The Winds of Change
Mindfulness Retreat
The theme is EASE
Puglia, Italy
September 28th-October 4th, 2024
Picture this…
You begin your day with a warm cup of tea, coffee and/or homemade pastry and a quiet, peaceful stroll on the grounds of La Rosa dei 4 Venti, nestled in the rolling hills of the Italian countryside. The sound of birds fills the air and the sun gently streams through the Bodhi trees and surrounding olive trees.
After an enriching morning mindfulness session, you lounge in a poolside cabana. Perhaps after a morning swim, you read a book or journal about the new mindfulness skills you learned that morning. Time falls away until the delicious smell of a hearty, healthy brunch fills the air and invites you to join an al fresco, family style meal with fellow retreat members.
Now nourished, there is plenty of down time to take an afternoon nap, indulge in a massage, have a meaningful conversation with someone from the retreat, or go on a guided excursion in Puglia, such as, Polignano a Mare or a breathtaking ancient olive tree orchard before your afternoon mindfulness session.
As you sit in community with likeminded people who are on a similar journey, you feel deeply connected, heard, and seen. While you are all from different walks of life, you share a common goal of wanting to learn new ways of being that allow you to move through life with more ease, no matter the obstacles. You share the same path, mindfulness. A deep sense of gratitude washes over you for being on this journey with such good-hearted, kind, and thoughtful people.
At the end of the day, you share a decadent, nourishing, healthy gourmet dinner together prepared by the chef and reflect on how profound, yet simplistic, the day was. Your adventure has just begun and you already feel at ease. After having some time to yourself or to spend with others laying on the soft grass and gazing up at the star lit sky, you crawl into an inviting bed in the serenity of your room to drift into a deep, restorative sleep following a guided nightly yoga nidra (yogic sleep) practice.
Does this speak to you? If so, you belong here.
6 nights.
7 days.
The Winds of Change Mindfulness Retreat is more than just an opportunity to step away from life’s responsibilities for a week and relax deeply. It’s an intentionally curated experience where you’re given ample time and space to practice mindfulness concepts and tools that will stay with you for the rest of your life. It is an investment in yourself and your future.
This is a wonderful experience to share with friends, family, a spouse, or to enjoy solo.
The Retreat Purpose
from Your Teacher
Hi friend!
I’m Ariel, your host for the Winds of Change Mindfulness Retreat.
The adage is true,
“The only constant in life is change” -Heraclitus.
I have yet to meet someone who is not experiencing change, some small and some momentous. This could include getting married, having children, getting divorced, relocating, acquiring a new home, adjusting to a new job, retirement, coping with a loss, healing through illness, starting a business, pursuing a passion, or something else. Change is inevitable. Sometimes it is planned change, and sometimes it takes us by surprise and takes our breath away.
I have come to love the saying,
“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, and others build windmills.” – unknown author
It teaches us that we always have a choice about how to approach change. We may choose to put up a wall to protect ourselves from the winds of change if they feel unbearable. Or, we may choose to harness the energy of the winds of change to build metaphoric windmills that give us energy and power to move forward in life.
What better place to explore the winds of change in your life than the La Rosa dei 4 Venti (the rose of the four winds) Retreat Center. When standing on this beautiful property I can feel the gentle winds from the North, South, East, and West meeting and encircling me. This is an energy I have never experienced before and it creates curiosity, movement, change, and growth. There truly is something in the air.
Mindfulness Through the Lens of Your Retreat Host
(Photo by Marta Guenzi, Lake Como, Italy)
In the United States, and many other cultures, mindfulness is marketed synonymously with relaxation, calmness and peace.
However, mindfulness, in its truest form, is a brave practice in which we connect deeply with all of our thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
In mindfulness, we do not believe that some feelings are good, while others are bad. Each is equally valued, for when we are in touch with whatever shows up, we are experiencing life to its fullest. If we avoid the uncomfortable, we will miss out and our world will get smaller. The more accepting we are of whatever shows up, including hardship, the more expansive our lives become. The resistance to discomfort can cause pain and suffering, while the acceptance of whatever shows up allows us to move through life with more ease. This is called the Middle Way – the path of least resistance. Ultimately, this practice invites us to live the most full and rich life imaginable.
Mindfulness is the art and science of intentionally being in the present moment without judgment. It is grounded in acceptance. What we know from research is that mindfulness improves sleep, the ability to focus and concentrate, deepens our interpersonal connections, decreases stress, and improves overall well-being.
Come, learn and practice everyday mindfulness skills that you can weave into your life seamlessly and use long after the retreat has ended.
Should you decide to join me on this brave journey to practice mindfulness, your world will become bigger, and you will move in the direction of your core values, your goals, and your greatest dreams with more ease, despite any obstacles that may arise. And with regular practice, the health benefits of mindfulness listed above can be yours.
This retreat is designed for individuals with all levels of mindfulness experience, including those brand new to it.
Can you imagine a life in which nothing stands in your way?
A life in which, no matter the obstacles, you can stay the course?
A life in which you “Greet your dragons (fears) with a shaky hand and tender heart (self-compassion)?” – Pema Chodron.
This is the life that you, and everyone, deserves!
There are many yoga and meditation retreats offered around the world. However, there are very few retreats solely dedicated to teaching mindfulness. This is ironic because mindfulness is something that can be easily incorporated into our busy lives for years to come.
Come join me for this unique, once in a lifetime experience.
Retreat Details
The Retreat Center
La Rosa dei 4 Venti is a 17th Century “masseria” (farmhouse) near the town of Martina Franca in the region of Puglia, Italy. It is located between the Adriatic and Ionic Sea. It is nestled in the countryside of Valle D’Itria on fourteen acres of rolling grassy hills accented by beautiful stonework. The property has a manor house with an elegant outdoor dining table, a small church with original frescoes dating back to the 18th century, a breathtaking meditation/yoga shala, a glassed gazebo overlooking gardens, a heated swimming pool with cabanas, and a private forest with meditation paths. The bedrooms are decorated with serenity in mind. There are many places on the property to find peace and solitude to meditate or relax.
The Retreat Center Food Philosophy
The chef at La Rosa dei 4 Venti is deeply dedicated to accommodating for any food allergies, sensitivities or restrictions. Please inform Marco at info@larosadei4venti.com regarding any requests.
The food philosophy at La Rosa is strongly influenced by traditional Italian dishes to provide a taste of the culture, while making them contemporary, light, and healthy.
The meals are centered around fresh vegetables. The fresh pastas, bread, focaccia and pastries are all made using Senatore Cappelli flour, an ancient Apulian grain that is an excellent source of nutrition for those with gluten sensitivities. The fresh dairy products are all sourced from local farms. Delicious fresh fish and meat are available upon request.
Additionally, should you have an interest in wine, La Rosa has a carefully curated wine list to accompany the menu. A descriptive list of wines is provided to guide your pairings with your food choices. There are natural wines without added sulphites as well as those representative of the most precious Italian wine-making traditions.
Travel, Accommodations, and Additional Information
Please book your travel to arrive in the town of Bari or Brindisi, Italy and depart from Bari or Brindisi, Italy, whichever you prefer.
Check-in at La Rosa dei 4 Venti is at 4pm on 9/28/24. The retreat will begin with a delicious welcome dinner on September 28th at 7:30pm and commence with a dinner and celebration of our time together at 7:30pm on October 3rd. Check-out is at 10am on October 4th and departures will begin after breakfast. The retreat center can arrange for early or late departure if necessary. If you need an extra night accommodation at the start or end of the trip please contact Marco at info@larosadei4venti.com to make arrangements.
From Bari the retreat center about a 90-minute drive and from Brandisi the retreat center is roughly a 60-minute drive. If you are flying or taking a train into Bari or Brandisi the staff at La Rosa are happy to arrange for transportation to the retreat center and will divide the cost between the number of people sharing each car. Assuming you are sharing with at least one other traveler, please budget 40-60 Euros per person each way. This cost may be less with more riders.
Retreat Pricing
There is now only 1 spot remaining for the retreat!
Payment must be made in full at the time of purchase.
Single Occupancy Small Trullo Room
SOLD OUT
Double Occupancy Small Trullo Room
SOLD OUT
Single Occupancy Standard Room
$3,340 per person- (ONLY 1 ROOM LEFT!)
Double Occupancy Standard Room
$3,040 per person
Single Occupancy Large Room
$3,440 per person
Double Occupancy Large Room
$3,140 per person- (ONLY 3 ROOMS LEFT!)
All rooms have an en suite bathroom with a shower.
To view room decor or see detailed information about the retreat center please visit: https://www.larosadei4venti.com
INCLUDED:
- 6 nights, 7 days accommodations
- All mindfulness sessions with Ariel (introductory mindfulness after dinner on arrival night, two sessions per day for five days, unless the entire group wants to partake in a longer excursion, in which case a longer mindfulness session will be offered once that
day) - Two gourmet meals per day (a large brunch and extravagant dinner) with beverages and
snacks available all day - Free WiFi
- Use of all common spaces and facility at La Rosa dei 4 Venti
NOT INCLUDED:
- Travel to/from Italy
- Travel to/from Bari or Brindisi to La Rosa dei 4 Venti
- Travel insurance (highly recommended)
- Gratuities for retreat center staff
- On-property massage (Please bring cash in Euros)
- Excursions such as, Locorotondo, Polignano a Mare, an ancient olive orchard tour at Masseria Branca, a visit to a magnificent ceramic factory, and/or a visit to Grottaglia. All excursion options will be shared in detail when you arrive at the retreat center. All excursions are thoughtfully arranged by the staff at La Rosa with attention to every detail.
REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY:
You may be refunded your deposit and full payment up until 30 days prior to the start date of the retreat (9/28/24). Any cancellations within 30 days of 9/28/24 will be fully non-refundable including the $500 deposit, in accordance with the cancellation policy of the retreat center. No exceptions can be made.
Your Retreat Host
Dr. Ariel Allena Botta is a practitioner and teacher of mindfulness, psychotherapist, researcher, Teaching Associate at Harvard Medical School, certified yoga instructor, and reiki master. She began her career 24 years ago at Boston Children’s Hospital in the United States where she continues to support children, adolescents and families. She has taught evidence-based mindfulness to youth and families in a clinical capacity for close to 20 years. She also teaches mindfulness to the public, elite youth soccer players in her role as the Director of The Edge through Valeo Futbol Club, and to healthcare workers. Her research is on decreasing stress and burnout in hospital based healthcare workers using a single-day mindfulness training. The results indicated a significant decrease in stress and symptoms of burnout after only 6 hour of mindfulness practice. She is a published author on mindfulness and group work and is a lecturer at many graduate schools in the Boston area.
As a career group worker, Dr. Botta has built and run two robust group programs, one in the Department of Psychiatry, and one in the Gender Multispeciality Service for transgender and gender diverse youth. She is in the process of building a third program in the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Division in the hospital. Additionally, she is called upon regularly to consult to many organizations and agencies on how to build and run group programs.
In her life and work, Dr. Botta is guided by her core belief that we are stronger together than alone. It was from her passion for both mindfulness and group work that her company, We. Be. LLC, was born.
The We represents the unified strength that can only be achieved in a cohesive group when individuals move from using the language of “I” to the language of “We.” It is in this pivotal moment that human beings stop thinking of themselves first and begin thinking collaboratively. There is nothing more powerful than the collective wisdom that exists in a group. The Be is about the art and science of mindfulness – the being with whatever shows up. Together, We. Be. has another important meaning. There is a saying that who “we be” is far greater than the sum of our actions and/or life experiences. Who “we be” is who we are at our core, our truest self. It is what defines us beyond anything else. Much of the journey in mindfulness and in life is letting go of the past and the future and returning home to who “we be.”
Please contact Ariel at we-be@dr-arielbotta.com with any questions.