8 Day Wellness Retreat in South Crete, Greece: From Mantras and Asanas into the Silence of Being
Yoga and Wellness Retreat in Greece
Nurture, heal, and listen to your inner being in a harmonious space of serenity, joy, and silence. This will be a moment in time that you will give to find yourself, supported by the healing energy of Crete, the island of light. Deepen your spiritual practice with daily yoga and mindfulness, yoga Nidra, Satsang, diving into full silence in the mornings, and one full day of silence in this supportive environment to enjoy beingness.
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Wonderful retreat with daily yoga practice in the morning and evenings
- Meditations and breathing exercises
- Kirtan (singing of mantras) sessions
- Stargazing with music
- Fire ceremony and ecstatic dance on the beach
- Silence day
- Healthy brunches, detoxing smoothies, and yogic dinners
- 7 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
Accommodation
Facilities
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Luggage room / storage
- Meditation garden
- Yoga shala
- Internet access
- Parking lot
- Wireless internet
- Outdoor shower
The house is an old stone house with a garden and a view to the Libyan Sea from all the rooms. There is space in the garden for relaxation in many private places. Om Shanti Yoga & Holidays has also restored all rooms to the original style of the house with natural stone, giving a refreshing feeling for the summer.
There are three double rooms, which will be shared during the retreats, all with mosquito nets and natural Coco-mat mattresses. There is also a space for having breakfast and dinner. Apart from the retreats, you can also use the yoga shala for private practice.
The bathrooms are one closed shower with an old olive tree inside and one outside shower under the fig tree, as well as various toilets and sinks.
They also have a small house separate from the main one (three minutes' walk away) which they rent when they are full at the center. This house has a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and terrace.
There are two double rooms that can be used as a single room to rent with an extra fee (the price is slightly higher there and needs a minimum of two people) and one more outside the house, also for two people.
Program
Day 1
- 17:30 Arrival on Sunday, July 27 or Friday, September 19
- Welcome round and Hatha yoga
- Dinner
- Get to know each other
Day 2
- 08:00 - 10:00 Meditation, pranayama, and heart-opening yoga
- Delicious brunch
- Free afternoon
- Beach, etc.
- No dinner at the center
Day 3
- Silence until after brunch
- 08:00 - 10:00 Meditation, pranayama, and yoga flow
- Brunch
- Free time, beach, etc.
- 17:30 Hatha yoga
- Bheirova (breathing exercises to prepare for meditation)
- 19:00 Dinner
- Kirtan
Day 4 - Whole day of silence
- 08:00 - 10:00 Meditation, pranayama, and Hatha yoga
- Brunch
- Free time there at the yoga center
- 17:30 Yin yoga, yoga Nidra
- 19:00 Dinner
- Stargazing with music
Day 5
- Silence until after brunch
- 08:00 - 10:00 Meditation, pranayama, and yoga
- Brunch
- Free time, beach, etc
- 17:30 Hatha yoga
- 19:00 Dinner
- Kirtan
Day 6
- 08:00 - 10:00 Meditation, pranayama, and heart-opening yoga
- Brunch
- Free time, beach, etc.
- 17:30 - 19:00 Hatha yoga
- Eye yoga
- 19:00 Dinner
- Free evening
Day 7
- 08:00 - 10:00 Meditation, pranayama, and yoga
- Brunch
- Free time and dinner on the beach
- 20:00 Meeting for fire ceremony and ecstatic dance on the beach
Day 8 (Departure day)
- 09:00 - 13:00 Meditation and Hatha yoga
- Final round
- Brunch
Included excursions
On one evening after dinner that you will have on the beach, the group will gather for a fire ceremony and ecstatic dance ceremony on the beach.
Instructors
Anja Hettich
Anja, also known as Apinaya, is an alternative healer, teacher of the new consciousness, and qualified Shivananda yoga teacher. She also teaches Yin Yoga, yoga flow and playing harmonium and singing mantras. She has also been studying with Iyengar yoga teachers for quite some time. Originally born in South Germany, she came to Crete, the island of light. Realizing that life is much more than what the eyes can see, her inner journey began and yoga and meditation came into her life, as well as different energy healing methods and massages. She has also been a Reiki master for more than 20 years.
Retreat location
Om Shanti Yoga and Holidays welcomes you to the retreat place, which is located in a small mountain village called Amiras (around 550 meters high) at the south coast of Crete, the island of light.
This area has the quietness of the mountains and the vastness of the Libyan Sea just in front of the house. The energy is so pure, amazing, and therefore perfect for yoga retreats, yoga holidays, Satsang, or any other holiday.
Maybe some questions about yourself and life will be answered through the stillness of the place and the harmonic energy around the retreat center. You can also hike in one of the only pine forests in Crete or relax on one of the most beautiful beaches.
There are Minoan temples and gorges in the area. It is still like the Crete of many years ago, with empty beaches and nice places to visit. There are also some small villages for shopping, etc., and beautiful taverns located along the seafront. Sunbeds and umbrellas are still provided for free in most places.
You can relax there. Let the soul dangle and come back into harmony with what you really are. The place radiates a harmonizing and healing energy that your soul desperately needs in this hectic time.
Om Shanti Yoga and Healing Crete is located 60 kilometers from Heraklion airport. You can come by bus or they can transfer you to the center or arrange a car for rent.
Unique features
General
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Kitchen
- Luggage room / storage
- Meditation garden
- Yoga shala
Services
- Internet access
- Parking lot
This Yoga Retreat is vegetarian-friendly
Click to see more vegetarian-friendly Yoga Retreats
Food
All food is seasonal, organic, and from local farmers as much as possible. Om Shanti Yoga & Holidays has tropical fruits in the area and all meals will be vegetarian. Vegan options are plenty, as well as lactose-free and gluten-free. Chef Siddharth is a wonderful cook and prepares everything with lots of love.
The following meals are included:
- Brunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Detox juices
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Lactose Free
- Ayurvedic
Things to do (optional)
- Relaxing massages
- Foot reflex massage
- Indian head massage
- Sound massage
- Bach therapy
- Reiki and Reiki initiations
What's included
- Daily Hatha and Yin yoga asana, mindfulness, and meditation classes
- Yoga Nidra, sound bath, kirtan
- Satsang videos, days of silence
- Fire ceremony
- Ecstatic dance
- Car for going around (shared)
- Daily brunch and drinks (tea, coffee, smoothies, spring water)
- 5 vegetarian dinners
- 7 nights accommodation in shared twin rooms
What's not included
- Flight and transfer from and to the airport
- Petrol
- Extra massages and healing treatments
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis Airport)
40 km
Transfer not provided
Chania International Airport ("Ioannis Daskalogiannis")
129 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please arrange your flight to arrive at Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis Airport) (HER) or Chania International Airport ("Ioannis Daskalogiannis") (CHQ). Om Shanti Yoga & Holidays usually offers a transfer from the airport (additional cost) or they have a car for you ready at the airport. Please contact the organizer for more details.
Arrival by bus
You can come by bus from Heraklion central bus station to Amiras.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% 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.