Live Your Best Lives
The winter solstice has passed, and temperatures in the north have plummeted, with heavy snow falling. In Mohe, it's already -30 degrees Celsius. The icy wind makes walking down the street shiver. Fed up with the harsh winter, are you, like me, yearning for a warmer winter in the south? Yunnan, let's go!
Because Yunnan in winter seems to be the same as before, the sun is still warm, the lake is still blue, and the ancient town is still leisurely.
Yunnan is a paradise for migratory birds in winter. Every winter, you can encounter numerous white elves on the shores of Lugu Lake.
Their snow-white bodies hover over the blue Lugu Lake, leisurely enjoying the warm sunshine and gentle breeze from early morning to dusk, and never getting tired of it.
The rainy season has passed, and Lugu Lake has welcomed a whole winter of blue skies and clear water. When the sun shines through the clear lake bottom, you can clearly see the fish swimming in the water and the pebbles of various shapes.
During the day, you can drink tea, read a book, or practice yoga by the lakeside inn, and spend the day in a comfortable and pleasant manner.
△ Yunnan Snow Mountain Retreat/Zilin Actual Photos
After the rainy season, the starry sky becomes even more beautiful. At night, listening to the whisper of Lugu Lake, the sky is full of stars above, and from time to time, a shooting star streaks across the sky, leaving behind a fleeting happiness.
In winter, Shuhe Ancient Town becomes even quieter. The cats napping in the sun, the singers singing a cappella in the art bar, and the clatter of horse hooves on the bluestone pavement all become gentler.
The Zen Inn next to Shuhe Ancient Town is even more tranquil under the backdrop of one meter of sunlight.
In the winter, the snow-capped mountain retreat center has blue sky, white clouds, forests and bright sunshine, as well as you and me who have put down the masks of the city.
△ Yunnan Snow Mountain Retreat/Zilin Actual Photos
Here we are, putting down our cell phones and noisy lives, and enjoying a complete day with ourselves.
△ Yunnan Snow Mountain Retreat/Zilin Actual Photos
The morning mandala chanting, breakfast silent talk, Karma yoga, the afternoon rest technique, African drums, calligraphy, yoga games, ball games, the evening yoga video, reading scriptures, watching movies, meditation and chanting, etc., all make the day particularly rich in the heart.
Only by living simply and sincerely can you experience the true meaning of life; only by simplifying the complex can you discover the essence of life; only by exploring your inner wisdom can you penetrate layers of illusions and find the true meaning of life.
△ Yunnan Snow Mountain Retreat/Zilin Actual Photos
When staying in Shuhe Ancient Town, you can choose a coffee shop to have a cup of coffee, or bask in the sun and take a leisurely stroll.
After breakfast, proceed to Lijiang Snow Mountain Retreat Center to start your 3-day, 2-night retreat experience.
Upon arrival, the retreat center staff will take you on a tour and explain the three-day activities. Staying here is clean, simple, and close to nature.
After lunch, there is free participation in Karma Yoga. There will be group activities arranged according to the retreat center. Each activity will be different. There is a chance to play musical instruments, do sports, practice calligraphy, chant or learn meditation.
On this day, we temporarily disconnect from the online world and enjoy a complete day spent alone.
06:30-07:00 Get up
07:00-08:00 Group morning yoga
08:00-08:30 Morning Mantra Chanting
08:30-09:00 Breakfast Quiet Talk
09:00-10:00 Karma Yoga
10:00-11:00 Free time
11:00-12:00 Yoga class
12:00-12:30 Yoga Nidra
12:30-13:30 Lunch Quiet Talk
13:00-14:30 Lunch break (Wi-Fi available)
14:30-15:30 Karma Yoga for volunteers and ascetics
15:30-16:30 Afternoon group activities: African drums, calligraphy, yoga games, ball games, etc.
16:30-17:00 Free time
17:00-18:30 Asana Class
18:30-19:00 Dinner Quiet
19:00-20:00 Free time (Wi-Fi available)
20:00-21:00 Yoga videos, reading scriptures, sharing, chanting, movies
21:00-21:30 Meditation Practice
21:30 Reception room, reading room, and practice room close, and silent time begins
22:00 Lights out / Silence in the main courtyard and all dormitories
If you get up early in the morning, you can see the changing light and shadow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with the sunlight without any obstruction.
In the morning, continue to live a simple life close to nature, practice yoga and read.
After lunch, we will go to Lugu Lake, stay in the village with the most beautiful sunset in Lugu Lake, and visit the mysterious Mosuo tribe.
In the evening, you can enjoy free evening tea and sing and dance with the Mosuo people around the bonfire at their bonfire party.
Staying in a lake view hotel, you can practice yoga facing Lugu Lake in the morning.
After breakfast, we'll gather for our tour around the lake. We'll pass by the internet-famous stool, Xiaoyuba Observation Deck, Lover's Beach, Rig Observation Deck, Xiaoluoshui, and Luyuan Cliff, among other well-known and lesser-known attractions. Enjoy plenty of photo opportunities and a glimpse into the dreamlike Lugu Lake.
After lunch, we gazed at the Gemu Goddess Mountain from the Goddess Bay, experienced the real Mosuo "walking marriage" on the Walking Marriage Bridge, toured the lake in a pig trough boat and walked on the waves of the mysterious Grass Sea. During an exclusive Mosuo home visit, we learned about the unique Mosuo culture.
At the end of our tour around the lake, we will arrive at a carefully selected sunset viewing spot, waiting for an unforgettable Lugu Lake sunset.
After nightfall, the Milky Way slowly rises, and everyone encounters the long-lost starry sky together.
In the morning, you can practice yoga facing the lake, or stroll to the lakeside dock to watch the unmissable sunrise over Lugu Lake. You can also go to the Lugu Lake dock and take a ride on the Mosuo people's unique water transportation, a pig trough boat, and enjoy the morning view of Lugu Lake as the Mosuo boatmen sing songs.
In due time we embarked on our journey back to Lijiang, arriving in Lijiang around dusk and disbanding.
△ Yunnan Snow Mountain Retreat/Zilin Actual Photos
Teacher Sha Jin, founder of the Lijiang Snow Retreat Center, said, "I've given up the pursuit of quality of life because I've chosen the quality of life. Here, I'll preserve in my memory the rolling mountains filled with the fragrance of earth, the azure sky, the shimmering leaf spirits, and the place of yoga enlightenment where magpies laugh. Everything that nature and humanity offer clears the mind and strengthens the heart. Retreat allows you to learn how to balance life, giving you the energy and confidence to return to the bustling city."
This winter, let us start from the "heart" and redefine your travel.
