Rustic Adventure
Yoga and Meditation Retreat
Sopotnica Natural Reserve (Serbia)
Is this retreat for you?
This retreat is a combination of wild nature and the welcoming atmosphere of Serbian villages. The setting offers a wonderful opportunity for a real feeling of community to develop — spacious common areas, a big communal kitchen, outside barbecue and firewood oven — giving us the chance to share more activities together, and not just yoga and meditation.
We'll spend a week in a small mountain village of Sopotnica, dedicating our time to yoga and meditation, marveling at the green surroundings, strolling through orchards, and hiking on the mountain trails.
It's a chance to experience genuine village life at its best while enjoying the silence of the mountains, interrupted only by the sounds of the cow herds and the waterfalls.
Please be aware that the only accommodation option in this retreat is in simple dormitory rooms.
Yoga & Meditation
We will practice two times a day on a meadow just in front of the biggest of the seven waterfalls, with a stunning view of the valley below. It's a truly meditative experience to practice with the sound of the waterfall. In the unlikely case of rainy weather, it is possible to arrange the space to practice inside.
Marija teaches gentle Hatha yoga, with a lot of emphasis on body awareness and mindful movement, as well as on proper alignment, breath and focus. Apart from asana (posture), we will practice pranayama (breathing techniques), as well as meditation in each class.
Classes are focused on body-mind explorations, on understanding and appreciating the body and finding ways to implement our practice into our lives off the mat, rather than accomplishing certain yoga poses. The classes are organized as workshops, during which we will explore different physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the practice.
The retreat is suitable for all levels. Beginners will have the chance to get a taste of yoga and build a strong foundation for their yogic journey. More experienced yogis will deepen their understanding and get inspiration to further develop their practice.
Day by day
Mornings are reserved for our practice, which will usually take around 2 hours. We'll have an early start, and after the class we will have a freshly prepared buffet-style brunch.
In the afternoons we'll explore the surroundings of the village, climb a few peaks and enjoy the view over the valley. We will also visit an organic farm, where our local hosts grow fruits, vegetables, and goats. The highlight of the surroundings is the magnificent river, rushing down from the mountain in cascades, forming seven waterfalls along the way.
Depending on the interests of the group, we can visit a medieval monastery with impressive examples of 13th century fresco paintings and a very interesting treasury collection. We'll also take a trip to Uvac Gorge for a boat ride through the unique landscape of the meandering river and a visit to Serbia's deepest cave.
In late afternoon we'll have a shorter class (60–90 mins) before a delicious freshly prepared buffet-style dinner, served around 7.00 PM.
All activities and classes are optional, and everybody is welcome to skip any of them any time they feel like it.
We have a large communal kitchen and a beautiful barbecue area and firewood oven outside, so if you love cooking and feel like sharing your skills, you are very welcome to do so. We also have a small organic apple orchard just behind the house.
Accommodation
We will stay in a very simple mountain lodge, located only 700m away from the biggest of the seven waterfalls and overlooking the valley below. The lodge has five dormitory rooms, two bathrooms with hot showers, a fully equipped kitchen, and a dining room with a fireplace.
There is a beautiful outside area with wooden tables and benches under big pine trees, with barbecue and firewood oven. A small organic apple and plum orchard is just behind the house, offering juicy fruits and the best sunset spot.
Maximum number of guests sharing one room will be three. Everybody will have access to two shared bathrooms. There is no possibility of booking a private room.
The maximum attendance at the retreat will be 15 people.
Food
We'll have two buffet-style meals a day — brunch and dinner. The meals will be freshly prepared by our cook, made up mostly of local ingredients — local honey, fruits and vegetables, dairy, freshly baked bread. We will buy most of our fruits and vegetables from a local organic farm. In case you get hungry during the day, we'll have a healthy light snack.
The area is abundant with edible wild mushrooms, wild herbs, and locally grown (mostly) organic fruits and vegetables. Our neighbors make amazing cow and goat cheese and bake wonderful traditional bread.
All the meals at the retreat will be vegetarian. If you have specific dietary requirements (e.g. vegan, gluten-free, etc.), it is essential that you mention that prior to booking.
Getting there
Podgorica (Montenegro) is 180 km away. Sarajevo (Bosnia) is 200 km away. Belgrade is 280 km away. You can come to the center either in your own arrangement, taking a bus or a train to Prijepolje from any of these cities. Connections from Belgrade are the most frequent and most convenient. Otherwise, you can join our organized transportation from Belgrade.
Important info — organized ride from Belgrade
- Transportation isn't included in the price of the retreat. The price for the transportation will be 65 EUR per person for a round trip.
- The organized mini bus will leave Belgrade city center on August 15th (the first day of the retreat) at 8 AM. On August 22nd (the last day of the retreat) we will reach Belgrade airport at 3 PM. Please book your flights accordingly.
- If you can't fit your flying time with this schedule, we can still organize private transfer for you, or help you figure out public transportation.
For more information, contact us at info@myyogicadventure.com
Booking
What is included in the price?
- All yoga and meditation classes
- Seven nights accommodation in dormitory rooms
- Three delicious freshly prepared vegetarian meals per day
- Unlimited coffee and tea at the premises
- All hikes
- All taxes
What is not included in the price?
- Meals or drinks outside of the center
- Personal expenses
- Transportation to and from the retreat center
- Any additional activities or excursions for which we will need to hire transportation
7 nights full board
Stay in a dorm shared by 3–4 people
330 EUR
For more information and for special deals, contact us at info@myyogicadventure.com