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Yoga Classes Tuscany

You will stay in Signa (Province of Florence) and sleep in “Il Borgo di Villa Castelletti” on a luxurious wine producing estate located a few kilometers West of Florence. Florence is a mere 10-15 minute drive away. The estate is located near Lucca and Pisa about three and a half hours North of Rome. “Il Borgo di Villa Castelletti” is made up of a series of farmhouses and was built in XVII century; the first building, "La Burraja", was originally the factory used for producing bricks to construct the main Villa and then was later used to produce butter. The original style of the "old Tuscan country house" has been preserved intact, ever adding to the fascinating atmosphere of ancient walls within which past generations lived in close contact with the land.

Your days will begin with an optional sunrise meditation in order to fully greet the Tuscan sun and prepare for the day’s teachings and adventure. About an hour will be spent practicing mindfulness meditation. During this time, we will deeply connect with the state of our own being: our thoughts, feelings, energy and physical body. In addition to connecting, we will aim to observe our minds and become during our meditation, what Deepak Chopra has termed, “the silent witness” of our inner process and the workings of our mind. Much attention will focus on breathing and breath awareness in order to enhance the meditation practice.

YOGA: Michi & Brandon will be teaching yoga in a very gentle manner integrating their vast experience and different perspectives. While much of their personal practice has been in Ashtanga yoga, the emphasis will be on general Hatha yoga. Oftentimes, especially in the U.S., when we speak about yoga, we usually mean physical yoga exercises or asanas. But this is only a small part of yoga. Yoga is a practical, scientific teaching, the aim of which is spiritual growth. The word yoga, as well as the word religion, means the union of the human soul with the Universal Soul, i.e., the union of human being with God. Although yoga is a product of Indian civilization and has influenced all religions of that land, it is a practical spiritual science that does not belong to any particular region or religion. We are delighted at this opportunity to practice yoga in such a powerful culture and beautiful land like Tuscany. This combination of Yoga & Tuscany will reap many positive results for you regardless of your specific spiritual beliefs or orientation. Under Michi & Brandon’s guidance, we will have the opportunity to explore and learn at our own pace. The practice will be joyful amidst the splendor of the Tuscan countryside and the majestic Villa Castelletti estate. Weather-permitting, the classes will be conducted outdoors. Otherwise, the classes will be held in the estate’s theater room.

Michi & Brandon explain and discuss the flow of Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga. We will start with salutations to inspire our bodies to move with our breath. Then we will do a series of standing postures that strengthen and align the body. This will be followed by a seated sequence, restorative postures, and a relaxation meditation at the end. The overall feel will be one of well-being as yoga stimulates the body’s innate healing capacity. We will breathe, move, sweat, and learn how to ease the fluctuations of the mind - by linking our breath with our body movements. The classes are designed to accommodate all levels of practice, and will each day evolve to enhance the self awareness of the participants.

Michi and Brandon teach very valuable principles of yoga, but the focus is more from the standpoint of breath control. They essentially link asana practice with pranayama, or breath control. One of Brandon's great teachers, A.G. Mohan, says that it is not the practice of asana that builds health or creates longevity; it is control of the breath. He also asserts that you can go right ahead and push the body, even all the way until it breaks! But you can't push the breath - the breath will always give you away, and you and your teacher will be able to see through your breathing whether or not you are really doing the posture properly.
 

EXCURSIONS: guided excursions to extraordinary cities and regions including: Florence, Lucca, San Gimignano, the Chianti & Carmignano wine regions, wine tasting at a famous Carmignano wine estate, wine tasting opportunities in the Chianti region and a visit to the charming hometown of the great Leonardo Da Vinci.

We would like to emphasize that for larger custom groups we are quite flexible with regard to the itinerary and the excursions. Sometimes we can switch around different excursions based on local events and activities, new excursions (not mentioned above) can be added if it’s of interest to you. The most important thing is to communicate your specific interests, which will be given priority if possible and in the best interest of the group.

DAY 1 (Sat, Sep 16) - Pick-up in Florence and arrival at Villa Castelletti
We will pick you up in Florence and then you will be accompanied by car or van to Villa Castelletti and then welcomed at the Borgo (Hamlet) - your vacation home next to the main Villa. After settling in, Ian will show you around the entire estate, which will be your home for one week! You will have time to relax in your lovely apartment before enjoying a welcome drink with the staff at the Borgo and meet our yoga teachers: Michi & Brandon. We will dine at the restaurant on the Villa Castelletti estate where Roberto, the chef and cooking teacher will prepare our first Tuscan meal at the restaurant (located on the estate) where we can take optional cooking classes throughout the week.

DAY 2 (Sep 17) - Welcoming the Tuscan Sun with Meditation, Yoga & an afternoon guided tour of Lucca.
And so our daily ritual begins with an optional sunrise meditation followed by a light breakfast and the two hour yoga program which will finish approximately at 10:30AM. This will give us some time to wash and freshen up for our specialty estate lunch based on vegetarian dishes: salads and fresh fruits, mineral water and Villa Castelletti’s signature house wine. Around midday, we will be ready for our trip to Lucca, a beautiful town to the West of Villa Castelletti. There, we will take a pleasant tour around the heart of Lucca, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque of all the fortified (medieval wall) towns in Tuscany. After our informative tour, we will have free time to shop, take a walk around its 16th century intact walls, visit museums and churches or simply sit in one of the many cafe’s that line this Roman city. At dusk, we will enjoy dinner in one of the many Trattoria’s in Lucca.

DAY 3 (Sep 18) - Yoga & Carmignano Wine tour w/ Dinner on San Biagio estate
After meditation, yoga and lunch, we will take a picturesque drive through the Carmignano wine region to the winery known as Tenuta di Capezzana. Here you will enjoy a wine tour of the estate and later try selected wines from Capezzana including the well known Tuscan desert wine called ‘Vin Santo.” Depending on our group size, we can sometimes visit another winery called Fattoria di Baccheretto instead of Tenuta di Capezzana. In addition to wine tasting you can learn about the olive oil making process and meet Alberto who often toasts bread over a wood fire for us and makes “Fettunta” which is really nice. From here, we will make our way through Carmignano country to another farm-house estate: the beautiful San Biagio where we will explore and settle for dinner before returning to Villa Castelletti.

DAY 4 (Sep 19) - Yoga & Medieval Towers in the heart of Chianti
After meditation, yoga and lunch, we will take a drive through the Chianti region situated between Florence and Siena where an ancient Roman road will take us to the medieval town known as San Gimignano; you will discover why San Gimignano is the only remaining medieval town which has been called the “Manhattan of Tuscany” because of its ten (originally there were sixty five) towers! You will have a chance to shop while strolling along the magical windy streets packed with local artisan’s stores specializing in ceramics, leather goods and wooden crafts. You will stop at a local Enoteca (wine shop) for lunch where you will taste the only white wine in the Chianti region known as Vernaccia, taste local delicacies and if the weekly market is open you will be in for a gastronomic surprise! Cooking course followed by dinner at Villa Castelletti.

DAY 5 (Sep 20) – Yoga & Florence – with a Florentine Treat at Trattoria GARGA
After meditation, yoga and lunch, we will visit Florence. First, we will go right to main central market in Florence. Here, we will go on a gastronomic tour teaching us about the main raw ingredients of Tuscan Cuisine in one of the most flavorful and colorful fresh food markets in existence! After this eye-opening outdoor market tour, you will have free time to shop and discover the historical treasures of Florence. Also, we are scheduling a visit to the Uffizi and the main cathedral (Il Duomo). Also, tickets will be made available to see Michelangelo's David, located in the museum Galleria dell'Accademia In the early evening, we will meet at the 16th century palazzo (located in the heart of Florence not far from the Ponte Vecchio) in the unique Trattoria Garga where we will enjoy a stunning Florentine dinner.

DAY 6 (Sep 21) - Yoga & Leonardo Da Vinci (Vinci town visit)
After meditation, yoga and lunch, we will head out (West of Villa Castelletti) to discover the quaint town of Vinci - home of the great genius Leonardo Da Vinci. We will make our way through the Carmignano wine Region in order to arrive to Vinci. In Vinci, we will visit the museums dedicated to the great Leonardo and stroll the quaint streets and piazzas. Then we will return to “our” noble estate at Villa Castelletti, where we will be very busy preparing for our fabulous farewell gala dinner! If it’s available, we will be having this gala dinner in the Main Villa!

DAY 7 (Sep 22) – Farewell Villa Castelletti and friends
After Breakfast and good-byes, you will be taken to the airport or the train station in Florence in time for your departure or hotel check-in, if you chose to spend additional time in Florence.
 

*additional fee (65 Euro) paid directly to Villa Castelletti

For many years now, Tuscan Way has operated a gourmet cooking course culinary tour at Villa Castelletti. So, if you are interested, the possibility exists at Villa Castelletti to take excellent cooking courses. The main chef and cooking course instructor at Villa Castelletti is Roberto Bondiali and Elivio Raugei is Roberto’s Sous-chef. Roberto Bondioli was born in Lucca and today he lives in the picturesque town of Poggio alla Malva in the Carmignano region. Roberto began his studies at the Chefs Institute of Montecatini. He completed his five years studies and was rewarded the diploma of first and second level chef. He decided to continue his studies for an extra five years, specializing in Medieval Italian Cooking. Roberto has two very important passions, which are closely linked: his creativity as a chef and that as a known contemporary artist. Roberto considers the work of a chef very closely connected to that of an artist - always experimenting with both old and new, and continuously studying to enrich these two passions. He now works with his sous-chef Elvio in the restaurant Tre Corone at Villa Castelletti and participates in the Italian cuisine magazines ‘Buon Appetito’ section. He has created some unique dishes on the menu, like his famous ‘Ravioli di Barbossa in Salsa di burro e Semi di Papavero’.

Cooking courses are taught in the spacious kitchen area of the estate’s quaint Tre Corone restaurant.
 

Yoga at Villa Castelletti
 

DATES: SEP 16 – 22, 2006
PRICE: $2590 1-Week Double Occupancy (+$300 Single Supplement)

Home | Tuscany Villa Castelletti | Casa Innocenti | Yoga | Tuscany Villa Gaia | Tuscany Villa Poggiarello | Training Camp | Tuscany Vacations| Tuscan wine | Tuscany Villa Accommodation | Tuscany Valley | Tuscany Vacation | Wine Making & Tuscany  | Italian Tuscany Villa