Our Italian yoga retreat last spring did not disappoint and I look forward to returning each year. We'll be headed to Bolzano, which is located in northern Italy, set in a valley among hilly vineyards. The area is beautiful, serene, and is the perfect base for our Namaslay® Personal Growth Yoga Retreat.

This retreat is about self-care, self-study, and self-growth. It’s for people who need some time away from the stressors in their lives to dive a little deeper and reconnect with themselves and the world around them. Through workshops in mindfulness, meditation, journaling and of course yoga, you’ll be lovingly encouraged to explore what’s going on with you, you’ll be guided through sifting through the “stuff” you might be carrying with you that’s perhaps holding you back, and you’ll be challenged to get outside of your comfort zone to emerge the best version of yourself. More details about the workshops below.

Bolzano is a city in the South Tyrol province of northern Italy set in a valley with windy roads, ancient castles, endless vineyards and vast orchards. There is so much to see and do in the area, from hiking the dolomites, taking the gondola up to Renon for lunch, swimming at Lake Garda, exploring castles, touring some of the most gorgeous vineyards and orchards or just taking in the sights and sounds of the city in a classic pizza or gelato shop in the town’s center, Walther Platz. We chose Bolzano because we have connections in the area which means we're able to arrange wine tastings, tours and so much more! This is going to be the trip of a lifetime and we can't wait to welcome you to Italy!

The Details:

Where: Bolzano, Italy. We'll stay at a gorgeous, family-run, boutique hotel that overlooks the quaint little town of Bolzano, Italy.
When: October 21st - 26th, 2019
What's included:
- 7 carefully designed yoga classes and workshops
- accommodation in your room of choice
- optional airport transfer from Milan Malpensa departing at 2pm on October 21, 2019
- optional airport transfer from Bolzano to Milan Malpensa will depart at 8am on October 26, 2019
- daily homemade breakfast buffet, nightly three course dinner (these dinners will blow your mind!)
- wifi & swag bag.
  *Please note: If you plan to take advantage of the optional airport transfer, it takes approximately 4 hours to/from our venue/airport, so to plan your arrival and departure flights accordingly.
- Completion of all the workshops at this retreat will grant Registered Yoga Teachers 13.5 Continuing Education Hours with Yoga Alliance.
What's not included:
- airfare
- lunches
- travel insurance
- optional one to one private session with Candace
- optional massage, and activities like wine tastings, cooking class, tours, etc (range from 15 euros and up).

The Property:

We've booked Hotel Eberle, a luxe boutique hotel that overlooks the city and surrounding mountains. This upscale hotel is surrounded by vineyards where you can enjoy panoramic views of the Dolomite Mountains. It's a family-run hotel that offers a home-like atmosphere, spacious and modern accommodations, and gourmet cuisine. Honestly, I dream about the food here. And the coffee! So good. The hotel is only a short walk from downtown Bolzano. In a city that combines Alpine, Mediterranean and urban lifestyles, there's always something to do or explore. Past retreat participants have done wine tastings, cooking classes, hiking, and shopping.

The hotel also offers an incredible Finnish sauna or the steam room, with almost 100% humidity and temperatures of up to 55°C. In the infrared sauna your body can soak up energy directly from the active heat radiation at an average temperature of 50°C, while the ice shower offers a tinglingly fresh way to cool down.

Accommodations: All rooms have modern furnishings and are equipped with a bath or shower, hair dryer, air conditioning, safe, mini-bar, satellite TV, telephone, internet access, WiFi and a desk. You can choose from single occupancy or double.

From your balcony you have a unique view of the unending expanse of the surrounding mountain landscape. The hotel’s quiet location gives guests the freedom to relax and soak up the peace of nature.

Room Amenities: Air Conditioning, Mini-Bar, TV (150 channels), Hairdryer, Room Service, Internet/WiFi, iPhone/iPad Docking station, Safe in each room

The Yoga Schedule

October 21, 2019

7pm - Welcome dinner together

October 22, 2019

7:30am - 9:30am - Mindfulness and Journaling Workshop: This inspirational workshop will begin with a guided journaling, share session and intention setting ceremony. We’ll then begin a gentle vinyasa yoga practice that will last about 45 minutes. The remaining time will be a lesson in mindfulness for beginners.
9:30am - Breakfast together
10:30am - 5:00pm - Free time to explore the town, or relax at the hotel
5:00pm - 7:00pm - Healing Words Workshop: This transformational workshop will begin with a guided journaling session, guided meditation and yoga flow, ending with a lesson and experience in aromatherapy and meditation. It will be a journey through our past pains, sifting through our emotional baggage to put down what’s no longer needed, and strategies for gently and powerfully moving forward.
7:00pm - Dinner together

October 23, 2019

7:30am - 9:30am - Safe and Happy, A Self-Care Workshop: This introspective workshop will start with guided journaling exercise, and then we will move with intention through a slow flow practice. We’ll use the Yamas and Niyamas as a guide and end with a guided meditation with the intention to discover our own mental refuges we can tap into at any future times of stress.
9:30am - Breakfast together
10:30am - 5:00pm - Free time to explore the town, or relax at the hotel
5:00pm - 6:30pm - Mindful Yoga Practice: This mindful yoga practice will begin with a guided journaling exercise, and then move into a guided meditation to find the present moment, and establish a sense of groundedness. From there, we will do a very slow yin and stretching practice with the use of the wall, chairs, and other props.
7:00pm - Dinner together

October 24, 2019

7:30am - 10:00am - New Heights, An Arm Balance Workshop: This workshop will begin with a guided journaling session before moving into guided meditation. Then, we will begin a strength building yoga practice before playing with various arm balances including crow, side crow, headstands, and forearm stands. You will be lovingly encouraged, and safely challenged. No prior experience with arm balancing necessary.
9:30am - Breakfast together
10:30am - 7:00pm - Free time to explore the town, or relax at the hotel. No afternoon class. This is generally the day that people will do longer excursions like the vineyards, or go to the lake for a long hike.
7:00pm - Dinner together

October 25, 2019

7:30am - 10:00am - Loving Kindness Meditation and Journaling: This workshop will begin with a guided journaling session before moving into a guided meditation on loving kindness. You’ll sift through emotional baggage, and learn how to process, forgive and move forward. We’ll then move into a heart opening vinyasa yoga practice.
9:30am - Breakfast together
10:30am - 5:00pm - Free time to explore the town, or relax at the hotel.
5:00pm - 6:00pm - Vineyard Closing Ceremony: This class will take place overlooking the beautiful Dolomite Mountains, outside. We’ll do a guided meditation, journaling session, and short balancing sequence before closing the week with an intention setting for the future.
7:00pm - Dinner together and goodbyes.

October 26, 2019

Travel day - All good things must come to an end - this is a travel day, so we’ll say our goodbyes and be on our way, no yoga practice. If you plan to use the airport transfer provided, it will depart the hotel at 8am and take a duration of roughly 4 hours to reach the airport so plan your flights accordingly.

Pricing and Room Availability:

The prices for each style room are listed below. You have two options for payments. You can pay in full, but there are no refunds for any reason. The other option is a payment plan. The payment plan starts with a non-refundable $150 convenience fee which is made via PayPal. This fee is not applied to your balance. From there, you will make monthly equal payments. If you have to drop out for any reason, any payments you have made are non-refundable, but any balance you owe is forgiven. To do the payment plan, just click Payment Plan upon checkout (that fee goes towards your balance). The last payment will be due on or before September 21, 2019. Book your spot now!

Deluxe King Room

Description: The deluxe rooms are on the southern side of the property and offer gorgeous mountain views.

Single Occupancy: $2,578USD
Double Occupancy: sign up with a friend or significant other (you’ll be sharing a king bed as shown below): $2,230USD per person

Superior // Garden Room

Description: The Superior rooms are on the southern side of the property and offers gorgeous mountain views. The Garden rooms are on the northern side of the property and offers a beautiful green view of the mountain behind us and the lawn. Both have either a balcony or a patio.

Single Occupancy: $2,338USD
Double Occupancy: $2,158USD per person

Logistics

Once you've booked your trip with us, you have a few options for flights. We will provide an optional shuttle from Milan Malpensa (about 4 hours away from our venue). It will leave at or around 2pm on October 21, 2019 (depending on what time everyone else arrives). If you arrive earlier, there is a little waiting area just outside the arrivals in Milan Malpensa with a food court and little shops. Please try to book a flight that lands prior to 2pm and allows for customs and baggage retrieval. Alternatively, you can pay for a transfer from the airport but it will be $450USD.

Another option for arriving is to come into Munich. From Munich you can easily take a train to Bolzano, and we can pick you up at the train station. Innsbruck airport or Verona airport are also good choices if you connect from London, Frankfurt or Vienna. Again, you can take the train and we can send a shuttle to pick you up at the Bolzano train station. For train information about connections to Germany, please visit the British railway website. After your arrival in Germany, the DB/ÖBB EuroCity trains will carry you conveniently and comfortably from Munich to Bolzano. Tickets may be booked online or bought at train ticket offices throughout Italy.

A word about YBC Retreats

Our retreats are laid back, good times with awesome people. There's no one to impress, nothing to prove, and everything to share. There's no expectation that you have to be at a certain place in your practice. We encourage you to honor how you feel on any given day. Bring a sense of humor and an open heart, and prepare yourself for the best time! We get a lot of questions about traveling alone. Rest assured, most people who attend our retreats come alone. By the end of day one, you will have met and connected with everyone and we're positive you'll all become fast friends with whom you can explore the city. Book your spot now!

Terms and Conditions

All sales are final. No reimbursement will be granted simply because we need to pay the hotel. We accept no liability for loss, damage, injury or illness, which may occur during the retreat or traveling to or from the retreat. All students are strongly recommended to have their own travel insurance to cover any loss or injury, including repatriation if necessary. It is advisable to take out travel insurance in the event that you have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. We reserve the right to make any changes to our program, accommodation, courses or teachers. Alternative arrangements are offered to the best of our ability but if not taken up, we do not accept responsibility for any costs incurred, including airfare. Students who have chosen a single room will not quality for any discount regardless of whether another student happens to be alone in a 'shared' room. We take every step to ensure that students are not stretched beyond the limit of their capabilities. We ask that you speak up if you have any particular pre-existing injury or illness that is relevant. We advise that you always listen to your body, and if you are feeling any pain or illness during the class that you stop and rest. Due to the acrobatic nature of this yoga retreat, the yoga program is not safe for pregnant women.

Namaslay® Personal Growth Yoga Retreat in Italy, Fall 2019