JUNE 10 – 17, 2023 | INDULGE IN ITALY ~ YOGA RETREAT with MELANIE CAINES
*** THIS RETREAT HAS BEEN CANCELLED ***
Treat yourself to this delicious week of la dolce vita: you deserve it.
Italy is calling! Join Melanie for a glorious week of yoga, food, and adventures under the Tuscan sun. Kick back and relax in the Tuscan countryside surrounded by lemon trees and olive groves: enjoy yoga twice a day, take a dip in the saltwater pool, explore the gorgeous medieval town of Lucca, and indulge in local honey, olive oil, organic wine, and incredible Italian home-cooking.
Location
We will be staying at Il Borghino, a beautiful secluded setting in a hill top position with magnificent views overlooking forests, vineyards, olive groves and mountains in the distance. Il Borghino has been meticulously restored with energy efficiency and a concern for the environment in mind, using natural materials such as wood, marble, and terracotta. The centre is ideally located 15 minutes from Lucca, 35 minutes from Pisa, 1.5 hrs from Florence and 1.5 hrs from the breathtaking Cinque Terre region, making it the perfect base to explore Tuscany and Liguria.
There is a salt-water swimming pool that retreat guests can relax in whilst soaking up the views.
Yoga Spaces
Il Borghino has indoor and outdoor yoga spaces and 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.
Menu
Our retreat menu is vegetarian and we have a wonderful local cook who prepares deliciously fresh dishes based on what is in season and the region’s specialties. We also make our own fresh fruit and vegetable juices and cleansing herbal teas using fresh herbs from the garden.
As we are in Tuscany, we do indulge in local cheeses, pasta, breads, wines, and other delights, so although our menu is not a strict cleanse, we do offer plenty of healthy choices with nuts, seeds, legumes, plenty of vegetables and salads, rice, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, fresh fruit, and yogurt.
Typical Itinerary
8:00am – Morning Yoga & Meditation
9:30am – Nutritious healthy breakfast with fresh detox juice
10:30am – Nature Walk, relax, in-house massage, explore local villages, hire a bike
1:30pm – Delicious vegetarian lunch – usually we dine al fresco on the terrace with beautiful views
2:30pm – Free time for lounging by the pool, a nature walk, or an optional excursion or activity.
5:30pm – Evening Yoga
7:30pm – Delicious, home cooked dinner with local wine (optional) and good company
About Melanie Caines
Melanie Caines is a Certified Yoga Teacher and the owner/operator of Nova Yoga & Nova Retreats. She is passionate about helping people improve their physical and mental well-being and has a strong love of movement; she teaches multi-level Vinyasa (Flow) Yoga classes infused with spirit, laughter, sweat, and creativity.
Training
She completed her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Vinyasa (Flow) Yoga at Sonic Yoga in New York City in 2008 and has also studied Prana Flow with Vinyasa goddess Shiva Rea; Melanie has studied with Judith Hanson Lasater to become a Certified Relax and Renew® Restorative Teacher and has also completed Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra® Training (led by Jennifer Reis) and Prenatal Yoga Training (led by Janice Clarfield).
Melanie is currently training with Tiffany Cruikshank and Yoga Medicine, having completed the 30Hr Yoga Anatomy Module, the 60Hr Myofascial Release Module, and the 60Hr Restorative Yoga/Nervous System Module. Melanie is also a Certified Neurogenic Yoga™ Teacher and TRE® Provider.
Online Yoga, Yoga TV and DVDs
Melanie is the host of three seasons of The Nova Yoga Show on Rogers TV. She has also released a yoga DVD called Nova Yoga Flow, filmed in beautiful Newfoundland and Labrador. Her latest project, Move with Melanie, a membership site for yoga videos online is now live: check out www.melaniecaines.com.
Melanie loves to travel and leads delicious and exciting international yoga retreats in Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Hawaii, and Europe.
Retreat Pricing
A non-refundable €400 deposit (PER PERSON) is required to hold your spot. All amounts listed are in euros (€). Please specify your roommate if applicable.
*Private bathrooms can be either ensuite or just outside the bedroom.
SINGLE OCCUPANCY (DOUBLE BED) – PRIVATE BATHROOM
€1875 per person (SOLD OUT!)
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY (DOUBLE BED) – PRIVATE BATHROOM
€1625 per person (1 ROOM LEFT)
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY (2 SINGLE BEDS) – PRIVATE BATHROOM
€1625 per person (4 ROOMS AVAILABLE)
SINGLE OCCUPANCY (DOUBLE BED) – SHARED BATHROOM
shared hallway bathroom with one other room/person
€1750 per person (2 ROOMS AVAILABLE))
For more information or if you have any questions please email Melanie novayogaretreats@gmail.com
Terms and Conditions
- A €400 nonrefundable deposit (PER PERSON) is required to reserve your spot (ie, a double room must have 2 deposits).
- 50% of balance is due January 5, 2021
Remaining balance is due March 5, 2021
If payments are not received by the above dates your booking will be cancelled - Payments can be made via credit card, PayPal, or cash.
- €400 deposit and all other payments are NON-REFUNDABLE: no exceptions.
- If you cancel your booking by January 5, 2021 your deposit (less €75) and other payments may be transferred to another retreat (within one year of current retreat), space permitting. Please note that the transfer can only be to another Nova Retreats international retreat and NOT to Nova Yoga’s local Port Rexton Retreat.
- Travel Insurance is recommended for this trip.
- Participants must have a regular yoga practice and should be comfortable with a level 2 class. Participants should be confident modifying when they need to and be open to exploring and adventuring on the mat.
What’s Included?
- Daily meditation + 2 yoga classes each day
- 7 nights’ accommodation + all linen + towels.
- 3 healthy fresh meals per day (1 lunch and 1 dinner not included – on these days, you are free to participate one pf the many optponal excursions)
- Fresh detox juice at breakfast.
- Unlimited fruit, water and herbal teas throughout the day.
- Local wine at dinner (limited to 2 glasses per person, per night).
- Last night celebratory dinner with Prosecco and Pizza using the wood-fired pizza oven at Il Borghino.
- Ground transportation from Lucca train station to Il Borghino on June 5 at 3:45pm and from Il Borghino to Lucca train station on June 12 at 9:30am or earlier
- Use of the WIFI
- Laundry facilities
- All taxes and HST
What’s Not Included?
- Airfares
- Travel insurance
- Airport transfers or transfers outside the scheduled pick-up and drop-off
- Optional excursions and activities
- Optional massages and holistic treatments
- Other travel related expenses
- Gratuities
- One lunch & one dinner
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 info@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.
