Swiss Alps Yoga and Meditation Retreat with Elena

Days follow a set shape. Morning yoga and meditation runs 07:30 to 09:00, brunch is 09:00 to 10:00, and then you are free from 10:00 until 16:00 for a hike, a lake dip, the sauna or a nap. Afternoon yoga and meditation is 16:30 to 18:00, dinner is at 18:00, and the saunas stay open afterwards.

The yoga is not one style repeated. Across the four days you work through elemental vinyasa flow, alignment-based hatha, in-depth self-myofascial release with balls and rollers, restorative flow, yin, pranayama, guided and self-guided seated meditation, and yoga nidra in savasana. There is also resistance training aimed at stabilising muscles. Elena gives modifications for every pose and individual attention throughout.

Elena founded Sparkling Yoga Retreats and has been leading retreats and teacher trainings for over 10 years. She is a psychologist with a background in both the technical and therapeutic sides of yoga and meditation, and has 16 years of teaching behind her. Outside the studio she creates meditations for apps, writes for magazines and makes music.

The hotel is a rustic design chalet with a spa, set among the Alps in the Bernese Oberland. It is a short distance from Gstaad and reachable by train or car from Zurich or Geneva in around three to three and a half hours. The retreat is close to a bus stop, so no taxi is needed if you arrive by public transport.

What separates this from a general Alpine yoga week is the spa and the lake. The hotel has Finnish, Bio and Infrared saunas plus a relaxation area, bookable in your own time, and there is a glacier lake nearby that guests swim in. Elena describes her own first dip there as the moment she decided to run a retreat in the village.

What's included

- 3-night/4-day yoga retreat package - Stay in an alpine chalet hotel - 3 generous buffet breakfasts - 3 three-course vegetarian restaurant dinners - Use of the yoga space - 2 yoga and meditation classes daily with an expert teacher - Use of the hotel's mountain spa

What's not included

- Travel to and from the retreat - Airport transfers - Lunches - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Additional spa treatments