This week of health, yoga and discovery of Tuscany will be extraordinary. You will be given personal attention along with learning a mixture of Eastern health principles (Ayurvedic & Chinese), enjoying delicious fresh Tuscan organic foods and the much slower, arguably healthier, lifestyle of Tuscan life.

Your instructors run an acupuncture and yoga center in Molokai, Hawaii and travel the world teaching yoga at resorts and to celebrities like Sting and John McEnroe. The emphasis at the villa will be on gentle Hatha yoga, which anyone can practice.

Restored to its past splendor and managed by a local historical society, the villa where you will be staying is a large, upscale estate with spacious halls, multiple wine cellars, painted wooden caisson ceilings, antique fireplaces, red cotto floors, numerous dining areas, swimming pool, gardens and foot paths for wandering through the tranquil woods and gardens.

Guest accommodations are well-appointed private apartments set in the property's recently renovated borgo (hamlet). Each apartment, consisting of lounge/dining room, split-level bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, comes equipped with central heating, air-conditioning and satellite TV.

During the week, you have the option to participate in a cooking class instead of going on the afternoon excursion. Guests will be introduced to the art of "La Cucina Povera Toscana", the traditional peasant's style of using locally grown ingredients to prepare the freshest of dishes. Hands-on classes are taught in an informal style and are taught by the estate's head chef, known throughout Tuscany for his technique of combining the old and the new. Dishes vary with the specialties of the season; fresh vegetables and seafood in the spring and summer; freshly pressed olive oil, sauces with mushrooms and truffles, chestnuts and game meats in the fall. Besides first and second-course menu items, guests are shown how to make handmade pastas, Tuscan breads and classic desserts.


A special day in Florence has been arranged with the owners and operators of a renowned restaurant and cooking school located in a 16th-century palazzo. Guests will first visit the Central Food market where farmers descend from the hills to sell their wares -- pastas, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, meats, fish, free-range poultry, wild boar and other game - and be shown how to choose the freshest ingredients that are used in this special restaurant's acclaimed dishes. A multi-course dinner will follow.

Wine excursions and tastings include a tour of one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries of Carmignano, "Tenuta di Capezzana", consisting of more than 1,600 acres of vineyards and a wine cellar dating back to the 16th century. Excursions vary depending on the length of the package and may include a visit to Vinci, home of Leonardo di Vinci; the well-preserved Roman town of Lucca; "San Gimignano" (with the beautiful towers), a medieval town whose tall towers once numbered more than 70 and now 14; and an olive oil farm in Montalbano.

Free time is set aside to explore and shop in Florence, San Gimignano and Lucca and to wander the footpaths, swim in the pool or sit by the lake on the grounds of the villa.

BOOKING INFORMATION
2007 FEES PER PERSON	DEPOSIT
To be announced * Note: Our half-week vacations run from Saturday to Tuesday or Sunday to Wednesday.	After availability is confirmed, a non-refundable deposit of $500 per person and the completed and submitted registration form will secure your reservation. Final payment is due in full 60 days before your arrival date.
2007 DATES	INCLUDED
To be announced * Note: There is some flexibility in dates. Please Inquire.	Six (6) nights' accommodations (in double or triple occupancy apartments) All meals: breakfast, organic yoga lunch, exquisite dinners (vegetarian options available) Instructor led yoga (two hours daily) Two (2) wine tours with wine tasting(Carmignano and Chianti regions) One (1) guided visit to an olive oil farm with tasting and lunch Transfers to and from the airport or rail station in Florence and local transportation for scheduled excursions The seven-day itinerary includes five hands-on yoga classes at the estate; the four-day package includes three classes at the estate

For further inquiries or to register, click here.



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