Get off the bus and be ready for your jaw to drop at the Umbrian hillside splendour. Enjoy a refreshing drink as you are welcomed to your home for the next week.
Imagine waking up in your comfy bed with crisp white sheets in a classic stone nobleman’s villa with the Mediterranean sunlight and birdsong to greet you. Taking your time, mosey to the glass room to have breakfast while taking in 360° views of the Umbrian hills and siennese skies. Breakfast is delicious with homemade goodies and of course the classic mocha coffee. The sound of laughter and story sharing amongst your colleagues pervades the space.
Mid-am – time for first yoga class. Walk down the gravel path to the timber frame yoga shala set amidst natural forest and large doors/windows to bring nature inside. Soft, melodic wind chimes and the rustle of trees is the sound backdrop for the yoga. Enjoy a yoga class that wakes you up slowly and builds to the intensity of your choice. No one is left behind in these classes as everyone is encouraged to work at their own pace. The collective energy of the room however, has an amazing affect on moving everyone along. Languor in a long savasana while breathing in fresh air and emptying your mind.
Make your way back up the gravel path to the large grass field by the villa, freshen up in your room, sit and chat with friends or find a quiet spot to reflect before lunch is served. Weather permitting a buffet lunch is served outdoors with the freshest of local ingredients – always delicious and satisfying. Just might be time for a glass of wine!Four hours of free time to do as you wish be it active or quiet time – read, walk the property where attention to detail is witnessed at every turn, hike the hillsides, find a lounge chair to rest or read, swim, enjoy a massage is sauna in the spa. There is no such thing as boredom here!!Late afternoon yoga workshop time. Each day a different topic will be covered, starting by reviewing the key fundamentals of yoga alignment and then focusing on various parts of the body (hips, hamstrings, shoulders, spine). Educational material is worked into each session as is an element of fun.
Return to the villa to once again refresh, enjoy a glass of wine and chit-chat with buddies before heading to dinner. Back in the glass room to the setting sun and remarkable skies for a seated and served three course gourmet meal. All dietary preferences are accounted for and there will actually be a few moments of quiet as everyone enjoys the meal. But not for long, vibrant chatter once again resumes. The camaraderie is palpable as new friendships are formed.
An evening stroll, maybe even a dip in the pool and hot tub before heading to bed. Rest comes easy after a satisfying day of activity, laughter and delicious food.
This, in a nutshell, is a typical day at the Italy Umbrian retreat. No pressure – do as much or as little as you wish. Mid week an excursion is planned to explore local towns, delicious lunch and wine tasting… and shoe shopping. Participation is not mandatory.
Before you know it the week is over, and you’re saying farewell to your new friends, but not without a promise to return to Umbria again!
Following the epic success of the 2018 retreat, we are heading back for a new adventure October 12-19, 2019. Join us!
Learn more here »
