Lucca excursion - view from Torre Guinigi Borghino Melograno - Verde - Twin beds or Double Borghino I Nespoli - Rosa - Twin beds or Double

JUNE 11 – 18, 2022 | RITORNARE ~ A RETURN TO SELF – YOGA RETREAT IN TUSCANY with JACQUELYN NASH + MEL TOTH

Equilibrio: a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. A calm state of mind.

Join Jacquelyn & Mel for an immersive experience of returning to YOU, set among the olive groves and vineyards of the iconic Tuscan landscape.

The Retreat

Jacquelyn & Mel return to Il Borghino, just outside of  the quaint city of Lucca, to share their balanced approach to yoga and well-being with one goal: helping you return to your most vibrant version of YOU.

Spend 7 days and 7 nights in our exclusive retreat centre, rising each morning for an energizing, all-levels vinyasa experience and finishing the day with a gentle, restorative wind-down.

What to expect

Hand-picked excursions, guided meditations and yoga nidra will be sprinkled throughout, along with plenty of time for lounging by the salt-water pool and exploring the spectacular grounds and area surrounding Il Borghino. Family style dining will provide ample opportunity for connecting with your fellow travelers while experiencing some of the best home-cooked, authentic Italian cuisine you’ll ever taste.

Come realign your path and follow your own inner light to YOU on this spacious, supportive journey toward the true home that resides in each of us. Let the natural charm of the Italian culture and countryside, and the good company of friends, old and new, help bring you back to a place of greater ease, clarity, and connection to your Self and others.

The Yoga

All levels of practitioners are welcome on this retreat. Expect a flowing style in the morning to prepare you for the day and a gentle/restorative experience in the afternoon, after your time exploring Italy. Both Jacquelyn and Mel have experience teaching to a wide range of practitioners and their knowledge is at the ready to offer modifications to all levels and types of practitioners.

All classes will focus on breath and body connection. There will be additional opportunities for guided meditation and guided relaxation. We have access to a fully-equipped yoga studio with Manduka mats, bolsters, blankets and straps as well as a stunning outdoor yoga shala set amongst  vineyards and olive trees. With incredible views to the surrounding country side and the valley below, this is the perfect space to practice our sunset restorative yoga sessions.

Location

Our retreat home for the week will be Il Borghino – which boasts comfortable lodging in four beautifully-renovated buildings, an outdoor salt-water pool, and delicious meals of farm-to-table vegetarian Tuscan cuisine — complete with local olive oil and wine. We have access to a fully-equipped yoga studio, as well as multiple outdoor spaces should we prefer to practice overlooking the valley below.

The estate is booked solely for our group of travelers and is located just 10 km from the charming medieval city of Lucca. Il Borghino offers an opportunity to truly relax and unwind in a unique location whilst experiencing the best that Tuscany has to offer.

View over the hills of Lucca from I Borghino
View over the hills of Lucca from I Borghino Yoga Room Outdoor Yoga Shala Freshly Pressed Fruit and Vegetable Juices Daily Delicious Vegetarian Food Yoga in Italy Excursion - Panorama view from Torre Guinigi tower in Lucca. Yoga Retreat Italy Cinque Terre Excursion Pizza and Prosecco Party on the last night. Il Borghino Retreat Centre - room with double bed called I Nespoli - Gialla. Yoga Retreat Italy Il Borghino Retreat Centre - twin bed or double room in the house called Il Melograno - Azzurra. Yoga Retreat Italy

The Included Excursions

In addition to lounging in an Italian utopia next to a saltwater pool, this retreat includes olive groves to meander through, vegetarian meals and wine to savor, a Turkish sauna to relax in, this wellness retreat also includes these exquisite excursions:

  • Bike & walking tour of Lucca
  • Coastal Paradise Walk: Guided Hike along the Ligurian Coastline
  • Tour of two historic Lucca Villas along with their spectacular gardens.
  • Plenty of time to explore the area on your own.

Other Optional Excursions (not included)

  • Cooking Class
  • Wine Tasting Excursion
  • Puccini Opera in Lucca
  • Massages and Holistic Treatments
  • Pietrasanta Artis Village
  • Explore Lucca on your own
RESERVE YOUR PLACE

About Jacquelyn Nash

Jacquelyn Nash Retreat in Tuscany June 2021

With her roots and practice firmly grounded in the Ashtanga lineage, Jacquelyn’s classes draw from the foundational principles of that practice but also incorporate the softer and therapeutic applications of yoga that she has absorbed through various trainings.

Teaching Style

Jacquelyn teaches with the intention to make yoga, both the postures and the philosophy, accessible to all people and to demystify the “secret language” of yoga. Inspired by the light-heartedness but also sincerity of many of her teachers, Jacquelyn’s approach to sharing yoga is nurturing, compassionate, and seasoned with a touch of humor.

Training

Jacquelyn has been teaching yoga for over 12 years and was co-owner of The Yoga House, a yoga studio in upstate New York, where she has helped cultivate an open and welcoming community. As an E-RYT 500, Jacquelyn co-teaches The Yoga House’s Yoga Teacher Training programs, and most enjoys teaching yoga anatomy, both the form and function. Sprinkling that knowledge throughout her regular class, those practicing with Jacquelyn begin to develop a keen sense of body awareness within each pose, and are often able to approach asanas that once seemed like advanced acrobatics.
Above all, Jacquelyn wants those in her classes to remember that the practice of yoga goes beyond the mat, and that every moment reminds us that “atha yoganusasanam,” or “now, the teachings of yoga are presented.”

More details about Jacquelyn  on www.theyogahouseny.com

About Mel Toth

Mel Toth Retreat in Tuscany June 2021

In 2013, Mel completed Shakti’s 200 hour teacher training and has been teaching yoga to students of all ages ever since.

Teaching Style

Mel’s classes focus on understanding the fundamentals of asana (poses) through the use of props (blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, bolsters) and movement exploration, while emphasizing the discovery of personal alignment, balance and relaxation.

Through honest sharing and gentle humor, Mel creates an atmosphere of acceptance where students are invited to explore mindful movement, personal alignment and conscious stillness.  She is passionate about the power of supported, reclined poses paired with guided breathing and relaxation techniques to change the body/mind’s relationship to physical and emotional pain patterns; this makes teaching gentle and RESTorative yoga her specialties.

Mel is he is forever grateful to her first yoga teacher, Jill Gnassi, whose expert Iyengar instruction taught her how attending to small details could make a huge difference in life

More details about Mel on www.theyogahouseny.com

RESERVE YOUR PLACE

What’s Included?

  • 7 nights accommodations at Il Borghino in Lucca (including linen and towels)
  • Home made Tuscan vegetarian food created with love by the amazing Maria-Angela (3 meals/day except 1 x lunch when on coastal hike and 1 x dinner when on Lucca evening outing) + local wine for dinner
  • Healthy juice for breakfast, unlimited fruit, water and herbal teas throughout the day
  • 3 excursions
  • Local wine at dinner, 1/2 bottle per person, per night.
  • Unlimited fruit, water, and herbal tea throughout the day
  • Last night celebratory dinner with Prosecco and pizza, fresh out of the wood-fired pizza oven at Il Borghino
  • Transfer from/to Lucca to/from the retreat centre on the day of arrival and departure (Note: one scheduled pick-up and drop-off only.  Transfers outside of the scheduled times can be arranged for an additional fee.)
  • Use of outdoor salt-water pool and common areas
  • Assistance and advice from retreat concierge to arrange optional excursions
  • Laundry facilities in each house, hair dryers and pool towels
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Tourist tax

What’s Not Included?

  • Airfares (Suggested Airport Pisa)
  • Travel insurance
  • Airport Transfers
  • Two meals out during excursions to coastal hike + Lucca
  • Other travel related expenses outside of the retreat
  • Optional in-house treatments such as massages and facials.
  • Optional activities other than those specified as included in the retreat price
  • Other travel-related expenses

Retreat Prices, per person

Deposit must be made by Jan. 10, 2021. There are 4 accommodation options and a total of only 10 rooms available, so early registration is recommended.  The prices listed below are Early Bird Pricing. Price is $225 more if deposit ($500) is made AFTER January 10, 2021.

Room Type 1:  $2300 USD per person
Shared twin room + shared hallway bathroom. (2 people per room).
2 rooms / 4 places available.

Room Type 2:   $2475 USD per person
Shared twin Room + Private bathroom. 2 single beds, (2 people per room).
3 rooms / 6 places available.

Room Type 3:   $2475 USD per person
Shared Double Room + Private Bathroom. 1 double bed best suited for couples.  (2 people per room).
2 rooms /4 places available.

Room Type 4:   $2700 USD per person
Single Room + Private Bathroom. (1 person per room).
2 rooms / 2 places available.

Cancellation Policy

Please note that deposits are non-refundable.  Travel insurance is strongly recommended if you need to cancel for any reason.

If you have any questions about this retreat, please click on the button “Reserve Your Place” or contact Jacquelyn at jponash@gmail.com

Transport Options – Getting to and From Il Borghino

  • The nearest airport to Lucca is Pisa international Airport “Galileo Galileo” – 18 Miles from Lucca
  • Florence International Airport “Amerigo Vespucci” is 50 Miles from Lucca
  • If you are flying into Rome, Fiumicino Airport is 162 miles from Lucca.
  • Regular trains and buses run from both Pisa and Florence airports to Lucca and are very reasonably priced. Trains also run regularly from Rome airport but the trip is much longer and takes around 4.5 hours.

Check-in and Check-out

  • Check-in at Il Borghino is strictly 4pm on the day of arrival.
  • When booking your flights, we recommend you plan your arrival time in Lucca for around 15:30pm, to coincide with the group transfer to Il Borghino at 3:45pm.  There will be one scheduled pick-up only. Please email your arrival details to hello@yogainitaly.com as soon as they are available.  If you are unable to make the pick-up,  we can arrange for a taxi to bring you to Il Borghino.
  • Check-out at Il Borghino is strictly 09:30am on the last day. Please plan your departure flights accordingly.