Join Sifu Matthew Cohen and Mimi Kuo-Deemer for a weeklong yoga, qigong and meditation retreat at La Locanda Quercia Calente, a beautifully renovated farmhouse in the Umbrian hills of Italy. Each day will include two yoga/qigong classes, meditation, three delicious meals, and lots of downtime for lounging, chatting, reading, napping, strolling, swimming, eating gelato, etc. Mid-week, there will also be a chance to visit the historic, walled city of Orvieto.
Located just 150 km/90 miles north of Rome, La Locanda della Quercia Calante has a spacious and fully equipped yoga studio, outdoor yoga deck, two swimming pools, a whirlpool, elegant rooms, and a restaurant serving local Umbrian cuisine. There is an organic farm on the property and local wineries that supply the restaurant. Take a peek at the amazing property at www.querciacalante.com.
PRACTICES AND LA DOLCE VITA
Throughout the week, Matthew and Mimi will explore the season of late summer and the qualities of the Earth element, which in Chinese medicine represents the ability to feel centred, steady and receive the nourishment and sweetness from the harvests of our own life. In support of the Earth element, late summer and La Dolce Vita, Matthew and Mimi's teachings will explore ways we can learn to savour the richness of integrity, clear intentions and feeling of being on the fertile Umbrian lands. Drawing from their shared love for integrated systems of healing based on yoga, qigong, Buddhism, Chinese medicine and martial arts, they invite students to explore authenticity, awareness and intentionality in a safe space. Their integration of practices works with the interplay of effort and ease, movement and stillness, softness with strength, and the sacred with the practical. Both teachers are always available so you receive more individual attention, hands-on adjustments and modifications as needed. Through deep, lighthearted, playful and inspiring practices, Matthew and Mimi will explore how the richness of ancient teachings can be incorporated into our contemporary daily lives.
BASIC DAILY SCHEDULE
Your day will begin with qigong, pranayama and meditation. After a light breakfast, there will be an invigorating and enlivening morning practice blending qigong and vinyasa yoga. After lunch there is free time to read, nap, stroll the verdant hills, swim, or stroll into the local town of Castel Georgio. A late afternoon session will include more gentle practices to hep establish deep ease and presence. We will then glide into our Umbrian feast!
Located just 150 km/90 miles north of Rome, La Locanda della Quercia Calante has a spacious and fully equipped yoga studio, outdoor yoga deck, two swimming pools, a whirlpool, elegant rooms, and a restaurant serving local Umbrian cuisine. There is an organic farm on the property and local wineries that supply the restaurant. Take a peek at the amazing property at www.querciacalante.com.
PRACTICES AND LA DOLCE VITA
Throughout the week, Matthew and Mimi will explore the season of late summer and the qualities of the Earth element, which in Chinese medicine represents the ability to feel centred, steady and receive the nourishment and sweetness from the harvests of our own life. In support of the Earth element, late summer and La Dolce Vita, Matthew and Mimi's teachings will explore ways we can learn to savour the richness of integrity, clear intentions and feeling of being on the fertile Umbrian lands. Drawing from their shared love for integrated systems of healing based on yoga, qigong, Buddhism, Chinese medicine and martial arts, they invite students to explore authenticity, awareness and intentionality in a safe space. Their integration of practices works with the interplay of effort and ease, movement and stillness, softness with strength, and the sacred with the practical. Both teachers are always available so you receive more individual attention, hands-on adjustments and modifications as needed. Through deep, lighthearted, playful and inspiring practices, Matthew and Mimi will explore how the richness of ancient teachings can be incorporated into our contemporary daily lives.
BASIC DAILY SCHEDULE
Your day will begin with qigong, pranayama and meditation. After a light breakfast, there will be an invigorating and enlivening morning practice blending qigong and vinyasa yoga. After lunch there is free time to read, nap, stroll the verdant hills, swim, or stroll into the local town of Castel Georgio. A late afternoon session will include more gentle practices to hep establish deep ease and presence. We will then glide into our Umbrian feast!
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ACCOMMODATIONS
Single, double, or triple room occupancy available. Each room has a private bathroom and outdoor porch overlooking the park of the Locanda della Quercia Calante. Guest rooms are simply furnished in typical Umbrian style, with individual thermostats, terracotta floors, wooden ceiling beams and brick walls. All rooms are renovated with the most innovative natural architectural criteria: only natural mortar, paint and wax; no electromagnetic fields thanks to electric circuit breakers; water is heated by a solar panel system and electricity is generated by photovoltaic panels. CUISINE
Meals at La Locanda della Quercia Calante are extraordinary, well-balanced and carefully planned by the owners, who take great care with their selection of ingredients. The cuisine is typical of Umbria and Tuscany, based on local products, made fresh daily, and 90% organically grown on the Locanda della Quercia Calante farm. Meals can be both with meat or all vegetarian. The wine list is also carefully selected and includes quality wines from small local vineyards that are kept in the Locanda’s ancient wine cellar. The talented head cook Marisa can cater to any dietary requirements you may have. The restaurant includes a beautiful hearth in the dining room. There is a charming outdoor dining area as well. ACTIVITIES AND EXCURSIONS
We will plan one afternoon excursion to the historic city of Orvieto. Transportation costs for a bus will be shared based on the number of people going. Therapeutic massages at La Locanda are available for bookings. Wine tasting are available with a minimum of 5 people (cost approximately €30pp). ARRIVALS AND TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS
Check-in is from 2:30pm on August 25. Check-out on Saturday, September 1 is 10am after one last yoga class. We will leave after an early send-off lunch. The bus will return you to the airport by 3:00 pm on September 1. La Locanda can be reached by train and taxi, or we will offer a shuttle bus pick up and drop off to/from the Rome Fiumicino airport on August 26 in the afternoon (approx 12:00pm departure from airport, check-in 2:30 pm to La Locanda). An introduction will follow with a gentle afternoon yoga class. We will then glide into our first Umbrian feast! Arrivals to Rome: We suggest you fly into and out of Rome Fiumicino airport, as we will arrange for pickup and drop off from there to the retreat centrer for a cost of €75 return. Details will be provided upon registration. Traveling from London: Flights leave from London Gatwick (Easyjet) and Heathrow (British Airways and Alitalia) to Fiumicino . Cheaper flights can be booked on EasyJet from Gatwick. There are four flights daily each morning. If flying Easyjet or British Airways, we recommend booking a flight that arrives by about 10:30 am. You can then find a good restaurant at the airport for lunch, and meet the pickup van at approximately 12:00. For British Airways we recommend flight #552 departing from London Heathrow at 7:05 am, arriving 10:25 am, and returning on BA flight #559 at 17:25. For Easyjet we recommend Flight EZY5251 departing at 6:40 am, arriving 10:10 am, and returning on Flight EZY5256 at 19:55. |
"What a wonderful, wonderful week….The retreat with Matthew and Mimi honestly went beyond all my expectations. I learned more than I thought I would, I felt more deeply than I had anticipated, my body worked as hard as I hoped it would, I made some lovely new friends and I laughed and had so much fun on top of all of that! Thanks to Mimi and Matthew for nourishing such an amazing week and gathering such an incredible group of people together in such a beautiful setting.” – Sarita Diaram, 2017 retreat attendee “Matthew's teaching deepened and strengthened my practice on so many levels. The rare addition of Qi Gong has added a profound stillness to my life and is an inspiring, moving meditation. Most teachers I've known articulate their knowledge in a steady and cerebral way, Matthew takes it a graceful step further by connecting that knowledge through the emotional, physical and spiritual and allowing it to settle without force.” –Minnie Driver "Mimi's very lighthearted and deeply serious in her style. So don't expect any standard practice or off-the-shelf truisms in her classes, rather expect the meaning to emerge from the practice itself. There's nothing shocking or off the wall about her style - it's vinyasa there's no doubt about it - but there's a constant reaching out to things beyond the yoga tradition - qigong, movies she's just seen, books she's just read, stuff she's just done. Safe but always stretching out beyond the commonplace and comfortable. And at times, simply daffy." –Steve McQueen |
ABOUT MIMI AND MATTHEW
Matthew and Mimi bring together a love for the healing practices of Yoga, qigong, taichi, martial arts, Buddhist meditation and Chinese medicine. Their friendship, which began in 2003 after Mimi invited Matthew to China to teach at her Beijng yoga studio, has been fostered through a mutual appreciation for sharing these ancient practices in ways that can support and enrich our everyday, contemporary lives. Both known for their love of storytelling, a good laugh and introspection, Mimi and Matthew aspire to teach safe, sacred, inspiring and transformative practices that are accessible and open to everyone. For more information visit www.sacredenergyarts.com (Matthew), and www.mkdeemer.com (Mimi).
Matthew and Mimi bring together a love for the healing practices of Yoga, qigong, taichi, martial arts, Buddhist meditation and Chinese medicine. Their friendship, which began in 2003 after Mimi invited Matthew to China to teach at her Beijng yoga studio, has been fostered through a mutual appreciation for sharing these ancient practices in ways that can support and enrich our everyday, contemporary lives. Both known for their love of storytelling, a good laugh and introspection, Mimi and Matthew aspire to teach safe, sacred, inspiring and transformative practices that are accessible and open to everyone. For more information visit www.sacredenergyarts.com (Matthew), and www.mkdeemer.com (Mimi).
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COST (PER PERSON) AND DEPOSITS
Triple shared room: £1035 -- fully boked
Double/twin shared room: £1280 -- fully booked
Single room: £1625 - fully booked
Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of £200, payable to Daoist Flow LLC, will reserve your space on the retreat. Payment balance due by May 1 for early price.
The price includes all yoga, three meals/day and accommodations. Transportation costs are not included. Payment can be made by check or bank transfer. ROOMS AVAILABLE ON FIRST COME BASIS. PLEASE INDICATE PREFERENCE FOR ROOM, AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MEET YOUR REQUEST.
Bank transfer, credit card, and cheque accepted. Please make payments to Daoist Flow LLC
Bank details or information on sending a cheque for paying your deposit and balance will be provided to you upon registration.
Contact: Mimi at retreats@mkdeemer.com
Cancellation Policy: Please let us know as soon as possible if something comes up and you cannot attend our retreat. We'll refund you the the full amount you've paid minus the deposit of £200 if you cancel 30 days BEFORE the start of the retreat. If you cancel WITHIN 30 days of the retreat, we won't be able to issue any refund unless we find a replacement for the vacancy created by your cancellation. If we do find a replacement, however, we will refunded everything you've paid minus the deposit to you within 15 days.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance, including cancellation insurance, when you book the retreat.
Triple shared room: £1035 -- fully boked
Double/twin shared room: £1280 -- fully booked
Single room: £1625 - fully booked
Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of £200, payable to Daoist Flow LLC, will reserve your space on the retreat. Payment balance due by May 1 for early price.
The price includes all yoga, three meals/day and accommodations. Transportation costs are not included. Payment can be made by check or bank transfer. ROOMS AVAILABLE ON FIRST COME BASIS. PLEASE INDICATE PREFERENCE FOR ROOM, AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MEET YOUR REQUEST.
Bank transfer, credit card, and cheque accepted. Please make payments to Daoist Flow LLC
Bank details or information on sending a cheque for paying your deposit and balance will be provided to you upon registration.
Contact: Mimi at retreats@mkdeemer.com
Cancellation Policy: Please let us know as soon as possible if something comes up and you cannot attend our retreat. We'll refund you the the full amount you've paid minus the deposit of £200 if you cancel 30 days BEFORE the start of the retreat. If you cancel WITHIN 30 days of the retreat, we won't be able to issue any refund unless we find a replacement for the vacancy created by your cancellation. If we do find a replacement, however, we will refunded everything you've paid minus the deposit to you within 15 days.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance, including cancellation insurance, when you book the retreat.
