A Greek Yoga Retreat Journey
Sitting down to write this I let out the biggest sigh - not a a sigh of relief, a sigh of letting all of the energies, goodness, and memories drop into my body as I reflect on this time spent on retreat a couple of weeks back. I want to tell you a little bit about what we get up to on our immersions in Zakynthos, Greece including our daily yoga practice sādhanā, our retreat home and destination, our biggest take aways from retreat, tips for those considering to join us and why we love to do and share all of this in the first place.
The Yoga
We slowly rise with a hot drink in hand before gathering for morning yoga practice every day. One thing I love about the retreat capsule is seeing the same faces at practice as it creates a real sense of community, encouragement and shared energy throughout the course of the retreat. Naturally, some days it feels harder than others to show up but lending from those around us can be the perfect medicine and change the entire course of our days. We believe this to be one of the biggest take aways of this experience.
Every morning you’ll be invited to explore fun, creative, intelligently sequenced classes weaved in with intention to start your day. I’ve been teaching the practices of mandala, vinyasa, rocket & yin in London and on retreats frequently over the last few years and I love exploring the endless possibilities yet different energetics these practices bring to the mat and in how much variety we can experience them each day. I believe they are an amazing tool to tap into connection, learn to harmonise mind + body through breath and re-pattern our nervous system through consistent practice.
Laughter is always welcome and we love to try a new thing or two in these more dynamic sessions and in our mid week workshop. Options are always on offer and we love having a variety of experiences in the group, so being a beginner is no bother at all - we promise! In fact, coming as a beginner can be the perfect way to dive right in if you’re feeling committed.
The Accommodation, Villa Kyanos
Built in 2022 and noticed by the likes of Condé Naste traveller for it’s attention to detail and unbeatable style, our modern Greek villa is located up the hills of Agios Nikolaos and peers over the well-known nearby port connecting the island with travel routes to Kefalonia. Made up of 5 spacious bedrooms all with their own bathroom facilities and some with private terraces, guests surely settle in quick and comfortably. Villa Kyanos soon becomes everyone’s home away from home and one that we’re never quite ready to leave.
Guests are immediately greeted with views of the Ionian which extend onwards from the infinity pool, the kind of blue colour palette you see only online most of the year whilst dreaming up your Mediterranean summer getaway. Picture this: a cuppa tea clasped between your hands, slouched back on a sunbed in your pj’s bright and early to catch sunrise every morning. It’s like waking up in a postcard. The perfect perspective to begin the day with. Little nooks can be found in every corner of the house and terrace to slouch in, a cosy bean bag area doubles up as our outdoor snug and massage area, and our outdoor kitchen makes for the best hosting space on BBQ night where you might just be accompanied by a local Greek band. We practice our yoga outdoors, with views of rolling hills to the left and views of the expansive ocean to the right. The villa is equipped with yoga mats + props from a mainland Greek yoga brand called Omonyma which support our practices perfectly throughout the week.
The Food
Meal times always make for memorable group bonding time, and being of Greek Cypriot heritage food has always been the glue that brings everyone together around the same table. We like to bring this same quality to our retreats. Our chef Jesse lovingly dishes out big bowls of sharing, nourishing food in which we laugh and chat over several times a day. One of our standout meals for the last couple of years has to be Jesse’s take on the traditional Spanakopita (spinach pie) to which she adds leeks and several other secrets making it one to remember and talk about for the next couple of hours after consumption. Oh and the portokalopita (orange pie), AND the rose liqueur panacotta! The list is endless. But if you like to eat like a Greek, we’re sure that you and your tummy will be happy here.
Meal times are a place where so many come from different places and walks of life, a space where we all bond over shared and different experiences alike and learn something new about each other every day. No meal time is quite the same and we also love to venture out a couple of times to support and experience local cuisine. We choose our favourite handpicked spots to take you to and give you a flavour of the cuisine made by the hands of locals.
Greek Culture
Greek culture has always been a big part of my life. Every summer was spent in Cyprus and still is, learning from my Pappou (grandpa) what fruit to pick from which tree and when, patiently watching the spits of a Greek bbq slowly turn in the back garden, gatherings of 30+ family members on a random Monday night to eat the meat on said turning spits, watching and learning my relatives play tavli game after tavli game (much to my yiayia’s disapproval) and learning to fly kites over the red earth relatively unsuccessfully. The simple life. But this is why this culture and space is so special for me to share with our retreat guests. It’s simple in the best kind of way, everything is laidback and straightforward and everything happens just that little bit slower and later which, in turn, makes us slow down just the same. Traditional music + Greek dance brings so many together which is why we love to have this as a feature of our retreat. My mum always joins us and shares with everyone her best Greek dance moves so we can all give it a go. There’s always something to be learnt from in our yoga practice but I believe it’s equally important to take a step outside as well, into something new and learn a thing or two from the culture around us.
My Advise
Every morning we show up to practice at the same time, and not one day feels the same. Some days we feel energetic and strong, others we feel frustrated or distracted, sometimes we feel insecure or maybe we get stuck comparing ourself to others. I learn time and time again that the most important part of moving through all of these fluctuations of the mind and body is to simply show up. Show up as you are, let these feelings come through in your practice and colour every movement and breath on your mat without judgment or expectation, lend some energy from the person next to you or give some energy to another who needs it. You’ll surprise yourself at what can shift, but you’ll also learn to give yourself compassion no matter how you turn up to your mat. We’re not arriving here to be strong everyday, we’re arriving here to observe and centre and that will always look different from one day to the next.
Try not to fight these fluctuations but lean into the experience and I’m sure you’ll come away feeling very differently to how you arrived.
3 Top Tips!
come with an open and willing mind
switch off your phone notifications
don’t forget your spf!
We hope to have you on retreat soon, love Zoë x