A journey to some of Italy’s most sacred and interesting sites supported by a daily yoga practice and Sutra readings

August 30–September 8, 2018

 

Overview

Itinerary

Details

Staying in Rome, Assisi, and Tuscany

This journey encourages its pilgrims to perceive a different type of beauty in the  sacred, for example by prioritizing quiet time in front of a artistic masterpiece  or a holy place. Merely taking photos cannot compare to this level of perception.

The pilgrimage offers a unique break from our ordinary life, perhaps helping the traveler  to perceive new horizons in one's spiritual life and in life in general.

As one of the early seats of the Christian religion, Italy is home to many sacred places—places where priests and popes gradually honed institutions that would protect the faith amid an increasingly secularized world, places where the faithful sought reflection and refuge within fresco-covered walls, next to the bones of martyrs and saints. In this trip, we honor the deeply felt commitment of pilgrims of all stripes to honor the roots of one of the world’s foremost religions.

Our pilgrimage will combine visits to holy and historically significant sites within the Christian tradition with practices that help open us to experience them with a fresh perspective. We seek to help modern-day pilgrims prepare themselves mentally, bodily, and spiritually for engagement with the places we visit. This includes:

  • providing a central text so that we are all “on the same page” with regard to the teachings we are working with; for this trip, we are using Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
  • tailored yoga classes that will help us build strength, facilitate heart-opening and intuition, or surrender completely
  • through dedicated sittings and dharma talks, we will support each pilgrim’s quest to affirm their own intentions.

Patrizia and Hilary will help facilitate an experience of each place with an open mind and heart. Putting aside our opinions about what is right and wrong, good and bad about a particular religion, and focusing instead on the many generations of practitioners who maintained their faith and expressed their spiritual longings in a specific place, we will seek to honor their work and tap into whatever means of expression becomes available to us.

This pilgrimage is open to all, families with children, new yoga practitioners, travelers, and whoever wishes to embark on a sacred journey.

 

Day 1  •  August 30  •  Rome

Day 2  •  August 31  •  Rome, Vatican City

Day 3  •  September 1  •  Rome, Coliseum, and Imperial Fora

Day 4  •  September 2  •  Assisi

Day 5  •  September 3  •  Assisi

Day 6  •  September 4  •  Siena, Pienza, and Montepulciano

Day 7  •  September 5  •   Bagno Vignoni, Celleno

Day 8  •  September 6  •  Celleno

Day 9  •  September 7  •  Celleno

Day 10  •  September 8  •  Celleno, departure

Patrizia De Libero

Hilary Brich

US$ 2,099 per person in double

Based on a minimum of 20 participants

Price subject to change due to unanticipated increases in service fees.

 

 

 

 

Day 1  •  August 30  •  Rome

Arrival and pick up at the airport. Please arrange your flight in order to be on time for our gathering at the airport. More info will be given at the time of your registration.

Meet outside the customs area with Patrizia at 11:00 am local time and transfer to Rome city center by private bus. Arrival at the hotel and check-in if rooms are available. Walk around the amazing area of Campo dei Fiori, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and the beautiful narrow side streets. Lunch on your own. Back to the hotel and included dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Rome.

Day 2  •  August 31  •  Rome, Vatican City

In the morning, meditation and asana followed by our daily spiritual tasks (we will share reflections on these before dinner). Private transfer for our special visit to the Vatican Excavation, the hidden necropolis situated under St. Peter’s Basilica (to be confirmed). Break for lunch (not included) followed by a guided visit of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel. Back to hotel by private bus. Dinner on your own not included. Overnight in Rome.

Day 3  •  September 1  •  Rome, Coliseum, and Imperial Fora

In the morning, meditation, asana, and spiritual task for the day, followed by breakfast. Meet with our guide and walk towards Piazza Venezia and the amazing archaeological area of Via dei Fori Imperiali. Guided visit of the Coliseum, Imperial Fora, and St. Peter and St. Paul prison. From Venice Square we reach the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain by a peaceful stroll. Free time. Meeting at 6.00 pm at the hotel then included dinner at a restaurant in Trastevere or in the local area. Overnight in Rome.

Day 4  •  September 2  •  Assisi

Early wake-up call. Meditation, asana, and spiritual task for the day followed by breakfast. Departure on a private bus to a very special energetic site in Italy—Assisi—the place connected to St. Francis of Assisi. Visit to Porziuncola, the chapel where St. Francis prayed, now contained in St. Mary of Angels Basilica. We will visit sites connected to St. Francis, including St. Francis Basilica, the tomb of St. Francis, Giotto’s frescos in Saint Claire Church. The peaceful atmosphere of Assisi will help in deepening our inner journey. Dinner and meeting in our hotel situated in old Assisi.

Day 5  •  September 3  •  Assisi

Meditation, asana, and spiritual task for the day followed by breakfast. Walking pilgrimage to San Damiano, the place where the wooden cross spoke to St. Francis of Assisi and where he wrote the Canticle of Creatures. Free time. Meeting before included dinner; overnight in Assisi.

Day 6  •  September 4  •  Siena, Pienza, and Montepulciano

Meditation, asana, and spiritual task for the day, followed by breakfast. Departure to Siena, in Tuscany, by private bus. Arrival and free time followed by a guided tour. Lunch on your own. Departure to Pienza, an interesting fifteenth-century town and a UNESCO world heritage. We continue our drive towards the city of Montepulciano, still in Tuscany. Arrival and check-in at hotel. Free time to explore the old town. Dinner and wine tasting on your own, allowing people to enjoy personal preferences. Overnight in Montepulciano.

Day 7  •  September 5  •   Bagno Vignoni, Celleno

After breakfast, departure to the beautiful thermal baths in Bagno Vignoni. Free time to visit the free Roman thermal bath located in an open space or enjoy the healing water in a proper spa with pools (not included). Lunch on your own. Departure to Celleno around 5:00 pm. We will stay at an amazing property, once a Franciscan monastery from the 1600s with an interesting history and frescos. Time for asana, yoga practice. Dinner included in Celleno followed by satsang.

Day 8  •  September 6  •  Celleno

Half day practice: meditation, asana, and sharing. Early included lunch and departure to Civita di Bagnoreggio and Orvieto, unique locations in the world. Then back to Celleno for dinner and overnight.

Day 9  •  September 7th  •  Celleno

Morning practice before breakfast: meditation, asana, dharma talk, and sharing. Early included lunch, then visit to Capalbio by the Mediterranean Sea. Farewell dinner and overnight in Celleno.

Day 10  •  September 8  •  Celleno, departure

After breakfast, departure to Fiumicino Airport in time for your flight. Only one ride is included and will be scheduled according to the earliest flight.

 

The order of events and visits may be subject to change .

 

From US$ 2,099 per person in double

Based on a minimum of 20 participants

Price subject to change due to unanticipated increases in service fees.

Single supplement pricing upon request.

  • Centrally located accommodations: 3 nights in Rome, 2 nights in Assisi, 1 night in Montepulciano, 3 nights in a Franciscan monastery in Celleno
  • Daily breakfast. Dinner when indicated in the program. Lunches included in Celleno
  • English speaking professional guide as indicated in the program
  • Entrance fees as per program
  • Private bus as indicated in the program including drivers’ fees, tolls, and parking fees
  • Journeys to the East tour leader
  • Yoga teacher and facilitator

 

  • International flight. We are happy to help you with your flight purchase.
  • Meals not mentioned in the previous paragraph.
  • Drinks
  • Travel insurance or medical insurance of any kind.
  • City tax (in Rome 3.50 euro per day) to pay directly to the hotel
  • Sudden increase in entrance fees or bus toll charges for touristic areas
  • Anything not specified in Price Includes section

Please download Registration Form here and either:

Email to Patrizia at: info@journeystotheeast.com

or

Mail to with your initial deposit to:

Kairos Pilgrimages

94 Jackson Road, Suite 206, Devens, MA  01434, USA

First deposit (non-refundable) of $500: due March 15, 2018

Balance payment: due June 25, 2018

Please make checks payable to: Kairos Pilgrimages

Mail to:

Kairos Pilgrimages

94 Jackson Road, Suite 206, Devens, MA  01434, USA

Credit cards also accepted.

Please call John at  978-772-7877 or Patrizia at 978-249-2467.

In case of cancellation, the following fees apply:

  • First deposit of $500 is non-refundable
  • No refunds after July 30, 2018

Please read the Terms and Conditions for Kairos Pilgrimages before registering for this pilgrimage. Thank you.

For more information, please contact Patrizia at:

info@journeystotheeast.com

978-249-6580

 

 

© 2018 Journeys to the East
978-772-2467