“The Yoga of Chocolate retreat was a life-changing experience. The thoughtful and meticulous planning on Jyl’s part was apparent before I even arrived. She incorporated a balance of activity and rest, and each activity brought tremendous value to my personal/spiritual life and yoga practice. I can’t imagine visiting Peru without doing so through this retreat. The Yoga of Chocolate opened my eyes and provided a well-rounded array of quality opportunities to connect with the culture, the people, the plants, the food and the landscapes of Peru.”
“I cannot think of how this trip could have been better! The retreat centre was a wonderful home away from home: comfortable rooms, lots of space to play and roam around, wonderful studio for yoga with all the best props, the most helpful and lovely staff that clearly loved their jobs, and some of the most delicious food (and the sweetest dogs). It really was a magical place, and we were completely spoiled. Jyl’s masterful, heartfelt, and intelligent teaching - I’m speaking of the yoga and the chocolate - was an inspiration, a balm to the senses, and EXACTLY what I needed but didn’t know that at the time. The week itself was so well thought out and there was a wonderful balance between asana, meditation, chocolate, socializing, the exploration of culture, and gazing at the stars. It was a joy and an honour to share this week with everyone. It was truly a transformative experience.”
The Yoga of Chocolate: A Journey of the Senses
In Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga the fifth limb, pratyahara, is often defined as 'a withdrawal of the senses'. With it’s central location it could also be considered the “bridge limb” -
the point where the outer can become inner (and vice versa). With the practice of pratyahara you can cultivate a more intimate relationship to your experience of sensation.
(Note: the root word of sensation, along with sensory, sensitive, and sensual, is 'sense'.)
A less common translation of the word pratyahara is ‘to recover the senses’.
Personally, I've become of fond of saying "to resurrect the senses" because that's just how it can feel - like a resurrection - when we begin to remember their potential.
In The Yoga of Chocolate™ Retreats, asana & movement, mindfulness & meditation, ritual & ceremony, nature & culture, and chocolate are the vehicles which we use to cultivate that recovery of our senses - that sensitivity that we often lose when when we get caught up in the rapid pace of our lives and amount of information that seems to be incessantly being thrown our way (and this is only the information that we’re aware of, as our amazing brain and nervous system does a killer job of filtering out all by the most important for us to be made aware of!) When we step away from it all, step away from the familiar, our ears, eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, skin, and heart will be opened
so that we are free to truly take in the delicate subtleties that forever surround us - be that through exploring new ways of moving our bodies, communing with new surroundings and experiences of nature, new cultures and what they hold sacred, or through the infinite flavor notes that can be enjoyed within fine chocolate!
But don’t be fooled by the name,
THESE ARE YOGA RETREATS.
After over 20 years of dedicated practice, and over 15 years of teaching, my view of yoga has just extended well beyond the mat…
and onto the cacao farms!
Chocolate is used as a means of directing our attention inward, and not at all as a gimmick or distraction. After all, fine chocolate (cacao) is one of the most complex foods on the planet, more than twice as complex as wine in it's flavor notes! And the process of transforming the cacao fruit into the chocolate we love is extremely labor intensive.
It requires skill, patience, and trust; not unlike a committed yoga practice.
Fine flavor chocolate can teach us how to slow down and really taste, savor, and enjoy our present moment experiences, whatever they may be! It can inspire us to want to learn more - about where our food comes from and those who toiled so hard so that we may enjoy it. By combining chocolate tasting with mindful movement and meditation we can begin to peel off the day to day busy-ness and go more deeply inward, to who we truly are, becoming more attuned to the smells, textures, tastes of our landscapes, both inner & outer!
If this piques your interest, please consider joining me for my next The Yoga of Chocolate™ Retreat in the gorgeous, soul-stirring Sacred Valley of Peru. For 8 glorious days, we’ll be tucked away, surrounded by mountain ranges considered deeply sacred to the local people, diving deep into our yoga practice in a beautiful private temple…and then taking our discoveries out into the world, where we’ll have the chance to both share and learn from local people; visiting sacred archaeological sites, vibrant, sensory-stimulating markets and villages, chocolate shops (with an opportunity to get hands-on if you choose!). You will emerge from this retreat with a reawakened sense of the beauty that forever surrounds us and the heart-opening amazingness and power of cacao! Details & Registration can be found HERE.
“It was steeped in Spirit, growth, the true essence of Yoga, joy, community, and honoring the culture and land we were visiting.”
“We cannot recommend The Yoga of Chocolate : A Journey through the Senses/Sacred Valley enough! Jyl Kutsche is a kind, generous and thoughtful leader and teacher. Her passion for Chocolate, yoga and movement and the beauty of the culture, the people and the environment of the Sacred Valley is contagious. Each aspect of the retreat was well organized with each destination, activity and guide offering unique and thoughtful perspectives on Peru. Jyl has done her work in searching out lovely locations to stay, day- visits and guides that are articulate and knowledgable about the sites. We came away in love with Peru and hope to visit again. We highly recommend Jyl Kutsche’s retreat offerings!”
May the touch of your skin
Register the beauty
Of the otherness
That surrounds you
May your listening be attuned
To the deeper silence
Where sound is honed
To bring distance home.
May the fragrance
Of a breathing meadow
Refresh your heart
And remind you you are
A child of the earth.
And when you partake
Of food and drink,
May your taste quicken
To the gift and sweetness
That flows from the earth.
May your inner eye
See through the surfaces
And glean the real presence
Of everything that meets you.
May your soul beautify
The desire of your eyes
That you might glimpse
The infinity that hides
In the simple sights
That seem worn
To your usual eyes.
-John O’Donohue