CHAT SESSION 29 with Alex
Topic- YOGA & YURT - A blissful experience at YURT HIDEAWAY
Catch up and listen to our chat session https://megaphone.link/LCRUI4116054969
Monday 13th November 2023 1pm https://rppfm.com.au
Home at last! Alex and Kelly had just purchased a home in Tootgarook - a little 70s beach shack. But it didn’t take long to realise that something was missing.
In their last rental they ran an Airbnb in the downstairs space and Kelly missed creating and offering the space for guests. Living on the beautiful peninsula, right near the beach, it's the perfect spot to share with others.
Alex’s father had always talked about yurts when he was growing up and Kelly held a dream of living somewhere rural in a yurt, and one day it clicked... They could offer a unique accommodation designed for couples on the Mornington Peninsula.
What is a Yurt? Yurts are a circular tent-like building that were used in the Great Steppe, the massive, grassy plains that stretch across Central Asia. It is a nomadic shelter that has been lived in for thousands of years by tribes from Iran to Mongolia. Yurts are basically a very sturdy tent with multiple layers of natural fabrics for covering. They provide reliable shelter in extreme weather, including wind, storms, and sub-zero temperatures. They are designed to be solid enough to be a home for many months, and to be deconstructed & transported when it is time to move.
Creating Yurt Hideaway
After much research into many different options for yurts, Alex and Kelly chose to import a genuine yurt from Mongolia. The yurt was hand-crafted in Mongolia with 100% natural materials and imported into Australia. They choose to keep the wood natural (without traditional paint) to give it a more modern feel.
With great anticipation the yurt arrived, in May 2018, as 2 large wooden boxes full parts including, carved wood, lattice, canvas, thick felt & ropes. On a sunny winter’s day, 3 people erected the yurt on the base in 6 hours. Once the frame was in place, the entire wooden frame was covered with a thin inner lining, extremely thick insulating felt, PVC (a modern addition) and canvas. To create the peaceful hideaway, the area was fenced and all the features that make an area a beautiful and cosy living space where constructed.
Guest have found that spending time in the round, open space of the yurt naturally provides a positive feeling. This is further enhanced by providing comfortable furnishings and items to encourage guests to relax and unwind. The yurt also has an eco-focus, featuring solar power, eco-cotton linen and towels, and local handmade bathroom products.
Yurt Hideaway’s unusual suburban glamping location allows guest to take advantage of being close to the beach, having easy access to all that the Mornington Peninsula has to offer, while feeling tucked away in their own private sanctuary surrounded by a peaceful garden.
Yurt, Yoga & Health
The founders of Yurt Hideaway, Kelly and Alex are both yoga teachers and have been involved with yoga for many years. They met in India 7 years ago and now have a gorgeous three-year-old boy and maintain a close connection with yoga.
Alex was going to yoga classes when he was around 10 years old. His family would go to class together, being the youngest he didn't have much interest, but the teacher was good with kids and let me him next to her and join in when he felt like it. It wasn't until much later that Alex found yoga as an adult. His younger sister was living in an Indian ashram from the age of 23 so yoga was always part of his life in an indirect way. When he was about thirty years old, he began to become involved in the local yoga centre in Australia - living, working, and teaching there for a number of years and travelling to India on a regular basis.
For over 25 years now, he has absorbed yogic philosophy and experienced the benefits of the practices and lifestyle firsthand. He has done many things in life, worked in hospitality and as a tradie but yoga is the constant in his life that he is always drawn back to it. Alex finds himself again teaching yoga, this time to the Mornington Peninsula community and running private classes for guests at Yurt Hideaway.
At Yurt Hideaway, they offer some amazing travel packages, one of those being the Yoga Retreat Package, which gives guests the opportunity to experience a 2 night stay with their own private yoga classes included. Guests can also book a class as an optional extra when booking Yurt Hideaway as an accommodation. Recent guests loved the mix of the hot springs on Saturday and a yoga class on Sunday…
“Amazing time away with my Partner. Kelly's instructions to access the Yurt were clear, simple, and concise. We loved the thoughtful hamper that Kelly arranged for us with amazing essentials and goodies. The Yurt is nice, cosy and very romantic too if you are with a significant other. It's also a lovely space if you want some time away to yourself. The bathroom was clean, and the water was nice and hot. We also went to the hot springs and did Yoga with Alex, which we both loved. Kelly was kind enough to extend our check out time and this was amazing given it was a cold, rainy, winter morning. So, we got to sleep in which was really awesome. Thanks Kelly, we'll definitely be back 🙂”- Lorraine, Melbourne.
Alex teaches what he is passionate about, that is traditional yoga. The topic of yoga and its philosophy is vast and there is so much that cannot fit into a yoga class, but he does splash a little yogic philosophy & lifestyle into the classes so that students can start to appreciate something more beyond the physical practice.
The teaching Alex has done here in the last two years has been very inspiring. Many of his students were completely new to yoga, giving him an amazing opportunity to share yoga with those that would not normally be interested in it. He has witnessed the physical and mental health of regular students improve significantly, along with improvement to many facets of their lives. “I am constantly encouraged by hearing their feedback highlighting benefits such as management of anxiety, improvement of mental health and wellbeing, increased mobility and balance, to name a few.” Commented Alex.
He is now very excited to be expanding his teaching to offer private classes to those on NDIS, allowing him to share the benefits of yoga to those in the community that will gain even greater benefits from the yogic practices and teachings. “It's a very exciting space to be involved in as there is so much that yoga can do to improve the lives of those living with physical or mental disabilities or those that live with experiences such as PTSD.”
Yurt Hideaway the perfect setting for a romantic couple’s getaway, or a rejuvenating personal retreat.
My hope is that when you’re looking at yourself in the
‘The Daily Mirror’
YOU SMILE
EMBRACE BEING YOU
AND FIND 10 MINUTES IN YOUR DAY TO NOURISH YOUR SOUL!
To get in touch with Cathy email smileinthedailymirror@gmail.com
'The Daily Mirror' acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.
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