By Vimala Seneviratne

EXCEPT for the dim lights in the walkway, it is still very dark outside. It's 5.30am and the rain is now a light drizzle. There is a chill in the air and if we had our way, we would have gladly pulled up the blankets and doze off in the comfort our beds. But there we were, a motley bunch of bleary-eyed women armed with mats and bath towels, staggering towards the beach, a five-minute walk away from our water chalet at Avillion Resort in Port Dickson. We take our positions, sitting cross-legged on the mat or towel and await instructions from Bahar Razaghi, our 35-year-old Iranian yoga instructor.

Despite the unearthly hour, she is bright-eyed. Flashing a radiant smile, she takes us through the first ritual in yoga - meditation. Our group comprises 10 women (a mixed bag of professionals and housewives) from the late 20s to the 50s.

Some have come from as far away as Singapore and Indonesia, while others are from Penang and Kuala Lumpur. We all wish to distance ourselves from the cares of the world, for at least three days during this retreat. Two participants, including photographer Mohamed Sairien Nafis, have never done yoga. Two are regular or seasoned practitioners and the others, like me, are on and off practitioners. Our different levels appear irrelevant as Bahar's intuitive guidance offers precisely what each one of us needs, when we need it.

The previous day, while most of my office colleagues were enjoying a family retreat at Sunway Lagoon, Petaling Jaya, Sairien and I checked into our respective chalets at Avillion. Later that evening, Bahar briefed us on the entire three-day programme she had planned - correct breathing techniques, the various postures and their benefits, the importance of meditation and keeping to a vegetarian diet.

"We will begin and end each day with at least 30 to 40 minutes or more of meditation, a ritual which will give us an opportunity to reflect on the matters in life. Thinking about meditation is not the same as meditating. The power lies in doing it." In the wee hours of the morning, long before the sun rises, Bahar, sitting in a half lotus posture, leads us in quiet meditation on the beach front.

In a soft, gentle voice, she tells us to close our eyes and try to still our minds, to empty them of worries, to clear our thoughts and let them drift away like clouds. "Be conscious of your breathing or just concentrate on the sound of the waves breaking on the shore," she says.

The moment I close my eyes, my brain goes into overdrive. It is filled with a million uninvited thoughts and I spend precious minutes wondering if my fellow yoga mates are having just as tough a time trying to still their minds. Must focus harder... Except for the sound of crashing, it is very quiet and as Bahar explained to us the previous night, silence can have a large impact. Sitting still with my back erect, and cross-legged, I feel my senses become sharper, allowing me to create more space to listen to my inner world. Actually, silence is an important part of yoga practice. The only sound heard is that of breathing in and out.

About 30 minutes later, I feel my legs going numb. I open my eyes and look around and notice two of my fellow yoga mates massaging their stretched legs while others with eyes closed are still sitting with their backs ramrod straight. I watch the soft orange glow of the morning sun on the low hanging clouds and, extending my arms above my head, I breathe deeply, savouring the beauty unfolding before me.

By now, everyone begins to stir and we make our way to the open air breakfast table laid out on the beach specially for us. It certainly was the most unusual breakfast I had ever had - there were only three small bowls of golden raisins, walnuts and peeled pistachios and lots of ginger tea. No heavy breakfast before yoga exercises, we are told.

An hour later, Bahar leads us through a series of intense yoga exercises that are said to realign the spine, detoxify the body and build strength, flexibility and stamina. As with all exercises, there is a warm-up session followed by sun salutations or surya namaskara, performed during the morning and evening sessions at least 10 times without any let up. We then move on to standing poses, seated poses, inversions and backbends. Because I am not a regular yoga practitioner, my muscles ache and scream in agony. Surely there must be a more pleasant way to kick off the day with vigour and balance? Even Sairien puts aside his camera for a few minutes and joins in the session.

At the end of the two-hour session at 10am, we are drenched in sweat, famished and thirsty. Brunch is delicious, healthy and nutritious - salads, rice, pasta and a host of vegetarian dishes. For dessert, there are fresh fruit and an assortment of mini fruit pies. And more ginger tea, water and fruit juices. We take a break before the next session. This time we take position under the canopy of a couple of casuarina trees.

With the setting sun in the horizon, we follow the same progression, sun salutations, backbends as well as new poses and variations. The evening ends with 30 minutes of quiet meditation before we make our way back to our respective chalets for a restful sleep. Feeling refreshed and recharged the following morning, I push my body to its limit, attempting various yoga postures over the next two days. In the process, I also learn to listen to my body. Thanks to the hours of stretching, my posture is much better and I'm feeling less tired.

The final session on the third day is the most fun. "We'll challenge ourselves today to do the headstand and attempt the peacock pose," says Bahar in greeting. With the exception of the two seasoned practitioners, the rest of us make numerous attempts before we finally manage the headstand. Yes! I finally do a headstand (with a little help from Bahar) for the first time in my life. I come away physically and mentally recharged. I have also learnt to let go of any negative feeling or energy. And of course, I now pay more attention to my breathing which is a great way to de-stress.