Dynamic Healing & Yoga Retreat in Saranda, Albania

The retreat runs May 30 to June 4, 2024 and is all-inclusive: accommodation, meals and the full programme of sessions. Mornings typically start with yoga, and the style rotates depending on the day's intention — the team picks from Hatha, Vinyasa, Aerial and Core. Group OSHO dynamic meditation sessions are scheduled during the week, alongside mindfulness meditation. Reiki healing is delivered as private one-on-one sessions with the practitioner, and massage is available as a support to the rest of the work.

What separates this from a standard yoga week is the mix of modalities and the fact that two named facilitators run it. Cristine Swales runs Elements of Zen in the UK; Shawn Simons owns Botë Farms. Both are on site for the duration. The OSHO dynamic sessions in particular are not something most Albanian yoga retreats include — they're active, loud and physical, and the page cites clinical research on their anti-stress effects.

The setting does a lot of the work. Botë Farms is a working agritourism property just outside Saranda, in southern Albania near the Greek border. The villas look out over the farm and countryside in every direction, there's an eco pool, and rescue animals live on the property. Saranda itself is one of Albania's faster-growing coastal towns, and the retreat is positioned as a base for exploring the area as well as doing the programme.

Group sizes stay small enough for the one-on-one Reiki and massage sessions to fit into the schedule, and the page describes the week as community-led — you're expected to spend time with the other guests, not retreat into silence. Evenings are free, and the farm is quiet enough that most people stay on site rather than heading into town.

If you want a week that's mostly yoga postures and free time, this isn't the right fit. If you want a structured programme where meditation, energy work and bodywork are given equal weight to the asana practice, and you're happy to do that work in a group, it is.

What's included

- 6 days / 5 nights villa accommodation at Botë Farms - All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Daily yoga classes (Hatha, Vinyasa, Aerial or Core) - One-on-one Reiki healing sessions - Healing touch massage sessions - OSHO dynamic meditation group sessions - Mindfulness meditation sessions - Group healing workshops - Excursion into the Saranda area - Access to the eco pool and farm grounds

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Additional spa or healing treatments outside the programme - Alcohol and drinks outside meals