la dolce vita

A Summertime Yoga Retreat in Tuscany 

with jen warakomski

July 6 – 13, 2013

Experience Italy’s culture and live La Dolce Vita – ‘The Sweet Life” in the stunning and beautiful Tuscan hillsides in Lucca, Tuscany – rated by Forbes as one of the Top Ten Destinations to visit in Europe! Join me, Jen Warakomski, as I lead this luxurious week-long yoga retreat that will relax and rejuvenate both your body and mind!

Our luxe accommodations, delicious regional specialty meals and all yoga activities will be held at Villa Benvenuti, an extraordinary Tuscan villa which sits high on a hillside overlooking a panorama of mountains, olive groves, fruit trees and vineyards.

With 28 hectares of unspoilt nature to explore, the natural surroundings and secluded setting create an atmosphere of calm and stillness, making it ideal for yoga, hiking and meditative practices. Wine, olive oil, herbs, vegetables & fruit are all produced in an abundance on the estate and provide the essential ingredients for our delicious and healthy meals, cleansing juices and herbal teas. Our retreat menu is vegetarian based on what is in season and the region’s specialities. As we are in Tuscany, we do indulge in organic cheeses, pasta, breads, wines and other delights, and so this retreat is not a strict cleanse but offers plenty of healthy choices.

We will reconnect and unwind with twice-daily yoga, pranayama and meditation practices plus optional excursions and adventures will be offered throughout the week.

Explore the area on foot or visit the local villages by bike, relax in the hammock, take a cooking class with an Authentic Tuscan Chef, or tour inside Lucca’s famed city walls on both bike and foot [warning - cappuccino and gelato breaks are included!]. You can also just take a nap, or replenish and pamper yourself with a massage or other in-house healing arts services.

This retreat is designed for all individuals of any age, whether you are brand new to yoga or have practiced yoga before.

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A TYPICAL RETREAT DAY

7.00 am morning yoga

9.30 am cleansing juice and nutritious breakfast on the patio

10.30 am free time for nature walks, healing arts or other optional excursions

1.00 pm delicious lunch at the villa

2.00 pm free time to explore local villages, read, relax, or get a massage

5.30 pm afternoon restorative yoga & meditation

7.30 pm amazing home cooked dinner using fresh ingredients picked from the garden or local producers

 

HEALING ARTS AND EXCURSIONS

Along with your daily yoga classes & nature walks, this retreat offers a range of optional healing arts and excursions

• Holistic massage and energy treatments will be offered in the massage room in the Secret Garden.

• Visit the beautiful medieval city of Lucca, a lively historic town still enriched by an imposing 16^th century wall and full of cafes, shops, and bicycles! Explore the narrow streets lined with palazzos, and churches and learn about the city and its many hidden treasures. [30 euro per person includes informal guided tour, bike rental, cappuccino and gelato breaks]

• Hike along ancient pilgrimage routes and trails exploring local villages with wonderful vistas and enjoy a picnic lunch.

• Follow the “Strada del Vino” (the Wine Road) into the hills of Lucca and Montecarlo. Enjoy the beauty of century old villas perched on hills rimmed by olives and hundred year old vineyards and taste some of the best wines in Tuscany. [80 euro pp]

•Take a day trip to Cinque Terre and explore the rugged and beautiful Italian Riviera. [50-80 euro pp]

 

RETREAT INCLUSIONS

The retreat price includes the following:

- 2 Yoga and Meditation Classes per day

- 7 nights accommodation + all linen + towels.

- Free pick up from Lucca Train or Bus station

- 3 delicious vegetarian meals per day

- Fresh detox juice at breakfast

- Unlimited fruit, water and herbal teas throughout the day

- Wine (produced from the estate) at dinner

- Guided hike (2 – 4 hours) to hill top village with picnic lunch

- Aperitivo with Prosecco on the last night

- Use of the swimming pool & all facilities within the grounds

- Assistance and advice in arranging optional excursions

 

RETREAT EXCLUSIONS

The retreat price does not include the following:

- Excursions outside the villa or transportation for excursions other than those specified

- Other travel related expenses

- Meals outside of the villa

- Massage and additional body/mind therapies

- Airfares

- Travel insurance

- Airport transfers

 

FEES & TERMS

Rooms  are  available on  a  first  come  first  served  basis.  Most people are happy to share a room and if booking a double, we will put you in a room with a same sex person.

A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of $500. is due for each person upon registration and full payment is required 6 weeks prior to the start of the retreat.

This will be an incredible 7-night experience  in one of the most beautiful locations in the world!

The retreat is limited to 14 places so book early to ensure your place.

 

RESERVE NOW – Non-refundable Deposit [Pricing is USD]

$1595. per person per week in a double room that shares a bathroom with another double

$1795. per person per week in a double room with private bathroom

$2095. per person per week in a single room with private bathroom

For any travel or other information and/or queries, please email: retreats@soulpolishyoga.com

 

TESTIMONIALS – From Previous Retreats with Jen at Villa Bevenuti

My 7-day retreat experience with Jen Warakomski was one that I will always cherish.  The retreat I attended was held in Tuscany in Villa Benvenuti, a property just outside of the city walls of Lucca.  The villa itself is beautiful and serene which created a wonderful atmosphere for an escape and respite from the regular day-to-day activities of our lives.  It also matched Jen’s style of teaching yoga, which is both challenging and relaxing.  Generally speaking, Jen has a very kind and gentle style, which is welcoming for a yoga beginner, but equally challenging for an advanced student.  Her retreat is relevant to anyone looking to attend to his or her physical and mental heath.  The schedule of the retreat is well planned – our schedule had 2 hours ‘active’ yoga in the morning hours and 2 hours of a more relaxing, restorative yoga in the evening.  During the day we went on walks, hiking, biking, or simply read and relaxed during our free time.  In the new and trendy yoga world, there are many yoga teachers, however, I believe that Jen’s interest in yoga is not a fad, but one that she studies and shares with a sincere passion.  She is knowledgeable and has studied yoga from both the physical and mental aspects.  I hope to attend another retreat hosted by Jen and would encourage anyone who is interested to make time for this wonderful experience!

~ SHELU B. Chicago, IL USA

I did a retreat with Jen in Tuscany. It was a great week. I could focus all my attention on my yoga practice. Jen is a very precise and attentive teacher. I decided to work on my core and shoulders this week, but I learnt a lot about plenty of other topics to increase my confidence and the effectiveness of my practice. We were encouraged and empowered to address self-care and how to keep this practice with us in daily life. If Jen holds retreats again in Europe, I’ll find the time to participate. I already recommend this week to my friends who know that they should take care of themselves but struggle to make it real in their daily life. I think people with any yoga level can benefit from such a week. Everyone can benefit from a practice that explores more depth, precision and slowing down to balance his or her karma.

~ NATHALIE S., Muri bei Bern, Switzerland

I am so thrilled to be returning to gorgeous Villa Benvenuti to lead another amazing yoga retreat to celebrate La Dolce Vita in beautiful Lucca, Italy!

I have been practicing and teaching yoga over the past eleven years and teach retreats internationally as well as lead classes in my local neighborhood in Brooklyn, NYC.

My retreats and classes are geared to specialize in body and breath awareness with focus on alignment. Through our yoga practice, we will address stress, fatigue and everyday challenges and/or injuries in both body and mind.

I am E-200 RYT, and 500 Hour Advanced RYT; and also certified in Restorative and Pre-Natal Yoga. In addition, I am a Certified Reiki Master and use both my therapeutic trainings and Reiki healing in my classes and teachings.

My trainings with Yogi Sividas in India, Erich Schiffmann in California, Jillian Pransky, Carrie Parker Gastelu and Leslie Kaminoff, all based in NYC, lay the foundations for my teachings. SO much love and gratitude to all my teachers and students!

Jen Warakomski Brooklyn, New York City, USA http://www.soulpolishyoga.com

*photos courtesy of Soul polish Yoga & Laura Casotti Photography