Yoga Retreats
Tuscany Ashtanga Yoga Retreat with Manu & Bella Rossi, 18-25 August 2018
We would like to invite you to our 2018 Ashtanga Yoga Retreat for the first time in Tuscany, Italy, where Manu is from (-:
From 18-25 August 2018, we will be staying at Le Pianore, near Monticello Amiata in southern Tuscany, where lovely rooms in the carefully restored Campostefani Villa, The Paglietella and The Yurt are immersed within a 50 hectare estate of rolling hills, vineyards, groves and woodlands. Having no immediate neighbours means we have total privacy, making it an ideal venue for a retreat. Adults and children alike will love the gardens: lime, oak and cherry trees provide shade, while lavender and thyme, roses, jasmine and broom perfume and enliven the landscape. Dip into the swimming pool and enjoy lounging on the deck chairs until sunset, watching the sky turn red and feeling the cool evening air descend.
There will be 6 morning Mysore-Style Ashtanga Yoga classes, and 5 evening yoga classes covering different aspects of yoga including technique, philosophy, pranayama and restorative practices. We will practice yoga in the beautiful, bright and spacious yoga studio, with oak parquet floors and large doors that open onto far reaching views of the swimming pool and the gardens. For those wishing to practice immersed in nature, there is a large sundeck and a shaded porch adjacent to the studio. The Studio Loft, a mezzanine with wall-to-wall tatami mats, provides a quiet space perfect for individual treatments, therapies, one-to-one sessions or meditation.
Le Pianore is a place for all seasons and this is reflected in their kitchen, creating deliciously healthy Italian food at its home-cooked best. Using produce grown in their own organic vegetable gardens, along with locally sourced, organic produce wherever possible, they cater to everyone and happily accommodate most food allergies/intolerances.
It is also the perfect base from which to explore the many cultural and natural wonders of Tuscany. Visit Pienza/Montepulciano and Bagno Vignoni hot springs; Sant’Antimo Abbey, Montalcino; the carved ways of Pitigliano/Sovana/Sorano and Saturnia Hot Springs; Siena: cathedral, square and Palazzo Civico, and the Wednesday market; and the beaches of the Tuscan Maremma and Argentario Peninsula. Or take a cooking class (with Pizza night) at Le Pianore; visit the Daniel Spoerri Garden and have lunch at Non Solo Eat Art; Walk to Monticello Amiata and visit Casa Museo; or visit Monte Labbro & Merigar Buddhist Dzogchen. Or, even better, simply do nothing: unwind by the pool and in the gardens, read a book, sleep, rest, meditate, dream…!
This retreat offers us a precious opportunity to slow down and tune in to the rhythms of the natural environment, nurture our yoga practice and absorb the benefits. We hope you can join us.
Accommodation Choices and Costs
All rates include: 7 nights accommodation in chosen room, with organic and locally sourced breakfast and dinner every day, and 11 yoga classes.
Double/Twin room with private bathroom (6 rooms available) 2 people sharing, €uro 895 per person
Single room with shared bathroom (2 rooms available) 1 person only, €uro 1050 per person
Quadruple room with private bathroom (1 room available) 4 people sharing, €uro 795 per person
The Yurt with shared bathroom (1 available), 2 people sharing, €uro 850 per person.
Please do bring your children! Infants 0-3 years old come free (-: and 3-10 year olds pay a reduced rate, please enquire for details specifying which room(s) you would prefer.
Please do request if you have a preference to stay in the Yurt, Villa or Paglietella rooms and we will allocate rooms on a first come first served basis. Some info to help you choose:
Campostefani is the main guest villa with seven spacious bedrooms. The rooms have traditional terracotta floors, deliciously cool underfoot in summer, and almost all have en-suite bathrooms and direct access to the gardens. The master bedroom has a private terrace.
The Paglietella is the latest beauty of Le Pianore. A completely eco-friendly straw house made of 100% natural materials. The two bedrooms overlook the olive groves, offering a view of the villa and the gardens. These rooms each have 2 single beds so are ideal for friends sharing, but can be made into doubles.
The luminous modern yurt with clean, graphic lines, a deck, a skylight and several windows is a serene forest hideaway for 2 (or a small family).
To book or for any further help or information please email Bella and Manu at: retreat@ashtangayogaoxford.org or call 07805 953421.
Travel
The above rates DO NOT include flights. Please book your own flights to Rome or Pisa.
Cars can be hired from either airport – best to book in advance with a reputable car hire company.
Or take the train. The nearest train station is Grosseto.
Transfers with Le Pianore’s friendly taxi driver Carlo can be arranged via Bella and Manu. The following prices are based on 8 people sharing 1 large taxi (we can help group people to make this more cost effective once you let us know flight details):
Grosseto – Le Pianore: € 90
Aeroporto di Pisa – Le Pianore: € 290
Aeroporto di Roma – Le Pianore: € 280
All fares do not include 10% VAT which is subject to payment method.
Booking Conditions
Our retreat prices include accommodation, breakfast and dinner at Le Pianore, and all group yoga classes. Our prices exclude flights, airport transfers, travel insurance, massages, excursions.
If the booking is made 10 or more weeks in advance payment of a non-refundable deposit of Euro 350 will be due upon receipt of an invoice from us. The balance of the full price must be paid at least 10 weeks before the first day of the retreat. For bookings made within 10 weeks of the date of departure, the full payment will become due immediately upon verbal confirmation of the booking.
You may cancel your booking at any time, which will be effective the day notification is received by us. As this incurs administrative costs we will retain your deposit and may apply cancellation charges as follows –
70 days or more before first day of retreat: Deposit only;
30-70 days before first day of retreat: 75% of retreat cost;
Less than 30 days before first day of retreat: 100% of retreat cost.
Once the retreat has commenced, no refund or part refund or unused portion of your retreat will be repaid in the event of cancellation by you.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE FULL TRAVEL INSURANCE TO COVER MEDICAL EXPENSES AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS.
Please have your own travel insurance and provide us with details in case of emergency. Please check with your doctor that you are sufficiently fit and healthy to undertake yoga classes and any other physical activity you may arrange during your holiday. Please check with your own doctor that you are adequately fit and advise us of any medical conditions you may have. If you experience any injury or discomfort during any activity please stop immediately and advise us accordingly.
It is very unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your retreat. Occasionally, changes may have to be made e.g. to itineraries, venue accommodation, yoga teacher or other arrangements, which we reserve the right to do at any time.