7 Day Join the Ying & Yang Rustic Nature Retreat, in the Tryavna Valley Balkan Mountains

Facilities

A unique experience!

The diverse range of travelling residents and volunteers in the community gives you the opportunity to experience and learn from RisingSoul's personal journeys and unique styles of yoga, Daoism and other spiritual and self-care practices. Their flexible approach enables you to respond to the guest's needs and modify the practices in accordance.

This retreat is a relaxed atmosphere with structure around daily practice and meals to keep things running smoothly. You will be invited to become part of the family for your stay. RisingSoul encourages guests to get involved with community life and you are welcome to share cooking, gardening, music and any other skills they may have and wish to share.

However, there are many personal spaces and reflection times within the retreat and community spaces to allow you to process and spend time with yourself when needed.

RisingSoul Retreat provides the perfect place to “Connect Yoga & Nature” in a community setting.

RisingSoul is passionate about delivering a diverse, holistic, and welcoming Yoga Retreat that is a hub for social connection. Around this hub, they aim to rejuvenate abandoned village properties to develop an Eco-Community of Nomads who choose to live in nature but enjoy an interactive yet simplistic life.

RisingSoul is developing as a community that values equality, sustainability, freedom of expression, and mind-body and spiritual awareness. They welcome all travellers and are especially conscious of providing a safe space where solo female and male travellers can feel at home, safe, respected, and comfortable.

The RisingSoul Team will arrange a variety of social events, off-site group activities, visits, and mountain sports. At home RisingSoul's well-equipped work areas and leisure facilities allow digital nomads and location-independent workers to excel in their working life inspired by nature and thrive in a unique blend of community, social activity, and mind-body retreat.

Please note that there are two scheduled yoga and meditation classes daily that are part of this program.

Yoga Styles

Hatha

Most forms of yoga in the West can be classified as Hatha Yoga which simply refers to the practice of physical Yoga postures meaning your vinyasa, ashtanga, power classes are ALL Hatha Yoga. The word ‘Hatha’ can be translated into either ‘wilful’, ‘forceful’ OR the yoga of activity as the sun (ha) & moon (tha) - the yoga of balance. Hatha practices are preparatory processes of Yoga and are designed to align and calm your body, mind and spirit in preparation for meditation as well as giving you opportunities to take you beyond certain limitations, yet fundamentally, it is physical preparation.

In classes that are referred to as Hatha, you can expect a gentle introduction to basic breathing techniques and static yoga postures that are held for multiple or more breaths with a focus on alignment.

Vinyasa Flow

Vinyasa Yoga is focused on continuous deep breathing and synchronising movement with breath as it links one posture to the next. When postures are practised in such a manner, they flow into each other and that’s why Vinyasa is often referred to as ‘Flow yoga’.

The word vinyasa has many meanings in Sanskrit, however, in this context can be interpreted as a practice with a ‘special way/order; with attention’ as it often has a theme or purpose consisting of poses linked and associated together. Vinyasa is also the term used to describe a specific sequence of poses (Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog to Downward Facing Dog) that comes from Ashtanga tradition and is commonly used in classes.

Restorative

Gentle, slow, still practice of yoga that involves long, passive holds in a series of 5-7 poses and often uses props like folded blankets, blocks, bolsters to support your body, deepen the pose and help the body to relax. The purpose of this practice is to release muscular tension and gently stimulate internal organs. Restorative yoga allows you to relearn the art of relaxation while developing your ability to self-soothe and so enhances your healing capacity by helping you to regulate the stress response and re-balance the nervous system.

Ashtanga Vinyasa

Dynamic, physically demanding practice that synchronises breath with a progressive series of postures in order to produce internal heat designed to purify and detoxify the body. The result is improved circulation, a strong, light body and a calm mind. Often practised in the Mysore style, here at the RisingSoul they will teach as a lead class to support beginners.

Kundalini

Kundalini yoga is an ancient art and science dealing with the transformation and expansion of consciousness, the awakening and raising of Kundalini Energy up the spine through energy centres called Chakras. It is quite different to other forms of yoga with smaller movements that are accompanied by prana breathwork. Psychic energy, sometimes called Shakti, is often symbolised as a coiled, sleeping serpent. Which lies dormant at the base of the spine (Kundal means curl). Once awakened it uncoils and ascends through the central channel in the spinal column (Sushumana) to the crown chakra (Sahasrara) at the top of the head, triggering an awakening of consciousness and a transcendent spiritual state.

Aerial

Instead of performing yoga poses on a mat, aerial yoga utilises a silk hammock or sling that is suspended from the ceiling to perform those same movements. The purpose of the hammock is to provide support through your yoga flow, while also improving flexibility and range of motion.

Sample of a daily schedule

• 07:00 Morning bell. Tea and fruit are available until brunch in silence.
• 07:30 Kundalini Yoga and meditation or Tai Chi practice
• 08:15 Yoga or Qigong
• 09:30 Karma yoga followed by community brunch
• 11:00 Rest and digest. Treatments and creative workshops are available.
• 13:30 High protein vegetarian or vegan snack
• 16:00 Yoga practice
• 17:30 Community dinner followed by Karma yoga
• 19:00 Sharing circle/meditation/breathwork
• 20:00 Light balanced vegetarian or vegan snacks
• 20:30 Fire, music and social

• Hiking
• Horseriding

The RisingSoul provides the perfect place to “Connect Nomads & Self Practices In Nature” allowing their amazing residents and guests to find their own mind, body, and spiritual connection. The venue is built from earthy organic materials and brings their guests a fusion of rustic practice spaces, mountain valleys, and ancient church views.

The RisingSoul is developing as a community that values equability, sustainability, freedom of expression, and mind-body and spiritual awareness. They welcome all travelers and are especially conscious of providing a safe space where solo female and male travelers can feel at home, safe, respected, and comfortable.

Belitsa is a small Bulgarian Mountain Village with room for the community to develop and expand. Set between Tryavna and Voneshta Voda Mineral Spa in the Balkan Mountain region of Gabrovo, it is surrounded by natural parks and rivers. With the old capital Veliko Tarnovo, just 25min North East. (Famous for protecting the Balkans from the Ottoman invasion) and one hour South West from the Valley of the Roses, Shipka Pass, and the Uzana ski resort.

They are delighted that with the help of WorkAway volunteers despite a long COVID induced delay they were able to launch their Yoga Barn and our BalkanNomad venue for digital nomads and solo travelers. Their fun, friendly team provides a supportive, flexible, non-judgemental environment for a diverse community of travelers, volunteers, and nomads to share their creative ideas, yoga, travel, and work experience.

The RisingSoul Team will arrange a variety of social events, off-site group activities, visits, and mountain sports. At home, their well-equipped work areas and leisure facilities allow you to excel in your working life and thrive in your own unique blend of community, social activity, and mind-body retreat. Guests can join any part of the ashram-style daily schedule, they hold daily meditation and yoga practice sessions. All BalkanNomad, RS Lodge and RS Community guests can join classes for the single class minimum donation of 7lv, for longer stays a pass can be agreed.

Subscribe to receive updates on the unique and individually designed affordable guest coach yoga retreats. All guests will have the option to hire their yoga equipment set for the duration of their stay in addition to mountain bikes. You are free to self-practice as you wish and they provide on-screen classes for those community members who prefer to do their own personal yoga practice.

They are also super excited to offer Ayurvedic massage, private Aerial yoga, and at times weekly classes with local external coaches. In addition, many of the international travelers/ volunteers that stay with them bring a wealth of practices, which they are often willing to share with their residents and guests.

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Ethical and eco-conscious practices are important to us at the RisingSoul Community!

Therefore they always strive to reduce waste, unnecessary journeys, avoid plastic and eat a homegrown or sustainable locally sourced plant-based diet. RisingSoul support local producers and the village wherever they can. They understand that everyone has their own personal dietary needs and they will do their best to cater for you as an individual where required.

At the RisingSoul community and yoga retreat, you will start the day with the sunrise and a range of metabolism-boosting and detoxing herbal teas, and for those who are not partaking in intermittent fasting local honey and fruit.

Community Brunch

This is a sit down buffet-style health-conscious menu with delicious homemade granola, sourdough bread, local yoghurt, honey, locally grown salad, seeds, nuts, free-range eggs, cheese and fresh garden veg. As well as tea, coffee, spring water and fruit. RisingSoul likes to keep things fresh so you will find that there are always new additions to brunch. Later guests will have tea, coffee and a high protein snack which can be taken with you if you wish to explore in your free time.

Community Dinner

After your late afternoon class, it's time for your main community meal. RisingSoul has decades of combined vegetarian and vegan international recipes to share with you and plan meals around guest requirements. They do take requests and encourage and welcome guests to share their recipes and culinary skills.

For those who are not partaking in intermittent fasting a range of light healthy evening snacks will be available and alcoholic beverages and mocktails can be purchased if required on designated social evenings.

• Massage
• Energy healing
• Meals out
• Cultural activity
• Horse riding

• Massage
• Mineral spa pool (off-site)

• 6 nights accommodation
• Brunch and dinner
• Yoga and meditation classes
• Use of facilities and self-practice
• Mats and yoga equipment
• Hiking

• Outside activities
• Ariel hammock
• Lunch and dinner
• Horse riding

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 100% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.