ITALY
YOGA IN THE HEART OF ITALY - A SUMMER RETREAT
DATES: Summer 2022- Dates TBA | TEACHER: Checka Antifonario | PRICE: TBA
East of Rome, from the foothills of the Alps to the edge of the sea, is a wild, beautiful, unspoiled place where generations of Italians have lived in harmony with and reverence for the land for centuries. In Molise, you will experience a way of life that has been untouched by the noise and distractions of modern life. You will be hosted by those who call this region home and want deeply to share it all with you: the local dishes that will melt in your mouth, the rest and relaxation that is built into Italian culture, the appreciation and pleasure of living in tune with the natural world. Our daily yoga and meditation practices will help us to be grounded, aware and awake to this great embrace of Molise, Italy - so that we may be nourished with a new perspective from an ancient way. So that we may remember the feeling and the lessons long after we return home.
Our retreat curators and hosts are La Vita Sana, which means The Healthy Life. You will meet and fall in love with founders Christina Barbieri and Luca Mignogna, if you don't already know them from their incredible artisan cheesemaking company Wolf Meadow Farm - highly sought after in the greater Boston area! Luca was born and raised in Molise, and the region is now the couple's second home. They are organizing every authentic, delightful detail of this retreat experience for us. Their intention is for us to "live as the Italians do!" Their core principles also include sustainability, preservation, respect and support of the local economy. Mindful travel is a must for us at Yogaway Retreats, and we are so grateful to have found the perfect partner for our first ever Italian yoga retreat!
We will be spending our retreat week at an agriturismo near the eastern coast of Molise. This historic (and still working) farm has grown into a 20-room hotel with breathtaking views and a nationally renowned, locally sourced restaurant. You will stay in a simple elegant room, each one with a private bath and its own balcony overlooking the pristine grounds or the sea. July will be the perfect time to enjoy the property’s gorgeous pool, or take in the beauty of their hundreds of acres of olive and grape vineyards. Speaking of which, your retreat will include a detailed tour of the farm with the caretakers as well as olive oil and wine tastings! Depending upon the size of our retreat, we may be sharing the hotel with other travelers. We will have a dedicated space for our group to share meals (though we encourage mingling with fellow humans at the lively restaurant throughout the week), and a peaceful private space for our yoga and meditation practices.
To help us to immerse in the peace and presence of living mindfully, each full day of this retreat will include an optional time to gather for silent meditation. We will also have the chance to discuss different approaches to meditation and support one another in this practice. We will have nine yoga practices throughout the week (twice daily on most full days of the retreat); expect classes appropriate for all levels that will deepen your practice and give you ample time and space to exhale. Morning classes will be more vigorous, with gentler movement and some restorative practice in the afternoons. We will be equipped with a full supply of props such as blocks and bolsters for your use. Retreat-style yoga is our favorite because we have the unique opportunity to build on what we have done throughout the week - for a cumulative and often transformational experience!
While we are committed to preserving time to really slow down and soak everything in on this retreat, we are including two off-property excursions - handpicked by La Vita Sana to share a couple of the many gems of Molise with you. One excursion will be to visit the beautiful historic seaside town of Termoli and enjoy lunch and leisure on a stretch of private beach. On our other road trip, we will head inland to ancient Roman ruins that date back almost 2,000 years. We will have a guided tour of the ruins and visit the historic city of Sepino, named one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
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More details will be announced once dates are confirmed for this retreat!