ASHTANGA YOGA RETREAT
Summer Solstice - TUSCANY
7 Days / 6 Nights - All Inclusive Ashtanga Yoga Retreat
in Sansepolcro, Arezzo, Tuscany
with Bela Lipat
19- 25 June 2021
Deepen your practice, relax, and recharge yourself in the magic of the Tuscan sun!
Join Bela Lipat, SYC Authorized Ashtanga Teacher for a week of Ashtanga Yoga, breathwork, meditation, philosophy/Q & A, afternoon workshops on alignment and technique alternating with Yin Yoga afternoons, ending with Yoga Nidra. Included in your package is a group trip to Assisi with a Walking Tour.
Package Includes:
7 Days / 6 Nights Accommodation in a room of your choice:
*Single, Twin Sharing, 3-person, or 4-person sharing
**2 vegetarian meals per day (brunch and dinner)
Dinner upon arrival/ Brunch before departure
1 Walking tour through Assisi, transportation included
1 Cooking Class of traditional (vegetarian) Italian cuisine
Exclusive use for all retreat students of Wellness Center with Finnish Sauna 80°C,
Steam room 50°C, Emotional shower, Rustic Shower,
Hot tub 12 seats, and the area for relaxing with an amazing view
**Food is lacto-ovo vegetarian (not vegan). It means we serve cheese, eggs and milk products. The dairy products are with lactose.
Special Non-gluten/Vegan menu/non-lactose or other diets are also available upon request,
with an extra charge +10e/person/day.
Please inform us in advance upon registration.
All yoga/meditation sessions:
5 Mysore classes and 1 Led Class
Daily Pranayama and Meditation
2 Yin Yoga afternoon sessions
2 Technique/Alignment class
5 Yoga Nidra - deep relaxation sessions
2 Philosophy/Q&A sessions
The Practice
Enjoy a week of Ashtanga Yoga, Mysore Style and led class!
The focus of this retreat is the practice of the Ashtanga Yoga method as taught in Mysore, South India by R. Sharath Jois. Each morning we will start the day with meditation and pranayama followed by the Ashtanga Yoga practice, Mysore style Ashtanga (self-practice), which is the traditional way of learning Ashtanga (teacher to student). Mysore classes mean the student practices at their own pace and progress through the asanas as and when they are ready. The teacher will go around the class offering one-on-one attention to each student and adjust when necessary. You need to know at least the Sun Salutations and the standing postures of Primary Series before coming to the retreat.
We will end the retreat with a "led class" of the Primary Series where the teacher guides all students through the Primary Series of Ashtanga following the proper Sanskrit Vinyasa count. The classes are suitable for all levels, focusing on both practice and philosophy. Classes are taught in English. Please bring your own Yoga Mats and practice towels/rugs, and yoga blocks if you use them in your practice.
In the the afternoons you will have technique/alignment class/or Yin Yoga, ending with Yoga Nidra - a deep relaxation practice.
Activitiy included in the package
Included in your retreat is a group trip to Assisi. Located on a gentle hill beneath the summit of Monte Subasio, the fabled Umbrian town of Assisi is the most famous pilgrimage site in Italy, a consequence of being the birthplace of Saint Francis. Born in the village of warm pink stone in 1182, Francis founded the mendicant Franciscan order to which he gave his name in 1210. Prior to his birth, Assisi had been settled by ancient Umbrian tribes, and later became a Roman town. Stroll the maze of medieval streets and visit the Basilicas of Santa Chiara and St. Francis.
Please note:
• A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
Optional activities not included inpackage:
There is a large private natural park with activities including horse riding, archery, bocce (a traditional Italian game similar to bowling), guided rambles on foot, horseback or on mountain bikes, nature watching and photography from observation posts, and gathering mushrooms, chestnuts and fruits of the forest (according to the season).
Location and Accommodations
In Sansepolcro overlooking the Tuscan Tiber valley, in an area full of cultural, historical and artistic traditions, there is a special way of living alongside nature. Located just 5kms from Sansepolcro, La Conca is a large working organic farm. It is made up of four ancient poderi (farms owned by the farmer) which between them cover a vast area of hill and mountain, ranging in height from about 400 metres (1312 feet) to 1000 metres (3280 feet) above sea level, and covering about 300 hectares (741 acres) inhabited by fallow deer, moufflons, roe deer, all in their natural states.
La Conca houses 4 villas. We will be staying at the newly restored Villa La Cantone situated in the southern part of the park with wide views of the valley and lake. It is furnished in the Tuscan Style with wood, stone and terracotta floors. Shared bathrooms has a shower, wc and bidet, and hairdryer.
The outdoor pool is filled with the property’s own source of sulphurous thermal water rich in beneficial properties. There is also a Wellness Center for use exclusively by our group where the yoga shala is located.
Free WI FI is available as well as laundry facilities.
Week Schedule
Saturday, June 19, 2021
15-16.30 Check-in, Arrival at Retreat Center
16.30- 18.00 Welcome - Opening Circle and Gentle Flow Yoga
18.30 Dinner
20.00 Yoga Nidra
Sunday - Thursday, June 20 -24, 2021
7.00 Meditation and Pranayama
8.00 Mysore Practice the rest of the week
(please finish your practice by 10.15)
10.30 Brunch and free time
Monday - afternoon activity tour to Assisi (no afternoon class)
14 - 16.00 Cooking Class (Wednesday) 15.00-16.00 Philosophy/ Q&A (Tuesday/Thursday)
16 - 17.00 Yin Yoga (Sunday/Wednesday)
Technique/Alignment Workshop (Tuesday/Thursday)
17.00 - 18.00 Yoga Nidra (Sunday - Thursday)
18.30 Dinner
20:00 Closing Circle (Thursday)
Friday, June 25, 2021
7 - 8:30 Led class
9.00 Brunch
11am, Check-out/ Departure
Program times may change slightly.
Please arrive on time on the first day so as not to miss the Welcome - Opening Circle.
Please arrive at the retreat center by3pm for check-in on the 13th of June.
First session begins on 19th June at 4pm.
Class times from 20th to 24th June, 7:00 -10am and 16:00 - 18:00.
No afternoon class on the day of the Group Tour to Assisi.
Last session ends on 25th June, at 8:30am with Led Class, then brunch at 9:00
Departure after brunch and check-out by 11noon.
All rooms have shared bathroom facilities.
Regular rates after 1 March 2021
4-Person Share 1015euros (1 room available)
3-Person Share 1045euros (1 room is available for male sharing, 1 spot available)
3-Person Share 1045euros (1 room is available for female sharing)
Twin-Share Room 1095euros
Single Room 1750euros
Limited room arrangements, please sign-up early to book your desired room.
Confirmation of booking depends on receipt of your deposit.
Deposit to hold space (non-refundable) = 500euros
- Final balance due 60 days before retreat start. Due date on April 18, 2021.
- Please read our cancellation policy in our Terms & Conditions page.
- Rooms are given in order of booking with deposit.
- If you have a preferred roommate, let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
To book your spot, send us an email requesting which room you would like to book.
We will let you know if the room is available. Once the room is reserved with us,
to confirm your reservation, please send your deposit of 500euros to:
IBAN: FI95 1134 3500 4069 55
BIC: NDEAFIHH
Name: Maria Bela Lipat
After sending your deposit, please send us an email to inform us,
and we will send you your invoice.
For those who would like to bring their family or non-yoga practicing partner/friend,
most welcome! Please contact us for rates and availability.
Not Included in Retreat Package: Airfare, Additional Activities & Excursions, Baggage Fees, Trip Insurance, Tips & Gratuities, and Airport Transfers. Our Cancellation Policy in the Terms & Conditions page can be found here
To Register for the Retreat:
1. Send us an email to register
2. Wait for our e-mail confirmation with all payment instructions.
3. Submit yournon refundable deposit of 500€ to reserve your space.
4. Full payment must be completed by no later than April 30, 2021.
If you would like to come with your partner / family member / friend who is not going to attend yoga classes, please feel free to do so. There will be some reduction of total payment amount for this person. Please send us an email to inquire.
Please note: Consumption of alcohol and drugs are not allowed during our stay.
Cigarette smoking is allowed only in the parking lot, not in view of other students.
Getting here:
By car:
From Rome:
• Take the A1 Highway (Autostrada) to Orte;
• From Orte take highway E45 towards Cesena and exit at Sansepolcro;
• From the exit follow the signs for Rimini through two roundabouts;
• After the second roundabout keep going towards Rimini for about 600metres (656 yards);
• On the right you will see a sign for the turning to La Conca;
The road is threekilometres (1.86 miles) long, and ends in the park;
From Florence/Arezzo
• From Florence to Arezzo A1 highway until Arezzo
• When you arrive in Arezzo follow the signs for Sansepolcro;
• At Sansepolcro follow the signs for Rimini through two roundabouts;
• After the second roundabout keep going towards Rimini for about 600metres (656 yards);
• On the right you will see a sign for the turning to La Conca;
• The road is three kilometres (1.86 miles) long, and ends in the park;
By train:
Take the train to Arezzo, and then the bus to Sansepolcro. The service is fairly frequent.
Transfers may be arranged with us from Arezzo or Sansepolcro bus/train stand. Please feel free to ask us for any assistance or suggestions about your travel plans to the retreat center.
By plane:
Florence Airport: Amerigo Vespucci – 128 km
Bolonia Airport: Guglielmo Marconi – 178 km
Rome Airport: Fiumicino – 268 km
Pisa Airport: Galileo Galilei – 195 km
Going on retreat can be a powerful way to process what is happening in your life.
Giving ourselves time to reflect and heal can be a powerful way to process the things that are happening in our lives, and one of the best approaches to do this is by going on a retreat. Going on a retreat means that we have set the intention to heal and learn more about our mind-body-and spirit, and doing this is a decision that we make for ourselves.
Since everyone sees and experiences the world differently, it is important to choose a type of retreat that works best for us. Even though a friend or loved one may recommend something, we have to trust our intuition and select a path that really connects with what our soul needs most at the time. The most essential thing is to be willing to respect our unique stage of development and to be patient with ourselves since any thoughts or issues that arise are simply part of the process of healing and transformation. Just remembering that a retreat is an intense period of time where serious soul searching takes place can help us allow whatever may happen to us to fully unfold. Going on retreat may sound like a vacation, but most retreat experiences ask you to look deep inside of yourself, and sometimes this can be uncomfortable or stir the pot of our soul.
Putting our trust in the retreat process will make space for the necessary work we have to do, making it easier for our hearts and minds to explore wholly the innermost reaches of our soul. By paying attention to these messages, we pave the way for greater healing and transformation, since spending time in contemplation at a retreat will give us the gift of insight and understanding that we can use in all aspects of our daily lives.
Looking forward to our time together in Tuscany!
Places to visit:
https://tuscanyplanet.com/en/things-to-do-in-sansepolcro/
https://www.italythisway.com/places/sansepolcro.php
https://www.italythisway.com/places/anghiari.php
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