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Programme
 

This four day retreat in the beautiful hills of Sakarya, just outside Istanbul,
is an invitation to surrender to a quiet practice of meditation, sharing,
yoga and inspirational breathwork. We aim to come together with a
relatively small group of like minded people. Some of us are certified
breathwork facilitators, others are regular breathers and yet others
may be totally new to the practice of consciously connected breath work.
No matter what your level ofexperience is, you are very welcome to join
and bring your own unique self to this journey.

Where will it take place?

Our home for this weekend will be the farm of the Yücesan Family,
situated at the foot of the hills of Sakarya, about two hours east
of Istanbul. The main crop on the farm is walnuts, and harvesting time
is the second half of October, depending on the weather.

The facilities include a very cozy living room with comfortable seats
and an open fire place. Coffee and tea making facilities and a big fridge
are also available, so you are welcome to bring your own preferred
snacks and drinks.

The session room is spacious, decorated in light colors and has
windows which offer great views on the surrounding farmland and
mountains.

The guest rooms are comfortable and tastefully decorated. There are six rooms in the main building with 2 single beds each and en-suite bathrooms.

The adjacent building has room for 7 more guests with nice bedrooms, bathrooms and a living area.

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What will we do?

Our program has been carefully put together in order to offer all participants a safe and optimum space

to relax, wind down and turn inward. The activities we planned aim to provide a balance between spending time alone and connecting with others. The beautiful and quiet natural surroundings will help us to ground and will provide the bedding from which we can safely set off on an inner journey.

Yoga Sessions
The yoga sessions will be done under the guidance of Nathalie Gerardts.
Nathalie is a passionate yoga teacher, coach and trainer, with more than
20 years experience, both at home and abroad.
Her lessons are a perfect balance between gentle power, and powerful
gentleness and accessible for every one.
Nathalie’s yin classes are meditative in nature, and inspire empowerment
based on non-action, just observing what is.

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Inspirational Breathwork Sessions
Inspirational Breathwork is a form of ‘Conscious Connected Breathwork.
What this means is that we use our breath in a certain way in order to reach
a level of awareness where we can open ourselves up to healing on a physical,
mental and spiritual level. Sessions typically last about an hour and are done
lying down, with the help and guidance of trained facilitators.

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Detailed preliminary program
 

Day One - Thursday October 27, 2022
12.00 hrs - Coach transfer from Kadiköy (Istanbul) to Sakarya

13.30 hrs - Stop at Berceste Restaurant for lunch (own account)
15.00 hrs - Arrival at Yücesan Farm & check-in.
16.00 hrs - Circle Time & Introduction.
17.30 hrs - Dinner
19.00 hrs - Facilitated Group Breathing Session.
21.30 hrs - End for today.
 

Day Two - Friday October 28, 2022
08.00 hrs - Coffee & Tea available, with Poaça (Turkish roll)
08.45 hrs - Yoga with Nathalie
10.00 hrs - Breakfast
11.00 hrs - Guided meditation
12.30 hrs - Facilitated Group Breathing Session.
14.00 hrs - Coffee & Tea with snack
14.30 hrs - Free time till dinner.
17.00 hrs - Dinner
18.30 hrs - Group Activity
21.30 hrs - End for today.

Day Three - Saturday October 29, 2022
08.00 hrs - Coffee & Tea available, with Poaça (Turkish roll)
08.45 hrs - Silent Morning Walk with Şermin
10.00 hrs - Breakfast
11.00 hrs - Guided meditation, followed by 100 breaths of joy.
12.00 hrs - Coffee, tea with snack.
13.00 hrs - Half day trekking in the hills around the farm
17.00 hrs - Dinner
18.30 hrs - Yin Yoga with Nathalie
20.00 hrs - End for today.
 

Day Four - Sunday October 30, 2022
08.00 hrs - Coffee & Tea available, with Poaça (Turkish roll)
08.45 hrs - Yoga with Nathalie
09.30 hrs - Breakfast
10.30 hrs - Circle Time & Sharing.
11.00 hrs - Facilitated Group Breathing Session
12.30 hrs - Closing
13.00 hrs - Light Lunch
14.00 hrs - Departure back to Istanbul.
 

Who are the facilitators?
The program will be carried by Nathalie Gerardts, Demet Gulser, Sermin Aral and Annemieke Borrias.
Please click here for more information about all of us.

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Accommodation and Food & Beverage

We will be a relatively small group with a maximum of 15 participants plus 4 staff/facilitators.
The venue will be exclusively for us, there will be no other guests at that time,
apart from the staff who works on the farm.
 

Because of the limited number of single rooms available,
accommodation will be in double rooms.
If you prefer a room to yourself, you may request this and if the availability allows,
we will try to accommodate your request. A single supplement will apply.

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Our meals will be prepared by Sibel and her staff.
Sibel takes pride in cooking healthy and nutritious meals, with local ingredients,
often from her own farm. As we will be staying with her during harvest season,
there will be a great variety of produce fresh from the land to find its way to our table.
 

In the detailed program you can find which meals will be offered.
Before the start of the program, you will receive the menu for all the meals,
so you know what to expect.
 

All meals will be vegetarian. Special dietary requests cannot be met,
but you are welcome to bring your ownfood or alternatives.
There is a big fridge where these can be stored.
 

Coffee & tea will be served early in the morning and during the breaks.
If you wish, you can bring your own variety of herbal teas, Turkish coffee,
capsule coffee etc. to make your own drinks at other times.

No alcohol or soft drinks are available during the retreat.

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How much does it cost?
The price of the program, starting on Thursday after lunch, until Sunday after lunch:       585 Euro per person.

For registrations and payment of the deposit before July 15, the early bird fee applies:    545 Euro per person.

These prices include:
* hotel accommodation, based on shared accommodation in double rooms
* meals as per the detailed program
* bus transfer from Kadikoy (Istanbul) to Sakarya and return
* Yoga and facilitated breathing sessions with certified  breathwork facilitators
* Half day trekking with local guide

What is not included:

* Airline tickets

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Payment Conditions
* Upon reservation, a deposit of 185 Euro is required to secure your booking
* By August 1, a second payment of 200 Euro is due.
* By September 1, the remainder of your registration fee is due.
 

Cancellation Conditions
* For cancellations done on or before August 1, your payments will be refunded
  minus 50 Euro administration fee.
* For cancellations after August 1, but before September 1, the cancellation fee is
  50% of the registration fee.
* For cancellations done on or after September 1, the cancellation fee is 100% of
  the registration fee. No money will be returned.

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Travel Insurance
You are kindly advised to book your own travel & cancellation insurance.

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How do I register for this event?
In order to register for this event, please send an email to Annemieke, at aborrias@gmail.com.

Upon your registration, you will be contacted by the organizers and asked to fill out a registration & health form. Acceptance of your registration is at the discretion of the organizers.

Once accepted you will be asked to pay the deposit to secure your place in the program.

 

What else do I need to know?

The farm is situated approximately 2 hours drive from Istanbul in an easterly direction.
Coach transfers from Kadikoy (Istanbul) to the venue and back are included in the program.

Istanbul has two international airports. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is situated on the Asian side, and Istanbul Airport on the European side. Travel from Istanbul Airport to Kadikoy is easy (by HavaIst – Airport Shuttle bus).

In order to make it to the program in time, we advise you to arrive in Turkey at least a day early. If you need advise on where to stay, or how to travel, please feel welcome to contact Annemieke at aborrias@gmail.com.

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For more information & registrations, please contact us here.
 

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