Fire + Ice-land
Ice had an amazing yoga retreat to Iceland. Known as the land of fire and ice it was the perfect place for a yoga getaway. And what could be more yogic than an entire country that offers such striking opposition? As in yoga, where we strive for both shtira and such in every pose, the whole country of Iceland balances a cold climate with the heat of living on an active volcano.
We went to Iceland for this epic yoga retreat in November 2021 and it was the perfect yoga getaway.
We went in search of the Northern lights, the elusive Aurora, and not only did we find her (multiple times) but we discovered so much more.
We discovered magic, laughter (on a Will Ferrel level) connection, friendship, resilience, perseverance. We explored the country, and even found ourselves doing our best Eurovision impersonations.
Jenn and Shelley channeling those Ja Ja Ding Dong vibes. Photo by Lucas
Most of us started in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, to get our bearings and begin our love affair with Icelandic Christmas ales. We discovered the value and magic in Icelandic omakaze tasting menus.
After we pre-gamed in Reykjavik, we headed north to Akureyri where most of our retreat took place.
In Akureyri we met our Swiss guide, Andreas, who owns a wellness center and served as our tour guide across the north.
We visited the Waterfall of the Gods, Goðafoss. When Iceland was first settled in the 9th and 10th Centuries, the vast majority followed the Old Norse religion, worshipping deities like Thor, Odin, Loki and Freya. However, after the Commonwealth was established in 930 AD, pressure to convert began to push from Christianising Europe.
By 1000 AD, it seemed that Norway would almost certainly invade if the country were to stand by their pagan beliefs. The issue was thus discussed at the parliament and the Ásatrú priest (or goði) Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, was given the responsibility to make the decision.
It is said he lay under a fur blanket for a day and a night in silence, praying to his Old Gods for the right decision. Eventually, he emerged and said, for the good of the people, Christianity would be the official religion, but pagans could practice in private.
To symbolise his decision, he returned to his home in north Iceland and threw idols of the Old Gods into a beautiful waterfall. Since then, it would be known as Goðafoss.
