Participants will say at Cascina Bellaria Farm house and can choose among the below accommodation options:

• Dorm with common bathroom
• Double Room with private bathroom
• Triple/Quadruple Room with private bathroom
• Double with shared/common bathroom
• Bungalow Treehouse with common bathroom

This is a regenerative retreat apt for developing strength, inner peace, flexibility, firmness, and audaciousness. Sometimes it’s only fear and insecurity that make us unnecessary aggressive, hindering our innate potentialities and by forgetting that to surrender it takes courage and strength, and not weakness. This is a journey to allow us to pursue our own aims, but also to be flexible and ready to accept the unpredictability of life. This is an opportunity to unearth and overcome our unconscious fears, to become aware of the difference between action and reaction, to explore more and more the realm of “consciousness”.

The techniques and practices experienced during the Retreat originate from Meditation, Muay Thai and Yoga disciplines, but the main objective remains the deeper understanding of the “self” and of our inner potential. For those who practice or teach Yoga, Muay Thai, or Meditation, it’s a unique opportunity to comprehend and explore how these disciplines can be integrated, complementing each other on all levels: physical, mental, and spiritual during a great week of practice and experimentation in the endless search for the perfect balance between Yin and Yang.

Example of daily schedule

• 07:30 - 09:30 Hatha-Yoga practice
• 09:30 - 10:30 Light Breakfast
• 10:30 - 12:30 Hatha Yoga or Dynamic Muay Thai
• 12:30 - 16:00 pm Lunch and free time
• 16:00 - 17:30 pm Lecture, Meditation, or Technical practice
• 17:30 - 19:30 pm Dynamic Muay Thai
• 20:00 Dinner

Hari Om Yoga School

Hari Om is a Yoga School for who chooses to become a Yoga Teacher, for who wants to deepen the knowledge of Yoga and for anyone desiring to learn, practice, understand what Yoga is and to find out more about oneself. The Hari Om Yoga school has been founded by Marco Mandrino. Marco has studied and practices the diverse approaches to Yoga in conjunction with other elements belonging to different spiritual traditions and the school plainly reflects this intent. The school, in fact, avails the collaboration of many disparate teachers, each one of them teaching what they mostly love, at the best of their knowledge and in accordance to their approach, experience and point of view.

The school has many branches all over Italy, but the center and heart of Hari Om is at Cascina Bellaria, Sezzadio(AL), in the beautiful countryside of the northern region of Piedmont. At Cascina Bellaria, beside the Yoga Teacher Trainings, many other annual and ongoing events are organized and takes place: Ayurveda work-shops, Yoga holidays, Yoga Therapy courses, retreats and seminars and seminars treating different themes and topics, and also pilgrimages to the sacred sites of the East.

Hari Om is all this and much more: it's a Yoga-shop, it's a publishing-house (published the book "Hari Yoga"), it's a collaborator of the most prestigious Yoga magazines, through articles, columns and inserts. At all events, and because the "union" becomes much more than the sum of each single element, Hari Om made the welcoming of the "other" it's own spearhead, enriching itself and growing from each different point of view, from each diverse experience, from the voice of each different person, to become eventually a big, unanimous and harmonious "chorus".

Muay Thai

Muay Thai or Thai Boxing is the national sport and cultural martial art of Thailand. It was developed several hundreds of years ago as a form of close-combat that utilizes the entire body as a weapon. Today its definitive origins are debated by modern scholars, as much of the Muay Thai history was lost when the Burmese ransacked Ayudhaya, Siam’s capital city in Thailand, during the 14th century.

Most written Muay Thai history was lost when the Burmese looted the temples and depositories of knowledge held in Ayudhaya, and what volumes were saved are now national treasures that are preserved and protected as documentation for Thai culture and heritage.

Walk in the countryside, swimming in the lake, hikes on the nearby hills.

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  Marco Mandrino

  Marco is the founder and director of Hari Om Yoga School. His official profession is being a farmer, but he is the author of books, articles, and more. He is an enthusiastic practitioner of Muay Thai and combat sports in general. He also nourishes a deep love for music. Marco has been teaching yoga for around twenty years, dealing almost exclusively with teacher training and retreats. His idea, which the school reflects, is to integrate diverse techniques from various disciplines and arts in order to live simply, in harmony with the present moment, and to the best of one’s potential.

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  Riccardo Imperiale

  Riccardo has been interested in martial arts since he was a child. Despite his passion, he could not learn a martial art until he was 17, when finally, fascinated by its simplicity and its effectiveness, he began his career in Muay Thai. His career on competitive level starts quite early and after the first year, his trainer asked him to teach children and then beginner adults. In the middle of his second year training, he also got involved with yoga and after several changes, he decided to stop competing and teach Muay Thai at Hari Om Yoga School.

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  Emanuela Boriotti

  Emanuela Boriotti is an Ayurvedic therapist specialized in sound massage. She is also an expert in nutrition. Emanuela practices many different sports that range from functional training to Muay Thai practice and surfing. She has practiced yoga for many years and she is tireless in mountain trekking. She brings an incredible passion in everything she does.

Bellria Farmhouse

The retreat is held at the Bellaria Farmhouse, which is a classical Homestead built in the traditional Piedmont style. Part of it originated as far back as the middle of the 19th century. It is located in the hilly countryside of South Piedmont nearby the cities of Alessandria and Acqui Terme.

Situated far away from towns and main roads, the farm sits in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere characterized by the rhythm of Nature. Foxes, squirrels, wild boars, and many different kind of birds live in the surrounding countryside, and can be spotted near the farmhouse or by the small lake also located in the premises.

Piedmont

Piedmont is in Italy's northwest and borders Switzerland and France. True to the meaning of its name (foot of the mountain), Piedmont is a land of mountains. It is surrounded on three sides by the Alps, with the highest peaks and largest glaciers in Italy. Monviso, the Piedmont side of Monte Rosa, and the other spectacular mountains in the region, create incredibly beautiful landscapes, and ski resorts abound.

The Alps form the background for sweeping, picturesque valleys. The landscapes of the Langhe and Monferrato are hilly, rather, but just as beautiful, a succession of cultivated hills and vineyards that are dotted with small towns and castles. Expanses of water and rice paddies, long rows of poplars and old farm houses make up the typical scenery of the plains around Novara and Vercelli. Lake Maggiore is the most sought-after tourist resort, including Stresa and the Borromean Islands, charming as they are with their ancient villas surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens.

Yet, nature is only one of the many attractions in Piedmont. This region has many other facets: from Turin – the Italian car manufacturing capital – with its history and remarkable cultural heritage, to other cities such as Cherasco, Alba and Ivrea. Next up are the intriguing Medieval castles - like the imposing fortress at Ivrea - and prized works of architecture - the famous Residences of the Royal House of Savoy and the Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) certainly deserve to be mentioned.

The famous spa resorts of Acqui Terme and Vinadio offer treatments and therapy for a relaxing, reviving holiday.

Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included in the prices. Students will enjoy authentic Italian cuisine made from simple, delicious, organic, local (zero kilometer when possible) and fresh raw produce and grains. Most of the vegetables come from the farmhouse's own gardens and are grown naturally, following the seasons of production, keeping intact their fragrance, flavor, and nutrition.

It is enhanced by careful and skillful cooking and ensures the preservation of the health properties of the ingredients. There is a great variety in each meal, keeping the buffets healthy and flavorful, using vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, spices, and much more, all prepared in many ways. They cook for everybody's taste, surprising diners daily with desserts.

There is a vegan menu available, which is free of animal products and their derivatives, not for fashion or for fundamentalism, but to be consistent with a path of transformation that involves our whole life. And that includes a more mature and conscious relationship with food which also affects the quality of our health, sense of well-being, and does not compromise taste.

• 6 nights accommodation
• All yoga, Muay Thai, meditation sessions
• Food

• Airfare tickets
• Miscellaneous expenses
• Travel insurance

Driving direction from Genoa

Genova Milano – exit Alessandria Sud, follow tangenziale (ring road), direction Acqui Terme, exit Sezzadio. When you enter the town, follow Rivalta Bormida, Mantovana, Abazia di Santa Giustina, as soon as you exit the town, after Abazia di Santa Giustina, turn left following direction Mantovana, Boschi.

After the first two uphills, when the road becomes flat, turn right at the second street on the right where there are two white boards with indication Cascina Bellaria Hari om. It is the white building on the left.

Driving direction from Milan

Torino, highway exit Alessandria Est. Follow Alessandria till the entrance of the town where there is a big roundabout, follow Acqui Terme and take tangenziale. Exit Sezzadio. When you enter the town, follow Rivalta Bormida, Mantovana, Abazia di Santa Giustina, as soon as you exit the town, after Abazia di Santa Giustina, turn left following direction Mantovana, Boschi.

After the first two uphills, when the road becomes flat, turn right at the second street on the right where there are two white boards with indication Cascina Bellaria Hari om. It is the white building on the left.

Driving direction from Brescia

Brescia Piacenza Torino - Highway exit Alessandria Est. Follow Alessandria till the entrance of the town where there is a big roundabout, follow Acqui Terme and take tangenziale. Exit Sezzadio. When you enter the town, follow Rivalta Bormida, Mantovana, Abazia di Santa Giustina, as soon as you exit the town, after Abazia di Santa Giustina, turn left following direction Mantovana, Boschi.

After the first two uphills, when the road becomes flat, turn right at the second street on the right where there are two white boards with indication Cascina Bellaria Hari Om. Farmhouse Bellaria is the white building on the left.

Driving direction from Turin

Torino Piacenza - Highway exit Alessandria Est. Follow Alessandria till the entrance of the town where there is a big roundabout, follow Acqui Terme and take the tangenziale. Exit Sezzadio. When you enter the town, follow Rivalta Bormida, Mantovana, Abazia di Santa Giustina, as soon as you exit the town, after Abazia di Santa Giustina, turn left, direction Mantovana Boschi.

After the first two uphills, when the road becomes flat, turn right at the second street on the right where there are two white boards with Cascina Bellaria and Hari Om. Farmhouse Bellaria is the white building on the left.

Arrival by airplane

Transfer from/to Milano (Malpensa, Linate, Orio al Serio), Genova or Torino airports have a price of Euro 75 one-way (Euro 150 round-trip).

Arrival by train

The closest railway station is Alessandria. Taxi service from Bellaria Farmhouse: Euro 15.