TUSCANY YOGA VACATION: EAT PRAY LOVE!
AUGUST 10, 2010. Have you ever wanted to experience Italy like a true local? Have you wanted to live in the land of Elizabeth Gilberts Eat, Pray, Love? Well here is your chance, join Silvia Mordini and Jacob Young to learn why Tuscany is a life-changing place for many. This Chianti region of beautiful vine-filled countryside is nestled between Florence and Siena and is the setting for this Yoga, Cycling and Cultural Adventure of a lifetime!
We will be guests at an 800 year old classic Tuscan farmhouse converted into a stylish yoga retreat. Looking out one of the many windows of the different accommodations in Ebbio, you will be captivated by the undulating hills swept with thriving vineyards, olive trees and enchanting evergreen forests. The amazing part of Ebbio is that it is still a working organic Tuscan Farm with its own Chianti wine production to create the exquisite fine foods we'll be served. Located in the breathtaking countryside of Tuscany, it is close to Florence, Siena, Castellina in Chianti and Monteriggioni, a little medieval castle. Activities include yoga, cycling, hiking, and of course visiting art cities like San Gimignano, Volterra, Montalcino, and Siena along with a trip to the natural hot springs of Petriolo and a day at the beach (the Mediterranean!), private wine tastings and Tuscan cooking class.Investing in yourself is the best investment!!
SPECIAL TUSCAN CULTURAL PROGRAMS DURING OUR 7 DAYS:
Day 1, Oct. 24, 2010: Arrivals, Deplane Yoga, Farm Hike, Welcome Dinner
Day 2, Oct. 25, 2010: Monteriggioni castle morning, Siena afternoon
Day 3, Oct. 26, 2010: Cycling Morning, Radda in Chianti Wine Tasting and private walking tour afternoon
Day 4, Oct. 27, 2010: Morning drive to the Meditteranean relax on the beach, afternoon lunch and visit to Petriolo Natural Hot Springs, Tuscan Cooking evening
Day 5, Oct. 28, 2010: Morning free time or bike trip, San Gimignano and Volterra afternoon and evening
Day 6, Oct. 29, 2010: Morning free time or bike trip, Montalcino afternoon Wine Tastings and tour, evening closing dinner party
Day 7, Oct. 30, 2010: Final Yoga, Breakfast and Departures
RESERVATIONS:
$500 deposit to hold your spot.
Early birds by September 1st, $1,900.
Regular price $2,050
BOOK NOW: Visit www.alchemytours.com
INCLUDED IN THE TRIP PRICE:
-7 days and 6 nights accommodations
-Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-Airport transfers
-All day trips and walking tours
-Private wine tours and tastings
-Traditional Tuscan cooking class
-Soaking in the healing crystal waters of the Rapolano hot springs
-Visits to the art cities of Italy
-Two Daily Yoga Classes and Evening Group Activities
-Spa Treatments are available upon request
-A quality bicycle and an experienced cycling guide with knowledge of the greatest rides in the region
-Entrance fees to all group events and activities
-All transportation during the trip
-Comprehensive trip literature
-All gratuities for special events, lodging and restaurants
NOT INCLUDED IN TRIP PRICE:
Airfare to and from the trip and gratuities for your guides.
Download Tuscany Yoga Retreat Brochure Here
Click for all details on the Tuscany Yoga Retreat
WHEREVER YOU GO THERE YOU ARE
"Whilst on a lonely beach in Tasmania, three days hike away from any form of civilization, alone,Brent Morton had an epiphany: “No matter where I travel, however far away I get from civilization, how high of mountains I climb, one thing always remains the same: Me.” This began a 180 degree shift from exploring the physical world to a deep systematic journey into the inner world, which has continued intensively to the present day." - Brent Morton
AUGUST 8TH, 2010. These are the words of a lovely teacher I have just met. It speaks to so much of what I hope this practice brings to light for you sooner rather than later. However, the difficult part of exploring the inner world and taking this inward journey of self-exploration is making time. And when we are in our day to day world of grocery shopping, laundry, working, oil changes it's hard to make that time. Yes, it is hard. So for me the catalyst for inner change has often come as a result of traveling somewhere (maybe not as far as Tasmania!) but someplace where I could feel time as BIG. And in that space, the changes in my outer world would almost force me, encourage me to go inside. So here I am writing this from far away as each day I have my ecology of mind refreshed and look at ME. No excuses, nothing more to do but see who I am and why I am.
The longer my days, the more I find myself wanting to help others to do this too. To facilitate inner healing and self knowledge by traveling away from the old paradigms even if for just 4 days or a week. Join me in Tuscany October 24-30 or Moab November 4-7 or Pagosa Springs or Hawaii in December. Love yourself, Know thyself.
Peace out, Silvia (Facebook Alchemy Tours or visit www.silviamordini.com)
CHECK YOURSELF OUT EARN A PhD IN YOUR LIFE
JANUARY 21, 2010: This is the year and decade we stop analyzing everyone else around us trying to figure out who WE are by what other people do or don't do. The first chapter, first verse of the Yoga Sutras: “With humility and an open heart and mind we begin the study of Yoga. This study is using the Self to study ourselves first.”
"The proper study of mankind is man." (Alexander Pope) from my new book News of the Universe (Poems of Twofold Consciousness chosen and introduced by Robert Bly). That's what we do in yoga. We are when we come to the practice essentially making a commitment to get a PhD in our own Humanness. Nischala Joy Devi says "As students of life we often need to look at where we have come freom to see where we are going. Our present position has been determined by the past - all those crossroads where we made decisions, each path we've taken that brought us to our life as it is."
Blaming other people for the choices we've made or how we came to be what we are won't help us evolve towards greater happiness. We have to accept accountability and just look inside. Rumi writes:
"If you're lugging a heavy bag,
don't fail to look inside it
to see whether what is inside is
bitter or sweet.
If it's really worth bringing along,
bring it;
otherwise, empty your sack
and redeem yourself from
fruitless effort.
Only put into your sack
that which is worth bringing."
When you think about it what do you keep lugging around that is weighing your life down? Unless you start looking inward and stop blaming others for the quality of your life, it won’t change for the better. Maybe in the past you thought “I'm not something enough” to do this important work of self-exploration and self-discovery. BUT NO MORE. Be honest with yourself: you are young enough, old enough, smart enough, rich enough and you have enough time. If it is really important to you to set positive intentions for yourself you have to slow down enough to look inside. Take to heart the words of Rumi: "There is a life-force within your soul, seek that life. There is a gem in the mountain of your body, seek that mine. O traveler, if you are in search of That don't look outside, look inside yourself and seek That.” Yes, SEEK THAT. In the new year, a time of setting intentions just remember this – it is near impossible to set an intention for your life until you study yourself and where you’ve come from first. Otherwise it’s like trying to get a PhD when you haven’t finished First Grade yet. And in this PhD program, there are no grades, it is simply pass/fail. And this subject (YOU) is not one you want to fail at. Life is too short to fail at being you. So starting today get real, look at your life, study yourself as you really are and ignite the beauty of who you are yet meant to be! Love in all ways, Silvia
EXPLORATION
So here's the theme: how Yoga is the practice of revealing yourself to yourself. The whole thing is about self-exploration. Hope you can rock with me with great music and fun flow to feel for yourself how “Exploration really is the essence of the human spirit.” Here are some favorite quotes that inspired this practice. I also emailed out the actual class plan that I hope you have enjoyed! Love in all ways, Silvia
Whenever there is a reaching down into innermost experience, into the nucleus of personality, most people are overcome by fear and many run away. . . The risk of inner experience, the adventure of the spirit, is in any case alien to most human beings. The possibility that such experience might have psychic reality is anathema to them. – Carl Jung
Creative people who can't help but explore other mental territories are at greater risk, just as someone who climbs a mountain is more at risk than someone who just walks along a village lane. – RD Laing
Every decision you make - every decision - is not a decision about what to do. It's a decision about Who You Are. When you see this, when you understand it, everything changes. You begin to see life in a new way. All events, occurrences, and situations turn into opportunities to do what you came here to do. - Neale Donald Walsch
If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative. - Woody Allen