Yoga holidays in Italy
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Le Marche |
| departures: | 2009: 24 Sep |
| price: | From €745 - €845 (7 days) excluding flights. Price includes full board accommodation and classes |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 7 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
We run a holistic centre in the heart of Italy where you can enjoy a holiday that satisfies every bit of you: from your deepest spiritual side to your need for pizza side. The holistic philosophy is at the heart of what we do: that we are whole beings, part of a whole universe… and that it’s important to accept ourselves and others as we are.
So what’s the appeal? - A programme of fabulous weeks from yoga to tai chi to world famous masters. All set on a 100 acre wooded hill with Italian farmhouse, panoramic pool, geodesic dome in the woods and close to the renaissance hill-town of Urbino (birthplace of Raphael and a world heritage site).
Then there’s the fact that we’re light-hearted about spirituality: if you want a mantra-chanting, nut-eating serious kind of place, please google these words. We’re holistic in the true sense of the word (it means ‘whole’): you don’t have to be peaceful, at one with yourself or sorted – just come and be yourself.
Our food: Our food is vegetarian but most of our guests aren't! So why do they all leave raving about the food? Well, it's Italian, it's delicious and it's plentiful. Lemon and fennel risotto - grilled aubergine and garlic pizza - wild mushroom lasagna.....enough said!
Our accommodation: Our recently renovated farmhouse is beautiful and eco-friendly - we take our heat from the sun and our water from the hill. You’ll love where you eat. You’ll love where you sleep. And you’ll love where you swim: we have a large salt-water pool which emerges from the deep woodland and has the most amazing views across the hills.
Free time: Whatever’s on in your week, life is easy here. A light breakfast is followed by the morning session and then into an early lunch. The afternoon is then free until the session before dinner. So there’s time to sunbathe, sleep, go for a walk or have a massage. There’s also one full day off to venture out to Urbino or wherever you fancy.
Helena Bingham is our yoga consultant and has been with us from the beginning. Helena’s foundation is Hatha Yoga, but she mixes different styles and flavours of yoga into her classes. She creates lots of space between the asanas to encourage letting go. This is gentle, opening yoga: it’s not too serious and you don’t even have to be able to touch your toes. You’ll be guided into feeling free and relaxed, and then into returning home with a true sense of stillness and calm.
11-18 June 2009, Dynamic Flow yoga with Dina Cohen
Dina Cohen teaches Dynamic Flow yoga which balances the dynamism and power of a strong flowing form with the softness and stillness of Yin yoga. It’s a comprehensive practice designed to increase flexibility, tone and strengthen the body, soothe the mind and nourish the soul. Students love exploring how far they can go without ever feeling they have to. Dina’s passion for yoga shines through her teaching and her classes are fun and full of life.
2 – 9 July 2009, Astanga Yoga with Nigel Gilderson
Nigel is a highly experienced teacher, as well as a very beautiful and open person. This is why we love him at The Hill (he’s also an exceptional guitar player, which makes the evenings very enjoyable too). Nigel has a deep experience and understanding of Astanga which makes this week very special. He won’t simply run through a set form: Nigel knows how to combine the dynamic Astanga form with some yin, ‘letting go’ exercises to create a complete, rounded system (and, in the end, complete, rounded people).
16 – 23 July 2009, Hatha yoga with Helena Bingham
Helena Bingham is our yoga consultant and has been with us from the beginning. Helena’s foundation is Hatha Yoga, but she mixes different styles and flavours of yoga into her classes. She creates lots of space between the asanas to encourage letting go. This is gentle, opening yoga: it’s not too serious and you don’t even have to be able to touch your toes. You’ll be guided into feeling free and relaxed, and then into returning home with a true sense of stillness and calm.
23 – 30 July 2009, Family Weeks
This is a rare chance to have a holistic holiday as a family. Drag along the less keen members of the family with the promise of the pool and pizza. Then get stuck into yoga classes for the parents in the morning whilst the children get together for fun activities separately. Spend some time together during the day, and then wave the kids off to an afternoon yoga session whilst you have some time for yourselves. The kids will swing in the hammocks, bounce on the trampoline and play table football as you sit and read a book. And you’ll all go away more relaxed and with children who know that “the tree” isn’t just something to climb.
6 – 13 August 2009, Iyengar Yoga with Bharti and Duccio
Bharti Roopanand and Duccio Alessandri are something else. They both trained directly with Shri B.K.S. Iyengar in Pune, India. The practice of Iyengar centres around familiar asanas and pranayamas (using the breath), but with a strong emphasis on correct body alignment to encourage healing of current problems. Their teaching can create profound transformation in body and mind. In a single week, students have found a flexibility they thought impossible, healed old physical blocks and opened to a state of peace never experienced before. Bharti & Duccio have a loyal following in Italy and this will be another very special week with two outstanding teachers.
20 – 27 August 2009, Astanga Yoga with Nigel Gilderson
Nigel is a highly experienced teacher, as well as a very beautiful and open person. This is why we love him he’s also an exceptional guitar player, which makes the evenings very enjoyable too. Nigel has a deep experience and understanding of Astanga which makes this week very special. He won’t simply run through a set form: Nigel knows how to combine the dynamic Astanga form with some yin, ‘letting go’ exercises to create a complete, rounded system (and, in the end, complete, rounded people).
3 – 10 September 2009, Hatha yoga with Helena Bingham
Helena Bingham is our yoga consultant and has been with us from the beginning. Helena’s foundation is Hatha Yoga, but she mixes different styles and flavours of yoga into her classes. She creates lots of space between the asanas to encourage letting go. This is gentle, opening yoga: it’s not too serious and you don’t even have to be able to touch your toes. You’ll be guided into feeling free and relaxed, and then into returning home with a true sense of stillness and calm.
24 September - 1 October 2009, Iyengar Yoga with Bharti and Duccio
They both trained directly with Shri B.K.S. Iyengar in Pune, India. The practice of Iyengar centres around familiar asanas and pranayamas (using the breath), but with a strong emphasis on correct body alignment to encourage healing of current problems. Their teaching can create profound transformation in body and mind. In a single week, students have found a flexibility they thought impossible, healed old physical blocks and opened to a state of peace never experienced before. Bharti & Duccio have a loyal following in Italy and this will be another very special week with two outstanding teachers.
So what’s the appeal? - A programme of fabulous weeks from yoga to tai chi to world famous masters. All set on a 100 acre wooded hill with Italian farmhouse, panoramic pool, geodesic dome in the woods and close to the renaissance hill-town of Urbino (birthplace of Raphael and a world heritage site).
Then there’s the fact that we’re light-hearted about spirituality: if you want a mantra-chanting, nut-eating serious kind of place, please google these words. We’re holistic in the true sense of the word (it means ‘whole’): you don’t have to be peaceful, at one with yourself or sorted – just come and be yourself.
Our food: Our food is vegetarian but most of our guests aren't! So why do they all leave raving about the food? Well, it's Italian, it's delicious and it's plentiful. Lemon and fennel risotto - grilled aubergine and garlic pizza - wild mushroom lasagna.....enough said!
Our accommodation: Our recently renovated farmhouse is beautiful and eco-friendly - we take our heat from the sun and our water from the hill. You’ll love where you eat. You’ll love where you sleep. And you’ll love where you swim: we have a large salt-water pool which emerges from the deep woodland and has the most amazing views across the hills. Free time: Whatever’s on in your week, life is easy here. A light breakfast is followed by the morning session and then into an early lunch. The afternoon is then free until the session before dinner. So there’s time to sunbathe, sleep, go for a walk or have a massage. There’s also one full day off to venture out to Urbino or wherever you fancy.
yoga courses
21 May – 28 May 2009, Hatha yoga with Helena Bingham. Helena Bingham is our yoga consultant and has been with us from the beginning. Helena’s foundation is Hatha Yoga, but she mixes different styles and flavours of yoga into her classes. She creates lots of space between the asanas to encourage letting go. This is gentle, opening yoga: it’s not too serious and you don’t even have to be able to touch your toes. You’ll be guided into feeling free and relaxed, and then into returning home with a true sense of stillness and calm.
11-18 June 2009, Dynamic Flow yoga with Dina Cohen
Dina Cohen teaches Dynamic Flow yoga which balances the dynamism and power of a strong flowing form with the softness and stillness of Yin yoga. It’s a comprehensive practice designed to increase flexibility, tone and strengthen the body, soothe the mind and nourish the soul. Students love exploring how far they can go without ever feeling they have to. Dina’s passion for yoga shines through her teaching and her classes are fun and full of life.
2 – 9 July 2009, Astanga Yoga with Nigel Gilderson
Nigel is a highly experienced teacher, as well as a very beautiful and open person. This is why we love him at The Hill (he’s also an exceptional guitar player, which makes the evenings very enjoyable too). Nigel has a deep experience and understanding of Astanga which makes this week very special. He won’t simply run through a set form: Nigel knows how to combine the dynamic Astanga form with some yin, ‘letting go’ exercises to create a complete, rounded system (and, in the end, complete, rounded people).
16 – 23 July 2009, Hatha yoga with Helena Bingham
Helena Bingham is our yoga consultant and has been with us from the beginning. Helena’s foundation is Hatha Yoga, but she mixes different styles and flavours of yoga into her classes. She creates lots of space between the asanas to encourage letting go. This is gentle, opening yoga: it’s not too serious and you don’t even have to be able to touch your toes. You’ll be guided into feeling free and relaxed, and then into returning home with a true sense of stillness and calm.
23 – 30 July 2009, Family Weeks
This is a rare chance to have a holistic holiday as a family. Drag along the less keen members of the family with the promise of the pool and pizza. Then get stuck into yoga classes for the parents in the morning whilst the children get together for fun activities separately. Spend some time together during the day, and then wave the kids off to an afternoon yoga session whilst you have some time for yourselves. The kids will swing in the hammocks, bounce on the trampoline and play table football as you sit and read a book. And you’ll all go away more relaxed and with children who know that “the tree” isn’t just something to climb.
6 – 13 August 2009, Iyengar Yoga with Bharti and Duccio
Bharti Roopanand and Duccio Alessandri are something else. They both trained directly with Shri B.K.S. Iyengar in Pune, India. The practice of Iyengar centres around familiar asanas and pranayamas (using the breath), but with a strong emphasis on correct body alignment to encourage healing of current problems. Their teaching can create profound transformation in body and mind. In a single week, students have found a flexibility they thought impossible, healed old physical blocks and opened to a state of peace never experienced before. Bharti & Duccio have a loyal following in Italy and this will be another very special week with two outstanding teachers.
20 – 27 August 2009, Astanga Yoga with Nigel Gilderson
Nigel is a highly experienced teacher, as well as a very beautiful and open person. This is why we love him he’s also an exceptional guitar player, which makes the evenings very enjoyable too. Nigel has a deep experience and understanding of Astanga which makes this week very special. He won’t simply run through a set form: Nigel knows how to combine the dynamic Astanga form with some yin, ‘letting go’ exercises to create a complete, rounded system (and, in the end, complete, rounded people).
3 – 10 September 2009, Hatha yoga with Helena Bingham
Helena Bingham is our yoga consultant and has been with us from the beginning. Helena’s foundation is Hatha Yoga, but she mixes different styles and flavours of yoga into her classes. She creates lots of space between the asanas to encourage letting go. This is gentle, opening yoga: it’s not too serious and you don’t even have to be able to touch your toes. You’ll be guided into feeling free and relaxed, and then into returning home with a true sense of stillness and calm.
24 September - 1 October 2009, Iyengar Yoga with Bharti and Duccio
They both trained directly with Shri B.K.S. Iyengar in Pune, India. The practice of Iyengar centres around familiar asanas and pranayamas (using the breath), but with a strong emphasis on correct body alignment to encourage healing of current problems. Their teaching can create profound transformation in body and mind. In a single week, students have found a flexibility they thought impossible, healed old physical blocks and opened to a state of peace never experienced before. Bharti & Duccio have a loyal following in Italy and this will be another very special week with two outstanding teachers.
travellers' tales
Yoga heaven! Outdoors, saluting the sun overlooking hills that take your breath away, or indoors in the most incredible yoga space I've ever come across: a geodesic dome nestled in the woods! (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
|
As a holistic centre with a holistic philosophy, we encourage the recognition that we are whole beings inseparable from our environment: that healing ourselves contributes to healing others and the earth… that healing others and the earth contributes to healing ourselves.
Well water is used and advice is given on how to conserve this limited supply. Solar panels heat the water and guests are encouraged to have only one shower and to take it late afternoon. Glass, plastic, paper/card and printer cartridges are recycled, and we have a paper free policy for enquiries and bookings ie. internet/email only. We own 100 acres of woodland, which we manage and maintain to create new tree growth and sustain the local wildlife (deer, boar, badger, fox, red squirrel, etc.). Guests are given advice on appropriate behaviour (keeping to tracks, picking up any rubbish, etc.). Destination visits with environmental benefits are available, including walks in the mountains led by a local guide, an expert on the flora and fauna of the area, who naturally imparts his love of this environment and his desire to maintain and nurture it.  We employ local people and encourage our partner companies (e.g. if extra accommodation is needed) to do so. Our local staff include those who advise and guide on visits into the local community and inform guests of local events and traditions so that they can offer support (eg. craft fairs, markets, carnival events, saints’ days celebrations, local village fairs etc.). We source food locally wherever possible. Beds etc. are purchased from local factories and guests are encouraged to purchase locally from farms, shops, restaurants, etc. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |