Optional Excursions & Activities - La Dolce Vita!

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“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

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“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

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“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anatole France

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“As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life.” – Siddhartha Gautama

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“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

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“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for.” – Louis L’Amour

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“Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.” – Yogi Bhajan

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“One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.” – Thomas Jefferson

Optional Excursions + Activities – La Dolce Vita!

La Dolce Vita means “the sweet life” and we hope to introduce you to this when you join one of our retreats or holidays. We offer a carefully selected choice of optional activities and excursions, designed to give you a taste of the local culture, without it feeling like an organised tour! Using our local knowledge, we collaborate with the best local operators to offer private full day and half day outings to fabulous destinations. Here’s a sampling of what you can do on one of our retreats in Tuscany:

Autumn Yoga Retreat in Tuscany

Immerse yourself in the heart of Tuscany and all its autumn beauty. Spend a week enjoying a life at your own pace - unwind, relax, and refresh your spirit. Each day features a rejuvenating Hatha practice in the morning and a restorative practice in the evening.

Spend your days by the pool, walking the countryside, or indulge in a massage. Included in your week is a day-trip to breath-taking Cinque-Terre where you can explore the five coastal villages embedded in rocky cliffs along one of Italy’s most scenic stretches of Liguria. Explore the villages, walk gentle trails, swim in the sea or savour some of the freshest seafood in Italy. Keen hikers can spend the day walking and climbing between the villages, treated to spectacular scenery along the way.

And of course, no trip to Italy would be complete without the opportunity to perfect your culinary skills. Our fabulous local cook will lead you through a 2-3 hour Italian cooking class. Other excursions like a wine tasting, a bike & walking tour of Lucca, or a trip to a thermal spa are also available at an additional charge.

Santosha Yoga & Walking Retreat in Tuscany

Come and experience the magic of Tuscany in a place where nature connects with simple, yet sophisticated living. Nestled high in the hills of Lucca, our retreat centre, Il Borghino, sits high on a hillside overlooking a panorama of olive groves, vineyards and mountains. Located 10km outside the gorgeous medieval town of Lucca and just 35 minutes from Pisa airport, the stunning views, natural surroundings and secluded setting of Il Borghino create an atmosphere of calm and stillness, allowing you to switch off, wind down, and reconnect with self.

Whether you are new on the yoga path or an experienced yogi, this rejuvenating retreat will feed your body, mind and soul. We begin each morning with meditation and pranayama followed by an energetically balanced physical practice to energize the mind and body for the day ahead. Each afternoon the practice will explore the asanas more deeply; working to calm, restore and heal body, mind & spirit. Yin classes and Yoga Nidra will be offered on occasion.

Relax & Restore: Slow Yoga & Qigong Retreat

Relax, renew and treat yourself to an unhurried, unforgettable experience of a lifetime!

Celebrate the best of Italian cuisine, country and culture as you explore the heart of Tuscany. Relax and restore in our comfortable villa, just 15 minutes’ drive from the unspoiled medieval city of Lucca, the gem of Tuscany. Your luxurious week allows you to refresh, unwind, and care for yourself at your own pace whilst experiencing a taste of La Dolce Vita!

Enjoy twice daily Qigong and slow yoga - our balancing combination of Qigong, yin, restorative, gentle Kripalu yoga and yoga nidra. Choose from a variety of optional excursions and activities such as a hands on cooking demonstration, wine tasting, visit to a thermal spa, biking & walking tour on the medieval walls of charming Lucca, day trip to the stunning coastline villages of Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera!

Relax by the pool and take in the storied Tuscan vistas. Enjoy an in-house massage, on-site Turkish Sauna or Reiki energy session. Visit a local village, market, or take a well-deserved siesta!

Discover Your "Self" - Yoga Retreat in Tuscany

Restore, quieten, rejuvenate and unwind in the most idyllic Tuscan setting + rediscover your “self” through the practice of yoga, breath and alignment.

Join Australian yoga teacher and yoga therapist Genevieve Stynes for an enchanted week in Tuscany. Immerse yourself deeply in your yoga practice and discover the way your body moves with emphasis on ujjayi, alignment and finding the balance of strength and flexibility of your body.

In the afternoons, you will have time to restore your energy, quieten your mind and rejuvenate your body through the practice of restorative yoga poses and meditation.

Unwind in the breath-taking views of this villa, relax by the pool, revive in the sauna, indulge in the divine foods and produce this region of Italy has to offer. Discover the hidden gem of Lucca!

Tuscany Art and Asana Retreat

Join Mary Catherine Starr and Kimberly Wilson for a week-long yoga, creativity, and mindfulness retreat over Columbus Day weekend. Unwind and let go at Il Borghino, a gorgeous Italian villa complex nestled between the hills of Tuscany and surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. This experience begins with intention setting in our opening circle Sunday morning and ends with a heart-centered closing circle on Friday evening. Indulge in daily yoga sessions (vinyasa, yin, yoga nidra, restorative, and meditation), art and creativity sessions (art journaling/journaling, writing, photography, and mixed media/collage), and ample downtime for napping, reading poolside, dining on regional, vegetarian cuisine, and sipping local wines.

The villa is located in a secluded setting on a hilltop with magnificent views overlooking forests, vineyards, olive groves and mountains. Enjoy a saltwater pool, jacuzzi, Turkish sauna, and luxurious spa treatments, as well as local cheeses, pasta, breads, and pizza from a wood-fired oven.

Open to late beginner to advanced students, all classes will be taught at Tranquil Space Open Flow level with variations and modifications for your body.

Tuscany Yoga + Walking Retreat in Lucca, Italy

Join Jessie Chapman for a week of yoga & inspiration in Tuscany staying 7 nights at the beautiful 17th century Villa Benvenuti just outside the medieval walled city of Lucca. This soulful retreat combines inspirational twice daily yoga with beautiful walks, pre lunch core strength classes, evening yoga nidra, inspiring sightseeing & cultural tours and wonderful regional food. This is your time to relax and be on retreat in stunning surrounds.

Our daily ritual:
7.00 am: morning yoga
9.00 am: fresh juice and delicious buffet breakfast
10.30 am: depart for one of our inspiring walks or optional excursions
1.30 pm: pre-lunch core strength class or restoration yoga
2 pm delicious home cooked Italian lunch
3.00 pm: guided walk / massage / relax
6.00pm: afternoon yoga
8.00 pm: delicious home cooked dinner
9.00 pm: yoga nidra - a guided lying down relaxation for a good nights sleep

Yoga, Art + Gastronomia in Tuscany

Join Micheline + Joey for 7 days and nights of La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) surrounded as far as the eye can see by hillside-fields of olive orchards & Tuscan vineyards. In addition to nurturing daily Liquid Asana yoga and meditation you will enjoy farm-to-table alfresco feasting from estate produced wine, olive oil, fruit, vegetables and herbs. We will bathe in Italy’s art and warm waters alike—from Cinque Terre’s charming Mediterranean beach coves to thermal hot springs—the remedy for just about anything.

In addition to our magical stay at an authentic Tuscan Home Estate with a 180 degree view of the Tuscan hills and Lucca, salt-water pool, wood burning pizza oven and Turkish Sauna, our retreat includes 4 amazing excursions:
A Day Trip to Cinque Terre!
An afternoon at an authentic Italian Thermal Spa
A Tuscan wine tasting excursion
Aperitivo at the historical Villa Grabau, followed by a Puccini opera (Lucca is the birthplace of Puccini).

This retreat is OPEN TO ALL LEVELS of yoga, meditation, art and life experience. We look forward to taking this amazing journey and celebrating the art of life with you.

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Optional Excursions + Activities – La Dolce Vita!

Cinque Terre Day Trip

Guided Bike + Walking Tour of Lucca

Wine + Olive Oil Tasting at a Local Winery

Authentic Tuscan Cooking Class

Shopping Excursion to Lucca

Pietrasanta Artist Village

Thermal Spa Day

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