Our beautiful venues

We’ve had some pictures sent to us of a few of our beautiful venues and couldn’t wait to share them with you.

Our new venue in Sardinia is at an amazing hotel called Due Lune; you can see below the beautiful terrace for your morning yoga session, the hotel courtyard, beach and pool views.

And here is our new deck in Croatia; it was built by the owners of the hotel in the winter.

If these pictures have got you dreaming of getting away to one of our beautiful locations then please get in touch and we’d love to help make that dream a reality! Don’t forget we also have another venue in Sardinia and another in Cala d’Or in Majorca!

Meet our teachers: Claire Hawkins

Claire is joining us in Croatia in just a few days so we thought it was only right that we introduce you to her!

Claire attended her first yoga class over 16 years ago and she left with such a wonderful feeling (one that if you think back to your first yoga class I bet you felt it too); that feeling of calmness and feeling like she could deal with anything that came her way.

With her background in the competitive world of dance and musical theatre yoga gave Claire to connect to something on a deeper level and the philosophy behind yoga allowed her to find patience, presence, acceptance, peace and an appreciation of the breath and how it can instantly calm her emotions and mind.

Claire competed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in 2010 and carried out further Yin training a few years later; through this training Claire explored her interest in the complexities of the human anatomy and its influence on the way each of our bodies approach asana. Because of this Claire’s wonderful approach to teaching is to help her students find a practice that suits their own individual body and needs.

Claire’s love of music and dance is evident in her style of teaching and her classes are filled with energy and expression. She teaches weekly classes in London with an emphasis on vinyasa flow, hatha, Yin yoga and restorative yoga. Claire also teaches at yoga retreats and workshops and she recently completed a Barre training course and teaches Barre classes in Brixton and East Finchley.

Claire is also running a Mindful Eating & Yoga Workshop with Rosaria La Pietra on the 08 September; this workshop is an introduction to Mindfulness as an aid to losing weight, releasing stress and rediscovering your zest for life. For more information you can contact Claire at claire@yogaradiance.co.uk

 

We are so excited that Claire will be joining us this week in Croatia from the 26 May to 02 June and then we’ll be seeing her again in Sardinia at The Grand Hotel from 22 September to 29 September.

If you’d like to join Claire at either of those venues please get in touch with us through our Contact page and one of our team will be in touch shortly!

Time to SUP?

Image by Harbour Springs Paddle Board Club

The sun is shining and the sky is blue at long last! When the weather is a great as it is at the moment the last thing any of us want is to have to get into a hot, sweaty gym or yoga studio and spend an hour of precious sunshine indoors.

So how can we take our practice outdoors and really enjoy this great weather to the max? Well you could set your mat up in the garden and have a perfectly pleasant time, OR you could try SUP yoga!

Amy, I hear you cry, what are you suggesting we try now?

SUP yoga – it’s yoga; on a stand up paddle board…in the water…have i lost you?!

Now, it’s not necessarily for the faint hearted or those that don’t like getting wet, but it’s definitely for those that love to try something new and have fun in the process!

You don’t need to be on a tropical beach to try SUP yoga – there are SUP classes popping up on rivers and lakes all over the country – just make sure you’ve got a winter wet suit for those colder days!

Nothing else will keep you in the moment and keep you breathing more than trying to downward dog on a paddle board in the middle of a lake.

It is such a great workout for your core because you’re using all your strength from your whole midsection to keep yourself up and out of that water.

Have you ever tried SUP yoga? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below or if this inspires you to give it a try we’d love to hear from you!

Meet our teachers: Josephine McGrail

We’ve got some wonderful new teachers joining us at Sardinia Yoga and we’d love to introduce you to them. This week it’s Josephine McGrail.

At the age of 12 Josephine was introduced to the world of yoga and it stole her heart. Josephine has an extensive background in dance and performance and spent years travelling the world working with some famous names; and would find a yoga studio at every possible occasion.

After years of wearing herself too thin Josephine realised it was time to begin her yoga training and did so with The Yoga People; slowly but surely regaining her inner strength.

Her style is reflective of the years she spent dancing around the globe but she also draws strongly from the traditional yoga styles of Meditation, Ashtanga, Yin and Rocket.

Josephine sees yoga as a form of medicine for the mind, body and spirit and now travels the globe teaching. She also teaches charity classes in order to enable everyone to practice yoga regardless of their financial situation.

We are so lucky that Josephine will be joining us in Sardinia on the 15 September and then again on 13 October in Majorca. If you would love to join us with Josephine in either of these venues please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Or, if you can’t make those dates  or September feels too far away; we’re open all summer!

Take a sneaky peak

As you’re probably aware we recently launched in a second beautiful venue in Sardinia, so we thought this week we’d give you a sneak peak into the town of San Teodoro.

San Teodoro is a beautiful town in the east of Sardinia and is known for its spectacular white beaches and clear waters and the flock of PINK FLAMINGOS that come to play!!! That’s right, you read that correctly – Pink Flamingos.

San Teodoro has a great atmosphere and buzz to it – there’s little beach bars dotted along the beaches all with a friendly vibe and atmosphere and there’s plenty of water sport activities to do in your free afternoons, or if you’d rather stay a little drier you can go horse riding and trekking through the beautiful mountainous landscape. Or you can just find a sun lounger and camp out there for the afternoon…remember the choice is always yours!!

If you’d like to venture a little further from the local area then we recommend renting a car and hitting the road for the afternoon and seeing what else Sardinia has to offer (we’ll give you a clue: more beautiful beaches, more amazing restaurants and even more breathtaking views!)

How does all that sound? Like somewhere you’d like to be? And don’t forget all that Sardinia Yoga offers when you stay with us – great hotels, incredible yoga sessions and a chance to get some real ‘you’ time to reconnect and refresh.

Take a look at our website and get in contact with us if you’d like to find out more about joining us in San Teodoro.

Where to start with essential oils?

Essential oils seem to be everywhere and used for everything these days but, if they’re new to you; where on earth do you begin? Luckily Amy (part of the team here at Sardinia Yoga) has, what she calls, a ‘mild obsession’ with essential oils and she’s going to share some top tips with us.

So, first things first – while you don’t need to be spending ridiculous amounts on essential oils you shouldn’t get fooled by the oils that only cost a couple of pounds, what you’re looking for is 100% organic essential oils so you should really be spending more than a few quid. For example – 100% organic frankincense can cost upwards of £60!

Secondly – you don’t need to have a million different types of essential oils. There is so much you can do with just a select few My favourite thing is diffusing them. I got myself a diffuser from Amazon – they have SO many on there to choose from, and you just  add some water and a few drops of your favourite oil, or try out a combination or different ones and I promise you your house will be smelling magnificent in no time! Really, I promise!

They’re also great to use as part of a massage or a relaxing bath, rub a few drops into the bottom of your feet to help them absorb quickly into your body (although be careful as some shouldn’t be applied topically without a carrier oil), you can even use them as part of your cleaning routine at home if you want to cut back on the amount of chemicals you’re using in the house. The possibilities really are endless and the internet is full of amazing ideas and great for learning more about the oils.

So, here’s my favourite 5 essential oils:

• Orange – for me this is simply because it smells amazing in the diffuser – rooms will smell instantly fresh and revitalised
• Lavender – this is great for when you go to bed – just a few drop on your pillow and a couple of deep breaths will leave you so relaxed and ready for a great night’s sleep
• Eucalyptus – this little pocket rocket is antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, although you definitely need to keep this one out of the way of anyone under the age of 10 as it’s pretty powerful
• Peppermint – this is so great to use if you’ve got some muscle aches and pains and especially if you’ve got someone who can give you a massage. A few drops of this mixed into your massage oil will work wonders for your tired aching muscles
• Lemon – get this into your collection if you want to look at swapping out some of the cleaning products you’ve got in the house. Would you believe me if I told you that you can use it to make a polish? All you need to do is mix up ¼ cup of white wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil and 10 drops of lemon water into a spray bottle – shake to mix it all up and then use it as you would a normal polish! (sorry for the american measurements but that’s the recipe I’ve used before and it’s really great)

We hope that’s given you some ideas about where to start with essential oils, and like Amy said; the internet is a great place to continue researching and finding the right oils for you. Comment below with any essential oil ideas that you’d like to share with the Sardinia Yoga community!

New venue announcement!

Sardinia Yoga are so excited to announce the launch of our fourth venue; Due Lune in the beautiful Sardinia; opening on the 19^th May.

We have had so many amazing seasons and such high demand for our first venue in Porto Cervo, and we are delighted that we can now offer Due Lune as our second venue.

Due Lune is right by the beach, close to cafes and lovely restaurants and great little coastal walks so there will be plenty to do in your free time.

We hope you’re just as excited as we are about the launch of this new venue and to entice you a bit more check out the great pictures below!

For more details on this venue and our other amazing venues check out our website and get in touch!

Is it time for a solo adventure?

Solo holidays with Sardinia Yoga

Solo holidays can feel a bit daunting but they’re such a great way of recharging your batteries and having a bit of ‘me’ time.

But, admittedly all that ‘me’ time can get a bit much after a few days; which is why an activity holiday – like one of our wonderful yoga holidays could be just the thing for you.

Whether you’re in Sardinia, Majorca or Croatia we’ve got just the right balance – you start the day off with a light breakfast, then it’s a two hour yoga session with our incredible yoga teachers and the amazing views that our locations have to offer. Then it’s a big, delicious brunch with the group and then the day is yours. Whether you want to explore the local areas, try out some delicious local cuisine or simply relax in the sun with your favourite book – it’s up to you.  We don’t make you stick to any sort of tight schedule and free time really is free.

So, if this is just the antidote for the hectic you’re currently living then how about you visit our website and have a look at the dates we’ve got available at all three of our venues.

We can’t wait to see you there!

The Great Escape!

The season begins

We’re so excited that our new season is almost upon us!

On the 24^th March we’re opening our doors for the first time this year in magical Majorca!

And, if like us you’re over this cold wintery weather – because quite honestly it feels like winter’s really dragging its heels this year – then how about you plan your great escape and come join us? We still have spaces left over the Easter weekend in Cala d’Or and we’d love to see you there!

Our season this year looks a little bit like this:

Cala d’Or Majorca

• 24 March – 29 May
• 29 September – 03 November

Sardinia

• 19 May – 28 July
• 25 August – 29 September

Croatia

• 26 May – 21 July
• 25 August – 13 October

The great thing about one of our yoga holidays at all of our venues is that you can tailor the trip however you like. There’s no set check in day, you can stay for a few days or even a week. We run extra yoga classes in the afternoon or you can just relax on the beach with a good book.

If you’d like more information on any three of the venues and the dates above don’t hesitate to take a look at our website, fill in our contact form or drop us an email at bookings@sardiniayoga.com and we’ll answer any questions you may have or get you booked up onto your next luxurious yoga holiday.