The Green Dream

Back to Nature through Yoga & Sustainable Living 

 

6 day Retreat in Andalucia, Spain 

 

Follow us to an eco centre in the heart of the Andalusian countryside to learn about life off-grid whilst going deeper into your yoga practice   

This unique retreat offers a mixture of yoga education, sustainable living principles and outdoor excursions to help you connect back to nature and your deeper self.

We are extremely excited to be hosting this retreat at Casita Verde Granada, alongside its founder and our dear friend Rey Aldana. Casita Verde Granada is an eco-centre immersed in nature that teaches about innovative and sustainable lifestyle techniques.

During the retreat, Rey will give you practical and educational tips on how to apply sustainable principles to your everyday life with ethical and responsible guidelines. 

 We will practice yoga in the morning on our yoga deck and enjoy a delicious brunch before embarking on one of our daily excursions. 

As the day comes to an end, we can enjoy dinner together on the dining terrace.

Our retreats are open to all levels so you don’t need to have experience with yoga, meditation or breathing practices to participate.
Everyone is welcome!

The Program:
We will start each day with 2 hours of yoga on our yoga deck, under the shade of a magnificent pine tree, with sweeping views over the surrounding forest-clad mountains.

Our yoga practice will be based around learning about the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and eather. Everything in nature is made up of these five basic elements and knowledge of them allows the yogi to understand the laws of nature and to use yoga to attain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom and happiness. This arises out of deep intuition of how the universe operates.
Knowledge of the five elements is also an essential prerequisite for more advanced yoga practice because the elements form the world we live in and the structure of our body & mind.
We will explore their connection to the body, its energy centres and the aspects of our lives that they relate to.

Through consciously working with the elements, we learn how to attain and maintain health and also how to consciously enjoy a long and fulfilling life based on higher awareness.

We will also practice daily with a number of different pranayama techniques (breathing exercises), experiencing first hand their wonderful benefits and why we consider them an integral part of our yoga practice.

With a 2 hour class we have the time to really switch off and become present and to go deeper into our practice. We can take time for realignments and adjustments and to bring the breath in sync with the movement.

At the same time, practising yoga outdoors, in nature, helps us to feel a connection with the elements, with the energy of the universe and with our deeper self.

Following the yoga practice, there will be a delicious, healthy brunch and the rest of the day will then be dedicated to excursions and activities outdoors.
We will swim in lakes, rivers and beaches, visit and shop at an eco market and explore the spectacular city of Granada.

Rey will also hold a workshop to teach us how to make and bottle our own fresh tomato sauce, which is a staple for a number of dishes cooked at Casita Verde.
If your luggage allows it, you can take a bottle back home with you 🙂

As the day starts to wind down, we will enjoy dinner together on our dining terrace and take the opportunity to share stories and experiences together.

We organise, coordinate and are present at each retreat to make sure everything runs smoothly and you are well taken care of. 

Our retreats are open to all levels so you don’t need to have experience with yoga, meditation or breathing practices to participate. Everyone is welcome!

We can’t wait to share this adventure with you!

The Teacher:
ELENA RAVASI
Elena is one of the founders of Shakti World Retreats and the manager of beautiful Casa Shakti Ibiza.

She is a Hatha Yoga teacher who has been practising yoga for the last 18 years. Since November 2009, she has been attending the Himalayan Yoga Teacher Training under the direct supervision of Swami Veda Bharati and joining regular retreats in India.
In Elena’s Yoga classes, great importance is given to the preparation of the breath, relaxation techniques and meditation. This will help you to let go of any tension built up after a stressful time and to restart your life calmer, with more energy and with a clearer head.
She also brings a spiritual element to her teaching and encourages you to expand your awareness both individually and collectively.
The physical practice together with relaxation and meditation, help stimulate your creativity, re-balance your emotional state and improve the quality of your sleep.

Elena has been teaching in Ibiza since she moved there in 2011 and is now settled in her yoga paradise, in the hills with her horses and cats.
She is also a student and practitioner of Natural Horsemanship as a way to rehabilitate horses who have experienced physical and psychological trauma.

 

 

Our Sustainable Living Coach:
REY ALDANA (el Cubanito)
Born in Havana, Cuba, in a rural environment, surrounded by countryside, horses and nature, Rey studied and received the title of Senior Technician in Environmental Health.
He moved to Spain from his native Cuba in 2004 and after several years of living in different locations around Europe, he arrived at Casita Verde Ibiza in 2012, where he found what would become his future path, passion and profession in ecology and sustainable living.

Rey spent 6 years living and training at Casita Verde Ibiza, developing his skills, knowledge and experience before moving to mainland Spain in January 2018 to open a second Casita Verde outside of Granada.

Music plays an important role in the life of ‘Dr Cubano’, which is Rey’s professional DJ name, specialised in playing a variety of ‘world music’, such as reggae and cumbia. He continues to DJ at a number of events and festivals across Spain, especially in Granada and Ibiza.

 

Our Yogi Support:
ROSIE RANDISI
Rosie is the other half of Shakti World Retreats’ founding duo and our all-round amazing Yogi Support – taking care of anything from our website and social media content to guest relations and retreat logistics; all with her trademark positive vibes 🙂

Alongside Elena, she will be making sure that everything runs smoothly during the retreat, that all our guests are well taken care of and that all the little details are in place.

Rosie discovered yoga quite late in her life and felt an instant and powerful connection to it that continues to grow. From trips to India to study with the masters to taking part in and co-hosting many retreats, yoga is now a central part of her life and she looks forward to sharing its many benefits with you on the retreats!

She is also a professional photographer and has been documenting life at Casa Shakti and on our retreats for many years.

Rosie moved to Ibiza with her husband in 2012 and they have never looked back, fully embracing the island’s energy, nature and outdoor lifestyle. You will often find her exploring the island with her walking group friends and her beloved camera.

 

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The Location:
The retreat is held at Casita Verde Granada, an ecology centre at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, between the city of Granada and the Mediterranean coast.

Developed along the same lines as its parent project in Ibiza, Casita Verde Granada acts as an ecological association aiming to educate on sustainable living techniques by applying permaculture principles, using alternative energy and reusing and upcycling waste materials.

Deep in the heart of the Andalusian countryside, in a picturesque and peaceful valley surrounded by forest, the centre exists in harmony with nature and the seasons.

Built around a traditional Spanish casita (cottage), it is completely off-grid and they collect rainwater to shower, wash-up and irrigate the land, generate solar energy, collect and burn wood for heating and have compost toilets to add humanure back to the soil.

A number of walking trails lead deep into the forest where you can spot deer and wildflowers whilst experiencing real peace and oneness with nature.

You can find out more about Casita Verde on their website: www.casitaverde.com


The Food:
During the retreat, we will follow a sattvic diet, according to traditional yoga practices and in line with Casita Verde’s ethos.

The food we serve, therefore, will be vegetarian (100% vegan on request) and we will use all those ingredients that help to maintain a balanced physical, mental and emotional state: fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholemeal cereals, fresh non-packages ingredients, nuts and seeds. 

Many of our ingredients are sourced locally from sustainable producers near Granada and you will have a chance to meet some of them when we visit our favourite eco-market during the retreat. 

Mealtimes are always a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other and to share stories and experiences together. 

We look forward to sharing this time with you all!

What’s included:
*6 nights’ accommodation
You will be staying on the grounds of a charming, off-grid Spanish casita (country house) nestled in a picturesque and peaceful valley, surrounded by lush forest.
*1 daily 2-hour yoga classes immersed in nature, under the shade of a magnificent pine tree.
*Daily guided excursions comprising swimming in lakes, rivers, beaches, a visit to an eco market and to the city of Granada.
*Transfers will be provided for each excursion
*1 workshop on how to make and bottle your own fresh tomato sauce
*Brunch and dinner
A plentiful brunch and dinner will be prepared fresh for you each day with love, using locally sourced, sustainable produce.
*Herbal tea, aromatic water and fresh fruit available throughout the day
*Transfers between Casita Verde and Granada
We will provide transfers on the first and last day of the retreat.
We will arrange to pick up guests in small groups, based on arrival times, doing our best to keep waiting times to a minimum.
We are linked to a lovely hostel in Granada called El Granado and it will act as our pick up and drop off point. It has a comfortable communal area where you can wait with a warm drink for your pick up.
****If you would like to extend your time in Granada before or after the retreat, we can help to make arrangements  for you at the El Granado hostel.

What’s not included:
Flights
The closest airports are Granada and Malaga.
From Malaga airport, there are direct coaches that reach the centre of Granada in 2 hours.

The Accommodation:
Prices start from €845
We have a variety of accommodation options to suit different budgets and requirements.
Please refer to our PDF or go to “Reserve your Spot” for full price details. 

Wherever you go, go with all your heart ~ Confucius