Last weekend I visited Yen Bai for the first time for a three-day yoga retreat organised by Moon Yoga.
We travelled by bus to Yen Bai and boated along Thac Ba Lake to get to the La Vie Vu Linh Eco Lodge Lake House, which is located in Ngoi Tu Village in Vu Linh commune. The Eco Lodge is a family guesthouse, staffed by locals from the nearby village and is also managed as a community tourism development project, aiming to bring a better life to the Dzao Quan Trang Minority people living in the region. Their focus is also on education, ecology and cultural preservation.
the Dzao Quan Trang Minority people
The Dzao Quan Trang, or “White-trousers Yao” arrived in Vietnam in the 12th-14th centuries from Fujan in China and moved to Lang Son, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen and Tuyen Quang Provinces. A small subgroup of this community eventually moved upstream of the Red River and settled in Yen Bai.
The White-trouser Yao women wear richly-embroidered brasseries covering their bellies and chest and short, narrow-legged white trousers as part of their wedding attire, which is how they got their name. In everyday life they wear the same trousers but in indigo.
The eco lodge, Ecology & community
The Eco Lodge Lake House accommodation provides simple dormitories, traditional minority stilt-houses and more private individual rooms, all with a rustic charm. There is also a large seating and eating area and bar in front of the beautiful lake, where you can take a dip in the cool, refreshing water if you need to cool down. A biogas treatment system supplies the kitchen and produces electricity and a phyto-sanitation system is in pace for wastewater; both projects were supported by financial international organisations and volunteers and were designed to encourage the local community to use techniques that participate in environmental protection, resulting in less deforestation and toxic effluent waste entering the water systems. There are also several orchards on the property and a small pig farm.
In order to encourage the emergence of a more diversified and sustainable agricultural practices, La Vie Vu Linh has also initiated a project in fruit Agroforestry with the aim of educating the community in alternative ways to generate income.
the yoga experience
To get to the yoga area you take a short walk through the trees and orchards arriving at a traditional stilted house with a beautiful view over the lake. I confess, it’s been a few years since I practiced yoga regularly, but the experience completely re-kindled my passion. On the first day we started with some restorative yoga and I slept like a baby that night!
panoramic views of Thac Ba Lake
The next day we did chakra balancing followed by meditation. In the afternoon we went for a boat ride and hike up one of the nearby mountains so that we could watch the sun set over the lake – this was a particularly magical moment as once we reached the top, we were serenaded by a digeridoo accompanied by bleating goats, whilst contemplating the beauty and serenity of the panoramic view and the magnificence of nature. In the evening we did yoga for postural correction and my perpetual insomnia was cured……..it’s been a long time since I felt so rested and relaxed.
acro yoga
On the last day we experimented with Acro yoga and balance – I was definitely out my comfort zone here…… Acro yoga is the practice of combining acrobatics with yoga poses, which requires one person acting as a base on the ground, another as a flyer, which is the person in the air and a spotter who is there to assist, support, and catch you if you fall!!.
Acro yoga requires you to build trust, working with a partner. We started with my partner driving me blindfolded around the room…..no major accidents thankfully and I didn’t fall, managing a backbend and downward facing dog combo, the throne pose and a shoulder stand – it was fun and challenging and I felt a real sense of achievement and a little bit of bravery – I would definitely do this again. The experience finished with a final meditation session; this time accompanied by the digeridoo and enhanced by the aroma of essential oils. The guided meditation enabled me to embrace the sound of the digeridoo, which was also played right in front of me. I could feel the vibrations reverberating throughout my body…I don’t really know how to describe this experience, but it was uplifting, energising, rejuvenating and exhilarating all at the same time and for me was a moment in time I will remember forever.
Moon Yoga offer a range of yoga classes for beginners, with Ashtanga, Gentle Flow, Yin, Restorative Vinyasa to classes suitable for all levels, from Ashtanga to Power Yoga and is located in a quiet lane off Van Bao Street. The new studio is at Van Boa 49, House 8, only a 5 minute walk from Lotte Tower, Doi Can and Kim Ma Street. From 1st December 2020 Moon Yoga will also be partnering with The Fitness Village at No. 68 Ngách 310/50 Nghi Tàm, Tay Ho, Hanoi.
Hello mates, how is the whole thing, and what you want to say on the topic of this piece of writing, in my view its actually amazing in favor of me. Lucila Cobbie Teahan
Dear Lucia
Thank you for your comment. I just wanted to talk about the amazing experience I had on this yoga retreat and also highlight the accommodation as a sustainable place to visit. Regards Suzi