Dolomites Yoga Retreat April 28 – May 4, 2024

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We’re so excited to continue our collaboration of EPM x Strala. Our dear friend Erin Lewis has been connected to the Strala family since over a decade ago when we worked together at our studio in NYC. Last December we had an amazing adventure retreat to Iceland. This time we’re headed to the Dolomites. Join us for daily yoga, mindfulness, and wellbeing practices, combined with adventures in this spectacular backdrop to stimulate our senses.

RSVP your space here

HOTEL

Illustrious. Exclusive. Privileged. Located on a mountain ledge high above Merano with views of the Adige valley, Castel Fragsburg Relais & Chateau is a great place to stay. It offers peace and quiet, far away from bustling cities and noisy traffic, paired with fresh, clear mountain air and wonderful views. It is a hideaway for exacting standards, while the guarantee of countless hours of sunshine will make your time on the terrace even sweeter.

A Place of Inspiration.

Castel Fragsburg has been created as a place where you can experience change and strive for fulfilment. Where life and love are celebrated. The extraordinary aura of the historical building provides strength and acts as a muse so that you can focus on yourself, explore new avenues and recognise and harness your body’s energy.

On the heights of Merano, in South Tyrol, stands Castel Fragsburg, an exceptional hotel from the 17th century, majestically perched above the town. Distinguished not only by its style, but also by its unique philosophy and art de vivre, it is a true refuge surrounded by glorious, unspoiled nature. From its elevated terraces, enjoy spectacular views over the Adige Valley; or bask in the heart of its five-hectare fairy-tale garden and reconnect with the beauty of the world through a celebration of the senses. Inside its twenty suites, discover elegant interiors that combine alpine comfort and Mediterranean sensuality for optimal relaxation. This spirit is echoed in the Alchemistic Healing Spa, the first of its kind, which offers marvelous beauty treatments, as well as in the jacuzzi and the heated outdoor pool, where unforgettable moments under the sun are sure to be had. In the gourmet restaurant, the South Tyrolean chef highlights healthy regional products and invites you to savour exquisite aromas that also serve as wonderful elixirs of life.

CUISINE

Healthful, vegetarian food is part of the retreat experience, including breakfast and dinner daily, as well as selected lunches. We’ve carefully chosen delicious and fresh meals from renowned restaurants and chefs which will give guests an expansive experience of the cuisine. Our dinners will include a few multi-course tasting menus at the hotel’s restaurant, emphasizing honest, healthy, and delicious Italian food, as well as various meals out in town and on our day trips. We’ll experience a visit to a winery for a tasting, a farm tour with samples of the local specialties, and learn about the nourishment that is foraged from the forests. We’ll end the week with a farewell dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant with a tasting menu and wine pairing.

Our day trips will allow us to experience the many unique landscapes and activities that this area has to offer. We will not only enjoy the expansive grounds of the hotel, castle and gardens, but also will venture to a nearby winery for a tour and tasting one day before visiting the famous Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, a botanical garden nestled into a twelve-hectare amphitheatre at an altitude differential of 100 meters. Trauttmansdorff offers spectacular views of exotic gardens and breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains and the spa resort town of Merano.

We also will take a day for some time in the town of Merano “where the Mediterranean meets the Alps”. A modern mix of culture, history, Mediterranean flair and Alpine charm gives the city in the heart of South Tyrol a levity typical within that region. Guests and locals alike can sense the joie de vivre that’s all part of the flair. Exclusive boutiques and bars have become an integral part of the picturesque alleyways, which are also lined with magnificent historical buildings. Go for a stroll along the promenades and alleyways that carve their way through this gem of a city or walk along the Tappeiner Promenade, past the Powder Tower, taking in the enticing aromas of the public herb garden and end up at the Mediterranean terraces. After some time to explore we’ll enjoy a gourmet meal in town.

Another day will be spent further in the mountains at a local farm to see how some of the food, plants, and products are produced – of course we’ll enjoy a lunch as well. Then we will round out the week with spa treatments at the on-site Healing Spa where the resident Alchemistic Spa uses the power and energies of nature to pamper and have an effect on the body, mind and soul in equal measure. We’ll also get to have a private lesson from this modern alchemist, an expert in natural healing, incense and holistic nutrition who combines the healing knowledge of her ancestors in a ‘biophilia expedition’ where we’ll learn about and use the plant-based concoctions.

One morning will be spent on a guided meditation walk of “Forest Bathing” (shinrin-yoku in Japanese) where we will full immerse ourselves in the healing nature of the forests surrounding the castle.

WELLNESS

Daily meditation and yoga will be offered in a way to relax, stimulate, and help guests grow in their own personal practice. Classes are open to all levels, beginner to practiced.* Style and class levels will be determined and moulded to fit participating students’ needs, and with our limited retreat class size, students will be able to get personalized attention and comfortability to deeply explore their practice.

At this location we will be practicing our meditation and yoga classes in various special spaces around the property – from terraced vistas overlooking the vast alp peaks, to grand ballrooms in the castle interior and a walled private garden.

SPECIAL COLLABORATION WITH TARA STILES OF STRALA YOGA

Strala combines the movement and healing wisdom of tai chi with the form vocabularies of yoga, tai chi, qigong, and Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine, to help people release stress, move easily through challenge, and live radiantly inspiring lives.

It begins with a mindset that says our best way to get where we’re going is to feel good along the way. It also works miracles for whole health, helping us to find ease in our bodies and minds, and create the right conditions both for healing and optimal performance.

With Strala you learn to shape your destiny on every level that counts, from your psychology, chemistry and neurology, to your chromosomes and even gene expression. The unique set of skills you develop – for connecting with yourself and others, unblocking your energy, healing what needs healing and accomplishing challenge with ease – uncovers your ability to create the life you want and be an inspiring leader to the people around you.

This retreat will feature classes from the Strala framework: GENTLE, ENERGIZE, & TAI CHI. Gentle Yoga is a simple flow that opens and balances your body while calming your mind. You’ll feel refreshed and restored. Energize Yoga is an easy going flow that invigorates your body and mind while resting your attention calmly on your breath. You’ll feel revitalized and ready. Tai chi is a way of being, connecting, and moving that creates a harmonious, peaceful connection with your body, your mind and our world. It’s our everyday ordinary path to an extraordinary life.

TARA STILES is the co-founder of Strala Yoga, best-selling author and wellness expert. Tara revolutionized yoga for millions, away from dogma and rigidity toward moving with ease, through a yoga practice that supports your life and feels like you. Her podcast, Feel Better with Tara Stiles, is a deep dive on topics and issues we all move through in life like health, purpose, family, relationships and career. Strala Yoga is practiced in more than 100 countries, and thousands of Guides are leading Strala classes daily around the globe. Tara leads daily yoga with thousands of people on the Strala Yoga app. She has been profiled by The New York Times, Times of India, The Times (UK), and featured in most major national and international magazines.

ERIN LEWIS

Erin is the founder of EAT.PRAY.MOVE and now calls Italy home. She loves to share this amazing country with guests and finds that there is a yogic spirit of connection (to oneself, others, and the present moment) by traveling and experiencing new things. Besides carrying this practice throughout the week and allowing our senses to be heightening with our activities, meals, and time together, Erin will also offer yoga to help us relax and restore and reconnect.

* Participation in classes and activities is optional throughout the retreat. All levels welcome!

RSVP your space here