Yoga & Meditation Community
“A retreat should always be in our life, in our heart.
Even you go for retreat in body, the mind should always be in retreat, so that you’re able to practice each moment in your life.”
~ Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche
Calabria South Italy
At the foot of the Sila National Park, a few kilometers away from the Isola Capo Rizzuto Marine Reserve on a property of 25,000 square meters, the Shala Mandala is a place for the practice of yoga and meditation, inside Borgo degli ulivi Resort, a touristic place immersed in an olive garden facing the Mediterranean Sea, on the south-east coast of Southern Italy.
Surrounded by lush maritime pines, olive groves and eucalyptus trees that overlook the local beach (about 200 meters) and the crystalline Ionian, the center has two yoga and meditation rooms with wooden floors.
We welcome individuals, and families with children to stay with us and practice in our space immerse in nature and enjoy the tranquility of the surrounding area without sacrificing comfort and well-being.
Our Ethos
- Please consider your personal hygiene and also limit the use of strong deodorants, perfumes; Wash both your cotton yoga mat and your yoga mat on a regular basis
- Please arrive on time. Please be respectful of Shala closing times; Turn your phone off or on to silent;
- Try and be respectful of other students and space they are practicing keep conversation to a minimum;
- Please inform the teacher in full confidence of any injuries, operations, pregnancy or such-like; Please keep any warm-up to a minimum;
- The practice is taught in a traditional style so please try to avoid modification/use of props etc. or deviating from the sequence;
- Do not eat a meal for 2-3 hours before attending class; Try not to eat or drink for 20-40 minutes after class;
- Recycling and limiting plastic containers on the property;
- A strong asana practice should always be accompained with occasional rest and time; Self-study like reading, meditation, chanting
- We teach in a traditional style which means that usually, we will be giving physical, hands-on adjustment. Whilst we try to ensure that these are beneficial and safe we recognize that some people will still prefer not to be adjusted. We want to assure anyone who comes to our Shala that they are free to say no to adjustments at any time and we will respect your wishes and will not ask you to explain your reasons.
In the last years over 250 students from 45 different countries practicing Vipassanā meditation – S. N. Goenka tradition – visited our Shala and many others for Yoga, dance, and music Retreats.
Every Summer Season we welcomes practitioners of all stages of life and practice including families with kids, beginners.
We try hard to ensure that everyone who comes to practice with us feels welcome and comfortable.
Shala is More than a Studio
We have created the new Shala based on Vastu Shastra (vāstu śāstra) a traditional Hindu system of architecture intended to integrate design with nature, and ancient beliefs utilizing geometric patterns (yantra), symmetry, and directional alignments.
Class Time: Shala doors open from Monday to Saturday from 6:30 am till 10:00 am (latest arrival 8.45 am). Practitioners are required to start on a Monday and finish on Saturday. The opening mantra begins around 7:00 am.
In the afternoon from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm: Chanting /Pranayama/Meditation;
Sunday is a family day for us so the Shala will be closed.
New and Full Moon are observed so we won’t practice astānga.
Everyone can practice Yoga
The knowledge you will find here is priceless. No money in the world could match its value. The people who teach here have received this knowledge through the sheer generosity of their teachers.
We believe that Yoga is being monetized, “sold” and misappropriated and is in line with our philosophy of not joining this unfortunate movement. The fees we ask are used to pay for our training in India and out-of-pocket expenses, but they also serve to give the possibility to those who cannot pay for the classes to be able to participate.
