During this retreat, you will be staying at abeautiful Corfiot villa, located just a stone throw away from Almyros beach and offers breathtaking views of the Albanian coast. Substantial gardens located at the front and rear of the Just Relax's villa are blooming with trees and tropical flowers, creating a beautiful environment for you to relax and unwind.

Within the villa, Just Relax offers five size-able bedrooms, each with a picturesque balcony offering panoramic mountain or sea views, as well as a large attic room. Just Relax welcomes a maximum of 14 guests per week to the retreat, ensuring an intimate experience for all guests.

The villa has been decorated in a traditional Greek Ionian theme, with comfortable beds designed to give you restful sleep throughout your stay. All of the beds are draped in 100% cotton, while luxury bath towels and toiletries are provided for you. Some bedrooms benefit from en-suite bathrooms, while others share an adjacent bathroom with the neighboring room

Facilities included on the package that are available from the villa: sun beds and parasols, yoga equipment, WiFi and washing machine .

Aphrodite room

Aphrodite rooms have double bed with private balcony. Perfect for couples, the ground floor Aphrodite bedroom hosts a comfortable double bed and spacious private balcony. The room boats panoramic mountain views and shares a bathroom with Hermes.

Ares room

Ares rooms have two single beds with private bathroom. The Ares suite is a double bedroom located on the first floor. Ares has two comfy single beds with and a private bathroom, including shower and bath. The room has a shared balcony which offers stunning, panoramic sea views. When required, this room can be booked as a suite for one person.

Attic Hlios

Hlios attic space has four single beds and a beautiful sea view. The room is fitted with air conditioning and shares a bathroom with the other attic area, which is used as the yoga teacher's accommodation.

Cronos room

Cronos rooms have double bed with private bathroom. Located on the first floor, Cronos offers a comfortable double bed with a private bathroom, including toilet and shower. The room has a shared balcony with Ares and offers stunning panoramic sea views.

Hermes room

Hermes rooms have two single beds and equipped with private balcony. The ground floor Hermes room has two comfortable single beds, as well as a spacious private balcony offering panoramic mountain views. The room is perfect for friends embarking on a joint yoga retreat. It shares a bathroom with the adjacent Aphrodite room. When required, this room can be booked as a suite for a single person.

At Just Relax, yoga holidays have no rules or regulations. You are encouraged to take the time to enjoy your well-earned break, as well as practice yoga in twice daily sessions (morning and evening). Additional activities are also made available to you, allowing you to shape your yoga retreat into the holiday of a lifetime.

Yoga holidays run Saturday to Saturday with yoga, beginning on the Sunday morning or Saturday evening. For your first night in Corfu, a welcome Greek vegetarian dinner will be organized at the villa. Your daily schedule will depend on the teacher and the month.

Sample daily schedule

• 8:30 - 10:00 : Yoga session
• 10:00 - 11:30: Breakfast/ Brunch
• 11:30 - 17:30 : Free time
• 17:30 - 19:00 : Evening yoga session
• 19:30 - 21:30 : Healthy Dinner (Greek buffet)

On Tuesday afternoon, if the weather is good, Just Relax will bring you by minibus to Cape Drastis, where a boat will take you to a peninsula for a unique yoga session. Afterwards, you will also be brough to Seventh Heaven Cafe and Bar for an amazing sunset. Thursday will be your free day, the opportunity for you to explore the Island of Corfu. On Friday night, your last night, you will share your last moments together around a dinner at the villa.

Please note if the weather is not good for the boat trip on Tuesday, Just Relax will try to manage to reschedule it to the following days.

Instructors

• Pip Roberts

Retreat week: April 29 to May 6, 2017.

Expect this week to be light hearted and fun, yoga for "real life" and plenty of natural movement and easeful flows in the morning before restoring with a slower practice in the afternoon.

• Rishin Paonaskar

Retreat week: May 6 to May 13, 2017.

• Jessica Wood

Retreat week: May 13 to May 20, 2017.

Jessica’s classes in the morning will be a 90 minutes creative and dynamic flow incorporating pranayama. Jessica’s evening classes will be more restorative and will incorporate yin and meditation. Between classes Jessica is keen to help refine peoples practice, help with inversions and play around with acroyoga.

• Ligia Cannon

Retreat week: May 20 to May 27, 2017.

• Suzie Smith

Retreat week: May 27 to June 3, 2017.

• Jon Cinque

Retreat week: June 3 to June 10, 2017.

The morning will mainly be a rocket-based practice, which offers a different sequence every day. The sequences are ashtanga primary series, rocket 1, rocket 2, modified primary series, and even rocket 3 if people are feeling up to it. The sequences are adaptable to be done by anyone, but they should be somewhat challenging. In the evening, it'll start with yin or restorative, followed by yoga nidra, pranayama, or mindfulness meditation.

• Rosana Fiore

Retreat week: June 10 to June 17, 2017.

• Kate Lister

Retreat week: June 17 to June 24, 2017.

• Diane van Der Voort

Retreat week: June 24 to July 1, 2017.

In her classes she will not only focus on postures (asanas), she will help you to become more aware of how you do yoga. This can benefit your yoga practice and how you perceive and react to your surroundings. Some meditation, pranayama, chi-kung and activation of chakras will be included.

• Yvonne Manzi

Retreat week: July 1 to July 8, 2017.

• Julee Yew-Crijns

Retreat week: July 8 to July 15, 2017.

Julee’s classes are playful, dynamic and flowing, sequenced to take you into a different peak pose each time. This is the way of Prana Flow yoga, focused on moving with the breath, and tuning in to the body’s intelligent alignment, to find balanced action in your practice and leave each class feeling lifted.

• Marion M Santi

Retreat week: July 15 to July 22, 2017.

She proposes a slow but intense flow that works on both breathing, endurance and deep connection to the Self. Shakti Yoga is a one hour and a half class which combine this dimension and Lithotherapy as the final meditation is done with the help of gemstones and semi-precious stones.

• Ki'Danza (Antonella Gibilisco)

Retreat week: July 22 to July 29, 2017.

Experience the pleasure of balanced movement with Ki’Danza. By combining kinesiology with dance and music in a playful way, this method stimulates your vitality and inner balance. A logical sequence of choreographed movements immediately rebalances your body, mind and emotions. Ki’Danza highlights your potential and helps build your self-confidence.

• Lauren Tai

Retreat week: July 29 to August 5, 2017.

Lauren’s classes are for all levels, with many options given so there is something for everyone. With the belief that yoga doesn’t need to be taken too seriously, expect a chance to play, explore and have fun.

The morning class will be a 90 minute dynamic Vinyasa flow with opportunities for arm balances, inversions and back bends. The afternoon classes will be more restorative, a chance to turn the awareness inwards, relax and restore the mind and body.

• Lauren Kubitschek

Retreat week August 5 to August 12, 2017.

• Melina Kirtata

Retreat week: August 12 to August 19, 2017.

During her retreat week she will teach you how to find your balance by working on your body and mind. You will leave absolute relaxed and refreshed with a big smile on your face!

• Flavia Cerrone

Retreat week: August 19 to August 26, 2017.

• Sarah Norton

Retreat week: August 26 to September 2, 2017.

Sarah’s Hatha classes are a mix of deep restoring stretches, energetic flows and long holds to get the body moving and make the core strong. She enjoys laughter in her classes, and encourages everyone to make a fool of themselves at least once a day.

• Angie Pollacchi

Retreat week: September 2 to September 9, 2017.

Angie combines pranayama and asana cues with (what she considers to be) humour and aims to facilitate a practice that allows you to work your body, get out of any stagnant thoughts or mindsets and explore a calmer, more connected sense of self.

• Sara Fusaro

Retreat week: September 9 to 16, 2017.

During her classes she uses her extensive knowledge and keen eye to adapt each pose according to individual needs and thereby better facilitate personal growth and inner confidence.

• Bridget Finke

Retreat week: September 16 to September 23, 2017.

• Marc Laws II

Retreat week September 23 to September 30, 2017

• 

  Sarah Norton

  Sarah's Hatha classes are a mix of deep restoring stretches, energetic flows, and long holds to get the body moving and make the core strong. She enjoys laughter in her classes, and encourages everyone to make a fool of themselves at least once a day.

• 

  Julee Yew-Crijns

  Julee's classes are playful, dynamic and flowing, sequenced to take you into a different peak pose each time. This is the way of Prana Flow yoga, focused on moving with the breath, and tuning in to the body's intelligent alignment, to find balanced action in your practice and leave each class feeling lifted.

• 

  Marc Laws

  He practices using theme, music and awareness of the senses, breath, flow and meditation. Drawing from different modalities of yoga. Hosting an environment to learn more about Self and empowering ones self on the adventure we call life. His personal mantra to live by: Never look down on a person unless you’re helping them up.

• 

  Rishin Paonaksar

  Yoga Alliance RYT 200 (Power Yoga)

  Rishin grew up in India, and although yoga was taught at his school, he didn't take it up until several years later to recuperate from a cycling injury. In 2012, he left a career in banking to start his own food business and also completed his 200 hour Yoga Alliance training at Hot Power yoga. He has since then trained as a myofascial body worker with senior Forrest yoga teachers Jambo Truong and Brian Campbell and as a yoga sports coach with the Institute of Yoga Sport Science. He teaches classes and workshops at studios around London as well as online classes.

• 

  Jessica Wood

  Yoga Alliance RYT 200 (Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga)

  Jessica grew up in between London and Hong Kong in a sports obsessed family. After injuring her right shoulder, Jessica was left unable to practice other sports and turned to yoga. Yoga helped her to manage the impingement in the right shoulder, but eventually she also found many other benefits of yoga. Jessica’s passion for yoga led her to do a 200 hour Ashtanga, Vinyasa yoga teacher training. Jessica’s class in the morning will be a 90-minute creative and dynamic flow incorporating pranayama and evening classes will be more restorative, incorporating Yin and meditation.

• 

  Ligia Cannon

  Ligia worked for years in London as an interior architect and she was hooked on exercise. She teaches a slow flow Vinyasa or Hatha focused on alignment and breath. She uses breath and mindfulness to bring attention to the body and calm or enliven the nervous system. When she teaches, she knows how important transitions are. Spaces of silence and stillness reset your nervous system. She likes to start slow and then move into poses, strong and with awareness. Breathe and align, tone and lengthen, calm and focused. She aims to leave her students feeling content and alive.

• 

  Suzie Smith

  Developing an unexpected and incurable yoga habit six years ago kicked-off Suzie's love affair with everything wellness related. Hobby soon turned to new path when she quit her office job in Central London and trained as a Vinyasa yoga teacher in Costa Rica. Immediately after her training, she traveled south through Latin America, teaching dynamic Vinyasa Flow classes in her fun and light-hearted style at studios and guesthouses, while exploring her passions for fitness and super foods in every possible way.

• 

  Jon Cinque

  Jon's first yoga experience was a packed donation-based class in New York with three inches between mats. Despite shaking limbs and a sweat-soaked mat, he found himself in a unique state after the hour, enjoying a vigorously energized body and creatively awakened mind. Through big changes and depressive episodes, yoga has been the stabilizing constant giving the opportunity to ground the body in a physical routine and ease the mind of stresses. After living benefits of a yoga practice for years, he pursued teacher training in London to share the practice with loved ones and new friends.

• 

  Rosana Fiore

  Though a long-time Iyengar style practitioner (over nine years), Rosana is relatively new to teaching yoga, but whether or not her poses look picture perfect does not dictate her abilities to lead, share, and love. She has a lot to give and to pass on, and have chosen this humbling way of living to keep learning from each and every one whose path may meet hers, whether a guru or a complete beginner. She specializes in athletes who need that extra bit of stretching, but likewise in those who mostly work in front of a computer. She also produces very successful kids' AcroYoga sessions.

• 

  Yvonne Manzi

  Sivananda Yoga Vedanta School Yoga Alliance RYT 200 (Sivananda Yoga)

  Having grown up in a family of yogis, for Yvonne yoga is a lifestyle. She began to take her practice seriously while at university, and ultimately completed her RYT 200 teacher training with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta School. Her classes are energizing and challenging, always following the classical Sivananda tradition with some variation. She values the importance of adapting each class in order to meet the student’s present needs and feelings, and always maintains a friendly, relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere.

• 

  Melina Kirtata

  Melina was born and grew up in Athens, where she graduated from the State School of Dance in 2003. During her prevocational attendance at school, she had sparse contact with Hatha yoga. That’s when her passion for yoga began. She decided to learn yoga in schools abroad, such as in Belgium and Amsterdam. Her most profound approach in Hatha yoga began with the teacher Andrea Provellengio, taking more substantial knowledge not only on the science of anatomy, psychology, but also on its philosophy. After training with Tanya Popovich, she moved and started teaching Hatha and Aerial yoga in Corfu.

• 

  Flavia Cerrone

  British Wheel of Yoga (Yoga)

  Yoga Alliance International (Yoga)

  When she first started practicing yoga, Flavia was surprised by the benefits she could experience after class, especially the sense of happiness and gratitude in addition to the physical well being. Life seemed a little easier after yoga and she resolved that she wanted to go deeper. She graduated from the triyoga teacher training program with distinctive grades under Jean Hall and Mimi Kuo-Deemer. She is now a British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance professional registered teacher and she is currently teaching assistant on the triyoga teacher training program.

• 

  Lauren Kubitschek

  Lauren truly believes that yoga is for everyone. She draws all her experience (Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Bikram) to build progressive sequences that foster steadiness, awareness, and a deep connection between breath and body. She will challenge you to move with ease through the process of strength and flexibility. She will also challenge you to move beyond this space, further inward, into yourself.

• 

  Antonella Gibilisco

  Antonella is Italian and grew up in German-speaking Switzerland before moving to Paris over 20 years ago. She is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher; she has been the director of her own dance structure named “D.TERMINE” since 2003. In parallel, she has been working as a kinesiologist and a certified instructor tutor in kinesiology for 13 years. She practices at the Centre de Formations et de Consultations en Kinésiologie (CCFK) in Paris, which she founded with Sophie Pascual and Anne Wojtyna. Her two passions have led her to create Ki’Danza, a method that combines dance and kinesiology.

• 

  Pip Roberts

  Pip holds the British Wheel of Yoga Diploma 500-hour course certificate in addition to being a certified strala guide having completed another 200-hours of training with Tara Stiles and Mike Taylor of StralaNYC as well as yin yoga training with Norman Blair from Indaba, London.

• 

  Sara Fusaro

  Sara was trained as a yoga teacher at Yoga London and achieved her 200-hr Yoga Alliance certificate followed by more hours of training, specializing in different styles. She continues to deepen her practice often traveling to have the opportunity to study with worldwide recognized teachers.

• 

  Kate Lister

  Kate found yoga the tender age of 14, and her practice has become increasingly important throughout her life. With a background in Ashtanga, training in Vinyasa Flow and Yin yoga, and an aversion to taking life too seriously, Kate shares playful, dynamic, breath-led sequencing with a focus on mindful alignment. She encourages students to find a personal practice in each class, so that they may cultivate their own yoga and experience the many ways in which it expands all areas of our human life. Also a professional singer, when Kate’s not on a yoga mat, she’ll likely be at the piano.

• 

  Marion M Santi

  Yoga came into her life more than 15 years ago through learning breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. During a stop of several months in India she discovered asanas, Indian philosophy and Vipassana meditation. Marion extracted the essence by going further in learning a new way of life, studying yoga therapy (200h Yoga Alliance) in Kerala. She went on a training in Ayurveda at Kerala Ayurveda Academy and Reiki in Thailand in which she trained on patients from psychiatric hospitals and cancer area. She teaches in various studios in Paris.

• 

  Diane van Der Voort

  Diane is an experienced and certified yoga teacher, taught over a 1000 classes, currently teaches Ashtanga yoga in combination with Vinyasa and has been teaching Bikram yoga previously. She is able to combine these relatively active(Yang) forms of yoga with a more relaxed Hatha yoga class. Depending on the level of each individual, she is able to guide you through the more challenging advanced yoga postures such as inversions & back bends, although never without a proper preparation. She has been teaching for the past 6,5 years.

• 

  Bridget Finke

  Bridget began practicing yoga in 2012 & she was initially drawn to the physical aspect of the practice. After doing her training in India & Indonesia, becoming a 500hr certified teacher, her knowledge of yoga deepened. When things in life cloud her vision, the breath and movement of yoga can bring her back to clarity, and that's why she admires teaching others. Emphasizing the harmony between mind & body is wonderful and rewarding to share. Her highest intention is to create a loving, healing space where people have the freedom to move intuitively & begin to deeply listen to their unique song.

• 

  Lauren Tai

  Lauren fell into yoga after getting injured through high impact sports and fell in love with it. Lauren loves the physical aspect of yoga, the challenge and the movement, but more importantly the yoga philosophy and meditative side to yoga which has really impacted her life both on and off the mat. Lauren’s classes are usually a strong and dynamic flow with an emphasis on finding the softness in the strength and the calm amongst the chaos. She likes working with creative sequencing, to move the body in different ways, encouraging people to feel into their bodies and refine their practice.

• 

  Angie Pollacchi

  Angie strongly believes in working with your body, rather than against it. Everybody's body is different and she encourages you to explore, celebrate and focus on your yoga practice, no one else’s! She creates practices that acknowledge individual body differences, contribute to strengthening and conditioning the body and the mind but primarily focus on encouraging a sense of self-awareness, compassion and care within a safe environment.

Offering a beautiful yet tranquil alternative to the bustling, cosmopolitan beach of Acharavi, Almyros is a peaceful paradise escape, perfect for those looking to take a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Almyros is located in the Corfu Island, Greece.

In addition to its picturesque setting, relaxed way of life and delectable food, the Greek island of Corfu is also steeped in cultural history. The origins of Corfu can be traced back as far as Greek mythology. The island's Greek name, Kerkyra, is related to two powerful water symbols; Poseidon, God of the sea, and Asopos, a prominent Greek river.

According to the myth, the God of the sea Poseidon fell in love with the beautiful nymph Korkyra and took her to this stunning but unnamed island. In marital bliss, Poseidon named the island Korkyra after his wife. This name gradually evolved throughout time to the Greek name of Kerkyra, which the island retains to this day.

In addition to Greek mythology, the island's history is also full of battles and conquests. With castles enclosing the islands capital Corfu town, it has been officially declared a Kastropolis, or castle city by the Greek government.

A picturesque landscape

With its rich, mountainous landscape, Corfu offers a beautiful view to its visitors. The Northern area of the island has preserved its natural and architectural environment, making it popular with visitors and locals alike.

Dominated by mountains, the island has a never ending expanse of rolling hills and blossoming trees, bursting with lush vegetation. Coastal areas offer tranquil white sandy beaches, while the shimmering blue sea provides a perfect backdrop to the green Corfiot countryside.

Daily breakfast, 1 Greek lunch and 5 Greek vegetarian dinners are included in the total cost of this retreat. Dinner is not included during the free day and the boat day. Lunch is served only on the boat day.

• Other lunches during the week

There are a few typical restaurants near our villa in Almyros beach and if you walk 15 to 20 minutes by the beach, you will reach Acharavi village, where you will find plenty of tavernas and restaurants to enjoy your lunch.

We decided not to include the lunches in the packages, to give you the opportunity to discover this amazing place and meet its amazing people! But if you prefer to stay in, Just Relax's villa will be your home for the week, so you will be able to cook and enjoy your lunch at the premises. You will have a plenty of snack available during the day. Also, the dinners are big enough so there is always food left for the day after.

A 20-minute welcome massage session is included in the total cost of this retreat.

• 1 yoga class on a peninsula for the evening yoga session if weather allows (you will travel to the peninsula by boat)
• 1 Greek lunch on the boat day
• 2 yoga sessions per day (morning and evening)
• 5 Greek vegetarian dinners (no dinner during the free day and the boat day)
• 7 nights accommodation
• A 20-minute welcome massage session
• Daily breakfast
• Free use of bicycles
• Free use of villa's facilities, such as sun beds and parasols, yoga equipment, WiFi and washing machine
• Free day to explore, visit the island to do whatever you want

• Additional activities
• Airfare
• Airport transfers
• Dinners on free day and the boat day
• Lunch
• Personal expenses

Arrival by airplane

You can book your flight directly to Corfu International Airport (CFU).

Arrival by ferry

You can get to Corfu's New Port by direct ferry links to and from Venice, Ancona, Bari, Brindisi (Italy), Himara and Saranda (Albania) or Igoumenitsa, Patra (Greece). Outside the port, there is a parking lot with rental cars and taxis, and beyond that a public bus station.

Arrival by taxi

From the airport, you can reach the retreat location by local taxis for 61 EUR by taxi. Just Relax will try to group people together where is possible so you can share the cost. You can also take the local bus from the main Bus Station in Corfu Town.