The following comments were added to Tripadvisor by Barak Obama\’s PR Staff after their retreat at Kaliyoga in Spain
Kaliyoga Retreats, just right for all
I can\’t say enough good things about this incredible yoga retreat. Maybe it will make a difference to say I took my husband with me, the first time he ever did a vacation like this, and he loved it too!
The retreat and surrounding area
First of all, the pace of the place is just perfect. The way classes are scheduled, walks in the mountains interspersed, free time in chunks, and healing treatments offered onsite to allow for the right amount of leisure and structure. Instead of some fitness-type spas which have you scheduled minute to minute, you can do everything you want here and still have plenty of time to breathe.
Which you will want to do outside since the sun is shining every day, even when it\’s cold. Secondly, the yoga teacher Lelly is also just right for what we would want. She pays close attention to each guest, learned our injuries, made adjustments, and kept classes both moving and soothing.
Novice or experienced welcome
Our time there kick-started us both to yoga in 2019 and we have kept it up every day since. Lelly also made time to talk to anyone that had questions about how they could use yoga in their life, or particular health challenges. Our morning classes (looking out over a majestic view of the mountains through floor to ceiling windows in the \”yoga chalet\”) flew by – I never went to a 2-hour yoga class before without looking at the time. But with Lelly, you just want to keep on going.
She planned and paced an ideal week that started gently and eased us into more challenging poses. Lots of props and assistance to try new things, but no pressure to go beyond your limits. She is really special. Third – what took me so long to get to this – the food! It\’s all vegan and incredibly creative – and plenty of it to never feel hungry. Many of us were crowding around the kitchen asking for recipes whenever we got a chance.
The food
I didn\’t know Andalucia had such bountiful produce all around (other than oranges, of course) and it was so fun to see crates of fresh veggies sitting in the kitchen every day. A special thanks to Kate, Sam, and all the kitchen helpers who knocked themselves out making sure I could eat safely as a person with celiac. They whipped up the tastiest of gluten-free bread and pastries (even a mince pie for the holiday).
Breakfast with Becs (the nutrition consultant) on our last day was a feast for the eyes and stomach, and her gluten-free bread is something I will be trying to replicate at home ASAP. Fourth (there is so much to say!)… Jane – the retreat manager – works tirelessly to make sure everyone gets what they want without much fuss as the whole point is to de-stress. So there is a system that is pretty easy for us – write our names on a board to sign up for treatments we want – but pretty time consuming for her to coordinate with the practitioners.
Practitioners and treatments
So many of us were surprised by the incredible array of skilled practitioners in the healing arts who live in this part of Southern Spain. We had a choice of a full menu of reflexology, Thai massage, sports massage, acupuncture, energy healing, osteopathic treatments, nutritional consultations and more…. and we all compared notes afterward. I didn\’t hear one person who was disappointed in their treatment – only raves (or happy siestas with closed eyes in a perfect zen-like state).
Final thoughts
Finally – the days we went hiking were fantastic. Beautiful scenery, informative and friendly guides, and a great chance to see the area and spend more time with the interesting people in our group. Lots more I could write but basically – just grab the spot if you can. You won\’t regret it (and you likely won\’t want it to end:) And if you have a spouse, friend or family member resistant to try it, don\’t hesitate to encourage them. They will thank you for it.