5 Day Sound Healing and Yoga Holiday in Abruzzi National Park, Italy
Transformative Yoga Retreat Italy
Retreat yourself in this peaceful organic farm, a real treasure situated at the foot of a beautiful mountain in the majestic Abruzzi National Park, an undiscovered gem in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. Experience the real countryside Italian lifestyle, out of the touristic trails, and surrounded by a stunning nature.
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- 1 morning yoga class
- 1 hour sound healing session
- Meet like-minded people and make new friends
- One Reiki or massage treatment
- 4 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfasts and dinners
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Yoga styles
Accommodation
Facilities
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Special menu request
- Yoga studio
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
All of the rooms have terracotta tiles, beautifully hand painted trees and wildlife on the walls, and wood furniture with hand-carved details. All beds are new and comfortable, so you can be assured that you will have a pleasant night’s sleep during your stay.
The rooms have been recently restored and are equipped with a fan in the summer and a heating unit in the colder months. AC is also provided for an additional cost of 5 EUR per day in the ensuite rooms. However, all of the rooms are made of limestone walls which keeps them quite cool in the summer and AC is not necessary for most of the guests.
Italy Farm Stay is located at the foot of a beautiful mountain, so summer nights are much cooler than Rome or Naples. A crib is available for families traveling with young children. There is also the opportunity to camp for the more adventurous people and you can choose to bring your equipment or rent a cozy tent with bed inside and all you need for your comfort.
Extra services
- Laundry (4.50 EUR) - Soap included; the big washing machine can fit up to eight kilos or 17. 6 pounds
- Internet access - Free Wi-Fi access with your laptop. Wi-Fi is only available in the public areas. From the desktop computer: 1.40 EUR for 30 minutes or 2.50 EUR for one hour. Internet is also available at the public library in town for 0.50 EUR for 30 minutes or 1 EUR for one hour
- Room service - Weekly change of sheets and room cleaning every three days
Program
Other than daily multi-style yoga classes suitable for all levels practitioners (Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Nidra), group and private sound healing immersions with Tibetan singing bowls and sound meditations, you can relax in the peaceful farm, rumble around the beautiful forest, enjoy delicious homemade meals and eat fresh organic juicy fruits directly picked from the trees.
If you are a more active person, you can participate in a wide range of outdoor activities such as horseback riding, day hikes to waterfalls and lake reserve, wine tours, paragliding, and much more.
What are you waiting for? Give yourself the opportunity to practice yoga and experience sound healing in this beautiful place Mother Nature has to offer you and let the powerful and healing sound of the Tibetan singing bowls lead you in a journey to your essence!
Sound healing is an effective modality that use vibrational sounds to help and reduce stress and create a deep sense of peace, well being bringing to a better health. Singing bowls have been used for mental and emotional healing as they have several benefits at the level of your physical, emotional, and spiritual body. To mention just a few of them:
- Pain relief
- Improve blood and fluid circulation
- Regulate blood pressure
- Reducing stress
- Improve the functioning of immune system
- Improve relaxation
- Improve mental clarity
- Relieve symptoms of anxiety
Sound tools, as the Tibetan singing bowls, allow the brain to move into deeper Alpha and Theta brain waves frequencies, which induce deep meditative states of mind, relaxation, and peacefulness.
Sound is a type of energy medicine that allows the creation of a safe and sacred space in which people can heal from stress disorders, emotional roller coaster, and other psychosomatic diseases.
Sample daily schedule
Day 1
- 14:00 Check in and welcome
- Free time and optional outdoors activities
- 17:00 - 18:30 Sunset Vinyasa yoga
- 20:00 Dinner
- 21:00 Spiritual movie night
Day 2
- 07:30 - 09:00 Morning Hatha yoga flow
- 09.00 - 10:00 Breakfast
- Free time and optional outdoor activities
- 16:30 - 17:15 Sound healing (group session)
- 17:30 - 19:00 Sunset Vinyasa yoga
- 19:30 Dinner
- 21:00 - 21:45 Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep)
Day 3
- 07:30 - 09:00 Morning Hatha yoga flow
- 09.00 - 10:00 Breakfast
- Free time and optional outdoor activities
- 16:30 - 17:15 Sound healing (group session)
- 17:30 - 19:00 Sunset Vinyasa yoga
- 20:00 Dinner
- 21:00 - 21:45 Sound meditation
Day 4
- 07:30 - 09:00 Morning Hatha yoga flow
- 09.00 - 10:00 Breakfast
- Free time and optional outdoor activities
- 16:30 - 17:15 Sound healing (group session)
- 17:30 - 19:00 Yin yoga
- 20:00 Dinner
- Final ceremony
Day 5
- 07:30 - 09:00 Morning Hatha yoga flow
- 09.00 - 10:00 Breakfast
- 10:00 - 11:00 Check out
- 11:00 - 12:00 Farewell
Instructors
Virna Ballerio
Virna is a passionate and enthusiastic yoga teacher (RYT 500 Yoga Alliance). For the past six years, she has expanded her non formal education by living a nomadic life, traveling the world and researching personal transformational growth and discovering new spiritual paths. She is a Doctor of Psychology specialized in Mindfulness and Body Relaxation Techniques aimed to prevent and reduce anxiety and stress-related disorders. Other than that she is a sound healer and naturopath.
Retreat location
Italy Farm Stay is located directly between Rome and Naples, about two hours from each city, and is well served by buses, trains, and highways. The closest bus and train station is in the nearby town of Sora. Once in Sora, you can catch a taxi for 10 EUR. They can provide you with a number to prearrange that.
The farm is located in the small village of Pescosolido, at the foot of the Abruzzi National Park. The area around the farm is one of the most beautiful places in Italy; mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails, lakes, wildlife, and many interesting ruins, churches, and castles are easily accessible and the area is not filled with tourists like other parts of Italy.
The farm is close to the town of Sora (about 35,000 inhabitants) where you can eat at local restaurants, stroll along the lively main street, visit the numerous shops, cafés, and pubs, use the internet, or go to the open air market on Thursday mornings. The farm itself is a large property where guests can roam around, eat fresh fruit, spend time with the animals, relax in the shade of an olive tree, or hike around the trails in their beautiful forest.
Food
ItalyFarmStay tries to be as self-sufficient as possible while creating nutritious and selectable meals for the guests. Ingredients such as vegetables, fruit, potatoes, eggs, meat, olive oil, and wine all come directly from the farm. They raise few animals such as chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, and occasionally pigs so that they can have healthy, organic meat, eggs, and milk.
They often make handmade pasta, breads, cakes, and pies for guests to enjoy. Due to the abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit, they can serve vegetarian, vegan, and raw vegan food. If you have a special diet, please do not hesitate to tell them and they will try to accommodate you.
Breakfast (included) on the farm takes place between 8 and 10 a.m. and is a traditional Italian breakfast. It includes coffee, tea, homemade seasonal jam, bread, milk, biscuits. Fruit and vegetables from the farm are often included in the breakfast and farm-fresh goat milk is sometimes available upon request.
Lunch (not included - 8,50 EUR): Pasta, salad, omelette or beans.
Dinner (included) on the farm is a special time to sit together and have the opportunity to eat a traditional Italian meal full of wholesome food from a wide variety of farm products.
Dinner includes two dishes: usually, a pasta dish (often the pasta is homemade by hand that day) followed by a plate that can include seasonal vegetables, fresh salad, local hand made cheese, homegrown potatoes, eggs from the farm, lentils, or beans.
Non-vegetarian meal is available on request. It offers a dish with local selected meat such as steak, chicken or pork. The meal is also accompanied by local bread.
Sandwiches (not included - 4,50 EUR) are also available throughout the day for the guests upon request. The sandwiches are made with fresh bread and local ingredients, mostly from the farm. The sandwich can include local cheeses, fresh seasonal produce, meat, or eggs. Classic choices include thin-sliced homemade prosciutto with savory ricotta or a frittata (omelette) with farm fresh eggs and handpicked vegetables.
Fresh organic fruit free for all the guests. All guests are welcome to pick and eat from the abundance of fruit that comes from the farm. It is an indescribable pleasure to eat fresh organic fruit directly from the trees.
On the farm, they handpick their fruits when they are perfectly ripe so that you can enjoy the full flavor of each fruit. They have a wide variety of fruits available, especially in late spring, summer and fall. Among them are: figs, plums, peaches, cherries, persimmons, apples, pears, grapes, apricots, berries, and nuts. Please help yourself!
Wine – 5,00 EUR one liter, 2,50 EUR half a liter, 1,50 EUR a quarte of a liter. The wine on the farm is homemade from a wide variety of grapes that they grow and harvest by hand in September. There is both red and white wine available upon request. Guests may purchase wine to drink while they are on the farm. Their wine does not contain added sulphites.
"Their mission is to serve seasonally fresh, organic, healthy food at affordable prices for guests to enjoy. As the global food market has become detached from local farmers and artisans of hand-crafted food, it is important to them that people see where their food comes from, and how it is grown, cared for, harvested, and prepared.
They practice organic agriculture on the farm and they encourage guests to learn more about the benefits of the organic food process. All of the guests are given a farm tour upon arrival and questions are happily encouraged. If the guests wish, they can also participate in daily farm activities. They hope this type of education will help the global food market embrace a more localized and seasonal food consciousness."
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
Things to do (optional)
Horseback Riding
Explore one of the most beautiful valleys in the Abruzzi region from a horse! You will ride along a beautiful river, visit a 13th century church ruin, and have incredible views of an old castle and the surrounding area. The horses are friendly and well kept, and they can accommodate beginners or people with more experience. Price per person: euro 39 per person
Day hike
Walk along the beautiful valley of San Piedro in the Abruzzo National Park with a local guide. On the hike, you will see the surrounding mountains, walk along a gorge, and visit a beautiful waterfall where you can swim in the refreshing water.
Italian cooking class
Learn how to make homemade pasta with fresh ingredients at a local restaurant. This traditional Italian meal will then be part of the dinner that all the guests can enjoy. The price of the cooking class is 42 EUR per person.
Italian language course
Learning Italian will help you get around Italy while you are traveling! The classes are offered for beginners or more advanced speakers. Spend a little bit of time learning the language of love; the price is 20 EUR per person starting from 2 people (30 EUR for private class).
Overnight hike
Hike along the mountainside to the top of a beautiful mountain and sleep among the stars. You will see beautiful views of the Abruzzo National Park, sleep in a traditional mountain hut, and cook food from the farm over an open fire. This is truly a magical experience! The price is 110 EUR per person.
Paragliding
Fly through the sky and touch a cloud with your finger! Float above the mountains and the surrounding area in the Cassino valley with an experienced paragliding instructor. Specific weather conditions are needed to fly. The price per person is 110 EUR.
Visit the local shepherd
Take part in an old family tradition in the Italian countryside. The shepherd’s family has been making cheese and herding sheep for generations. You can watch the local shepherd and learn how to make pecorino and fresh ricotta cheese. The price is 18 EUR each for a group of three or more.
Visit the nearby organic farm
Italycountrystay are affiliated to a certified organic farm just a 20 minutes’ walk down the road that you are welcome to visit. There you can meet other travelers from all over the world, visit the farm animals, or see the vegetable garden and eat fresh fruit straight from the trees.
Visit the town of Sora
Every Thursday morning, there is a large outdoor market in Sora, which is a great way to get fresh local goods and experience local culture. For people interested in hiking, there is a shorter hike of about 45 minutes up to a castle ruin overlooking the town. It isn't your typical touristy European-style castle, the entrance is free, and you get a 360-degree view of the entire valley while venturing on the old castle walls.
Wine tour
Take a tour of a unique vineyard in their close by neighborhood and learn how to make biodynamic wine. Biodynamic agriculture aims to be as much in harmony with nature as possible, with almost no use of chemicals. This wine is made from a unique type of grapes that only exists in this area. The wine tour is 30 EUR per person. You will have to the chance to visit this beautiful region, see how this special wine is made, and taste for your self how delicious it is.
Spa treatments
Included in this package is a choice between a Reiki or massage treatment.
Extra treatment such as reiki or massage is euro 60
What's included
- Morning yoga class
- 1 treatment: Reiki or massage
- 4 nights accommodation
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- sound healing session
- Fresh organic fruit
What's not included
- Transportation:
- taxi from Sora closeby station euro 12 day rate and 20 night rate.
- Extra activities not mentioned in the package
- Lunch euro 13: although our guests rarely request lunch since the breakfast happens after the yoga and it is quite rich.
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
86 km
Transfer not provided
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
116 km
Transfer not provided
Naples International Airport
110 km
Transfer not provided
From Rome and All Points North:
- By bus: The easiest way to get to the farm from Rome is by bus (ticket is 6.10 EUR, can be purchased at the station). The bus leaves frequently throughout the day, even on Sundays and holidays. To catch the bus to Sora, you must go to the Anagnina Bus Station in Rome by taking the Metro line A (the Metro takes about 25 minutes from the Termini station, Anagnina is the last stop on line A). The bus to Sora leaves from platform 10. The station in Sora is the last stop on the bus, so while you are on the bus, you can relax and not worry about missing your stop. See directions “From Sora” to get from Sora to the farm.
- By train: You need to catch the train at Rome Termini station for Roccasecca, then shift for Sora. Make sure to check the train schedule for Sora before you leave Rome so you do not get stuck in Roccasecca. If you plan to arrive in Sora in the late afternoon we recommend taking the bus. See directions “From Sora” to get from Sora to the farm.
- By car: In Rome, you will need to take the A1 towards Naples. You will exit at Ferentino and follow the signs to Sora. From Sora, the farm is about 10 minutes by car. They will email you directions from Sora to the farm by car when you confirm your reservation.
From Naples and All Points South:
- By bus: There are direct, comfortable buses to Sora. They leave at pizza Garibaldi in front of Naples main station. It costs around 15 EUR. Make sure you ask the bus driver to let you know when you arrive at Sora station. To check bus schedules and buy tickets you can check these websites: BalTour or RomaMarcheLinee
- By train: You need to catch a train to Cassino or Roccasecca and then you can either catch a bus or a train to Sora, depending on the time. Be sure to check the train schedule in Naples so you do not get stuck in Cassino or Roccasecca. See directions “From Sora” to get from Sora to the farm.
- By car: In Naples, you will need to take the A1 towards Rome. You will exit at Cassino and follow the Signs for Sora, eventually, you will exit at Sora Centro. From Sora, the farm is about 10 minutes by car. They will email you directions from Sora to the farm by car when you confirm your reservation.
From Pescara
- By train: You will need to catch a train to Avezzano (you may have to switch trains in Sulmona depending on the time schedule). From Avezzano you can catch a train to Sora. See directions “From Sora” to get from Sora to the farm.
From Sora
Once in Sora, you can catch a taxi. It costs 10 EUR. If the taxi person is not at the station you can phone Italy Farm Stay and they will help you with that. There are payphones or you can ask help at the local police station by the train/bus station. They are very helpful. The taxi person knows exactly where Italy Farm Stay is. If you are flexible with the time of arrival. Italy Farm Stay suggests you catch the 14:20 bus from Rome. So that you can share the taxi with other guests and split the cost of 10 EUR.
Private shuttle
Italy Farm Stay can also organize for you a shuttle service from Rome, Naples and other cities. By taxi, nine people van and large buses. Do not hesitate to ask them more questions about that.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 17% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.