Yoga Holidays
Yoga Holidays in France and Weekend Breaks in the Cotswolds
Do come and join Hazel to unwind and refresh with a Yoga experience all set in comfortable venues, good food, and you help create great company. This page features the next all inclusive holiday booking to return to Nonac, S.W. France next year 16 July 2011, and details of a Halfboard option such as Ardeche, France and Tuscany, Italy. To inspire you there are photos from the last four yoga holidays. At the bottom of page are details of the weekends offered closer to home in a beautiful spot of the Cotswolds in November.
S.W.France: the retreat has a pool and the beautiful garden has lots of quiet corners with shade or sun loungers. Right hand photo: The medival town of Aubeterre is lovely to explore. The typical balcony terraced houses drip with flowers.
Yoga Holiday SW France - 16 to 23 July 2011
The week Yoga Holiday allows time and space to develop your yoga with morning and evening sessions, so deepen your yoga and relax in the warmth of South West France. Daily yoga has such a profound influence on our body, mind and breath and the time to explore new poses and sequences. As always the friendly classes are suitable for all levels. The week creates a real opportunity for progression in asana and time to explore pranayama and meditation techniques which weekly classes are hard pressed to fit in. Take a look at the photos from May 2010 and Italy in June 2009 beneath if you want inspiration!
I taught here in May and was so impressed I am returning for August 7 - 14, spaces are available if you would like to join us, and already have dates for Summer 2011. Full board yoga holiday at a farm long-house in Charente offers the chance to relax in a peaceful rural setting. Alex and Adrian have created a wonderful Yoga centre, Les Passeroses with comfort and ecotourism in mind, surrounded by rolling countryside, vines, maize and sunflowers which fill nearly every field. The lovely thick walled building provides a cool haven from the heat of August, the shaded patio perfect for al fresco dining and always dip into the pool to cool off. The delicious mainly vegetarian meals are locally sourced, often home grown, and freshly prepared by them.
Comfortable accomandation Aubeterre: full of antique and artisan shops
The dedicated yoga room or Shala provides a tranquil space for our sessions. Bicycles available or local walks to explore area. Midweek we have a trip to Aubeterre, a medieval town with river 'beach', with opportunity to shop and eat out. A second evening we visit the local village restaurant. Our meals at the house are under shade on the veranda or in the cool of the dining room.
Getting there: Transfers charged from the train in Angoulême (St Pancreas with change in Lille or Paris) or Angoulême – Cognac airport, or slightly higher for Bordeaux or Limoge airports.
Sharing Twin or double rooms, or a few single rooms available at supplement. Prices do not include travel to France but buying early should allow cheap fares by train or flying. If you would like to reserve a place, a non refundable deposit of £100.00 is required, please email for detailed agenda and booking requirements.
May 2010: Yoga in the shala Pair work in Dancer and Hazel adjusting Pauline
Well deserved Savasana at end of class. Pre dinner warm up in the dinning room!
Yoga Holiday with Brunch and Selfcatering - Ardeche and Tuscany
Hazel also offers Yoga Holidays with more freedom to explore and discover local restuarants or self cater. The morning yoga classes are followed with a healthy generous brunch, and afternoon yoga slightly later allowing for excursions, walking locally or just relaxing. The venues are chosen in beautiful tranquil locations, usually interesting properties with high spec modern facilities for selfcatering. In June a small group enjoyed the converted barn in the mountainous area of Ardeche in the French side of the Alps. The rural location meant we all enjoyed stumbling with our French to order our meals. Last year we returned for two weeks to the converted barns within a working vineyard in Tuscany, run with similar format but added luxury of wine and olive oil tasting on our door stop.
If you are interested in joining a similar Yoga and selfcatering holiday please do get in touch to join the waiting list. Plans are being made for a location with yoga room for end of July to catch the best of Summer 2011.
Ardeche June 2010
|
Stunning scenery invited great walks, the yoga lessons a perfect balance to stretch tired legs! |
Early arrivals of the group at our 'local' restaurant, a meandering 15min walk by the river and and irrigation canal. |
The 'local' offered simple 4 course meal of the day, always tasty fresh local food. |
Above left is the Ardeche converted farmhouse and the smallest dinning room; right is the Tuscan farmhouse. If you would like a similar holiday please get in touch as minimum numbers are required. These style of holidays are suitable for attending with non yoga partners. A sumptious meal is included prepared by our hosts to celebrate the week.
Previous photos - Yoga in Tuscany 2009
In June 2009 we enjoyed two consecutive one week yoga holidays in the warmth of Italy. The villa within the vine-yards of Tuscany has been a hard act to follow but feedback highlighted the need for a peaceful place with a dedicated yoga space as top of our ‘wish list’. Here are some pictures from both weeks to inspire folk...
Tree poses is tricky with the pool reflections Inversions or relaxation options in the sunsine
Double Dancer with Torie Warriors of Peace in the shade Tim balancing in Bridge
Sunset over the villa
The weeks both made the most of the area with some excursions locally, and on our doorstep olive oil and wine tasting and a Tuscan feast prepared by Marta in the ‘slow cooking style’ typical of the area. So if the opportunity to enjoy daily yoga inspires you to come to a peaceful and (weather permitting) warm location do come and join us.
The first week girls dressed for dinner Marta adding the finishing touches
Some comments from the two weeks in June 2009:
“We had such a relaxed and happy time – thank you!” Jan, Tim & Tori
“I loved the daily yoga and the guided meditations. All-in-all a prefect holiday” Cathy
"I liked the small group teaching in afternoon, with more chance to ask questions and get individual attention." Heather
If you are interested, I intend to run a similar week with Yoga & Brunch in selfcatering villa abroad in Summer 2011, so please email me to join the waiting list.
Healing Yoga and Massage Weekends 5 - 7 November 2010
Bookings are now being taken to return for a third weekend in this lovely tranquil spot in the Cotswolds. Come and enjoy a pre Winter escape 5 to 7 November 2010. with small group.
Last year the weekend was held mid November 2009 with ten students. It was quite an experience to enjoy yoga in the warm under-floor heated studio as a storm lashed and drenched the Cotswold’s landscape outside. Sunday morning the winter sun was warm enough to do the earth salutation in our boots on the sodden grass!
Late July 2011 we enjoyed a session in the garden, the relaxation enhanced with the suns warmth upon the group with the sound of the pond and wildlife in the distance.
A weekend staying in a beautiful valley in the Cotswolds eases any difficulty to travel to, yet far enough to feel withdrawn from the busy lives we lead. The emphasis will be on healing yoga, adapting poses to help you progress while we identify your strengths and challenges. The aim is to re-connect with ourselves using breath and meditation. The sessions of yoga, breath and relaxation are varied across the weekend leaving time for your massage, exploring the hills and woodland around or simply relaxing.The weekend includes a massage or alternative therapy session which promotes deep healing and enhances our bodies opening to the longer sessions of yoga. Our Masseur Marianne based in Oxford is renowned for intuititive approach adapting the session to suit each individual and what they need sometimes when not aware themselves.
Yoga space (far left) - the french windows open in summer or underfloor heating in winter creates an ideal yoga room for the season.
The Therapy room is calm and tranquil
Please contact me for full details of the healing weekend, if you have any queries or to book your place, single supplements available – either phone 07931 743 785 or email me.