Yogatone Retreat
It’s inspiring for me to meet people who have made their dreams come true, taken a leap of faith, and held their vision in the face of skepticism. Les Benney of Yogatone is one of these ‘dream chasers’ who gave up a career as an asset manager for a major bank in the UK to become an Ashtanga yoga teacher. Since rearranging his life, Les has created a retreat in the south of Spain where he leads four-day yoga getaways for students of all levels. I was lucky enough to tag along on a recent retreat, where I met wonderful people, deepened my yoga practice, and got to know a sliver of Spain that I otherwise may have overlooked. I cannot recommend the Yogatone retreat enough!
Yogatone Retreat Oranges
Down a pebbled footpath, frogs ribbit in a compact pond fed by a natural spring while birds flit from olive tree, to avocado tree, to orange tree, limbs heavy with ripe fruit. At the end of the lane the Yogatone farmhouse sits overlooking the mountains and valleys north of Malaga, an hour away by car. The house has been lovingly renovated to sleep eight guests total, with three rooms inside the house and one small cottage outside which all share two ample bathrooms. Beside the farmhouse there’s an enormous patio which serves as a yoga practice area when the weather permits, or an ideal breakfast/lunch/sunbathing spot.
Yogatone Retreat Views from House
Below the patio sits the proper yoga studio, which has been built to include an immense boulder, the centerpiece of the space and a reminder of the rocky Andalusian soil. On chilly mornings the studio is warmed by a wood stove, and of course by the yogis present doing their Ashtanga practice. It’s a calming environment that aids the student in focusing the mind for the hour and a half practice.
Yogatone Retreat Studio
Yogatone - Studio
Les lives in the UK, but holds retreats in Spain once a month. Feeling that a whole week of yoga can be a bit much for beginners, Les has kept the experience to four days and three nights with yoga practice twice a day. The cost of the retreat is about $630, but this amount includes all meals, classes, excursions and accommodation, plus transfers from the airport if flights are booked around the same time as Les’s arrival. Food is not vegetarian unless the guest asks for this, and Les has no problem with guests bringing a robust bottle of red Spanish wine to the dinner table. The concept ‘everything in moderation’ seems to be Les’s motto rather than the strict dietary and exercise routines common in other yoga retreats. I appreciate this take on the experience because it puts the choice in the hands of the student.
Yogatone Retreat Upstairs Room
Dinners at the Yogatone retreat are made by a local Irish caterer who blessed us with goodies such as ginger-pear cake with greek yogurt, baked trout, roasted veggies, mango chutney, chicken tarragon, and delightfully creative salads. Food was abundant in the mornings as well, and while there were healthy choices such as granola and yogurt, there were also fresh baked biscuits, raisin cookies, lemon drizzle cake and bacon and eggs. Coffee, tea and fresh squeezed OJ from the neighbor’s trees were also offered.
Les Benney
In addition, Les can arrange massages with a local therapist for those who feel tight after so much power yoga. I had a massage and can attest that it was well worth the $55.00 for an hour and a half. During my massage, which was administered in a room made up of floor to ceiling windows, a couple of local goats roamed through the garden. Other than their visit, all was quiet and countryside sounds. Les also takes curious students to a typical Spanish market in Torre del Mar on Thursdays and to the hilltop village of Comares on Fridays. While these outings are fun, just chilling at the retreat reading from Les’s extensive yoga library is also a stellar way to pass the time.
Yogatone Retreat Chill Out
Yogatone Retreat Bedroom
As Les says often during the retreat, “Ashtanga yoga is boot camp for the soul.” I think he has a point. Yogatone yoga is not for wimps, through all ages and body types can do it. This is a getaway for a traveler who is looking to explore the road less traveled through Andalusia while also treading the inner path through asana, and in this sense it may not be for everyone. It’s also important to realize that while the Yogatone house is fabulous, it is not luxurious. It is welcoming, warm, cozy, peaceful and perhaps a tad bohemian, though very clean. It’s the sort of place where is is almost impossible to not have a good time and make friends.
Comares
MORE:
Whole retreat: $630, extra nights possible
Massage: $55
Flights to Malaga: Vueling or Iberia from Madrid or Barcelona.
Website for Yogatone:http://www.yogatone.co.uk/spain/
Post and Photos by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more of her tips on travel in Spain at: The Spain Scoop
**Regina was a guest at Yogatone.
