneous breath at the stomach. The stomach expands slightly on inhalation and lowers by itself on exhalation. You may also feel your lower ribs move slightly along with your breathing. It is the diaphragm that draws the breath in and out by itself. Continue for about five minutes. If you forget yourself—when you realise it, come back to the natural breath at the stomach.
- After about five minutes, decide to hold the breath after the next natural exhalation.
- Hold the breath and start to time how long you can comfortably hold your breath. Either count in your mind or use a timer (on your watch or mobile phone). Stop counting (or stop the timer) when you feel the first clear signal to breathe in again. The first sign of discomfort or shortness of breath could be your stomach or diaphragm starting to contract somewhat automatically.
NB: It is important that you do not try to hold your breath for a long time. The breath holds itself until the first impulse to breathe occurs—no longer! - The number of seconds you can comfortably hold the breath after exhaling is your BOLT score.
A healthy BOLT score is usually 25 seconds or higher. A lower score (especially below 10-15 seconds) may indicate dysfunctional breathing patterns, such as over-breathing or breathing imbalance.
This is a test you can easily return to at regular intervals. It gives you immediate feedback on the state of your breathing and your progress in using breathing techniques. Always do the test when you are really relaxed, e.g. in the morning before breakfast or late in the afternoon before dinner.
Literature references:
James Nestor: Breath – the new science of a lost art – SD Books, 2021
Patrick McKeown: The Oxygen Advantage – SD Books, 2015
Bjarke: Chakra – esoteric yoga – Bindu forlag, 2021
Swami Janakananda: Yoga, Tantra and Meditation in Daily Life – Bindu Publishers, 2015
* See this article on forskning.no about how breathing can affect brain cleansing (in Norwegian):
https://www.forskning.no/hjernen-menneskekroppen-sovn/pusten-kan-pavirke-rensing-av-hjernen/1357964
** See this article referring to research on the vagus nerve and breathing frequency (in Norwegian):
https://mariusblomstervik.no/autonom-pust/
Other inspiration
Nitric Oxide:
The Forgotten Gas That Could Transform Your Health
Link to YouTube video about Dr. Nathan Bryan's research on nitric oxide and breathing expert Patrick McKeown. Also discusses the importance of nasal breathing and why products containing fluoride (toothpaste and fluoride mouthwash) are not good:
About the video:
Dr. Nathan Bryan, a world-leading expert in nitric oxide research, reveals the crucial role this often overlooked gas plays in human health. Discover how nasal breathing, diet and lifestyle can dramatically impact your body's nitric oxide production and transform your overall well-being.
Learn how nitric oxide:
- Improves the cardiovascular system
- Improves lung function
- Strengthens the immune system
- Supports sexual health and
- Reduces inflammation.
From sleep apnoea to COVID-19 resistance, this conversation reveals groundbreaking insights into how a simple gas can be the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving. Perfect for anyone interested in breathing techniques, natural health optimisation and groundbreaking medical science.
Turn on subtitles to make it easier to understand 😊
AskTheDentist:
Mouth Breathing, Sleep Apnoea & Oral Microbiome
Another great talk on YouTube between dentist Dr Mark Burhenne & breathing expert Patrick McKeown.
About the video:
Dentist Dr. Mark Burhenne reveals groundbreaking insights into how breathing, oral hygiene, and facial development are connected. Learn about the crucial role nasal breathing and the oral microbiome play, and why conventional dental care may overlook important health factors. Discover how mouth breathing affects sleep, mental health, and overall well-being in this eye-opening discussion.
Key topics:
- Sleep apnoea and dental health
- The impact of facial development on breathing
- The importance of nasal breathing
- The oral microbiome and its systemic effects
- The risks of conventional oral hygiene products
Review of the Book ‘Chakra - Esoteric Yoga’
The closest you get is a book that can teach you to immerse yourself in yoga, regardless of the starting point
By Audun Myskja - author, chief physician, and specialist in general medicine
The author is one of the most experienced and consistent teachers within the rapidly growing yoga movement in Norway. In 1976, I myself took part in one of the first yoga courses in Norway, led by Peo, one of the supervisors who helped with this work. On the sidelines, I have since witnessed that yoga has emerged as the closest we come to a total package for spiritual, mental, and physical health building. That an ancient discipline should have so much to give modern people, says something about the durability of the knowledge the tradition springs from. The author has enforced this tradition with a breadth of experience and depth that few others can point to. He can therefore present an authoritative work based on chakra.
He begins by making it clear that chakras are not absolute sizes on a par with the femur. The fascinating thing about chakras that make them so useful in inner work is that they stand at this strange intersection between the subjective and the objective, the subtle and the concrete, like a door opener or a bridge builder. This is the main reason why I myself have prioritized the work with chakras and taught this tradition for decades: Chakras can be similar to music in the ability to show the meeting point between different dimensions. The doctrine of chakra simultaneously challenges all absolute traditions, such as our materialistic science. At the same time, work with chakras gives experience-consistent results, precisely because they can bind together the various parts that have lost touch in our fragmented and turbulent age.
I have read many books about yoga and chakra, both in Scandinavian, English, and German, and experience that this book is an important contribution in a field where chakra books abound, often characterized by simplifications that give the theme a blunt and abstract feel.
Bjarke has a consistent and authoritative style. I myself have tried to explain exercises in books and experience how difficult it is to make it clear and simple. I have never read a yoga book where the various exercises are presented so clearly, without oversimplifying. At the same time, the depth and weight of the experience lie behind it, which creates confidence and motivation to practice it. The closest you get is a book that can teach you to immerse yourself in yoga, regardless of starting point. At the same time, Bjarke emphasizes that the depth can hardly be learned from books, and therefore provides generous access to a large and elaborate digital learning material, which is tailored to the book's structure. There is thorough work behind this release!
If the book addresses esoteric traditions, this part is also characterized by the same strength. The author is able to make it easy without trivializing or presenting a deep tradition in an easy way. As someone who has been trained in deep work with chakra for decades, the many stenciled chakra books have been a stumbling block: In an attempt to make a deep tradition modern and accessible, authors present forms that often violate tradition and do not agree with systematic empirical evidence. It is therefore a pleasure to read the thoroughly lived descriptions of chakras, which add new dimensions to the understanding of chakras that I have missed in the literature of recent decades. Each sentence in these chapters seems clear and elaborate: A material that can be tested and built up to an understanding of the chakra as a unique gateway to understanding how spirit, mind, and body are connected and give the many who are struggling today a unique tool in the hands. Bjarke avoids clichés and frivolities and uses a refined language that promotes access to spirit, body, and subconscious in a way that I have previously only found in classic yoga texts. At the same time, the content is updated and available for scientific thinking. The chakra part is a particularly innovative and unique part of this book.
Should I miss something in this book, it is the same as in most other yoga books:
- Case studies where we get a clearer picture of yoga in everyday life.
- How to overcome obstacles and what to achieve over time.
- Instructions on how to adapt to different functional levels.
It is my belief that in our time we need to find our way back to our roots - not stick to traditions, but respect the sources they draw from. In this work, Bjarke does a formidable job of presenting a tradition in a clear and simple way, at the same time as he includes his own experience material so that the tradition comes alive and adapted to our time. It is in itself a work of art and requires the depth of experience and the artist's creative ability to achieve. Bjarke has written a book of lasting value.
Audun Myskja
Audun Myskja (b. 1953) is a chief physician and specialist in general medicine, with a doctorate in the use of music in elderly care. Together with his wife Reidun Myskja, he runs Senter for livshjelp in Totenvika, with an emphasis on coping medicine - tools for health and growth. He is the author of a number of best-selling books, including Finn din indre kraft, Ungdomskilden, Pust, Kunsten å finne ro og De tibetanske ritene – 15 minutter som forandrer livet ditt. Myskja has developed the studies Music-based environmental treatment and Unit Therapy coping medicine, which provides a professional framework for systematic measures to strengthen coping and contribute to resource-based approaches to unresolved challenges in the health care system and society. He is a prominent speaker and has led a number of national projects for quality improvement in health and care. As a musician, he has released several albums with his own songs and music with instructions for relaxation. Myskja has been a meditation teacher since the eighties, and leads a meditation teacher education at Senter for livshjelp from 2021.
Review of the Book ‘Chakra - Esoteric Yoga’
Yoga's hidden wisdom and the discovery of yourself
By Christian Paaske - social debater, author, and meditation teacher
A rarely beautiful yoga book has seen the light of day. Bjarke is one of the veterans in the yoga community. He started with yoga already in the 1970s when yoga was new, exciting, and exotic. Reserved for those who ventured off the beaten track to explore new opportunities that large sections of the youth generation did at the time. Many freaked out, let their hair grow, and the bumblebee hiss. Others ‘flipped in’ through discipline, asceticism, exercise, and withdrawal to discover the deeper secrets of yoga. Not in books and theory, but through concrete living experiences in direct contact with the original Indian yoga tradition.
After several years of such intense training and education, Bjarke opened in 1983, among narrow small, and white-painted wooden houses in one of Bergen's modest alleys, this city's first yoga center. Later, together with his partner, they expanded to the Ask Retreat Center on the island of Askøy outside Bergen. Here, thousands of students over the years have experienced in-depth and intensive yoga training only possible in secluded surroundings adapted for the purpose and under the guidance of mature teachers. 40 years of continuous yoga teaching provides such a qualification as few other yoga teachers have. Chakra - Esoteric Yoga, is the essence of this teaching, compressed between two thick binders and 168 colorful pages in between.
Bjarke is originally a visual artist. It was the desire to expand his creativity and go deeper into the art that led him to yoga. In 1976, he also met the Danish yogi Swami Janakananda with an artistic background before devoting himself to yoga life. Rather than focusing on art, his point is that yoga is perhaps an even greater art because it provides tools to increase the ability to experience. In addition to a balanced body, a calm mind, sharp concentration, and richer life. The book clearly shows that Bjarke, in addition to being a full-time yoga teacher, has maintained his art. Many of his paintings reproduced in the book show a meditative depth, intensity, and clarity and make the whole book an aesthetic journey and meditation in itself.
The book begins by making it clear that yoga is about being yourself. It is not like in religion and in the self-development environment in general that you get to know that something is wrong with you, and here you get methods to get rid of your guilt, pettiness, and limitation and become a new and better person. You are already yourself, so how can you become something you already are? Yoga is therefore not to make you anything other than what you are basically, but to help you ‘remember’ and learn everything you have mistakenly thought about yourself and discover your own naturalness.
This is also where the theory ends, and is content with this summary of yoga in a nutshell. The rest is your own inner journey and discovery and where yoga's arsenal of techniques is to awaken clarity and gradually remove the veils of ignorance. There may be an inner guidance that often takes care of itself by having confidence and attentively approaching the process of self-discovery. The book is therefore first and foremost practical with a wealth of techniques, in addition to QR codes for audio and video instructions on a number of different internet platforms. The techniques include all the well-known classical steps of yoga in an integrated whole of physical poses, breathing exercises, relaxation, concentration, and meditation.
The book's common thread is the seven chakras. There is an esoteric anatomy in what is referred to as the body's etheric or energy body. Through this energy field, mental and physical processes are controlled and regulated, and where the chakras are seven central energy points. Especially the tantric branch of yoga has added this knowledge. Here are a number of techniques for activating and exploring the chakras and opening seven magical gates in an inner journey of consciousness expansion and self-discovery. The book shows the way and gives ‘keys’ to these gates. How to open them gently and at your own pace. The book refrains from describing or revealing what you can expect to experience inside for several reasons. The mind is most open without preconceived notions and expectations, and perhaps even more important and wisely not to deprive the student of the joy of discovering it for himself.
This is a mature yoga book. It has been 40 years in the making. As a ripe fruit, it can now be picked. It is a gift for anyone who is ready to eat the fruits of yoga's manifold, lush and life-giving tree. These are the fruits of such a branch of classical yoga from an experienced yoga teacher who now generously shares his knowledge and many years of experience. When the student is ready, the teacher comes, it is said. Maybe this is the book for you who want to move on, even if you are perfect already, - because everything yoga will show you is just that.
Christian Paaske
Christian Paaske is an enthusiastic contributor to public debate, self-development, and spirituality. Great need for exposure and often blows the trumpet to share their knowledge. He is among the veterans of the alternative community. He started with yoga in 1977. Started Stavanger's first yoga center in 1985 and ran this until 2005. He has always been engaged in astrology and is today a practicing astrologer and astrological subject editor in the magazine Medium since 2007. Apart from being a diligent writer, he is the organizer of The Alternative Fair Healthy - Lifestyle in Stavanger and Bergen. In recent times, Vedanta has lit a fire of self-knowledge and provides the answers he has been searching for all his life.
The author
Bjarke Jørgensen aka ‘Bjarke’ is Danish and was born in 1954. After a 3-month course in 1976, he began his yoga teacher education with Swami Janakananda, in search of combining an active, creative life with spiritual qualities. After 7 years of intense Sadhana and 24/7 ashram life in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Oslo, he founded the Yoga School in Bergen in 1983. Bjarke has taught classical yoga for more than 40 years, and also the advanced tantric meditations Antar Mauna and Ajapa Japa for the last 37 years. He also uses his creativity in painting, web design, desktop publishing, and building traditional Norwegian log houses. Bjarke lives at Ask Retreat Center with Audhild, and he likes to hike in the mountains both in Norway and abroad.
Dear Bjarke and Audhild,
I wanted to say thank you for the most amazing five days. When I was looking for a yoga retreat and deciding where to go, I found places in Thailand, San Francisco, mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Greece, etc.
And I chose your retreat because I wanted to do proper yoga and learn proper meditation. I got that, and so much more than I ever expected. I feel like a cleaned up, better version of myself and I've laughed more in the past five days than I have all year. Bjarke, I loved your explanation of the energy meditation as housekeeping for the chakras. Clean them up through the meditation and everything neatly falls into place. Audhild, I really enjoyed the Sufi dancing. I didn't expect to, but it was great fun. And it was the loveliest group of people I've come across in a long time. As Maja said, everyone was such good company even during the silent period. Thank you for bringing us together and making the friendships possible.
Please could you also pass my thanks on to Robert for spoiling us with the gorgeous vegan food. That was worth the trip in itself!
I look forward to returning to the school and seeing you both again on another retreat.
Best wishes,
