Words cant even express what an amazing place Swan yoga retreat was! But I guess I shall try...Swan brings you back to nature, but more importantly it brings you back to your true self. Not only the place but the people as well, there is a certain energy about the place that you have to feel it to know it. There are banana tress, papaya trees, coconuts, eggplants, lemongrass, tulsi and so much more being grown on the land, even the water you drink is from a well built on the land. There is a very cute library full of amazing books i just wanted to read all of them. I think i grabbed like 5 books the first day i walked in there. I only had time to read one in the 3 weeks i was there, but i was excited to have all this information at my fingertips! I mean when you think about it these days with the internet i guess we always have information at our fingertips, but i don't feel excited about it! AT least not the way i felt when i walked into the library at Swan. The food is amazing and made with so much love you can taste it! Swan is the quintessential yoga retreat, I don't even think i could have imagined a better place if i tried. There are no fancy gimmicks or distractions, but instead a pure, honest and true portrayal of what yoga is and what yoga should be. Set amidst the bottom of a forest its not unusual to see some occasional unexpected visitors stop by the yoga shala to say hello. Originally I wasn't going to write a review because i thought that Gyanmitra had a point when he said that everyones experience is their own and someone reading about someone elses experience doesnt mean that the same will happen for them. However being one of the first customers at Swan, I guess the reason I really wanted to write a review is because i believe that Swan is a magical place. I guess maybe when looked at from the outside it may look ordinary compared to other luxury yoga places across the globe...but its not ordinary one bit! Its extraordinary! If there is one thing I learned at Swan is that in order to really find yourself and find true knowledge, you have to let go of the familiarities and comforts and luxuries that we get so used to in our daily lives. Being at Swan allows you to let go and come back to the simple things in life, the forgotten things you need to find again. Like i said, I am struggling to find words to express my experience at Swan...but to wrap it up I just wanted to say that its not only the place but also the people that work there and help make Swan what it is. From the boys that worked in the kitchen to the two beautiful women who would come to work at Swan everyday, from the owner Gyanmitra to the yoga teacher Nabieh and all the other friends that we met and got to enjoy the presence of. Even the two Golden Labradors added such joy to the place that it wouldnt be complete without them. I truly will never forget my time at Swan, and will always keep it as a beautiful magical dream I was so blessed to see.
-Hilal Dogan
From Turkey, California and New Zealand
November 25- Dec 15 2012