Yoga and Meditation Retreat on Lake Ohrid: A Week of Stillness and Nature

Mornings at this retreat are sacred. At a set time each day, you'll gather in the yoga shala — a light-filled space overlooking the lake — for 90 minutes of Hatha yoga. The teaching style here is gentle and mindful, with a strong emphasis on body awareness, alignment, and finding your own edge rather than pushing into a pose. Every class weaves in pranayama (breathing exercises) and ends with a guided sitting meditation, so by the end of the week, you'll have a full toolkit to take home.

The retreat is timed to coincide with the summer solstice and autumn equinox, and that theme runs through the whole week. Summer is about growth and expansion; the equinox is about balance. Expect to explore these ideas not just in the poses, but in the quiet moments between them. Marija, your host and lead teacher, teaches with warmth and a sense of humour — she's known for adapting the schedule to the weather and the group, so no two weeks are quite the same.

Afternoons are completely free. You could join a hike through Galicica National Park, passing through remote villages and taking in views over the lake that stretch for miles. You could spend the day on the water — the lake is perfect for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, or sailing. Or you could take a half-day boat trip to the 10th-century Saint Naum Monastery and the Bay of Bones, a museum reconstruction of a prehistoric settlement. There's also the option to just stay put, with a book in the garden or floating in the pool.

In the evenings, you'll come back to the mat for a shorter, hour-long class before dinner. These sessions are more restorative, a way to wind down and let go of the day. Dinner is served around 7:30 PM, and the food is vegetarian — traditional Macedonian dishes with a modern, vegetable-centric twist, made from local ingredients. There's a restaurant a ten-minute walk away if you want to try lunch out, and Ohrid's many restaurants are a short drive for a splurge.

The instructors are what make this retreat stand out. Marija, the main teacher, has trained with teachers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the USA, Turkey, and Serbia. She's joined by Yazdan and Erin, two experienced teachers with deep backgrounds in meditation and yoga philosophy. Between them, they bring decades of practice and a palpable sense of care for their students.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation in a shared dorm (upgrade options available) - 2 daily meals (breakfast and dinner) - Daily 90-minute yoga class (asana, pranayama, meditation) - Daily 1-hour evening yoga class - Welcome drink - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Pre- and post-retreat support from the team - Wifi connection - Use of pool and garden

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional treatments - Lunch and drinks outside of included meals - Airport transfers (available at extra cost)