Friday, December 07, 2007

Yoga Retreat in Tuscany


If you are planning to unwind, reconnect with nature and with yourself, then a yoga retreat in Tuscany may be just for you. Tuscany, with its hills and mountains, the trees and the breeze, and the valley of the Arno River, can help you connect with nature and look deep into yourself as you prepare for meditation and for the yoga retreat. The centuries old artistic legacy of Tuscany will also help set the mood for an appreciation of the arts and the beauty of the transcendent.

Why Yoga Retreat

Modern life is now characterized by deadlines, crowded inboxes and information overload. Life is moving at a breakneck speed and a lot of times, one’s energies get drained with the efforts to catch up. When life gets too fast, it would be wise to simply pause and take a good look at the directions that the journey is leading to. Ironic, but in cases where the speed of life is too much to bear, one has to retreat in order to move forward.

Yoga helps a person pause and meditate. Through yoga, a person is led to a spiritual experience and a better understanding of his existence. There are several varieties of yoga. Hatha yoga focuses on the purification of the body. This will lead to the cleansing of the mind and of the vital energies. Impurities, cares, and worries are put into trash bin through this process.

On the other hand, purifying the mind is the starting point of the Raja Yoga. This will then lead to the purification of the spirit. Asana or body postures and pranayama or breath will facilitate this cleansing process. Yoga is far broader than just Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. Still, those who practice these will have better health and vitality, and recharge lost energies.

Visiting Tuscany for a Yoga Retreat

Going to Tuscany is not very difficult. You simply have to free at least a week of your busy schedule. Prior research on the best places to stay and where to take yoga classes is also important for the retreat to be meaningful. Citizens of the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Canada who wish to visit Tuscany for less than three months do not need a visa.

There are good international hotels providing accommodation in Tuscany. Likewise, there are several good locations that offer yoga classes that usually last for 1 and a half hours everyday. Such a schedule still leaves a lot of time for exploring the area, especially its artistic legacy and other tourist destinations there. For a person who seeks to maximize his personal yoga retreat, it would be best to visit Tuscany for a retreat in mid-autumn when the tourists go home and the locals go about their daily lives, harvesting grapes, truffles and olive. The occasional rains will also help set the mood for contemplation and for the retreat. Not only that, airfares and vacation packages are usually cheaper during the off peak season.

To replenish lost energies, reestablish directions and understand one’s existence better, a break from the usual breakneck lifestyle would do wonders. A yoga retreat in Tuscany will do just that.

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