SUMMER YOGA IN SOUTHERN BOHEMIA, ČESKÝ KRUMLOV
Dates: TBC
Dear friends,
Our last retreat in Krumlov turned out great, and I would like to extend a warm welcome to all that have already joined us as well as to new yogis who are looking for an active holiday in a beautiful place. Český Krumlov is a medieval town that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and I promise you that you will fall in love with it immediately! It is small and intimate, yet it has the second largest castle in the country, about eighty restaurants and taverns, a great arts and crafts scene, many tempting shops, the lovely Vltava River you can dip your feet into as you sip a good pint of what Czechs are most famous for, and virtually no traffic. I know it like the palm of my hand so I hope to be a good guide.
ACCOMMODATION
We will be staying at the Axion (www.axion.cz), a friendly, private guest-house about 1km from the town. Quoting from their website: “Pension Axion offers accommodation on a beautiful spot in the peaceful area of Český Krumlov (Unesco) as well as the Protected Landscape Area Blanský les. It offers an ideal place for both accommodation and recreation in breathtaking nature with a number of pristine deep forests and is within an easy reach of the historical centre of Český Krumlov, historical monuments of the South Bohemian region, rich cultural life and ideal conditions for sport activities. Our B&B offers comfort in newly equipped interiors, a restaurant with a fireplace or a romantic dinner on our terrace under the bright sky covered with stars.”
YOGA
We will start our day with a 30-minute morning meditation – in the nearby forest, if the weather permits, or inside if it rains. Afterwards we will have one two-hour yoga session each day, focusing on building strength, flexibility and stamina, correct alignment and concentration. If you are new to yoga, you will be encouraged to work at your own pace. We will explore classic hatha yoga, vinyasa flow, partner yoga, restorative yoga and pranayama (breathing). We will also have a class dedicated to the principles of Pilates and how Pilates enhances your yoga practice. This year I am planning to provide everyone with some private space for practice, self-reflection, meditation, journaling or just plain “doing nothing” (it’s hard, you know?) on certain days. There are acres of beautiful fragrant forest all around and all you need to do is pack a snack and your yoga mat so you have something to lie or sit on and quietly disappear. Just don’t forget to remember how to get back! Speaking of mats, it would be great if you could bring your own, but I will have mats, blocks and blankets available.
OTHER FUN STUFF
I am exploring the options of introducing new activities for the upcoming year, especially if you will be returning to Krumlov for another retreat and would like to see and do something new. However, the favourites so far have been:
- Visiting the city of České Budějovice (provincial capital of Southern Bohemia). Budějovice, in German Budweiss, is home to the world-famous Budweiser beer – not the American one, though! It has a beautiful large square with lots of shops, cafes, restaurants and breweries, great architecture and lots of quaint little streets to wonder through. There is also the Black Tower that you can climb to have a good look around.
- Visiting the Hluboká Castle, one of the best-known and most beautiful Czech castles. It is close to České Budějovice and we can manage to see them both in one day. Have a look here.
- Canoeing and/or rafting (beginner-friendly, too) Canoeing is very popular in the Czech Republic and Vltava is full of happily inebriated canoers in the summer, so this year we are bringing some wine on board… and tying the boats together! No paddling necessary, just tilt your head back and watch the treetops sway under the blue sky…
- Swimming in (and hiking around) the lovely Lipno Dam
- Hiking. There is a mountain called Kleť very close to Axion and it’s a popular destination for anyone wanting to have a good look at the country from a bird’s perspective. It takes about two hours to hike up there, unless you get lost (like we did during our first year!). What’s even better, the view-tower has a very cozy restaurant, so you can reward yourself for the hike by sampling some local food and drinks.
- Visiting Holašovice, a UNESCO heritage village. We discovered it last year and it’s a place well worth seeing. There is also a beautiful, peaceful meadow with a circle of healing stones, a bit like a small Stonehenge. To find out more about the village, have a quick peek here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/861
You are of course free to do whatever you please… all these activities, including yoga, are optional. My goal is not to micro-manage your free time but to offer you some choices and show you a bit of my beautiful country.
FOOD
There will be lemon water for cleansing first thing in the morning, and we will have a brunch from 10:30 to 11:30 after our yoga practice. As we will spend a good portion of the day out, I wanted to give you the opportunity to try some of the local cuisine in the countless and inexpensive places around town – and out of town, too! Having said that, I would like to make our menu at Axion healthy, especially for those who are coming to the retreat to lose weight and get on track with their diet. I have gone through quite a profound personal journey in the past year, learning a lot about how what we eat affects our bodies. Through changes in diet, I have managed to get rid of asthma and allergies that have been plaguing me since I moved to England in 2005. I have also managed to lose a fair bit of weight — a great bonus — and have been asked by many of my students what my “secret” was. I would like for this year’s retreat to be an opportunity for everyone to find a path to better health, and will be giving a few presentations (plus bringing books) on several subjects. I do not have a degree in nutrition and will only be sharing my personal experience and opinions, but I hope you will find the information useful nevertheless. I will also be sending you a short questionnaire about whether you’d like to participate in sticking to a certain menu throughout the week to see how your body would feel eliminating some of the foods we commonly eat.
DATES AND HOW TO GET THERE
We will start on Sunday evening, 14 August and finish on Sunday, 21 August. The easiest way to get to Krumlov is by flying from Stansted airport to Linz, Austria, and then taking a 90-minute shuttle ride over the border to Krumlov. Your best (and cheapest) bet is to fly with Ryanair and you can expect to arrive in Krumlov around 6:30 p.m. If purchased in advance, a return ticket with Ryanair will cost you about £80.00, taxes included.
HOW MUCH?
The cost of the retreat is £550.00 per person. If you’d like to travel with your family or friends who are not interested in doing yoga, I can offer a discounted price for them. Care for children during the time of yoga classes will be provided for a small fee. Included in the price are: — Transportation to and from airport (if arriving on Sunday) as well as most of local transport (this year we will be zipping around in a minivan). — 7 nights accommodation — All yoga classes — A healthy brunch plus snacks, drinks and fruit available at all times — Rafting trip — One Swedish full-body massage – A guided tour through the town of Český Krumlov
DEADLINE
I will be accepting reservations until 15 July, 2011 and by that date I will need a deposit of £200.00 (you can pay me in cash, via cheque, PayPal or transfer money from your bank account). The capacity of the guest-house is twenty people but I would like to have no more than twelve yogis so that I can pay attention to all of you, so book early, please! After you sign up, I will send you a questionnaire so you can tell me exactly what you like and need. Please email me at barbara@barbarasyoga.com or call me at 0798 223 6118.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Namaste,
Barbara
Some happy testimonials from the previous two years:
“My experience of Český Krumlov I have had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful part of southern Bohemia on three occasions. The town itself is just a lovely place to wander through, taking in all the history and architect and stopping off at a local inns to sample some good hearty food, at such reasonable prices too.The surrounding areas have a lot to offer, with my favourite pastime probably being the rafting for miles along the meandering local river. I have many fond memories of this lovely area and will hopefully return again one day.
Barbara’s yoga retreat in Český Krumlov Spending one week in august 2010 at the yoga retreat, situated in the hills high above the town was a fun experience. A great group of friendly people mainly from London with me being the ‘outsider’ from Fareham, Hampshire, went to experience something different. The yoga was taught by Barbara in a way that allowed everyone to push themselves to their personal limit and each day was different. After an early morning yoga lesson, people could choose to do what they wished and it was all very relaxed. Visits were arranged with transport laid on, to go exploring towns and locations further afield.” Scott
“Definitely feeling the benefits of so much yoga, other exercise and fun. I weighed myself at the spa on Saturday and I think I lost 4 kilos over the week – despite the dumplings. Everyone says how fantastic I look so I’m converting them to your class ;0)Also I’ve really got my mojo back – I was so low when I came away and just feel a million times better. My partner says he will send me away to one of your retreats as often as he can cos he’s got his happy girl back! Thanks so much for the notebook, incense, candle holder and all, it made me feel so looked after at the time and now they’re a wonderful souvenir. Just burning the incense now brings all the memories flooding back! I thought the walk in the woods, the Lipno Dam and the ride down the river were fantastic activities – the sort of thing I never get to do and really brought me back to childhood feelings of fun and happiness. I really loved the location of the pension, being able to walk /meditate in the woods was just such a dream. And the fact that all the travel for excursions was included was a bonus!” Esther
“Such love, such beauty, such calm…such invigoration! I was unsure about what to expect when I first set off for this retreat; needless to say I shouldn’t have worried. Guided by our teacher and friend Barbara, the other yogis and I embarked upon a journey of exercise and enlightenment, incorporating yoga, meditation, climbing, rafting…and relaxing. I often find it hard to relax, but on this retreat I really learnt how to let go and let myself be still. As soon as I can, I’ll be back with the yogis for another one!” Jonathan
“The yoga retreat in Český Krumlov was amazing. I saw the most beautiful architecture, breath-taking scenery and had a holiday with exercise, fresh air and relaxation. I felt stronger on the inside and the outside from the yoga practise and my skin was glowing from all the fresh fruit and vegetables we ate. I met some lovely people, it really was a beautiful bohemian adventure.” TJ
