Awakening Agni February 2025

What Is Agni?

Inside each of us is a brilliant source of light and vitality. According to ayurveda, this light is agni—the inner fire that fuels digestion, supports immunity, drives creativity, and gives us vitality. When agni is low we feel dull, lethargic, detached, and unmotivated. When agni is strong we feel vibrant, engaged, energized, and purposeful. This inner fire empowers us and supports everything we do in life, from parenting, to completing projects at work, to standing up for what we believe in, to expressing ourselves creatively. Throughout life, it’s imperative we continue to stoke this inner fire of inspiration and light, so we can be fully present and enjoy our lives.

What happens when agni is low?

Stress and negative habit patterns can create stagnation in our bodies and minds, which then thwart our enthusiasm for life. Many of us unknowingly smother and suppress the inner light of agni, whether through negative self-talk, overcommitting, minimizing ourselves, or through diet and lifestyle choices that don’t support agni. When agni is low, everything that it supports also flounders—our digestion suffers, immunity weakens, enthusiasm tanks, and we might even find ourselves struggling to get out of bed in the morning.

How do you increase agni?

To tap into this inner light, you need to awaken the energy that lies dormant in the abdomen and pelvis. Yoga suggests a few key practices to stimulate this area and regain the inherent energy and vibrance inside. This weekend getaway will teach you the most important practice to connect you to your inner fire—agni sara. It will introduce you to ayurvedic concepts that support and build your agni, and that can be easily incorporated into your day-to-day lifestyle. You will clear away stagnation and congestion, access your vital energy, and recharge your body and mind.

2 Day / 2 Night Retreat Includes:

This weekend wellness retreat will teach you how to enhance and support your agni, how to contain that fire so you don’t burn out, and how to stay energized in times of stress. It includes:

• Lecture and discussions on practices that support and sustain you, and inquiry into habits that sabotage your efforts, rather than serve your development
• Practicums on agni sara and other ayurvedic and yogic techniques that clear toxins (ama) on every level and stoke your inner fire
• 60-minute massage for invigoration and restoration

You will leave feeling refreshed, open and energized, and ready to launch into your life with renewed confidence and clarity.

Add-Ons:

During the retreat, ample downtime is built-in for you to schedule additional treatments and relax in your own unique way. Add-on services include:

• Additional massage treatments including ayurvedic Garshana, Shirodhara and/or steam; Thai Yoga massage; Jin Shin Jyutsu, Reiki or Craniosacral therapy
• Biofeedback therapy to assess vagal tone, heart rate variability, and improve relaxation skills
• Personalized one-on-one yoga sessions to create or refine your home practice
• An integrative medical consultation with our medical director, Carrie Demers MD

The program begins with an orientation on Friday evening and concludes at lunch on Sunday.

Amenities Beyond Your Daily Treatment Schedule:

In addition to the weekend retreat schedule of lecture, practicum, and massage, you will have access to:

• Morning yoga classes (postponed due to Covid-19)
• 3 Vegetarian meals daily
• Explorations in self-awareness
• Meditation in the Sri Vidya Shrine
• 400 acres of wooded hiking trails and vistas
• The MarketPlace Bookstore and Giftshop
• Unlimited Wi-Fi