AMALFI COAST, ITALY \ YOGA + COAST + CUISINE \ MAY 13-18, 2024
AMALFI COAST, ITALY \ YOGA + COAST + CUISINE \ MAY 13-18, 2024
YOGA + COAST + CUISINE - Spend time in the show-stopping Amalfi Coast overlooking the sea! A week filled with daily yoga, scenic walks, plus a food-focused itinerary in the land of mouth-watering cuisine + wine!
HIGHLIGHTS: LEMON FARM • PIZZA CLASS • BOAT TO POSITANO • GASTROTREK
OVERVIEW
FORM + FLAVORS RETREAT
Join on this retreat which is part of our FORM + FLAVORS itinerary series. "FORM" - Besides a daily yoga class (and on this Amalfi retreat, it will be a class overlooking the sea!), we will also enjoy many walks around the breathtaking scenery of the Amalfi Coast. "FLAVORS" - We'll not only balance the week with the healthy "form" part of the retreat, but also with learning about and experiencing firsthand the amazing flavors of this region. Each day we'll be able to enjoy mouth-watering cuisine, as well as take part in tastings from wine to pizzas, pasta, and lemons. From award-winning restaurants to family farms and kitchens, enjoying and learning about the food will be an added bonus to working up an appetite during our classes and walks!
HOTEL
Our home for the week will be an amazing hotel in the beautiful town of Praiano. ALL ROOMS THIS RETREAT ARE SEA VIEW WITH PRIVATE BALCONIES! The hotel boasts a wonderful terrace with a panoramic view and swimming pool. Their veranda restaurant, where you will be able to taste the delicacies of the cuisine, is surrounded by the intense colors of the hills and the sea. From the pool, there are incredible views of the ocean, the coast and the islands of Li Galli. With plenty of sun loungers, citrus trees, and a short walk to the beach, our home for the week will make you want to stay much longer. All rooms have a balcony overlooking the ocean and classic Amalfi décor, traditional furniture and majolica tiles.
Praiano is one of the favored towns on the Amalfi coast for it's location and proximity to the more popular tourist-destinations of Positano and Amalfi, but without the bustling crowds. Flanked on both ends by some of the coast's most amazing coves, this town is the perfect place to retreat!
SURROUNDING AREA
Our day trips will allow us to experience the many unique landscapes and activities that this area has to offer. We will begin our week in the town of Amalfi with a tour of a family-run lemon farm with some tastings of this star flavor of the region, as well as time to explore the sites of the town. Our week will include a wine and cheese tasting dinner, as well as a pizza making class. We’ll walk and explore the villages above the cliffs for an amazing “gastrotrekking” experience; this includes a guided foraging walk to gather our ingredients before a cooking class and lunch, where we’ll learn about and use our foraged finds. Our week will include a way to unwind with massage treatments, free time for a beach visit or just relaxing by the pool before a final gourmet dinner.
CUISINE
Healthful, vegetarian* food is part of the retreat experience, including breakfast and dinner daily, as well as selected lunches. We've carefully chosen delicious and fresh meals from renowned restaurants and chefs that will give guests an expansive experience of the cuisine. Our dinners will include a few multi-course tasting menus, as well as regional specialties throughout the week. We'll experience tastings from nearby areas where certain local delicacies are produced, like rocky vineyards and small family kitchens. And while on-site, we'll dine in the hotel's dining room or outside sea-view terrace.
*Breakfast is an open menu with all diets being represented, so for non-vegetarians there are options of some other proteins as well. Plus a couple of the provided meals will have an option for seafood, and of course guests can choose whatever they prefer from menus when we are on our own for a few meals.
YOGA
A daily meditation and yoga class will be offered at the start of the day in a way to relax, stimulate, and help guests grow in their own personal practice. Classes are open to all levels, beginner to practiced, and can range from gentle, restorative, and more vigorous vinyasa flow and ashtanga styles.* Style and class levels will be determined and moulded to fit participating students' needs, and with a small intimate retreat class size, students will be able to get personalized attention and comfortability to deeply explore their practice. On this FORM + FLAVORS retreat, during the other time in the day we'll enjoy various walks around the area, and focus on classes and experiences to learn about the region and the cuisine/wine. This combines with the asana practice to deepen our mindful experience during the week in a balanced way.
MINDY JOHNSTONE
This retreat will be led by our beloved EPM Collaborator, Mindy Johnstone. Living in the ever inspiring Canadian Rockies, Mindy has a love of the outdoors, travel, all things artistic and yoga related. Her home town of Banff is an International destination that brings in over 4 million visitors per year. She founded Banff's Yoga studio, Rocky Mountain Yoga in 2009, and now focuses her time sharing yoga on international retreats with Eat Pray Move.
Having began her practice 20 years ago, Mindy's style of teaching is rooted in the Ashtanga tradition. A love for the fluidity is deepened with Vinyasa Flow and the more restorative Yin & iRest Yoga Nidra. On retreat prepare to be inspired and nurtured as her strength lies in the ability to cater to groups and individuals needs. The yoga community offers a family in all parts of the globe and Mindy is grateful for the guidance and shared wisdom she receives from students and teachers. She looks forward to inspiring people to see the delight in travel and where we can feel at 'OM with the world.'
When she's not traveling, you can find Mindy painting, teaching art, reading cards or embarking on outdoor adventures with her husband and daughter, Charly.
* Participation in classes and activities is optional throughout the retreat. All levels welcome!
DETAILS / PRICING
6 days / 5 nights (May 13-18, 2024)
Inclusive Retreat Price = $3,495 (shared room*), +$850 (single room supplement)
ALL ROOMS ARE SUPERIOR, SEAVIEW, AND WITH PRIVATE BALCONIES
Deposit to hold space = $950
Max # Guests = 12
Many of our guests come alone and we match up based on guest profile
** Final balance due 60 days before retreat start date.
Read full cancellation policy in our Terms & Conditions.
INCLUDED*:
Hotel accommodation (spacious bedrooms each with private bathrooms, linens)
Daily Breakfast and Dinner
Selected Lunches
Transportation to/from day trips
Daily meditation and yoga class
Use of hotel amenities (pools, relax rooms, etc.)
Tasting menu dinner + wine pairings
Regional Tasting Tours - lemon farm, foraging, etc
Pizza Making Class
Cheese & wine tasting dinner
Visit to Amalfi
Visit to lemon farm with tour and tasting
Visit to Positano
Private boat tour of coast
"Gastro trekking" + cooking class + lunch
Group transfer from Naples on start/end days of retreat
Spa treatment
Taxes
* airfare not included
** all meals are vegetarian. special dietary restrictions can be accommodated
***activities may change based on weather or unforeseen circumstances
TRAVEL:
Located next to Positano and nearby Sorrento, Praiano is a convenient drive from Naples airport or train station
AIRPORTS: Naples International Airport (NAP), Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Group transfer provided from Naples on start/end day of the retreat. Rome is an easy train ride to Naples and details/recommendations will be provided. ARRIVAL pick up with be at 2pm on start day, and DEPARTURE from hotel will be at 10am on end day. For guests arriving at other times, we can provide recommendations for a private driver or public transportation.
SUGGESTED PACKING:
Besides the basic packing and travel needs, here are a few things to think about bringing with you.
* YOGA MATS ARE PROVIDED *
Bathing suit (on-site pool, beaches)
Yoga clothes
Personal yoga props (blocks, straps, etc.)
Plug adaptors / converters
Comfortable walking shoes
Journal