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A VILLA PRAVERNARA
YOGA RETREAT
29.3.–4.4.2025

The Strength Within: Jivamukti Yoga and Strength Training Retreat

Ainoa Ryll + Sheila Ilz van Hofen

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Feeling strong in our bodies can create a deep sense of empowerment that transcends the purely physical aspect of strength; it is the foundation for resilience, balance, and confidence in everything we do.

When we cultivate our inherent strength, we become more connected to ourselves, more grounded, and better equipped to face the demands of everyday life.

Integrating resistance training and Yoga into your lives can have profound benefits, particularly for women: Strength training, such as resistance work with weights, bands, and body weight, is a powerful tool to build muscle mass, enhance bone density and support metabolic health. Research shows that strength training can also help in balancing hormones, reducing symptoms of menopause, and improving overall energy levels and mood.

The ancient practices of Yoga teach us discipline, patience and self-acceptance. Asana, meditation, pranayama and chanting are powerful tools to remind ourselves that we are more than our narratives, more than our bodies and minds, and help us connect to a sense of gratitude and devotion for life.

Join us for a week of yoga, strength training, and nutrition, designed to empower you with tools for clarity, resilience, and longevity. 

During the ‘The Strength Within’ Retreat with Ainoa and Sheila we’ll explore how strengthening our bodies can also strengthen our minds and spirits, empowering us to step into our fullest potential.

Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Coach Ainoa Ryll will teach the key movement patterns like push, pull, hinge and squat and how to execute those correctly so you can progress safely and effectively with your workouts. 

During guided group workouts, Ainoa will give individual feedback on form and technique and create a supporting and fun environment that helps you build confidence on your strengthening journey. 

Integrating Ancient Yogic Practices, Mindful Resistance Training and Cycle-Aware Nutrition for Clarity and Resilience

Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher and Villa Pravernara founder Sheila Ilz van Hofen will guide you through dynamic and powerful asana classes, paired with grounding meditations, devotional chanting and clearing pranayama techniques. 

She provides insights on how to build more strength within your yoga practice to counterbalance flexibility, avoid injuries and build stamina. Sheila will also be offering her signature Backbending Workshop as well as relaxing Yin Yoga sessions. 

Chef and nutritionist Margan Sharifzada ensures your nutrition matches the physical demands and creates a nourishing, delicious and healthy menu for you. 

Margan offers a series of workshops on microbiome gut health and cycle-synced nutrition to help you align your nutrition with your fitness goals. 

Our beautiful 16th century villa overlooks the serene hills of Piemonte and provides the perfect environment to disconnect, relax and wind down. Stroll through the peaceful surroundings, book a massage or visit one of the nearby markets. Of course, we set aside time for a trip to the beach!

With this retreat, we want to support you tapping into your inherent strength, unraveling the true force of nature that lies within you.

Whether you're a gym rat interested in Yoga or a Yogi new to strength training - this retreat will provide you with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to independently continue your journey after you return home and implement what you’ve learned over the week. 

This retreat will leave you feeling stronger, confident, capable and connected.

Ready to Find Your Strength Within?

What You’ll Learn:

Strength Training Basics: Learn how to perform key movements, ensuring effective and safe workouts.

Yoga & Strength Synergy: Discover how to build strength within your yoga asana practice.

Cycle-Aware Nutrition: Understand how to align your nutrition with your hormonal cycle, to help you maintain your energy and mood levels.

Post-Retreat Independence: Gain the skills to continue your strength and yoga practice at home or in the gym, with a clear understanding of proper form

With Ainoa + Sheila

About Ainoa:

Ainoa Ryll is a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Coach based in Berlin and specialized in Strength Training.

She has +10 years experience in weight lifting and strength training and has coached over 100 women to empower them in their strength training journey, helping them understand their hormonal cycle and breaking their fear to start going to the gym. 

Her mission is to offer women a better coaching focus, one that takes into account our genetics and specifics for training. Because we are not small men and we shouldn’t train like that. 

You might have seen her energetic coaching style at Beat81, Run’n’rave and other Berlin-based workouts. 

About Sheila:

Sheila is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga and Yin Yoga teacher, teaching classes, workshops and retreats all over Europe. She is the founder of Villa Pravernara, currently dividing her time between Berlin and Italy.

Sheila teaches from what she experiences in her own daily practice. To her, asana practice is a gateway to explore the depths of having a human experience. She strongly believes the practices of Yoga to be a transformative tool to cultivate awareness and compassion towards ourselves, others and our planet. 

Expect a dynamic and sweaty practice, intelligent sequencing paired with a carefully selected soundtrack, combined with chanting, pranayama and meditation. Her compassionate and kind approach infuses every aspect of her teaching, from skillful, yet non-intrusive hands-on assists, beautiful chanting to individual instructions for all levels of experience.

Continuing to be a dedicated student herself, Sheila passionately studies and practices all facets of yoga.

Retreat includes

Not included

When
29 March - 4 April 2025
LEVEL
all levels
Language(S)
English, German options
Where
VILLA Pravernara, Italy
Price
FROM €
1350
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A typical day at Villa Pravernara:

  • 08.00 — Tea, coffee, fruit
  • 08.30 — Meditation, Pranayama
  • 09.00 — Extended Morning Practice
  • 11:00 — Brunch
  • Mid-day — Free time, optional workshops, massages, excursions
  • 15.00 — Light snack 
  • 16.00 — Afternoon Practice
  • 19.30 — Dinner

Schedule might vary slightly and is subject to change.

Arrival & Departure

Arrival day: Check-in from 16.00.
Departure day: Usually no yoga class;' 9.00 breakfast; Check out until 11.00

What to bring:

  • Yoga equipment is available at our retreat location, however, if you prefer on to practice on your own mat, bring it with you
  • Towels and bed linen are available
  • Bring a beach/pool towel
  • Comfortable clothes suitable for movement and yoga and for the seasonal weather. In the summer it is usually hot and dry, but it can be a bit chilly from March to June and occasionally in October. You can check the weather report beforehand.
  • Shoes suitable for country walks
  • Personal toiletries, eg shampoo, shower gel etc. 
  • Insect repellent
  • Cash in Euros for excursions, snacks, treatments and meals out

We’ll let you know again what’s good to bring a few days before your retreat.