Easter Yoga Retreat: Experience the Greek Island of Light

Leading up to Greek Orthodox Easter, YogaMe will be in the Greek Island of light: Aegina. Within easy reach from the capital of Athens, we will be staying at the 19th century mansion, Oikia Karapanou. Surrounded by a beautiful garden and close to the sea, we will be offering you a 5 days purifying and regenerating retreat for the body and mind.

What's Included:

• 4 nights shared accommodation
• daily breakfast and dinner
• daily YogaMe morning & evening yoga classes
• meditation
• exciting local excursion
• 3 InspireMe creative workshops: making of wax balm, creating a "komboloi" (Greek worry beads) & cooking a Greek recipe

Yoga Style:

Hatha Vinyasa, Yin, Partner (intermediate level, accessible to all).

Spoken languages: Greek, English.

Daily Schedule:

This retreat will begin on Thursday, April 18th 2019 and the first meeting will be at sunset.

The program will end on Monday, April 22nd 2019 and the last meeting will be at breakfast.

Thursday 18th of April

By 17.00: Arrival at the Oikia Karapanou

Make yourself feel comfortable and take a rest after a long journey.

18.30: Welcome YogaMe Practice

An introductory yin yoga practice to bring attention to your breath, relax the body and rest the mind.

20.30-22.00: Dinner

Enjoy the local tastes as well as the company of new friends.

Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st of April

08.30-10.30: Hatha Vinyasa Yoga & Meditation

Let’s wake up, center our breath and flex our body to start the day with our morning yoga practice in the beautiful garden.

11.00-12.00: Breakfast

Locally sourced products will be awaiting you after our morning wake up hatha yoga to fill and sustain you throughout the morning.

12.00-16.00: RelaxMe

Take advantage of our carefully selected destination by relaxing at the sea, enjoying a thai massage session or/and exploring the local sights.

On Sunday, RelaxMe will take us to the beautiful Temple of Aphaia. Soon after our excursion we will enjoy our lunch together.

16.00-18.00: InspireMe

Time to inspire the mind and learn something new about local traditions and natural products. One day we will make a balm from bees wax and organic olive oil, another we will make our own set of worry beads to take home with us after the retreat and another day we will be in the kitchen making Greek brioche ("tsoureki") from fresh eggs and mastiha.

18.30-20.00: Yin Yoga & Meditation

Our evening practice to recollect over a fulfilling day and start to relax the mind for the evening .

20.30-22.00: Dinner

After our relaxing afternoon yoga practice it’s time to settle down at the accommodation with the evening’s choice fresh menu, enjoy the sound of the crickets chirping and the background chatter of our newly made group of friends.

Monday 22nd of April

08.30- 10.00: Sunrise Meditation & Hatha Yoga

10.00-10.30: Closing Circle Time

11.00-12.00: Breakfast

13.00: Departure

Ioanna - The Teacher:

For the last 10 years Ioanna has been teaching a variety of body practices. She has led gentle hatha classes, dynamic vinyasa practice, restorative and yin yoga, yoga for pregnancy, creative dance for children and contact improvisation for adults. Her teaching reflects a view on yoga and dance as ways to develop a strong and flexible body, an open mind and a courageous heart. Always there to adjust her practice to each and every one. She is going to coordinate the yoga classes as well as the RelaxMe optional thai massage sessions during the retreat. So, just breath and go with the flow!

Tracey - The Facilitator:

Tracey will be the one rounding you up ready for sunrise meditation, leading the InspireMe sessions, the detox food delights and the occasional re-toxing evenings. You can look forward to some fun and creative time to take some shade, flex your mind and take some extra things away with you in addition to your yoga practice. Always happy to make new friends and bring a smile early morning or late at night!

Oikia Karapanou - The Accommodation:

Oikia Karapanou is a beautiful mansion from the 19th century, surrounded by a huge garden close to the sea. It has been restored to provide an atmosphere of peace and inspiration, an oasis on the soul's journeys.

Oikia, comes from the Greek word which means both "house" and "home". It is above all, a house with a soul. It is somehow the "essence" of a house, surrounded by an enchanted garden. Nothing in it is formal, nothing is standardized. Oikia Karapanou is not an hotel, neither is it a seminar "factory". It is a real house. Simple, spacious, poetic, refined. A place where guests often tell us that they feel as if they have, finally, come home.

http://www.karapanou.com/index.html

Aegina - The Place:

The island of Aegina is truly charming; its wide horizons are suffused with Attic light, sunshine-filled days are passed in the sea, on the beaches, while still allowing time and space to enjoy the atmosphere of lively taverns, cafés and nightlife. Thankfully not a victim of mass tourism, Aegina is the perfect destination for the traveler who yearns to experience some reality of the country he is visiting.

The island has a special place in Greek mythology and history. According to the myth has the island took its name from the most beautiful of the twenty daughters of Asopos, the river god, who eloped with Zeus to the back then deserted island. In historical terms, there is evidence that the island was inhabited from as early as 3500 B.C.. The island enjoyed strong economic and social growth between around 900 B.C. and 480 B.C., including minting the first coins anywhere in Greece during the 7th. B.C.. Aegina was briefly the first “capital” of modern Greece from 1827 to 1829. Zorba the Greek was written here by the famous author Katzantzakis, who chose this island as his home from 1931 to 1946 – contributing to the aura of its intellectual, artistic and cultural life. He wrote, in 1933: "Divine are the days here…".

There are several good sandy beaches on the island from which you can delight in the clean and crystal clear waters. Beach life can be simply enjoyed by finding a quiet spot for you, your towel and book. Otherwise, grab a bed with umbrella somewhere more organized where drinks and snacks can be delivered to you whilst you recline.

As well as the attraction of the beaches there are many beautiful walks and interesting places to visit such as:

• the temple of Aphaia built at the time of the Parthenon, and some would say, its rival, with its own attractive museum.
• the charming museum at the ancient site of the remains of the temple of Apollon.
• the Greek Orthodox monastery of "Chrissoleontissa" perched high in the center of the island.
• the valley at the foot of Aegina's highest mountain topped with the remains of a sanctuary to Hellanios Zeus and a tiny chapel - with 1,000 year-old olive trees.
• Agios Nektarios church, the second largest church in the Balkans.

… and many other delights and curiosities which we will be happy to help you discover.

How To Get To The Island:

Aegina is the closest island to the port of Pireaus, on the mainland. Visitors should arrive by boat, but the journey is short (between 40 and 80 minutes, depending on which boat) and an enjoyable part of your holiday experience.

https://www.aeginagreece.com/aegina-island/how-to-get-to-aegina-island/

* Please let us know if you need assistance with booking your flight or renting a car.

Come and feel inspired, come and feel relaxed, come and YogaMe!