LIVING YOGA: JAPAN SUMMER RETREAT
Sat 1 June to Fri 7 June 2024
Join us as Living Yoga Retreats venture beyond South and Southeast Asia for the first time, to the serene surrounds of Wakayama prefecture in Japan! A deep dive into Japanese culture, this very special retreat is co-hosted by Leigh and her Japanese friend Yukari, who will be our guide and caretaker throughout our time together. Yukari is also a seasoned Yoga teacher who will share meditation and chanting practices with us.
Itinerary
Our journey begins on Saturday, 1 June, from Osaka, where you will be whisked away to a boutique hot spring resort 1.5 hours away from Kansai International Airport. Surrounded by lush greenery, the resort is the perfect place to kickstart our Wakayama immersion. Amidst daily morning and evening Yoga sessions and relaxing dips in the in-house onsen, we will visit ancient shrines and enjoy walks in nature, including an easy hike for a DIY barbecue lunch (a quintessential Japanese summertime activity). We will also enjoy kaiseiki-ryori, a traditional multi-course Japanese meal showcasing the region's choicest produce.
We will then move to charming Koyasan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Japan's most important temple complexes. Here, we will experience a traditional temple stay, albeit with some modern amenities including an attached private shower and toilet. Taking inspiration from our surrounds, we will rise early for sunrise practice, and then join in the temple's morning ceremony. After breakfast, we will take in all Koyasan has to offer, visiting important pagodas, learning a special Shingon Buddhist style of meditation, and experiencing the area's famous Goma fire ritual. We will also go on a very special guided night walk.
Our retreat ends after breakfast at our temple stay on Friday, 7 June.
Fee: SGD3,200 (twin-share occupancy)
*All rooms on this retreat are for twin-share. Single occupancy is only by request, and cannot be guaranteed.
*Rooms in the hot spring hotel are outfitted with two single beds. In the temple stay, there will be two individual fluffy futons and pillows, which you will lay out on the tatami floor during bedtime.
Inclusions
-
Three meals daily (except that lunch is not provided on our free and easy afternoon on Wed, 5 June)
Note that meals at the onsen resort are either vegetarian or with a little fish; meals at the temple stay are vegan
(There are many cafes around Koyasan where you can satisfy your cravings, if any. :D) -
Twice-daily Yoga practice and/or evening satsang to reflect on and digest what we have experienced in the day
-
Entrance and ticket fees to the sites and programs we visit together as a group
-
Transportation between accommodations, as well as during our sightseeing tour
Exclusions
-
Air tickets
-
Airport pickup and drop off
-
Compulsory travel insurance
-
Expenses incurred should you test positive for Covid in Japan. Please make sure your travel insurance adequately covers this.
-
Any necessary Covid tests, if regulations require them then
- All other personal expenses eg. snacks, shopping
Recommended flights
-
1 June 2024 Singapore Airlines SQ620, arriving in Osaka at 16:10 hrs local time or
1 June 2024 Scoot flight TR818, arriving in Osaka at 15:35 hrs local time -
7 June Singapore Airlines SQ621, departing Osaka at 17:25 hrs local time or
7 June Scoot flight TR819, departing Osaka at 14:45 hrs local time
(Note that checkout from temple stay is strictly at 10am, but you can spend more time in Koyasan or Osaka city)
The retreat starts with dinner at 7pm on Saturday 1 June. If you're flying into Japan earlier, please make sure to be at the hotel by 6pm to check in and settle down.
The retreat ends at 10am on Fri 7 June after breakfast. The drive to the airport takes about 1.5-2 hours in morning traffic.
About Yukari
A former high school teacher for 11 years, Yukari is the founder of nida in Ometesando, Tokyo. She has been teaching Hatha Yoga, Yoga philosophy and meditation for more than 10 years, and is both a Anusara Inspired™️ and I AM Yoga Nidra™️ certified teacher.
She has always focused on sharing yoga as a way of living and being, and spends 4-6 months overseas every year to attending trainings and assist her teachers, as well as to lead her own retreats based on non-dualistic Yoga philosophy. She has been also an organiser and translator of Japan-based workshops for foreign teachers including Emily Kuser, Andrea Boni and Daphne Tse.
Yukari got certified as a hiking guide in 2023, and now holds monthly hiking tours as a part of Yoga and meditation practice. Apart from being our mama hen on this retreat, she will also share mantra chanting and Yoga nidra practices, and lead us on nature hikes!
Booking and cancellation policy
The retreat will go on so long as international travel regulations allow quarantine-free travel between Japan and Singapore. Please stay updated with the latest information on the ICA website here.
Please email Leigh to register. A non-refundable S$500 deposit will be required to secure your spot. Your space is not confirmed until I confirm that I have received your deposit. The remaining fee is to be paid in full by Thu 29 Feb 2024.
-
Cancellations communicated in writing by Fri 15 Mar will be refunded the full amount, minus S$500.
-
Cancellations communicated in writing between Sat 16 Mar to Tue 30 Apr will receive a 50% refund.
-
Cancellations communicated in writing between Wed 1 May to Sun 26 May will receive a 25% refund.
-
No refunds will be made from Mon 27 May.
-
To avoid paying the cancellation surcharge, you can get someone else to take your place on the retreat.
-
The policy above will remain in place regardless of your reason for cancellation, including spikes in Covid cases and acts beyond our control. This is a risk you assume upon registration. Please purchase adequate travel insurance upon confirmation of your spot on the retreat.