Carla Scarano D’Antonio describes a four-day retreat on the Isle of Wight

At the end of September we met for the second year running for an exciting four-day yoga retreat at a youth hostel in Totland on the Isle of Wight. We are a group of yoga lovers who attend Shena Grigor’s classes at Woking Leisure Centre on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sunday. Studio 2 on the first floor is always packed with young and not-so-young people in tight pants and tiny tops relaxing, twisting and swaying on colourful mats. The Youth Hostel Association’s Totland hostel is a large building with high ceilings and large windows which was probably a villa in the past but has since been refurbished and converted into a youth hostel. The style is reminiscent of the 1970s and there are pictures of sea creatures and stormy waves on the walls, along with maps of the Isle of Wight. The rooms are comfortable and the facilities are clean. There is a garden at the front of the hostel, and the centre of Totland, which has a few shops, and the bus stop are just 10 minutes’ walk away.

We took our own food. For breakfast we had delicious croissants, homemade jam, toast, cereal and fresh eggs provided by Liz and Mark. On the Thursday evening we had a barbeque, on Friday we had cheese and onion quiche, spaghetti carbonara, Greek and green salads and hot barbeque potatoes, and on Saturday night we had cocktails made by Aurora and a delicious lamb and cheese curry made by Nasreen. It tasted really good and was very different from what you buy at takeaways or supermarkets. Nasreen took hours to prepare the food – and it was worth it. There were two one-hour yoga sessions each day with the wonderful Shena, one in the morning, one in the evening which gave us the day to sightsee, relax, chat and mingle. We also had the opportunity to take part in body combat sessions, horse riding, evening swimming at Totland Bay and walks to the Needles, Freshwater and Yarmouth in a communal attempt to burn the calories accumulated because of the rich meals we were indulging in. One of the members of the group, the incredible Maggie Powell, made homemade cakes that looked and tasted like the most perfect patisserie creations. We had cake every day: carrot cake, flapjacks, lemon drizzle, banana cake, meringue with cream and berries, red velvet cake, butterscotch tart and Victoria sponge. And everyone contributed in helping, clearing up and setting dinner.

On the Saturday night we had a fancy-dress party with games organised by the entertainment team, the two Emmas, Shaun and Chris. We turned up in the most incredible outfits, from a shark outfit to pirate outfits, Bonnie and Clyde, Thelma and Louise, Cruella de Vil, Superwoman and a Roman empress; Shena came as the Devil wears Prada with a fancy pink metre-tall wig. I introduced and ended each yoga session with a poem I had chosen from the latest issues of online magazines such as The High Window, London Grip and The Temz Review, and some poems by some of my favourite authors such as WH Auden, Margaret Atwood and Fiona Benson. I also read the emotional acrostic poem Simon Armitage wrote on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Most of the poems were by lesser known poets that I just like. I also collected these poems in a booklet that I printed for the occasion. Shena interspersed the yoga sessions with her memorable witty comments and great jokes, which eased the effort needed to hold the challenging yoga postures.

Visiting places such as Newport, Yarmouth castle, the Needles Old Battery and New Battery and Osborne House was revealing; we did not expect so much history and art in such a small place. And it was fun shopping in local vintage shops full of second-hand and original items that you cannot find anywhere else and that were reasonably priced too.

On one occasion in the garden of the YHA during our trip, Colette gave an enchanting demonstration to the track by Queen called Who Wants to Live Forever, using an aerial yoga frame, which is a giant hoop hanging from a metallic frame. She interweaved her slim, long body around the hoop in elegant poses, like a dancer. It was so graceful, almost moving.

Friendships flourished during walks, evening chats and relaxed breakfast. We shared our stories, joys and concerns, and hopes and longings. We felt validated by the fact that others in the group listened to us, laughed at our jokes and were moved by our difficulties. Some of us also take part in charity walks, fundraising runs and even climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. We are amazing! We hope to repeat the yoga retreat again, year after year, and hope that it is as enjoyable as this one was and always includes indulging in good food, having lovely encounters and doing energising exercise. It was a wonderful trip that celebrated togetherness, friendship and community values.