THE EXPERIENCE
Welcome to The Nourishment, your summer prescription for a healthier, highly energised and nourished self. This retreat is designed to stimulate your senses and nurture your body & soul through movement & light. Anna Karides & Eleni Bhava are lifelong teachers and friends of the Fykiada family, whose love & care take teaching to a whole new level. On this retreat, ‘the yoga’ unfolds like water, incessantly, and its presence can be felt on every aspect of our journey. From morning dynamic flows and inspirational Vinyasas to afternoon masterclasses and deep relaxation, the schedule offers a variety of practices to enhance the body’s flexibility and aliveness.
The flow of pleasure and exhilaration finds its ideal expression through the turquoise surroundings of Koufonisia, our daily adventures by the sea and a yogashala which is washed in light and thyme smells. If you’ve been longing for real connection and expansion, with a good dose of fun & Greek spirit then this is your chance! The retreat will be limited to a small group of people to ensure a safer and more boutique experience.
“ Island hopping day! 1 boat ride, 2 remote islands, 4 secret beaches, 1 plane-wreck, 100 boat-jumps, 1 seaside taverna, 35 tastes of Greece”
KOUFONISIA BEACHFRONT VILLAS
Our Island Yoga Resort consists of two beachfront villas overlooking one of the most dreamy beaches of the island. The location is ideal to walk everywhere you want and explore! The beach is just 10 minutes away on foot while the lil town is a beautiful 30 minutes walk. The villas blend harmoniously with the raw landscape of Koufonisia and their large outdoor spaces and patios are ideal for lazy afternoon siestas and reading. The zen atmosphere of the resort is completed with a covered outdoor yogashala and a thai-massage room, both made with natural materials. Click for more images.
COVID-19 | Cleaning & Safety : All villas have acquired the “Health First” certification badge and abide by the official health protocols. Our villas are fully equipped with sanitisers and all high risk areas are daily cleaned and disinfected. Room cleaning is scheduled once during the retreat to avoid frequent interaction of housekeeping staff with guests’ personal items. Read more
YOGA WITH ANNA & ELENI
Anna Karides: Anna is an international yoga teacher (RYT500hr) and a leading AcroYoga & Vinyasa teacher in the UK. Anna will be guiding us through energising, dynamic & playful Vinyasa flows and she will also take any keen yogis on a ride with her signature flying therapeutics classes.
Eleni Bhava: Eleni is a yoga teacher (RYT500hr) & holistic health coach based in London. She loves guiding people into deep Vinyasa flows led by the breath and intuitive sequencing. Eleni will be leading mindful Vinyasas, a candlelit Yin and a special Ayurveda session.
OUR HEALER
George Von Bibra: George is a healer and a lover of life. His many years of traveling in Europe, Asia and Latin America introduced him to various alternative holistic practices where he studied - among other - biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. George will bring his presence and practices together in order to serve the group as a whole. He will be enhancing the yoga practice with guided meditation, sound healing and with a cacao ceremony. Read more.
George will also be available for one to one sessions of Craniosacral Therapy and other holistic treatments such as: Deep Tissue and lymphatic massage, Traditional Thai Yoga massage, Hawaiian lumi lumi, foot reflexology, Chinese Fire cupping, dry needling, Gua sha and tuning forks attunement.
THE NOURISHMENT PROGRAM INCLUDES
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Morning vinyasa classes: Explore different aspects of the practice and areas of the body combining breath and movement to cultivate co-ordination, strength and flexibility. (Eleni / Anna)
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Mandala Vinyasa masterclass: Introducing a different way to flow. In this class we will invoke the different elements from nature within our bodies and explore how they correspond to the different chakras. (morning class) (Eleni)
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Backbends and acro therapeutics masterclass: In this class we will use the intelligence of acro therapeutics to facilitate a further, more integrated state of our backbend practice. (afternoon class) (Anna)
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Inversions masterclass: A playful and strong class to experiment with going upside down. Fear not! This class will facilitate all levels of practice, from newbies to advanced. (afternoon class) (Eleni + Anna)
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Candlelit Yin yoga: A soothing practice to nourish our nervous system and work through the different energetic channels of the body combined with pranayam (breath practice) and meditation. (evening class) (Eleni)
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Ayurveda discussion and abyanga (self massage): We will explore our dosha & how we can use nutrition and other daily rituals to bring ourselves to balance. We will finish with an abyanga ritual to nourish our skin & lymphatic system.
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Playshop Workshop: Explore the body and it's unlimited potential in the most playful way with the support of each other.
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Cacao ceremony: Taste the magic potion of healing from the lands of Perou under a mystic guided meditation & sound healing (evening class) (George).
*Classes will be open to all levels (variations & modifications will be given). Classes & timetable are subject to change
COVID-19 | Yoga & Safety: The yoga takes place in an outdoor covered yoga shala which is sunlight & easily aired. Partner work is optional and offered to those who feel comfortable participating. You can always work with your retreat partner or roommate if you feel more comfortable/safer. Each guest will be provided with a Manduka yoga mat which they will keep for the duration of the retreat and be responsible for its cleaning.
THE ESSENCE OF TRUE FOOD
Our Koufonisia nutrition is a carefully curated blend of island tastes and vegetarian diet catered by our food experts. The team uses the freshest daily produce from Koufonisia and the nearby islands to bring each meal to life. Our aim is to offer not only a yogic food experience to our guests but also a real taste of Greek culture and community that transcends every gathering and food sharing.
COVID-19 | Food & Safety: All meals are buffet-based and will be served by the kitchen personnel who will be following all the personal protection guidelines (mask and gloves). A person of our team will be facilitating the serving process to ensure that it’s happening in an orderly manner avoiding a crowded buffet queue.
THE RETREAT PRICING INCLUDES
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6 island days / 5 nights - accommodation on our beachfront yoga resort
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Daily Morning Yoga & Afternoon Masterclasses
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Mantra chanting and kirtan: Explore our voice and allow the healing vibrations of sound to invigorate the whole body. (occasionally, in few classes only)
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Cacao Ceremony accompanied by sound healing & guided meditation led by our healer
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Greek-inspired Vegetarian menu including: brunch & dinner | Vegan & gluten free options available
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Group pickup from Koufonisia port upon arrival & drop off on departure
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Yoga equipment (Manduka mats, straps, blocks, blankets etc)
RETREAT ACTIVITIES
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Island Hopping Day: A boat day filled with deserted islands, secret beaches & watermelons on board! (subject to weather conditions)
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Visit to the picturesque town of Koufonisia & dinner in our favourite fish tavern by the sea (extra cost for dinner)
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Beach hike & cliff jumping with stop over at our fave beach bar
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Craniosacral Therapy & a variety of holistic therapies & massages (Optional | Extra Cost)
A TYPICAL DAY
8.00 - 8.30 Herbal Tea | Coffee | Seasonal Fruits
8.30 - 10.00 Morning Practice
10.00 - 11.00 Brunch
11.00 - 17.00 Activities | Beach | Free Time
17.00 - 18.30 Afternoon Practice
19.00 Dinner
CHECK IN | OUT
2nd September: Villa Check in: 14:00
7th September: Room Check out: 10:00
—> The retreat officially starts at 17:00 with the first practice.
—> If you arrive earlier you can drop off your stuff at the villa and spend some time at the nearby beach.
TRAVEL INFO
COVID-19 Updates: As of the 14th May 2021, Greece is no longer under lockdown and has opened its international borders to welcome tourists. Travellers from the following countries who have a negative PCR test (up to 72 hours) or have been fully vaccinated can enter Greece and they don’t need to self-isolate or quarantine. All passengers arriving at any airport in Greece, must complete the Passenger Locator Form, until the day before entering the country. Safety protocols including wearing masks and social distancing will remain in place.
List of countries: EU & Schengen Area countries, USA, UK, Israel, Serbia, UAE, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda, Singapore, the Russian Federation, North Macedonia, Canada, Belarus, Bahrein, Qatar, China, Kuwait, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia.
Official Link to view entry guidelines: travel.gov.gr
Travelling to Koufonisia: Koufonisia (code KOU) can be reached via boat from Santorini (code JTR), Mykonos (code JMK) or Athens. We suggest that you fly directly either to Mykonos or to Santorini airport. From there you take the boat to Koufonisia which is a much shorter boat ride than taking the boat from Athens. If you live in Athens, we suggest that you fly to Mykonos to take the faster ferry.
Suggested arrival options on the 2nd September | Last update 27.07.2021
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From Santorini port (code JTR) to Koufonisia (code KOU) | departure: 13.00 - arrival: 14.55 | boat name: SEAJET 2
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From Mykonos port (code JMK) to Koufonisia (code KOU) | departure: 11.00 - arrival: 12.30 | boat name: Super Jet
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From Mykonos port (code JMK) to Koufonisia (code KOU) | departure: 12.25 - arrival: 15.10 | boat name: Fast Ferries
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From Athens, Piraeus port (code PIR) to Koufonisia (code KOU) | departure: 09.30 - arrival: 14.00 | boat name: Highspeed 4
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From Koufonisia to Santorini port | departure: 12.40 - arrival: 14.35 | boat name: SEAJET 2
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From Koufonisia to Mykonos port | departure: 15.10 - arrival: 16.40 | boat name: Super Jet
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Please note that boat timetables might be affected by the new regulations due to COVID-19, so please make sure you double check with your travel agent before booking your itinerary.
We advise our guests to allow one day prior and after the retreat for their travelling and book flexible or refundable plane tickets. You may use viva.gr to check the ferries schedule and book your boat tickets online.
Departure options on the 7th September
