E XPERIENCE NEW AGE
SILVER ISLAND
THE HAPPINESS RETREAT Having studied movement in fields ranging from dance and yoga to scuba diving, Apostolia Papadamaki founded The Happiness Retreat, through which she teaches holistic health techniques at various beautiful locations. The Spring Celebration Ritual Retreat at the eco-culture center Re-Green, surrounded by mountains and waterfalls in the village of Seliana in the Peloponnese, is a popular choice. Aiming to help you better understand your body and control your breathing, the program combines yoga with detoxing, movement and breathing exercises, impulse dance, and outdoor excursions. Retreats on the islands feature a “water spirit contact dance” in the sea, and sunrise meditation on the beach, while the Dreaming Wide Awake Retreat includes exercises at archeological sites. INFO Tel. (+30) 693.692.0860, thehappinessretreat.gr 58
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SILVER ISLAND On their private island between the mainland and Evia, sisters Lisa and Claire Christie have been organizing yoga retreats since 2012. Between April and October, there’s a new retreat every week, and they’re all different. The maximum number of participants at each retreat is 10. The island was once a luxury hotel resort popular with jet-setters. Today, the sisters have transformed it into a sustainable haven for those seeking privacy and pristine beaches. The former helipad is now a yoga shala, the food served is vegetarian, the water is supplied by a rainwater collector and the power by solar panels. INFO silverislandyoga.com
PURE FITNESS While most health retreats cater to small groups, yoga teacher Fotini Bitrou arranges retreats for as many as 45 attendees, making them particularly suited to large groups and families. Her annual six-day retreat on Ikaria is a popular choice. Here, sessions take place at The Egg, a large outdoor workshop space by the sea. Ikaria is celebrated for the longevity of its inhabitants, something many attribute to their traditional diet, so it’s no surprise that local food plays an important part in the retreat experience. Fotini also organizes retreats on her native island of Aegina; at the eco-resort Montanema in the mountains near Lake Plastira; and on cruise ships sailing the Aegean Sea. INFO Tel. (+30) 693.243.1281, purefitness.gr
