Italy 2018

Annual TaoZen Retreat in Italy with Masahiro~
May 26 ~ June 2 at Fattoria la Capitana

We are returning to La Capitana!  The villa, the sun and the view are so beautiful, we’re coming back for our THIRD YEAR!  Scroll down for more photos of the beautiful Fattoria la Capitana… a gorgeous villa in the wonderful Maremma region of Western Tuscany.

Fattoria la Capitana~

…began as a farm estate and chapel and is still surrounded by a centuries-old olive grove offering a view that takes you back in time. In front of the main building there is a large garden with a terrace overlooking the sea in front of the Argentario peninsula, and a  beautiful heated pool with Jacuzzi. Along with charming rooms, apartments and the villa, there are two halls in beautifully restored old barns where we will move, breathe and practice during our time together.

A Great Place~

La Capitana [http://www.lacapitana.it/], built in 1797, is only 2.5 hours transit from Rome or Florence. It sits high on the hills of a beautiful stretch of the Maremma coast, near to Giglio Island, the fortress of Telamon and the town of Saturnia famous for its thermal springs.  It is still surrounded by a centuries-old olive grove containing an ancient mill and chapel, offering a view that takes us back in time…  In front of the Farm, the large garden has a terrace overlooking the sea in front of the Argentario peninsula, with a beautiful heated pool with Jacuzzi.  How could you possibly wish for more?

With Great Food~

Rosanna Passione, talented chef and author, will once again create delicious Italian meals for us! We loved her creative, healthy Italian food and delightful hospitality in Tuscana last 3 years and are so looking forward to spending time in her care again. Her husband, Alfredo a previous head of the Macrobiotic Center in Milan will host our group again as well.

This Year’s Agenda: Tai Chi & Meditation

“Taichi & Meditation for an Authentic and Joyful Life”

This will be our 6th retreat in Italy, and we are happy to come back to La Capitana with Rossana Passione, our favorite chef.

Come and enjoy Wonderful People, Amazing Food, Breathtaking Views… In an Italian Villa with history and beauty.  Join us for Deep Meditation, Conscious Breathing and Flowing Qigong practices.

We will start our mornings with TaoYin and meditation on the lawn with an amazing 360 degree view of Mediterranean Sea and Tuscan Wine Country outside our private villa. Mornings are often surrounded by morning mist as the sun climbs in the sky.

We will learn and practice TaoZen Meditation, Breathing and Qigong through the day.  This year we will spend more time practicing and contemplating together rather than just learning the steps of a method.  We will be focusing on:

Meditation:  Three Dantien ~ Yin & Yang ~ Seven Chakra Meditation

Tai Chi (Moving Meditation):  Tenshin Ranman Taichi

We sent out a message to our community asking everyone which Tai Chi form they love best… Tenshin Ranman was the favorite so that is the favorite and that we will learn.

Learning together Tenshin Ranaman Taichi and a Meditation with the Three Dantien, Yin and Yang and Seven Charka brings us a more authentic and joyful life.

In beautiful Toscana (Tuscany), delicious Italian food and open-hearted friends from many countries, you will rediscover your authentic self and become eager to live with more joy and courage.  It is a retreat for the many aspects of your body, mind, and spirit.

Tenshin Ranman Taichi

…is our signature taichi form. It contains all the traditional Taichi movements but only requires 7 minutes and a 2 x 2 meter area, so it can be practiced anywhere and anytime once you learn it. It is a powerful practice that integrates mind, body and spirit, developing mental and physical grounding and centering. But more than anything, it is fun and joyful. You can learn and practice Tenshin Ranman Taichi at any age and with any physical conditioning~ whether you are a seasoned athlete or in need of strength and recovery. If you know the form, this is your opportunity to refine and polish what you’ve learned!  This year, if you want to certify to teach the form, we will have sessions to help. If you are new to Tenshin Ranman, you are also welcome! Masahiro will spend plenty of time introducing the basic building blocks of the form.

Three Dantien, Seven Chakra Yin and Yang Meditation

“Dantien” is from the Taoist tradition and “Chakra” is from the Indian tradition, and yet they are interconnected. Both are subtle body energy centers. And it is important to develop each center and balance them for our total wellbeing. We will explore the Three Dantien through meditation and simple Qigong movements. We will explore the Seven Chakra with Yin-Yang Mantras, visualization and simple movements.

We will also do Dream Practice and have a one-day Silence Practice.

The Food~

Rosanna Passione, our favorite chef, is back (of course! how could we have our retreat without Rosanna!).  She will be amazing us once again with her incredibly delicious and healthful food.

Masahiro’s retreats and workshops attract people from wildly different vocations, personalities and backgrounds coming together to share their passion for Taichi, Qigong, meditation and loving community. We believe it is essential for us to gather and share love, trust and life through learning. Actually sharing our time with food, laughter and understanding is so important now and for our future. In this internet society, we deeply need real human connections.

Group Day Trip & Tour~

We have not yet organized our special day trip (a TaoZen Retreat tradition!), but the thermal baths of Saturnia, the Uccellina park and the sea are all only a few minutes’ drive away. Only a little farther are the historic town of Siena and the beautiful ruins of San Galgano.

Are you interested in sharing Tenshin Ranman Taichi?  Masahiro will be setting aside time during the retreat to Refine your form and for Certification.  If you’d like more information, email Miranda:

Miranda@TaoZenLife.info

Daily Schedule~

May 26 (Sat)
noon :   Registration Begins
18:00 :   Dinner
20:00 – 22:00 :   Evening Class

May 27-June 2 (Sun-Sat)
7:00 – 8:30 :      Morning Class
8:30 – 9:30 :       Breakfast
10:30- 12:30  :    Class
12:30 – 13:30  :   Lunch
13:30 – 14:30  :   Dream and Meditation
14:30 – 16:00  :   Break
16:30 – 18:00  :   Afternoon Class
18:30 – 20:30  :   Dinner
20:30 – 21:30  :   Evening Class

One day during the week :   Silence Day

One day during the week : 
“School Tour” Day (After Breakfast until Dinner)

June 2 (Sat)
Morning Class followed by Closing Breakfast and Farewells

Costs & Fees~

We offer an “Early Bird” early registration discount on both the Tuition and the Hotel fee. Payment must be received by April 25 to receive these reductions.

7 Nights: May 26 (Saturday) to June 2 (Saturday)

6 Full days and 7 nights… we will begin our time together on the evening of May 26^th and share morning practice and a farewell breakfast on June 2nd.  The Hotel Fees include all of Rosanna’s wonderful cooking – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner as well as our afternoon “Tea Break.”

Tuition~

Early Bird:  €660
Full Fee:     €710

Accommodations~

Because La Capitana is a gorgeous, rambling villa, we have several room options. We have organized them as follows:

Dorm: Our “Dorm” Option is two lovely rooms with 3-4 beds each.  We are calling it our Dorm because they share one bath…

Dorm:
Early Bird:  €72 / night =  €500~
Full Fee:      €75 / night =  €520~

Double Rooms: There are Double Rooms that share their bath with another Double Room, and others have their own bath (some en suite, some in the hall outside the room).

Double Room/Sharing Bath: 
Early Bird:  €100 / night =   €700
Full Fee:      €108 / night =  €750
Double Room/Own Bath:
Early Bird:  €108 / night =   €750
Full Fee:      €115 / night =  €800  

Single Rooms: We have very few single rooms.  If you wish that option, please contact us as soon as you can.

Single Room: 
Early Bird:  €136 / night =   €950
Full Fee:      €143 / night =  €1000 
{Single Rooms book early.  If you wish to reserve a single, please book asap.}

Payment Options~

This year, we are processing payments directly online using PayPal invoices.  It’s very secure and convenient and you do not need a PayPal account… you can use your debit or credit card.

~Payment in full is required by April 25 to receive the early registration discount.

~ Until March 15, we can offer the option of paying the Early Bird offer in 2-3 parts. One-third is required at time of registration to hold your place; One third is due March 30; and the final payment is due April 25.

Note on our Day Trip:

The Day Trip usually incurs an additional expense for transportation.  We will know the fee when other details are set.  However, it has been between €50-80 in past years.

Use this Contact form to Register – or email:  Info@TaoZenLife.info

Some photos of Fattoria la Capitana  & Last Year’s Retreat
{click to see full size}~