Holidays that make you go
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If you can’t remember the last time you came back from holiday refreshed and revitalised then it’s time to embrace your inner hippy with Nick Taylor’s guide to the best European yoga retreats
Yoga is a fantastic way to unite your breath and body with exercise. It’s also one of the greatest ways to become fit and flexible. So what better excuse for a holiday than to check out one of the increasing number of yoga retreats around Europe. Jet off to the sun and find yourself in biodynamic olive groves, chilling by the pool or practising your pranayama from atop a mountain. With most retreats just an hour or so from easy-to-reach airports, there’s no excuse to pass up enlightenment – or the chance to get a tan while you’re doing it.
Molino del Ray, Andalucia
Situated in the mountains of Andalucia, this imaginatively converted mill full of brightly painted rooms nestles in a steep-sided valley close to a rushing river. The yoga room is stunning, spacious and light, with skylights and full-length windows. This part of Spain is excellent for hiking, riding or visiting the nearby cities of Seville and Granada.
Pink clouds of almond blossom herald the coming of spring in January and in March the heady scent of orange blossom permeates the breeze.
A wonderful swimming pool has been carved into the side of the mountain: the front part is open to the sun, while the rear is in the cool of a mountain cave. There is also a meditation cave, a small sauna and a waterfall. Normally there are two yoga classes per day. The first is a morning session followed by brunch, with a late afternoon class before sunset followed by dinner. Pranayama and meditation are incorporated into these sessions. During the week-long course, a morning and an afternoon are left free for excursions.
Need to know: The retreats are weekly and run from May to September. The focus is on hatha yoga and fusion hatha. Prices start at around €845, including accommodation and two meals per day. Morino del Ray is 40km from Malaga.
Astanga Ecological Retreat, Kadermo
Here is an opportunity to experience yoga in untouched and idyllic surroundings, far away from the city, where the sun rises at 4am and sets at 11pm. The serene and hermetic island of Kadermo is situated about 10km north-east of Hanko in Finland.
Accommodation is in two traditional villa-style houses. Water comes from a well and hot water is available in the sauna. The toilets are ecological as there is no running water on the island.
Despite the isolation, there is a café on the island where you can enjoy coffee, healthy cakes and piano music. As well as yoga there are spontaneous boat excursions to other islands, swimming and canoeing.
During July and August there are visiting dance teachers from Cuba and Argentina, with optional tango and salsa classes. Stefan Engstrom specialises in astanga vinyasa yoga, often referred to as aerobic yoga, a dynamic system gracefully blending breathing with movement and promoting flexibility, strength and relaxation. Engstrom has been practising yoga since 1990.
Need to know: It’s preferable to come for two weeks as the retreat is geared towards an instructional first week and a second week of deepening practice. If you only have one week, go for the instructional option. Courses run throughout the year, from Sunday to Friday, and prices start at €215 for a weekend. One week costs €465 and two weeks €845, including accommodation, tuition and two vegetarian meals per day. Fly to Helsinki and then catch a train to Hanko, where a transfer to Kadermo is provided.
Sabina Mountains, Lazio
This centre lies in the heart of the Sabina Mountains, about one hour north of Rome. It sits in a medieval hill village with fewer than 1,000 occupants (one of the last villages in Italy to be left untouched by mass tourism), surrounded by olive groves and forests and blessed at night by a breathtaking starscape. Optional yoga takes place every morning (from Friday to Tuesday) outside on a terrace with beautiful views or in a purpose-built studio in the village. Yoga teacher Lucy Bremner has 13 years experience and there are guest yoga teachers throughout the season.
The hatha-based classes are suitable for all levels, and other forms are incorporated. The yoga programme includes asanas, pranayama, meditation and relaxation. There are also holistic therapies available, such as reflexology, massage and aromatherapy, as well as hot sulphur springs.
Need to know: The retreat’s accommodation is in beautifully restored 15th- and 13th-century buildings. Holidays run from May to October and prices start at €500 for six nights. To get to the retreat, fly to Rome Fiumicino airport and then take the train to Poggio Mirteto where a free bus will take you to the village.
Casa Villatalla, Liguria
The accommodation is stunningly beautiful at this exquisite retreat in Liguria in north-west Italy, with each room sharing a balcony or terrace with one other. The landscape is verdant and the villa nestles in the wooded slopes above a valley. There’s a swimming pool, an outside yoga deck and an indoor yoga space. You’ll find an excellent restaurant just 10 minutes’ walk up the mountain.
Dinner is sometimes served at the house and sometimes at the restaurant.
Horse riding and tennis facilities are close by, and if you like to walk then the famous Alta Via dei Monti Liguri walking trail is very close to the house. Just 6km down the mountain is Dolceacqua, a beautiful medieval town. Visits to the beaches of the Italian Riviera, local markets, nearby towns and villages are just some of the outings on offer.
Need to know: The yoga programme is mainly hatha. Most of the yoga weeks take place in July and prices start from €700, including all meals except one. The nearest airport is Nice in France, just over an hour’s drive away.
Organic Farm Yoga, Tuscany
Marina and Massimo’s organic farm is situated high up in the Tuscan hills, surrounded by gardens, woods and fruit groves, and with a view all the way to Corsica (weather permitting). The environment is very conducive to yoga and guests are encouraged to attend classes as they wish. The main class takes place in the morning before it gets too hot. Every group is of a different standard and classes are adjusted accordingly.
The core of the practice is classical yoga. However, other disciplines may be touched on, such as chi kung, authentic movement, dance, voice work and creative writing. Teacher Carl Hargreaves has studied yoga for over 12 years. A morning practice lasts about two to three hours as the positions gradually deepen. There will often be a shorter session before dinner.
Need to know: Healthy, biodynamic, vegetarian food is the order of the day and all meals (except one dinner) are included. Week-long courses run throughout the summer and start at €670. Florence airport is about two hours away. A group transfer from Grosseto railway station (at 5.30pm) is provided free of charge.
FR » Méditations de vacances
Le yoga est une façon fantastique d’unir la respiration et le corps dans une pratique qui permet de se sentir en forme et souple à la fois. Un nombre croissant de centres de yoga s’ouvrent à travers l’Europe, facilement accessibles et qui permettent de combiner vacances et illumination éventuelle.
Non loin de la ville Malaga en Espagne, nichée dans une vallée près d’une rivière fougueuse, Molino del Ray propose des classes centrées sur le hatha yoga et le fusion hatha avec au programme pranayama et méditation intégrées durant les sessions du matin et de l’après-midi. Après le cours, relaxez-vous dans une piscine creusée dans une des parois des Monts de l’Andalousie.
Le centre des Monts de Sabine se situe dans un village médiéval d’Italie au nord de Rome, les cours basés sur le hatha se donnent sur une terrasse extérieure ou dans le studio et ils s’adressent à tout le monde. Il y a également des thérapies holistiques et des sources chaudes de soufre.
La ferme biologique de Marina et de Massimo, située sur les collines toscanes, offrent des repas sains, bio-dynamiques, végétariens avec deux ou trois heures de cours de yoga classique le matin, des sessions qui s’adaptent facilement à tous les niveaux.
Casa Villatalla est une retraite exquise dans le nord-ouest de l’Italie, en Ligurie, surplombant une vallée boisée. Les cours de Hatha yoga sont organisés aussi bien à l’intérieur qu’à l’extérieur. On y pratique aussi d’autres activités comme l’équitation et le tennis sans oublier la Rivera, toute proche.
Si vous recherchez une expérience unique dans l’approche du yoga, allez jusqu’en Finlande, dans l’île idyllique de Kadermo, où le soleil se lève à 4 heures et se couche à 23 heures. Cette retraite écologique se spécialise en yoga aérobic, une forme dynamique de yoga avec au choix des cours de tango et de salsa durant l’été.
NL » Verlichtende vakantie
Yoga is een fantastische manier om ademhaling en lichaam in evenwicht te brengen, en tegelijk fit en soepel te worden. Europa telt steeds meer yogacentra, waar vakantie en verlichting samengaan.
Aan een rivier in een verborgen vallei nabij de Spaanse stad Malaga ligt Molino del Ray. In dit centrum kun je lessen hathayoga volgen, of hatha combineren met pranayama en meditatie tijdens ochtenden middagsessies. Achteraf wacht je een ontspannende duik in het zwembad, uitgehouwen in een flank van het Andalusische gebergte.
Het yogacentrum In Sabina ligt in een Italiaans middeleeuws dorp in de Sabina-heuvels, ten noorden van Rome. De hatha-lessen vinden buiten op een terras plaats of in de studio en zijn geschikt voor iedereen. Ook beschikbaar: holistische therapieën en hete zwavelbronnen.
De bioboerderij van Marina en Massimo, hoog in de Toscaanse heuvels, biedt gezonde, biodynamische, vegetarische maaltijden in combinatie met twee tot drie uur durende klassieke yogasessies, aangepast aan elke groep.
Casa Villatalla is een prachtig Noordwest-Italiaans buitenverblijf in Ligurië, met zicht op een beboste vallei. Er worden zowel buiten als binnen hathayogalessen gegeven. In de buurt kun je paardrijden, tennissen of de Riviera opzoeken.
Trek voor een unieke yoga-ervaring naar het idyllische Finse eiland Kadermo. De zon komt er om 4 uur ’s morgens op en gaat pas om 11 uur ’s avonds onder. Het ecocentrum specialiseert zich in aërobische yoga, een dynamisch yogasysteem met optionele tango- en salsalessen in de zomer.
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