ayani: yoga - vegan - organic lifestyle
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yoga & nature retreats

2016
13. - 15. November
27. - 29. November
4. - 6. December

arrival Sunday afternoon - departure Tuesday after breakfast
Elvey Farm, Pluckley in beautiful Kent/south of England

easily accessible by Eurostar train from France & Belgium to Ashford, 4 km away

2016 Yoga & Nature in... Kent    ...WINTER BLISS...

The owners of Elvey Farm in Pluckley in beautiful Kent, Mariantonietta and Enrico, enjoyed Claudia's dining during their stay at her vegan B&B in Provence so much they invited her to their own hotel! So they are very delighted that she followed their invitation to take her yoga & vegan cooking retreat to Elvey Farm !

On 3 dates in 2016 she will offer her popular vegan cooking retreats and show you how to create delicious, tasty and wholesome meals for the winter and festive season using local, seasonal, organic ingredients like pumpkins, sage, Swiss chard, beetroot and cob nuts and how to present each meal like a feast to the eyes with some simple « tools »... and some Stramacchio.

Spend 2 nights at Elvey Farm, a 4-star boutique hotel in beautiful Kent, enjoy an Italian dinner at their Stramacchio Italian restaurant the evening of your arrival including a complimentary glass of prosecco, yoga classes and a vegan cooking class which culminates in a gala dinner with the lovely dishes created during the cooking class !

single use of a spacious double room with en-suite bathroom * £ 245 (was £ 345) book directly
double room in a spacious double room with en-suite bathroom * £ 390  ( was £ 590) book directly


* special offer for first booking for two people: free upgrade to the Canterbury Suite, with exclusive private use of the outdoor hot tub in the secret garden *

Good food requires more than top-notch ingredients and creative recipes - it's the compassion, intention, and energy of those in the kitchen that make a meal fulfilling. Cooking with Devotion: Cultivating a selfless intention, committing to recognizing the Divine in those you're feeding, and cooking joyfully without expectation of recognition will improve your awareness as well as your food. For the yogic cook, integrating mindfulness and love only deepens a cooking experience and, according to some, enhances the quality and flavor of the food itself.
During these retreats you will explore alignment of your body to let universal energy flow, learn to open up your chakras with simple but effective adjustments, and you will have time to find out what is good for you, for your body. There is no pressure in the group to perform, true to the yoga spirit: finding inner peace. Come discover the key elements of Iyengar yoga practice based on hatha yoga enriched by meditation and relaxation, adapted to all levels. At the end of these workshops you will have been exposed to the spirit of yoga and deepened your practice.

A holistic time where we take care of ourselves from the inside, be it through
* mindful yoga practice * delicious organic food: seasonal, fresh, local with an international touch to reflect the places we have visited, lived in, experienced * meditation practice * with time to explore and relax * time to enjoy an in-depth practice, yoga philosophy, spirituality. Focus is not only on various asanas but on advancing on the path of yoga
program for the yoga & organic vegan cooking retreats
Sunday
arrival after 14h and installation in your rooms
19h vegan dinner at Elvey Farm's Italian restaurant Stramacchio run by the son, Filippo. Enjoy his fine cuisine inspired by his grandmother starting with a glass of prosecco in the quaint, charming dining room
Monday
7.30 - 9.00 yoga & meditation
a morning yoga class to awaken body & mind and prepare for the day ahead
afterwards enjoy a relaxing breakfast with nourishing items off the buffet with local ingredients, and hot dishes prepared for you to your liking by the chef
afterwards free time to enjoy the beautiful countryside, go for a long walk, relax...
13.00 - 15.00 yoga & meditation
an afternoon yoga class to center and focus followed by fresh Pluckley tea, seasonal fruit and snacks
16h cooking class with fresh ingredients and practicing mindfulness, kindness & ahimsa, nonviolence, one of the yamas of yoga, awareness & mindfulness: the love we place into the preparation is the love which nourishes us
19h gala dinner presenting and enjoying the bounty of our cooking experience
Tuesday
7.30 - 9.00 yoga & meditation
a morning class to get our body moving and the mind centered
followed by a relaxing breakfast with freshly brewed coffee or tea and hot items prepared by the chef
afterwards departure or possibility to extend your stay at a preferred rate
book now
or contact Amy Elvey Farm with your questions bookings@elveyfarm.co.uk
 ~
ayani Yoga & Nature
is about enjoying yoga surrounded by the beauty of nature
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2015

In 2015 we not only offered the usual weekend retreats in May and September but also a 6-day/5-night yoga week in June! We chose this date to offer our yoginis the unique opportunity to experience the fantastic sight and scent of lavender in bloom, usually from the middle of June until the end of July

15. - 17. May
21. - 26. June
4. - 6. September


program for the yoga workshops
Friday: individual arrival after 15:00
16.00 - 18.00 relaxing yoga practice
19h dinner/table d'hôtes
Saturday: 7.30 - 9.30 invigorating morning yoga practice
followed by organic vegetarian breakfast in the garden
afterwards free time to explore, relax, visit the area like the local farmers' market in Riez
16.00 - 18.00 calming afternoon yoga practice
19h dinner/table d'hôtes
Sunday: 7.30 - 9.30 invigorating morning yoga practice
followed by organic vegetarian breakfast in the garden
afterwards free time to explore, to relax, to visit the area
16.00 - 18.00 calming afternoon yoga practice
afterwards departure

last yoga practice 16h00 Sunday afternoon, end of yoga weekend around 18h00 Sunday evening
* * *
 yoga retreat 21.-26. June
~ 18 hours of yoga, morning and afternoon
~ a copious organic vegetarian breakfast with our freshly baked signature sourdough bread and other French homemade delicacies
~ 4 organic vegetarian 3-course dinners **
~ fresh fruit, snacks and organic teas, water, juices throughout the retreat
~ Tuesday after breakfast for anyone interested in seeing this beautiful area on foot: guided meditation walk through lavender fields, guided by Claudia

program for the yoga retreat:
Sunday: individual arrival after 14.00
16.00 - 18.00 relaxing yoga practice
19h organic vegetarian dinner
Monday through Thursday:* 7.30 - 9.30 invigorating morning yoga practice
followed by organic vegetarian breakfast
afterwards free time to explore: swim in one of 2 nearby lakes, rent a kayak or electric boat, explore the many walking routes leaving from La Vudèle
16.00 - 18.00 calming afternoon yoga practice
19.00 3-course vegetarian organic dinner (except Wednesday*)
Friday: 7.30 - 9.30 invigorating morning yoga practice
followed by organic vegetarian breakfast in the garden
afterwards departure

* Wednesday after morning yoga and breakfast free time: explore the area, visit Aix-en-Provence or Marseille, walk through lavender fields in bloom, relax in the garden

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2016

Inspired by the success in running our yoga retreats for several years now and on the positive comments we received from our guests dining with us at our table d'hôtes we decided to combine our two passions, yoga & cooking. We offer 3 dates for yoga & organic vegan cooking retreats with Claudia as the chef and Jim as the wine sommelier

1. - 3. July
20. - 22. May
16. - 18. September

program for the yoga & organic vegan cooking retreats
Good food requires more than top-notch ingredients and creative recipes - it's the compassion, intention, and energy of those in the kitchen that make a meal fulfilling. Cooking with Devotion: Cultivating a selfless intention, committing to recognizing the Divine in those you're feeding, and cooking joyfully without expectation of recognition will improve your awareness as well as your food. For the yogic cook, integrating mindfulness and love only deepens a cooking experience and, according to some, enhances the quality and flavor of the food itself. Fresh fruit, snacks, tea and beverages will be available throughout the retreat

Friday
arrival after 15h and installation in your rooms
16h workshop on healthy, clean, organic vegan cooking and introduction of the menu and activities plus the La Vudèle goodie bag
17h relaxing yoga class, to release the tension from today's travels and ease into the evening
19h classic Provencal apéritif dinatoire: a relaxed sit-down dinner with several different dishes prepared by your hosts, to explore the flavors and aromas of Provence
Saturday
7.30 energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature, to get Prana flowing and stimulate digestion
9h our copious organic vegan breakfast with sourdough bread
10h visit of the local farmers' market in Riez with guide to our organic producers. We will purchase the ingredients for the delicious meal for dinner, afterwards free time to explore the area, the lavender fields, the gorge du Verdon and its lakes, etc
16h awareness yoga & meditation: the love we place into the preparation is the love which nourishes us. cooking course and preparation of our dinner:
Followed by our cooking class with the fresh ingredients purchased at the market in the morning
Practice of mindfulness, kindness & ahimsa, nonviolence, one of the yamas of yoga.
19h gala dinner presenting the bounty of our cooking experience accompanied by wine tasting of local organic wines from Quinson, some cultivated right behind La Vudèle
Sunday
7.30 energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature
9h our copious organic vegan breakfast, followed by a workshop on ideas for a healthy vegan breakfast and a certificate of your participation of this workshop
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2012

Saturday, 27. October - Wednesday, 31. October: 5-day yoga retreat YOGA & NATURE
Our 7 participants arrived from Munich/Germany under the blue October sky of Provence
Our guest yoga instructor Gabi, certified in the traditional B.K.S. Iyengar method, led this 5-day yoga retreat with twice-daily practice; the students were introduced to basic and advanced Iyengar postures with the support of blocks and belts

2013

 26 - 31 October
yoga workshop hotel Moulin du Chateau ***
 6 - 8 September yoga weekend
In this workshop we discovered yoga for complete beginners; this was Conny's first experience with yoga ever. Running from Friday late afternoon until Sunday afternoon we practiced a total of 10 hours of yoga, including asanas, philosophy and lovely weather in Provence ...

15 - 23 June private 5-day yoga course
For the second year in a row Patrick and Maria from Munich came to La Vudèle to enjoy 6 days of private yoga practice under the Provencal sky

2014

6 - 8. June (in English)
12 -14 September (auf deutsch)

Weekends of yoga outdoors, blue skies, sun, fresh air and warmth. The June date with focus on meditation and pranayamas, the September date with an introduction to the 7 chakras. For the September date we welcomed a return visitor from last year, Conny!

personalized private yoga course

 26. - 30. August:  (5 days, 2 times per day)
one beginner, one regular practitioner until 2 years ago

Patrick and Maria from Munich/Germany contacted Claudia to ask for a tailored yoga course in Provence.
Based on the questionnaire sent out in advance to assess needs and expectations the focus was on introducing the beginner to yoga in general, to expose her to the various aspects of yoga practice, basic poses and mental awareness. The previously regular practitioner needed to have his knee and back problems addressed, with careful attention to his fragile neck.
In this course the morning sessions served to energize the body & mind for the day ahead, whereas the afternoon sessions focused on calming the mind and bringing the body back into alignment. All morning sessions were held at La Vudèle, with the rising sun in our faces; most afternoon sessions were held at the foot of our olive grove, to connect with another element of nature, wood.
The schedule was adapted to the needs and progress of the two attendees:

day 1 morning: forward = calming                                   day 1 afternoon: standing = balancing
day 2 morning: inversions = back problems                       day 2 afternoon: arms = relieves stress of repetitive tasks (PC)
day 3 morning: standing = strength and balance               day3 afternoon: core = balance, stronger back
day4 morning: backbends = energizing                            day 4 afternoon: inversions & forward bends = mental balance, back
day 5 morning: core for strength and balance                   day 5 afternoon: partner yoga

The morning sessions were held at La Vudèlewith the first rays of the sun warming our faces
around 7:30 ~

After 5 days of intensive yoga practice coupled with mental awareness, meditation and relaxation the two had accomplished a lot: Patrick had regained a lot of his previous flexibility, a lot strength but also realized his weakness - balance - is something he needs to continue to practice; Maria was very happy with her first exposure to yoga. They left with the guidebook of the yoga sequences they had learnt and practiced throughout this workshop in order to continue their practice during their second week of vacation in Provence and of course at home in Munich.
Bon voyage & bonne continuation!
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  • home
  • about
  • yoga
    • yoga practice
    • yoga classes
    • yoga & nature retreats >
      • yoga & nature retreats 2018
      • yoga & nature retreats 2017
      • yoga & nature retreats 2016
  • vegan & cooking
    • recipes
    • going vegan
    • cooking for....
    • cooking with...
    • vegan chef & food guide
    • Vegan in Provence
  • organic lifestyle
    • C'etrange vegan cosmetics
  • projects
  • my blog
  • contact