Find Your ‘Ono-A Yoga Retreat

Find Your ‘Ono – A Yoga Retreat
By Karen Strawhacker

When I read that my yoga studio, Moyo in Skippack, PA, was offering a yoga retreat to Hawaii, my first reaction was – DO IT! Then came the argument with myself – what about obligations to family, work and even – I’m 54 years old – could I do all that yoga? Ah – the monkey mind at work – have I learned nothing in 6 years of practicing yoga? So off I went.

Kalani Oceanside Retreat is located on the eastern side of the Big Island in Pahoa. It is nestled in lush greenery on a coastal road between lava fields and the Pacific Ocean. Staffed by mostly volunteers, Kalani is an oasis for the stressed with various offerings of yoga classes and massage therapies. The accommodations are very basic but comfortable with an occasional gecko paying a visit. Meals are a community affair with a mingling of the volunteers and guests and are heralded with the call of a horn. The fare is delicious, organic and artfully prepared with themes for the evening meal.

In the mornings before breakfast, a few of us would walk the quarter mile and watch the sun rise gloriously over the Pacific. At night after yoga, we were in awe of stars so vivid it was almost as if they were gazing at the earth rather than the reverse. The black lava beach was about a half- mile walk and very small but quite scenic. My daughter, Megan, island hopped from Kauai where she had a nursing position, coaxed me into scaling down the steep cliff to the beach and back up again. I made it with little problem but it was not for the faint of heart.

The yoga was profound. We practiced twice per day with Maureen and Tom from Moyo. I found that the struggle with my body to perfect the poses was gone and replaced with a newfound respect and appreciation for the gifts the body provides. I realized the power of my yoga practice in daily life when we went snorkeling. I hadn’t been in years and found it a little overwhelming until I remembered my yoga breathing. The steady and controlled breath overcame the anxiety and I snorkeled for an hour in wonder of the seascape. According to our guide, the tide pools where we snorkeled are the easternmost part of Hawaii. Because of this geographic position, the locals boast that the air is among the cleanest in the world as the trade winds blow southwesterly across the Pacific Ocean, unimpeded by any land mass.

We did take some other afternoon excursions. The Hawaiian Botanical Gardens was absolutely stunning with dramatic waterfalls, foliage and coastline. Another afternoon we traveled to Mount Kilauea, an active volcano that is about an hour’s drive from Kalani. The contrast between total destruction and the whisper of new life was breathtaking.

Moyo invited students on this retreat to “Find Your ‘Ono (delicious)”. I found the delicious meaning of purposeful living through self – nurturing, inner reflection and the joy of newfound friends. I found peace and contentment not only can be achieved but can be sustained in the hectic environment that is reality. “Namaste” – the light in me honors the light in you.