This hotel is a traditional spa (going back to Roman times traditional!!) in the little town of Caldas de Malavella in Catalunya, NE Spain. The hotel is situated on a train line between Girona and Barcelona and is a short drive from the Girona airport, and about a 50-minute drive to the Costa Brava. A perfect place to rest, relax and visit the charms of this beautiful area of Catalunya.
SCHEDULE
Overview:
This five-day retreat begins with an evening class at 6pm and dinner on Sunday September 15, and we finish the course on Friday September, after an early morning class and breakfast.
During the week we have am and pm classes (exc Wednesday) and time to gather and chat about yoga - practice/teaching/whatever arises!- in an informal setting.
Details:
Our schedule this year will accommodate requests for more am rest!! Everything is optional and participants with less experience or needing modifications are encouraged to end their class earlier and take the alternative options within the classes.
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday will have an optional meditation and pranayama session 10 -10.30am, followed by the active asana practice til 12 or 12.15pm. On these days there will be a gentle evening class at 6.15 - 7.30pm.
On Wednesday and Friday, we will have a 7am meditation followed by a flow practice from 7.30-9am. Wednesday evening there is no class and this is the day where some folks venture out to the beach or Girona or other tourist type excursions. And some of us just linger by the thermal pool or have spa treatments and lay low!
ACCOMMODATIONS
Arranged directly through Hotel Balneari Prats allowing everyone to find a room suitable for their budget and needs. You are advised to look at the website and book your reservations as soon as possible after 2/22/24. Lower prices are generally available earlier in the year. All reservations include a full breakfast.
Your first dinner is included in the admins/tuition fee paid directly to Mary and you can decide if you want dinners/lunches or combos after your first dinner with the group. Usually we all meet at dinner and then, everyone has individual arrangements for lunch/snacks etc.
TUITION/ ADMIN fee payable to MP
Early Bird Fee: $425 if you register with your $150 deposit online by June 15 and pay the remaining $275 by July 31, 2024. After June 15, fee is $475. After September 1, fee is $500. Details regarding payment of the remainder of the fee are available when you go to the cart and may depend on which country you reside in. If you wish to pay the entire fee by credit card/paypal, contact Mary for a specific invoice to do so.
Your fee includes all tuition, administration, first dinner but no accommodation or other dinner costs.
TRANSPORT:
More information is available on request.
-Many UK students come either by train, car, or plane to Girona airport or Barcelona airport (and then take a 70 minute train to Caldas de Malavela). The station at Caldas is a 10 minute walk from the Spa and there is a taxi service available there and at Girona airport.
- High speed trains arrive at Girona or at Barcelona and then there are local networks to bring you to Caldas de Malavela.
CANCELATIONS:
With all the uncertainties around Covid and travel these days, we do advise travel insurance. In the event that the retreat has to be cancelled due to external circumstances prior to arrival on Sept 15 - you will have your full admins/tuition/first dinner fee refunded and you can get a full refund for your hotel booking if you cancel 2 days beforehand. If you book through a booking agency and not the hotel website, check the small print re cancelations!
- If you personally have an emergency and are not able to attend, you may be able to transfer your spot to someone else that you designate (with a $50 admins fee); otherwise your fee is non-refundable. There are no refunds or credits of any deposits under any circumstance and no refunds/credits for the remainder of admins and tuition fee after August 15 under any circumstance.
Holiday Insurance may well be appropriate!
“The warmth of the climate ( not too hot as I had feared) and the warmth of the group were both part of the process of melting into this retreat with the delicious rhythm of meditation yoga swimming and food with the occasional treatment at the spa. If you know you like Mary’s yoga then you will adore this retreat. Get booking!
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“I loved this retreat, the combination of excellent instruction at a relaxed pace, a wonderful group of people and the charming Balneari Prats Hotel made for a restorative fun week. We had just the right amount of time focused on yoga and meditation, and even a bonus pilates session along with free time to explore the area. Mid week trip to the sea was lovely also. I’m coming back.”
“I can’t express how much (this) week has inspired, informed and guided me. It is a relief and a joy to be supported to meet with oneself and begin to learn to connect naturally and instinctively in the body. This then relates outwards in the way we connect with others and engage in this primitive knowledge we have forgotten…...I really look forward to enhancing this journey through the next year and meeting with you again in Caldes.”
“I so enjoyed returning to Mary’s yoga retreat at the Balneari Prats hotel, seeing some familiar faces and relaxing into the welcoming atmosphere of the hotel. The combination of periods of meditation, yoga tailored to different capabilities and discussions about the philosophy and practice of yoga make for a stimulating but restful 5 days. My yoga practiced has deepened as a result of these five days”
“Returning home from my 3rd retreat here. In essence how do I feel: Fabulous! Calm, focused, happy. Physically strong yet measured. Joyful. Interested and excited to put into practice what I have learnt and understood from the physical practice of yoga alongside the philosophical aspects. Listening to others on the retreat, be they teachers, or like myself, just someone who uses yoga as a life’s tool, has also been relevant to my everyday practice for home. The spa hotel is utterly perfect for this week.....For those who wish to bring their other halves, it works. Biking, sleeping, reading, thermal waters etc.”
“This week has afforded me the precious peace and space which I needed to ground myself and address important life issues....It was lovely to spend quality time with my daughter and in the company of kind new friends. This spa hotel was such a great choice. I found it very tranquil and excellent value for money in comparison to similar places in the U.K.”