Your teacher
I am Apostolia Papadamaki, an internationally acclaimed choreographer, a transformational retreat leader and an embodied spirituality teacher. I studied Contemporary Dance, Contact Improvisation, Yoga and Alexander Technique in New York. As a lover of healing arts, and spirituality, I am trained in Shamanism, Music, Voice, Diving, Craniosacral Therapy, and Rei-Ki collaborating with inspiring artists, healers, and teachers in many lands. I love to dream and I believe in infinite possibilities. My highest intention is to keep opening the eyes of the soul and tuning into the frequency of Love no matter how life challenges me. The Happiness Retreat is an open-hearted invitation to share knowledge, experience, and joy with beautiful souls like you!
Learn more about Apostolia
Embodied Spirituality Practices
Yoga
Our Restorative Hatha Yoga practice, in conjunction with the principles of Biomatic Anatomy, will bring harmony to your body, mind and emotional state. Apostolia is transmitting her knowledge gracefully through her heart, voice, and hands. Her Yoga class, a unifying blend of Pranayama, Asanas, Mantras, and Meditation is a powerful tool for self-transformation.
Creative Movement
Contact Improvisation intertwines with Meditative Dance as a form of communication between your inner spirit and the spirit of every other human and living being. A full sensory experience, that merges with the elements of Water, Earth, Air and Fire, that will alow you to follow your inner «impulses», to overcome all restrictions and become free to "dance" your fear, happiness, passion, hope and many more as you reach a euphoric state of being.
Water Healing
An aquatic bodywork that will enable you to embody the art of true belonging and trust oneness in the fluidity of the sea. We all come from the womb of our mother and we have experienced “floating”. Water is conductive so it can help us remember our true nature, it can facilitate a rebirth experience
Sharing Circle
Sharing Circle will support you to release old patterns and fears, shift perspective and activate new decisions, while simple yet profound rituals will teach you how to fully enjoy your experience and be grateful to yourself, your community and the earth.
Read more about the Practices
All the photos on this page are from our Pre - Covid19 Retreats.
You can read our 2020 COVID-19 measures in our Terms & Conditions section.
Nutrition
Vegetables and herbs are organic, grown in the resort gardens. All the food is prepared on a daily basis by an Italian gifted in-house chef and is of high quality and exquisite taste, inspired by healthy “Umbrian recipes coming from monastic Mediterranean tradition.
Breakfast and lunch are served in the garden table, surrounded by trees and with fabulous views in the woods.
Dinner (4 courses plus local wine) is served seated in the Refectory and it is an experience on its own as it is served in pure magnificent silence engaging guests to participate in a ritual beautifully and purposefully orchestrated by the hosts.
What is included
6 days / 5 nights of stay
Breakfast buffet, Lunch and Dinner (four courses, vegetarian), water, local wine, tea, and digestive infusions
Daily Yoga, Meditation, Biomatic Anatomy, Creative Movement
Sharing Circle
Water Healing Session
Full Moon Ritual
Sunrise Meditation
Fire Ritual
Indoor Jacuzzi and Steam Bath
Hikes & Experiences in nature
Mindfulness
Shuttle transfer from Fabre Ficulle station to and from Eremito
What you need to add
Your transportation costs
Your travel insurance
Inquire/Book
A Sample Day
(Itinerary will be send to all the participants a week prior to the retreat)
7.30 / Prayer at the Chapel
8.00 / Yoga & Meditation
09.30 / Breakfast
11.30 / Forrest / River Hike
13.30 / Lunch
15.00 / Free Time / Private Sessions
17.00 / Water Healing Session
19:30 / Silent Dinner
20.30 / Outdoor Fire Ritual
Chek in / Chek out
22nd October 2021: Room check in at 15.00 / Our first Retreat practice starts at 17.00
In case you arrive in Eremito earlier you can leave your luggage and rest at the Reflectory or take a Jaccuzzi!
27th October 2021: Room check out at 12.00
We highly recommend you, to stay an extra day/days in Eremito after the retreat, in order to integrate the retreat benefits.
Practicing Silence
All participants will receive detailed instructions to prepare spiritually before our journey.
We will keep silent from words during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th days of our retreat, maintaining the silence with mindfulness and wisdom. For any real necessities, you will be able to communicate with the retreat leader.
A Retreat Journal and a pen are mandatory while books and reading are not suggested.
Yawning and sighing are allowed and will be encouraged during sessions as well as chanting and singing.
All electronic devices (including phones) will be off during the 3 silent days. Eremito hotel has no wi-fi, no tv, and no phone reception. In case you need to communicate with your family during the retreat we will instruct you how to do it on a set date/time.
Options and prices
Accommodation will be an experience as we will be staying in “celluzze” the cells used by the hermits in past times. Each room has a wrought iron bed with a foam memory mattress, a stone-carved desk set into the wall, a shower, a private toilet, and beautiful vistas in the green valley, the perfect vehicle for our journey to inner peace.
Shared Twin Room / 2160€ per person
Single Room (Celluzze) / 2460€ per person
In case the retreat is canceled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions,
the deposits will be refunded.
Book Now
Travel Info
By air
Book a flight to Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino (about 2 hours), or Firenze ( about 2 hours) or Perugia (about 1 ½ hour) and then continue by train.
By train
Trains run every two hours from Rome and Florence central stations. You must choose the regional train for line Rome-Florence. Your stop is Fabro Ficulle and from there we will provide a shuttle transfer to Eremito.
If you take a train from Perugia you need to change train at Terontola-
Cortona.
For train itineraries and reservations you may visit www.trenitalia.com
By Car
If you choose to arrive by car please see link for detailed motorway instructions.
Photos from our 2019 Happiness Retreat in Eremito