9 Day Yoga, Hiking and Spa Holiday in Kiso Valley with Clive Fogelman

Overview

See a peaceful old-world Japan while staying in a 5-star traditional Ryokan on this healthy and inspirational yoga holiday.

During the holiday, you will walk through the beautiful Kiso valley during cherry blossom season, visit waterfalls and rural villages, meditate in a wonderful Japanese temple, try your hand at calligraphy, soba noodle, and chopstick making and enjoy relaxation time in a wonderful 5-star traditional Ryokan with Onsen hot spring spa baths and on-site massages.

You will begin the 9- day magical journey together in Tokyo, where you will meet, dine and have one night in the Park Hotel Tokyo, to have the opportunity to see Tokyo and give your body time to rest. The next day after breakfast you will take the train together through stunning scenery, via Nagano, before arriving at the retreat center in the Kiso valley. There will be guided walking on beautiful trails on most days of the holiday, a few fun workshops (Calligraphy, Soba noodle, and chopstick making), and inspirational yoga classes twice daily (before breakfast and dinner). All activities are optional.

Your experienced and intuitive instructor for this holiday is Clive Fogelman who has been working with Bluerise Retreats for many years. He has a creative, inclusive, and open-minded approach to yoga and meditation offering variations for all levels. Throughout the holiday, Clive will guide you in cultivating an intuition for what your body needs while building strength, creating flexibility, and letting go of tension and stress. You will also leave the holiday with many tools that you can integrate into daily life when you return home.

This holiday will offer a variety of yoga styles, including; Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, and Restorative Yoga with mindfulness and meditation.

The hikes

Experience guided walks through the stunning Kiso valley during the cherry blossom season. Bluerise Retreats' gentle half-day hikes last 2-4 hours (including stopping for lunch) with plenty of time to take in the beautiful views. On your hikes, you will visit some wonderful rural villages along the Nakasendo trail. No prior fitness level is required. All hikes are optional.

Schedule

Day 1

• Travelling day
• From 15:00 Check in at Tokyo Park Hotel (under ‘Bluerise Retreats’)
• 18:00 Meet and Greet in the hotel lobby
• 19:30 Dinner together at a great nearby restaurant

Day 2

• 08:30 Breakfast
• 10:30 Meet in the hotel lobby and forward main baggage to the retreat center
• 11:24 Take the train and see the sights together from Tokyo to Nagano
• Light lunch on the train (for a taste of typical Japanese culture)
• 12:52 Arrive at Nagano
• 13:00 Take the train together from Nagano to Kiso
• 14:33 Arrive at Kiso
• 15:00 Private transfer to the retreat center
• 15:30 Arrive at your Ryokan and check-in
• Healthy refreshments available
• 16:30-17:45 Restorative and Yin Yoga with meditation
• Onsen hot spring baths and relaxing time
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 3

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• Collect your main luggage from the lobby
• Massages, Onsen hot springs, and free time to relax
• 11:30 Nice easy hike in the surrounding area
• Picnic in nature on the way
• 13:30 Return to the Ryokan
• 14:00 Optional Calligraphy workshop
• Massages, Onsen hot springs, and free time to relax
• 16:15 Refreshments available
• 16:30-17:45 Restorative and Yin yoga with meditation
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 4

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:30 Private transfer to Kiso train station
• 11:04 Train to Yabuhara
• 11:20 Hike through beautiful scenery to Narai
• Stopping for lunch and sightseeing on the way (lunch at own expense – approximately 2000 JPY)
• 15:25 Train from Narai to Kiso
• 16:00 Private transfer back to the Ryokan
• Refreshments available on arrival
• 16:30-17:45 Restorative and Yin yoga with meditation
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 5

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:30 Private transfer to Kiso culture center
• Japanese culture day (including lunch) at a wonderful center in Kiso.
• Chopstick making and soba noodle making workshops
• 16:00 Private transfer back to the Ryokan
• Refreshments available on arrival
• 16:30-17:45 Restorative and Yin yoga with meditation
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 6

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:00 Taxi to Magome (1.5 hours)
• Hike day (including lunch) along the incredible Nakasendo trail
• 15:00 Return to Ryokan by taxi
• Refreshments available on arrival
• 16:30-17:45 Restorative and Yin yoga with meditation
• Massages, Onsen hot springs, and free time to relax
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 7

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:30 Private transfer to Kiso
• Sightseeing in beautiful Kiso
• 12:00 Lunch at the Old Town (at own expense)
• Local craftwork shopping and public footbath
• 14:30 Kozenji Temple for a restorative and Yin yoga session with meditation in the temple
• 16:00 Private transfer back to the Ryokan
• Refreshments available on arrival
• Massages, Onsen hot springs, and free time to relax
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 8

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:00 Transfer to Otaki village by bus
• Hike to Satomiya Shrine and sacred waterfalls
• Picnic in nature on the way
• 15:30 Transfer back to the Ryokan by bus
• Refreshments available on arrival
• 16:30-17:45 Restorative and Yin yoga with meditation
• Massages, Onsen hot springs, and free time to relax
• 19:30 Dinner

Day 9

• 07:00-08:00 A fusion of mindful Hatha, Vinyasa, and Dynamic yoga
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 09:30 Check out and transfer to Kiso Station
• 10:30 Depart for your next destination
• Travelling day

• Calligraphy workshop
• Japanese culture day in Kiso (chopstick making and soba noodle making workshops)
• Guided hike along Nakasendo trail and Kiso Valley

This holiday will start in Tokyo, then you will travel to Kiso Valley. The Kiso Valley (木曽路, Kisoji) is located in Nagano Prefecture, and runs alongside the mountains of the Central Alps in Japan.

From the early 1600s until the late 1800s, the Nakasendo (“path through mountains”) served as a vital travel artery, connecting Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). 70 km of this ancient trade route ran through Kiso along with 11 of it’s ‘post towns’; from Magome in the south to Niekawa in the north. Restrictions enforced by the shogunate in the 17th and 18th centuries meant that travelers had to make their trip on foot, which lead to the development of post towns every few kilometers to provide travelers with places to eat and rest.

Along the Kiso Valley, a few post towns, particularly Magome, Tsumago and Narai, have been incredibly well preserved to look as they did when they served travelers of the Nakasendo. On your walks, through the Kiso valley, you will be able to enjoy the stone paths and traditional wooden Japanese buildings of a bygone era.

Some Kiso facts:

• The Kiso Valley is bordered by the Central Alps to the east and Mt Ontake to the west
• The wooden products you find for sale around Kiso are made from top quality hinoki cypress; prized by emperors, it will last for centuries
• The Ontake faith is a blend of Shinto, esoteric Buddhism, and ancient shamanic practices
• At 3,067 meters, Mt Ontake is Japan’s second-highest volcano after Mt Fuji

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The quality of the food on the holiday is very important to Bluerise Retreats. You will enjoy healthy, nutritional meals carefully chosen by the local chef to complement the holiday perfectly. The food will be absolutely delicious and mostly vegetarian or vegan but you can opt for fish or meat when booking your retreat. Please inform Bluerise Retreats your dietary requirement when booking. They use organic and local produce where possible.

There will be 1 full body massage included in the package.

• A full body massage
• 1 night at the Park Hotel Tokyo
• 7 nights accommodation in a 5-star traditional Japanese Ryokan in the Kiso valley
• Healthy and delicious meals. Breakfast, most lunches, and dinner (lunch at local restaurants at your own expense on 3 occasions)
• A full week of yoga classes (check the retreat schedule for detailed info)
• Guided walks through the Kiso valley and along the Nakasendo trail
• A calligraphy workshop
• Yoga and meditation in a traditional Japanese temple
• An optional visit to the Kiso culture center to learn about Japanese traditions and take part in fun workshops like chopstick making
• All travel between Tokyo and the retreat center

• 3 lunches
• Airport transfers
• Everything else not mentioned in the inclusion

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 31% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.