Yoga, Walking, and Discovery in Tuscany
Dates:
April 30 - May 6, 2007
Price:
$1,950
Program Website:
www.portlandyoga.com for detailed information and application.
Program Coordinator:
Lucia Reardon and Melora Gregory
Address:
314 Blanchard Road, Cumberland, ME 04021
Telephone:
207-829-4626
Fax:
207-829-4626
E-mail:
luciareardon@hotmail.com
Preferred method of contact:
email or phone
For details and application: PDF (412k)
Description:
La Tenuta di Spannocchia sits on a hilltop in the middle of 1200 wooded acres, surrounded by the medieval remains of the Monestero di Santa Lucia, the fortess of Castiglione che Dio Sol Sa, the Etruscan and Roman ruins of the Via Massetana and the medieval bridge, Ponte della Pia. Spannocchia, a sustainable agricultural estate, will be the backdrop for our yoga classes and walks. We have chosen this area so we may base ourselves at this unique farming estate while at the same time offering a comfortable pace to enjoy a week of wonderful walking, sight seeing, and yoga while appreciating a real sense of history spanning the ancient Etruscan and roman eras through the medieval, Renaissance periods and beyond. Our goal is NOT to “do” Tuscany, but to visit and experience some of the much less known treasures of this area.
The yoga classes will take place on the estate in the Sala d”Accoglienza which is a large, airy building with a vaulted veiling located near the Villa, our accommodations for the duration of the trip. Melora will develop classes according to the level and needs of the participants. She regularly teaches “All Level” classes at the Portland Yoga Studio, and is therefore familiar with modifications to meet the challenges of each individual. She is an experienced teacher of students from age 20 to 75. We are requesting each person bring a yoga sticky mat, available online or department stores for approximately $15 to $30 dollars. Wear form-fitting clothing like leggings or biking shorts, (it is important for the teacher to see the direction you are moving your body and some positions are inverted), with elastic waistband, and bring layers (tank top/t-shirt/long sleeve jersey) for the different intensity levels within each class.
Each day will include a 3 to 6 mile walk usually leaving from the estate or returning to the estate on foot. Lucia will lead us through trails of old hunting roads, some recently blazed trails, fields, gardens, hill towns such as Montestigliano and Torre, gardens like Cetinale, and architectural finds such as the abbey of San Galgano, and the Romanesque church of Pernina. We will enjoy a picnic lunch along our daily adventure, and return to the castle in the afternoon for a daily 2 hour yoga class, with the remainder of the day being spent in the way that best suits each individual’s desire on the vast Spannocchia grounds.
Local wine and crostini will be served at 7pm on the Veranda of the main Villa where our group will be lodging in rustic comfort. The views from the Villa are breathtaking. Dinner will be served family style at 7:30 in the main dining room where we will enjoy the organic offerings locally raised and grown accompanied by wine cultivated on the estate.
Coordinator Biographies:
Lucia Reardon has over a twenty year history with Spannocchia. As a young adult, Lucia participated in the Etruscan excavation sponsored by the Etruscan Foundation, then became one of the first interns to work on the Spannocchia estate. She spent 3 years living at the castle, in Siena, and completing a year of studies at the University of Bologna. After returning to the States, Lucia completed an undergraduate degree in Italian and Psychology, going on to get a Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders. While pursuing her graduate degree and working as a Speech Language Pathologist, she lead hikes in Tuscany and taught Italian privately and at the Penobscot School in Rockland, Maine. Her local knowledge and love of the area is infectious and her fluency in Italian and friendship with the owners of the estate will ensure that your stay will be a memorable and comfortable one.
Melora Gregory walked, no floated, out of her first yoga class in 1992 and knew this was her life’s passion. She began teaching the next year at the Portland Yoga Studio in Portland, Maine, and in January of 2005 became owner of the studio. Melora studies regularly with master yoga teachers of international renown, such as Patricia Walden, John Friend, Judith Lasater, Tias Little, Todd Norian, as well as nationally known masters like Gabriel Halpern, Doug Keller, Arthur Kilmurray, and Desiree Rumbaugh. Melora’s classes include precise alignment detail for optimum freedom in the pose, extensive knowledge of therapeutic poses to relieve aches and pains, and soothing breathing awareness techniques in restorative poses to help rejuvenate and develop inner peace. She has concentrated her study in BKS Iyengar style of yoga, but also has incorporated Anasura method, Ashtanga practice, and Anatomy studies in the last 5 years. Melora is an enthusiastic traveler, having visited over 30 countries, and was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, East Africa. Current and Former students of Melora’s have made comments such as “Melora’s patience and sense of humor are exceeded only be her infectious enthusiasm for yoga” and “Through Melora’s inspired teaching, I am feeling an increase in strength, greater flexibility, and even more important, a deepening sense of center.”
“Every memory is a highlight. This has been one of the best trips I have taken.”
“A pleasure to meet all of you and learn of your mission
to keep sustainability in the forefront of your running of the estate.”
“This place is beautiful and the people here are so friendly, which is the best part.”