The Ultimate Italian Yoga Retreats And Vacations

IL CASALE – CA’ LE SUORE – EREMITO.

These are the seasonal venues of Ashtanga master Lino Miele, which have attracted students like Willem Dafoe and author Francesca Marciano, who is also his official interviewer. The first two are holiday farms. One (Il Casale, The Country House) is in Tuscania, in the hills of the southern Maremma, just a few miles from the sea, lake, and hot springs. In the other – Ca’ Le Suore – is a farm with over 170 acres at the foot of the Apennines in the countryside between Pesaro and Urbino,where guests enjoy more of a social life: they eat together, do Pranayama and more. Some have commented on the local winery and “great wine,” but none of the masters would approve, of course, given that they don’t drink. You can make your own decision, but given how good the winery is, don’t complain the next morning if you can’t stop sipping. As we said, you’re not supposed to smile while practicing yoga, but during post-practice meetings Miele – a showman by nature – will talk to you about “purification” seriously but tongue in cheek, or will make you laugh about your self- centeredness and self- destructive behavior. The most recent innovations are the two- or three-day “digital detox” vacations – basically, without any technology – at a place that’s rightly called “the hermit” – the Eremito (Hotelito de l’Alma) – and is basically a monastery perfect for fans of Game of Thrones where the rooms are called cells.