Holistic holidays in Italy
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Le Marche |
| departures: | 2010: 22 Apr, 6 May, 20 May, 3 Jun, 24 Jun, 1 Jul, 22 Jul, 29 Jul, 2 Sep, 16 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 31 Oct |
| price: | From €895 (7 days) excluding flights. Price includes full board accommodation and classes. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Holistic holidays in Italy
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.
Barefoot Doctor, leading figure in the global consciousness movement, originally trained with legend R.D. Laing and subsequently developed his own method, based on his extensive studies and practice of Taoism over 35 years. During the week he will be using Taoist exercises, healing movement from martial arts, and many other techniques form Taosim and other practices to free you without pain from your pain and set you free.
06-13 May, 20-27 May, 03-10 Jun, 22-29 Jul, 16-23 Sep. 2010. F**k It Week with John & Gaia
Saying 'F**k It' means releasing control, taking your hands off the steering wheel, and starting to enjoy life. One minute you are trying so hard to make things work, the next minute you say F**k It and you’re not trying anymore. The tension is gone, the striving is gone.
24 Jun - 01 Jul, 2010. Breathe Your Way To Joy with Dan Brulé
Dan Brulé, as well as being one of the world’s leading breath experts, is possibly the most relaxed person you’ll ever meet. He is able to remain relaxed, open, positive and even grateful whatever is happening around him: even when the apparently catastrophic is happening (this man has lived: he's been a paramedic, a trainer in the navy seals… has seen death and mayhem at first hand). Dan teaches that - by using breath, consciousness and awareness - you can choose what you feel, think and experience. He teaches by example demonstrating that you can live in joy and bliss whatever is going on around you.
01-08 Jul, 2010. Rejuvenation Week with Master Karl Grunick
Master Grunick is a master of energy. He's taught the power of energy for several years here: demonstrating how relaxation and ease can create miracles in your body and your life. He usually teaches this through physical exercises, done in pairs, that you have to see (and experience) to believe. Over days of doing these exercises, you realise that what is impossible to achieve through strength, will and force, is easy when we give up, relax fully and assume possible.
29 Jul - 05 Aug, 14-21 Oct, 2010. F**k It All with John & Gaia
This week is all about the territory that the whole F**k It philosophy came out of (and ultimately returns into). This week is for those who've done a F**k It course with us and wonder 'what's next?'. And for all those who are deep into the search and also wonder 'what's next?'.
02-09 Sep, 2010. Infinite Tai Chi with Master Jason Chan
Master Chan, author of 'The Radiant Warrior Path', created Infinite Tai Chi over twenty years ago. It is an extremely graceful, flowing form, designed to bring practitioners into alignment with the natural elements, as well as with their own hearts, wisdom, inner strength and vitality. Jason teaches Infinite Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Meditation throughout Europe and in Thailand and has trained over 125 Infinite Tai Chi teachers. In 2008, Kindred Spirit Magazine readers awarded Jason first place in their 'Most Inspirational Person Award' (Al Gore came second!).
07-14 Oct, 2010. Tea & Be with Gaia Pollini
During this week Gaia (who has studied the powerful energetic effects of tea with two Chinese masters over the last few years) will make these teas for the group, on low tables in the beautiful dome, surrounded by the woods. As minds liquefy, thoughts disappear, relaxation and ease arise, and different states are experienced, it will be natural (and unavoidable) to move from sitting sipping tea, to lying down on the cushions, just being; a state of simple contentment arising in everyone.
21-31 Oct, 2010. Finish (or start) Your Book
They say everyone's got a book in them. What's certainly true is that a lot of people have started (but not finished) a book, or have an idea they're burning to get going on. Why do we not finish (or start) these ideas? Time. Self-doubt. Lack of guidance when we hit blocks. Probably a combination of all three. This 10-day retreat aims to solve all those problems.
31 Oct - 07 Nov, 2010. All Is Well with Gaia Pollini & Jane Okondo
This week, Gaia and Jane, who have already done their fair share of searching, and are much happier being lulled by the freedom of knowing that 'all is well', will offer you a week so scrumptious and pleasurable, that it will leave you unable to think that life is somewhere else. Gaia and Jane are both highly experienced breath-workers, body workers and energy practitioners. Although it doesn't matter so much. But it sounds good.
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.
courses
22-29 Apr 2010. The Barefoot Doctor The Grand Opening of the Spiritual HeartBarefoot Doctor, leading figure in the global consciousness movement, originally trained with legend R.D. Laing and subsequently developed his own method, based on his extensive studies and practice of Taoism over 35 years. During the week he will be using Taoist exercises, healing movement from martial arts, and many other techniques form Taosim and other practices to free you without pain from your pain and set you free.
06-13 May, 20-27 May, 03-10 Jun, 22-29 Jul, 16-23 Sep. 2010. F**k It Week with John & Gaia
Saying 'F**k It' means releasing control, taking your hands off the steering wheel, and starting to enjoy life. One minute you are trying so hard to make things work, the next minute you say F**k It and you’re not trying anymore. The tension is gone, the striving is gone.
24 Jun - 01 Jul, 2010. Breathe Your Way To Joy with Dan Brulé
Dan Brulé, as well as being one of the world’s leading breath experts, is possibly the most relaxed person you’ll ever meet. He is able to remain relaxed, open, positive and even grateful whatever is happening around him: even when the apparently catastrophic is happening (this man has lived: he's been a paramedic, a trainer in the navy seals… has seen death and mayhem at first hand). Dan teaches that - by using breath, consciousness and awareness - you can choose what you feel, think and experience. He teaches by example demonstrating that you can live in joy and bliss whatever is going on around you.
01-08 Jul, 2010. Rejuvenation Week with Master Karl Grunick
Master Grunick is a master of energy. He's taught the power of energy for several years here: demonstrating how relaxation and ease can create miracles in your body and your life. He usually teaches this through physical exercises, done in pairs, that you have to see (and experience) to believe. Over days of doing these exercises, you realise that what is impossible to achieve through strength, will and force, is easy when we give up, relax fully and assume possible.
29 Jul - 05 Aug, 14-21 Oct, 2010. F**k It All with John & Gaia
This week is all about the territory that the whole F**k It philosophy came out of (and ultimately returns into). This week is for those who've done a F**k It course with us and wonder 'what's next?'. And for all those who are deep into the search and also wonder 'what's next?'.
02-09 Sep, 2010. Infinite Tai Chi with Master Jason Chan
Master Chan, author of 'The Radiant Warrior Path', created Infinite Tai Chi over twenty years ago. It is an extremely graceful, flowing form, designed to bring practitioners into alignment with the natural elements, as well as with their own hearts, wisdom, inner strength and vitality. Jason teaches Infinite Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Meditation throughout Europe and in Thailand and has trained over 125 Infinite Tai Chi teachers. In 2008, Kindred Spirit Magazine readers awarded Jason first place in their 'Most Inspirational Person Award' (Al Gore came second!).
07-14 Oct, 2010. Tea & Be with Gaia Pollini
During this week Gaia (who has studied the powerful energetic effects of tea with two Chinese masters over the last few years) will make these teas for the group, on low tables in the beautiful dome, surrounded by the woods. As minds liquefy, thoughts disappear, relaxation and ease arise, and different states are experienced, it will be natural (and unavoidable) to move from sitting sipping tea, to lying down on the cushions, just being; a state of simple contentment arising in everyone.
21-31 Oct, 2010. Finish (or start) Your Book
They say everyone's got a book in them. What's certainly true is that a lot of people have started (but not finished) a book, or have an idea they're burning to get going on. Why do we not finish (or start) these ideas? Time. Self-doubt. Lack of guidance when we hit blocks. Probably a combination of all three. This 10-day retreat aims to solve all those problems.
31 Oct - 07 Nov, 2010. All Is Well with Gaia Pollini & Jane Okondo
This week, Gaia and Jane, who have already done their fair share of searching, and are much happier being lulled by the freedom of knowing that 'all is well', will offer you a week so scrumptious and pleasurable, that it will leave you unable to think that life is somewhere else. Gaia and Jane are both highly experienced breath-workers, body workers and energy practitioners. Although it doesn't matter so much. But it sounds good.
how this holiday makes a difference
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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. |
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