Yoga in Kreta

Imagine that the sound of your breath is the sound of the ocean, each wave, each breath, taking you a little bit further into the stillness…

Warm climate and people, set against the background of a crystal clear sea and unspoilt wilderness. Whether opting for renting the tranquil villa, taking part in one of our yoga holidays or organizing your private retreat with or without yoga at a time outside the prescheduled workshops, we offer you the opportunity to relax, revive and have a true taste of the famous Greek hospitality.

Over the course of the last couple of years we’ve taken great pleasure in seeing the family holiday house in the small village of Chora Sfakion on the south coast of Crete, transform from a private haven into a place of sharing. Sharing the beauty and serene energy of the place itself, sharing our knowledge and love for the local culture and history, along with sharing ideas and practices of yoga. Yoga, signifying union, union of one’s individual consciousness with the Universal Consciousness, but also here of the person with his or her surroundings and with the people who are also there to experience and grow.

We hope that your visit will give you as much pleasure and inspiration as we derive from having you here.

YogaOnCrete began as a combined family effort to bring together our love for the art of leading a yogic life and the desire to share this knowledge on the one hand, and the long run family tradition of inviting friends to our summer holiday house on the other.

Perhaps this is why being on a holiday here feels more as if we have invited friends round for a holiday. And this is the one characteristic of YogaOnCrete that we value most and want to keep intact: the feeling that you are welcome, as part of a group of people of very varied backgrounds but essentially very similar to you, and that we will do our best to make your experience the most precious souvenir you could ever take back home.

We hope that you will have the chance to see and appreciate this beautiful part of Greece for all it has to offer during your holiday. For this reason we arrange several opportunities for optional group excursions.

Our favourite one is to the Aradaina gorge, not as famed as the Samaria one, but because of this equally, if not more, unspoilt and much less touristy. You can always walk the gorge if you are feeling up for an energetic day, but we will suggest a late afternoon excursion, a half hour hike down to the bottom of the gorge and up the other side to see the setting sun, and a meditation and mantra session overlooking the dramatic drop.

The Cretan diet is renowned for its macrobiotic qualities, but also for its great variety of delicious flavours. More than the pure, fresh ingredients themselves, it is the fact that cooking is traditionally performed almost like a ritual, with great love, and always in the prospect of offering the food to others, that makes the Cretan cuisine so special.

Our fantastically inventive chef, Ali viani, fully embodies this spirit, preparing three nutritious lacto vegetarian meals a day, using local, and wherever possible, organic products. Moreover, if you have any dietary requirements please notify us and we will do our best to accommodate them.

The village restaurants, only a short walk away, offer a wide range of local dishes, including fresh fish and game. Two of the evenings during each week-long holiday, guests are free to dine out and try some of the local delicacies (not included in course cost). Our guests have also found the local bakery particularly enticing, with delicious local bakes, biscuits and breads.

Note: We kindly request that you respect our rule against smoking and consumption of alcohol or other substances on our premises.

The course - only applies to weeklong workshops

On the day of arrival guests are welcomed with an afternoon introductory yoga session, which is followed by dinner. Thereafter, the days begin with an early morning dynamic session, the specific style depending on the teacher(s) for the week. After breakfast guests are free to relax and enjoy the beach and sunshine, as well as explore the surrounding area and villages, or even receive a massage or other alternative therapy (shiatsu or energy healing), as available for the week! A light lunch is also on offer. Later in the afternoon there is a lighter session, again varying in content depending on the teacher for the week (hatha yoga class or deep relaxation taught by Eugenia Sivitou, or a restorative asana, meditation, mantra, kirtan, philosophy session with the guest teacher), followed by dinner. Guests have the opportunity to dine out two of the evenings of each week (not included in the course cost). The second last day is a rest day for the most courses (check with us for the one you are interested in), and an optional excursion, including a hike and/or walking and sitting meditation, takes place during the afternoon, at an extra cost, instead of the afternoon class. Individual excursions can also be arranged at an extra cost. On the last day, the morning session is followed by breakfast before departure.

The number of guests is limited to 10, to create a warm and friendly atmosphere, and to ascertain that individual attention is given during the yoga sessions, making them suitable for all levels, unless the requirement of prior experience is specifically stated, in the additional information sent to you when you enquire