About The Retreat

There is a magic to the island of Paros that lures us back again and again. Can you hear the call of the waves, the sand under your naked feet, the wind in your hair?

Join Tash Barnard, Dominique Vieira and Mareile Paley in a weeklong deep exploration of movement. Discover Pilates and Yoga as a tool to find peace and a deeper connection to yourself.

Fall in love with Paros, just like we did, on our first visit. Being nature and outdoor lovers, we found the perfect retreat location that gives you that sense of complete freedom right by the beach. We secretly call this retreat our ‘feel good’ retreat, as we invite you on this exploration of your body and mind.

Paros is one of the Cyclades most traditional islands. Situated in the Aegean Sea and small enough to be explored in a day, it is best known for its beaches and traditional villages. Think with whitewashed sugar houses, paved streets and blue-domed churches, the perfect place for a quintessential Greek retreat.

We secretly call this retreat our feel good retreat, as we invite you on this exploration of your body and mind. You will be in the hands of three wonderful teachers who have found their calling in working on a deep level through Yoga, BASI Pilates® and BALLance®.

As it is our signature, each guest gets a private one-on-one session as part of their retreat package. This extra time spent with you helps us to get to know you and to serve you better during the group sessions.

Whether your aim is to bring your Pilates practice to the next level or to find deep relaxation, let yourself be guided by the expert knowledge of your teachers.

Accommodation

Choose between two venues – our main retreat venue Okreblue or share a 3-bedroom luxury villa with up to 5 other participants.

Impeccably run and located on a quiet beach, Okreblue is the perfect place to reset and return to yourself. Expect natural materials, refreshing simplicity and a truly sustainable spirit.

The yoga shala is a peaceful space with the sunlight filtering through its reed curtains…oh, how much we are already looking forward to being there!

For those looking to indulge in luxury and comfort on their retreat, we have reserved a large 3-bedroom luxury villa in short walking distance from Okreblue. Boasting a huge swimming pool overlooking the sea, we cannot think of a better way to relax after class. The villa has a large shared living room and kitchen as well as a private terrace overlooking the pool.

The three bedrooms are spacious and ideal to be shared with a friend or spouse. All amenities are provided.

How to get there

You can get to Paros by either boat or plane. On departure and arriving days we will provide a free pick up from either location.

By plane: Aegean Air flies from Athens to Paros. Depending on the season you could also catch a  flight to Mykonos island and from there its a 45-minute boat ride to Paros. Search for your flight here.

By boat from Athens: 
There are two options: Pireaus port and Rafina port.
1) Rafina port is closer to the airport and you can get there either by taxi or bus.
By bus will take you about 45 minutes and it costs 3 Euros.
By taxi it will take you less time but more money.
2) Piraeus port is further from airport than Rafina, and you can get there by bus, metro or taxi. The metro and bus are both very convenient because they will leave you just a few meters from where you get the boat to Paros.

Depending on the ferry company, the trip from Athens to Paros will take between 3 – 5 hrs. Search for your ferry below.

Retreat schedule

Our retreats are meant to be fun and rejuvenating, so we design our schedules with the aim to find the perfect balance between exercise, organised group activities and time for yourself. A typical retreat day starts with a morning Pilates or Yoga class followed by a healthy breakfast.

Private sessions are usually taught before lunch and the afternoons are free for you to relax, explore or take a spa treatment. Our evening class is in the late afternoon, leaving enough time before dinner to refresh and get changed.

Meals are typically, (but not necessarily) taken together and we will do our best to cater to special dietary needs.

On some days we might have an excursion planned (included or optional, depending on the retreat) and we usually have one or two longer, specialised movement workshop (lasting 2-3 hrs) during the retreat week. just keep in mind: whatever the programme, this is your week, so you’re encouraged to take the time you need, go at your own speed, and try and let go – whether that means diving in deep into the movement practice, or taking a day to rest and relax.

Our hope is for you to cherish the time with yourself (or with friends) in a magical setting away from the daily grind.

Teachers

Dominique Vieira
Dom teaches Vinyasa & Restorative Yoga, as well as a meditation and breathwork. She firmly believes that yoga is for everybody and every body and carries that ethos throughout her teachings. Her classes focus on intelligent sequencing and making the practice as accessible as possible. She places a lot of value on the connection to breath and cultivating that beautiful feeling of presence and connection through breath, movement and stillness. For her, the yoga practice is really a practice of coming back home to oneself with loving-kindness. She can’t wait to guide you through your own practice.

Mareile Paley
Mareile is an internationally recognised, innately talented Pilates instructor with a deep passion for the human body and its inextricable link to mental wellness.

Always active and interested in expanding her horizons, Mareile discovered Pilates in 2005 in Hong Kong. In 2007 she became certified through Core Pilates NYC and has since worked in studios from Hong Kong to Paris. Never tired of learning, she is also a personal trainer, a BASI Pilates teacher and currently studies Waking Energy with Jennifer Kries.

In 2009 Mareile founded Pilates Retreat Asia to combine her passion for movement and travel and to share the beauty of connecting deeply with others through oneself.

Mareile is featured in the 2013 Pilates documentary “A Movement of Movement”, which portraits her passion and love for Pilates and features her home in Turkey, where she runs her small private studio. An eternal optimist, Mareile continues to pirouette through life as a steadfast business owner, insatiable traveler, passionate movement teacher, creative entrepreneur, forever loving graphic designer, devoted wife and patient mother of two hyperactive boys.

Tash Barnard

Tash’s high energy and passionate encouragement brings infectious joy and laughter to anyone in the group. No wonder that we have so many return guests. During class, Tash will push you to reach for the stars and to believe in the impossible.

Tash is a highly accomplished Pilates teacher and BASI Pilates teacher trainer. Every year she joins us on our retreats with all the passion and excitement you’d expect from a first timer. If you are looking for a mentor who will encourage you to believe in yourself, a week with Tash might very well change your life.

Cuisine

All food on the retreat is vegetarian.

Room options & Retreat Price

Prices are in Euros

Okreblue

Shared Room EUR 1,500
Single Room EUR 1,700

Private Villa

Shared Bedroom EUR 1,850
Private Bedroom EUR 2,450

Includes

• 6 nights accommodation (choose from 2 venues: rustic chic or luxury option)
• daily brunch & dinner (organic, vegetarian and freshly prepared)
• one-on-one assessment / private session with Tash or Dom
• daily Pilates & Yoga (BASI Pilates, Vinyasa & Restorative Yoga) (min 2-3 hrs / day)
• Morning Movement session by the beach (Meditation. Qi Gong)
• 80 minute massage
• excursion: boat cruise with sunset dinner
• free time to explore the island, go shopping or take some rest
• round trip local transfer to/from Paros airport or port

Does not include

• international flights
• travel insurance
• alcoholic drinks and meals outside the venue (except on excursion day)

Optional activities

• additional private classes with Anja, Mareile or Miriam
• excursion to Antiparos or Naxos
• kitesurfing lesson

Booking

To enquire about or make a booking on this Yoga & Pilates Retreat in Paros, fill in the form. You can also contact the team direct on retreats@soulseedmedia.com if you have any questions.

First booking with us? Get £20 off here.

[caldera_form id=”CF5a6b9d2e41376″]