(No availability) 7 Day Join the Yin & Yang Rustic Nature Retreat, in the Tryavna Valley Balkan Mountains
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Bulgaria Nomad Community Yoga Holiday
RisingSoul Retreat welcomes you to join them in nature as part of a vibrant nomads community who practice a mixture of Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga and Meditation two to four times a day. In balance with amazing home-cooked plant-based food that they grow in the gardens or source locally. During this retreat, you will also have an opportunity to go hiking, enjoy nature and become part of the community.
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Yoga and meditation sessions
- Tai Chi & Qigong
- Meet nomad community
- Daily plant-based meals and snacks
- 6 nights accommodation
- Enjoy Bulgarian nature
- Hiking
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Yoga styles
Burgas Airport (US$ 171 per person)
Sofia Airport (US$ 228 per person)
Varna Airport (US$ 171 per person)
Accommodation
They currently provide retreat guest accommodation in the villa for a maximum of eight people in three bedrooms with the additional Old Stable and Eco ensuite, courtyard accommodation. For large retreats, they can cater for an additional 15 guests at their partner venue BalkanNomads.
Grasshopper Dorm
The four-bed dorm with mountain village and Church views, each bed have its own independent charging point, light, shelves, and curtain with large storage space under the bed, hanging hooks, and storage boxes. The room has its very own antique Bulgarian Pechka wood burner, original wooden floor, and a shared clothes rail.
FireFly Twin
The twin room is furnished with a double wardrobe and side draws with ample under-bed suitcase storage. The room has its original wooden floor and a bespoke antique Bulgarian Pechka wood burner to keep it cosy. This room has a double aspect with views over the courtyard and yoga barn and the mountain and village in the other direction.
Kingfisher Ensuite
Their ensuite king-size bedroom with fabulous double windows looking over the mountains and church sunrise views in bed is something special. The room has storage for two people and a small wet room with a shower, sink, and WC. The post-box red antique Pechka wood burner is a rare model and sets this room off with its fabulous oak floor.
Old Stable & Eco Bathroom
RisingSoul Retreat's unique old stable room is set under the Yoga Barn with stone and lime plaster walls. It has a traditional vibe and the Bulgarian rugged floor gives it the feel of a Mongolian yurt. It has its own independent access and a courtyard bathroom with a solar shower, dry compost WC and bottle windows.
The room has a low ceiling and thick stone walls where it is partially built into the hill creating a refreshingly cool space in the hot summers. Furnished with a super king-size bed and oak furniture if you like a quirky and private room this is the room for you.
Program
A unique experience!
The diverse range of traveling 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 travelers and are especially conscious of providing a safe space where solo female and male travelers 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 synchronizing movement with breath as it links one posture to the next. When postures are practiced 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 the practice of yoga that involves long, passive holds in a series of 5-7 poses and often uses props like folded blankets, blocks, and 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 synchronizes breath with a progressive series of postures in order to produce an internal heat designed to purify and detoxify the body. The result is improved circulation, a strong, light body, and a calm mind. Often practiced 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 centers called Chakras. It is quite different from other forms of yoga with smaller movements that are accompanied by prana breathwork. Psychic energy, sometimes called Shakti, is often symbolized 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 utilizes 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
Included excursions
During this retreat, you will take part in a hike.
Instructors
Rowena
Rowena is the founder of the RisingSoul and Retreat space. Rowena also has an Ayurvedic massage qualification and has 10 years experience working with young people and adults who have suffered trauma and or addictions and harm within the home or family.
Alina Lieva
Alina Ilieva is a yoga teacher of Hatha, Vinyasa-Flow, Trapeze, Breath, and Flexibility Coach as well as offering Nutrition and Wellness Coaching. In addition, she offers energy healing as a Reiki Master. She has given classes, workshops, and private coaching to people from all over the world and at all levels since 2001. With a passion for yoga, health, and wellness. Alina is dedicated to sharing the benefits of the practice of yoga, wellness, mind-body connection, and yoga breathing with as many people as possible from all parts of the world.
Retreat location
About RisingSoul Retreat
The RisingSoul provides the perfect place to “Connect Nomads and 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 travellers and are especially conscious of providing a safe space where solo female and male travellers can feel at home, safe, respected, and comfortable.
Belitsa is a small Bulgarian Mountain Village with room for their 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 25 minutes North East (famous for protecting the Balkans from the Ottoman invasion) and one hour South West from the Valley of the Roses, Shipka Pass, Buzludzha Monument and Dryanovo Monastery.
This Yoga Retreat is vegetarian-friendly
Click to see more vegetarian-friendly Yoga Retreats
Food
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.
The following meals are included:
- Brunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
- Massage
- Energy healing
- Meals out
- Cultural activity
- Horse riding
Spa treatments
- Massage
- Mineral spa pool (off-site)
What's included
- 6 nights accommodation
- Brunch and dinner
- Yoga and meditation classes
- Use of facilities and self-practice
- Mats and yoga equipment
- Hiking
What's not included
- Outside activities
- Ariel hammock
- Lunch and dinner
- Horse riding
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Burgas Airport
161 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 171 per person
Sofia Airport
178 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 228 per person
Varna Airport
187 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 171 per person
Driving directions
A rental car is cheap and easy, RisingSoul recommends TopCarRental, but you can make it as far as Tryavna or Voneshda Voda by bus or train, they provide free pick up from here.
Arrival by airplane
The cheapest airlines with regular flights are Wizzair, Ryan Air, and Easy Jet. You can fly to Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv or Sofia. Without a car, Burgas or Plovdiv is easiest with a wonderful mountain train to Tryavna for less than 10 EUR.
Arrival by bus
There is a bus from the village to Veliko Tarnovo and Tryavna-Gabrovo. Taxis are cheap and they can arrange an airport transfer if needed. However, the train or bus is considerably cheaper.
Please get in touch for help with travel arrangements.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
