ITALY
Puglia – La Dolce Vita!
with Melissa Spamer & Sara Easterson
September 21-28, 2024
LAST SPACES
La Vita è Bella” – Life Is Beautiful
Treat yourself to seven delightful days in paradise, savoring the wonders of life at its best. Melissa and Sara welcome you to La Rosa dei 4 Venti, a remarkable retreat center steeped in the ideals of yoga and dedicated to providing its guests a truly nourishing space in which to retreat.
Enjoy the Italian countryside, together with daily dives into yoga and meditation, opportunities for exploring our surroundings and lively conversations.
Italy, its people and food abound with beauty. Italians seem to understand so well how to create a life that is pleasurable, healthy, meaningful, relaxed and rooted in priorities that the rest of the world have forsaken.
During these seven delightful days we’ll practice life “Italian style.” There will be time to explore, play, and be in community; as well as quiet time for healing massage, private reflection and peaceful solitude. Dive into the restoring practices of yoga, friendship and adventure – and rediscover the sweetness of life!
Very limited space available. We expect this retreat to sell out quickly.
From the gorgeous, ethereal setting of the southern Italian countryside and the beautiful trulli-style, comfortable accommodations of the La Rosa masseria, to the unbelievable bounty of fresh delicious food offered each day, this spiritual yoga retreat will certainly awaken and delight all aspects of your soul! – Nancy
Your home for the week will be at La Rose dei 4 Venti, the Rose of the four Winds, a community created and dedicated to cultural enrichment, spiritual teachings, retreats and healthful living.
La Rosa dei 4 Venti is an ancient 18th century “Masseria” (farmhouse), beautifully restored and renovated. The 14-acre property includes a manor house, beautifully appointed en suite rooms, several large common areas, a small church with original wall paintings dating back to the 18th century, a large yoga shala beautifully created from what was once the family farm’s barn, a wide glass gazebo room overlooking the open garden, a private forest with meditation path, a large open patio for outdoor meals, a swimming pool and several relaxation areas.
Your home for the week is located halfway between the Adriatic and Ionic Seas in Puglia, in the South of Italy. You’ll find yourself totally surrounded by peace and tranquility.
Prepare to be nourished by these surroundings, unbelievably delicious meals prepared with fresh local ingredients, and classes and explorations guided by Melissa & Sara.
During our week, we’ll take a full day excurssion to Matera and another full day adventure exploring the Apulian villages of Alberobello, Polignano a Mare and Ostuni. Of course, our week would not be complete without the opportunity for a swim in the Adriatic Sea. An optional add on excursion for those interested will be to visit the workshops of Grottaglia, famous for its centuries-old ceramic arts tradition, where you’ll still find artisans with their studios and kilns in natural caves, or a 1/2 day visit to a local winery.
Please book your travel to arrive in either Bari or Brindisi, Italy, by midday on September 21, and to depart September 28 mid- afternoon or later. Check in at La Rosa is 4pm. The retreat will begin with dinner on the 21st and culminate with a closing dinner celebration on the 28st. Check-out is 10am. Departures will begin after breakfast on Sept 28.
From Brindisi, the drive to the center is about 55 minutes. From Bari, the drive to the center is about 1 hour 30 minutes. Many affordable trains and flights are available to both cities from Rome and other major airports.
If your schedule allows, consider flying in a little early and/or staying on a few extra days.
If you are flying or training into Bari or Brindisi, our hosts are happy to help arrange transport to the retreat center and will divide the costs between the number of people sharing each car. Assuming you are sharing with at least one other traveler, please budget €40 – €60pp ($50–$80 USD) each way (possibly less with more riders).
The retreat center was absolutely fabulous—every attention to detail had been considered. The property is lovely, the food sublime, and the facilities for yoga and group work were wonderful. Our adventures off property were incredibly inspiring and provided a wonderful experience of the southern part of Italy. In particular, Matera was phenomenal —both for it’s history and it’s ancient beauty. – Kim M.
Melissa Spamer, M.A., LPCC, ERYT 500, LMT, C. Ay.
Melissa has been exploring the world of healing arts for nearly thirty years. She has been facilitating classes, retreats, groups and seeing private clients since 1997. Melissa is an ERYT 500, Licensed Bodyworker, Ayurvedic Practitioner and holds a Master’s degree in counseling psychology as well as a graduate certificate in holistic healthcare. She has accumulated thousands of hours in Yoga, Body & Energy work, Ayurveda and Psychotherapy training from around the world.
Melissa completed her first certification to teach Yoga in 1997 with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and has been consistently teaching Yoga for twenty five years. She has gone on to complete more than six 200-500 hour teacher trainings. Her primary influences are from twenty years of in depth study with elder teachers Angela Farmer, Victor Van Kooten and the late Rama Jyoti Vernon. She has completed additional trainings with the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, TriYoga, and Shiva Rea’s Prana Flow method, among many more. She incorporates knowledge of alignment, therapeutics, somatics, and functional movement to serve each student’s needs safely and individually. Her own practice is continually evolving, always becoming more alive in spirit and form which lays the foundation for her teaching. As her own teacher, Angela Farmer, has said, “Melissa is a true teacher. She allows her practice to be a tool for personal evolution and that brings a deep understanding and creativity to her teaching enabling students to have the confidence to make their own inner journey through Yoga.” [read more about Melissa]
Sara Easterson-Bond CIYT, E-RYT 500
Sara began studying Yoga in 2005 and was hooked after one class! Sara’s teaching focuses on bringing strength, stability, and humor to the practice of Yoga, both on and off the mat. “Cultivating Joy” is how she describes her approach to Yoga and life.
A Level 2 Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Sara has studied extensively with Senior Iyengar Teacher Patricia Walden, completing Patricia’s 2-year Teacher Training program in 2015. Sara has studied with Geeta Iyengar in Pune, India. She also gratefully acknowledges the major influences of Iyengar teachers Ja Soon Kim and Carrie Owerko on her Yogic path. Sara has taught public classes, private classes, workshops, and retreats since 2014.
A lifelong New Mexico resident with a background in studio art and architecture, Sara’s other passions include learning from her chihuahuas and reading the widest range of poetry possible.
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY STANDARD ROOM
ONE room newly available!
$2995 per person
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY BIGGER ROOM
female roommate space available
$3295 per person
SINGLE OCCUPANCY
SOLD OUT
TO BE ON THE WAIT LIST, EMAIL laura@oneyogaglobal.com
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- 7 nights’ accommodations
- All sessions with Melissa and Sara
- Group excursions to Matera and Alberobello, Polignano a Mare & Ostuni
- Two delicious meals per day (a generous brunch and lavish dinner) starting with dinner on arrival day and ending with breakfast on departure day. Early morning beverages and snacks available as well.
NOT INCLUDED:
- Travel to/from Italy (recommend arrival in Brindisi or Bari)
- Travel to/from Bari or Brindisi to LaRosa dei 4 Venti
- 2 lunches out on excursion days
- Optional excursions to ceramics village or local winery
- Gratuities to center staff
- Travel Insurance (highly recommended)
- Optional on-site massage (cash € required)
Refunds and Cancellations: Refund less deposit ($695) before June 1, 2024. No refunds after June 1, 2024. In case of cancellation, you may transfer your deposit or your reservation to another person as long as you notify One Yoga Global 21+ days in advance. Due to arrangements made with our vacation hosts, there can be no exceptions to this policy. Participants will be required to sign the application and liability waiver to participate on this trip.
If you place a deposit, the balance due will be set to charge in equal installments starting the month after deposit through June, 2024, unless other arrangements are made.
We HIGHLY recommend that you consider purchasing Travel Insurance. Travel insurance companies like TRAVEL GUARD offer policies that insure your investment in case you need to cancel (including “cancel for any reason” coverages), coverages for expenses incurred due to to weather & travel delays, personal property loss and emergency medical travel. Please review policies carefully to choose the coverage you need.
We recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance to protect your investment. Trawick International and Travel Guard are two providers that we recommend. Please review policies carefully to ensure they provide the coverage you need.
