Awaken wonder and cultivate joyful living by connecting with like-minded individuals while experiencing the quiet, charming villages, forests, farmland, and vineyards of Italy.
Come with us to the inspiring countryside of Italy where we’ll spend a week awakening our natural wonder, curiosity, joy and enthusiasm. In an atmosphere of peaceful beauty and with the attentive help of our staff, we will have the opportunity to experience transformational mindfulness lessons and practices. We will combine talks, gentle movement, mindful meditation, writing or journaling, reflection time, and sharing with like-minded souls with amazing walks in the peaceful surroundings of old Italy, delicious meals, fabulous wine, and comfortable guest rooms.
This retreat is designed and structured to offer participants a retreat space that is comfortable and safe…as well as beautiful; one that invites exploration, sharing, laughter, and connection. We will use the days’ activities as metaphors to develop a greater sense of gratitude, awareness, awe, and joy.
To awaken wonder is to get to, or rather get back to, the essence of what it means to live fully – to be engaged and excited about whatever comes next.
Join Corey, David and Augusta on this adventure created to wake you up and make you smile!
Viterbo, Italy’s best kept secret is the beautiful location of our adventure. This dynamic retreat, which combines gentle movement practices, comfortable hiking (sauntering), and quiet time to absorb the unique experience, is staffed by experienced facilitators from the fields of medicine, psychology, and mindfulness training, local guides, and extremely helpful and gracious hosts. There’s no better place to breathe in the pure Italian countryside and stretch your limbs than in the middle of the majestic beauty of the forests, ancient dwellings, beautiful mountains, local vineyards and crystal-clear rivers.
We will begin each day with an early morning reflective practice while sipping coffee and watching the sunrise –our hotels for the week, B&B A Piazza del Gesu and B&B Via Dei Pellegrini, have views of the city and lovely central piazza. Then, after a hearty breakfast, the days activities will include lessons presented by your teachers, mindful meditation practices, guided walks along beautiful trails, and wonderful food. We’ll savor local Italian cuisine, see pasta being made traditionally and sip the local wine, a must for any Italian adventure. On a few of our days together we will trek through scenic forests and alongside 16th century sculptures made from the local stone; dine in local cafes; explore ancient cave settlements, and spend some time in Italy’s lively piazzas soaking in the surrounding culture and amazing views.
In the evening we will have the opportunity to meet for some social time, debrief the day’s events, and connect with our group as we rejuvenate our minds, bodies, and souls before enjoying lovely dinners at the many gourmet trattorias in the city center. No matter what your level of fitness or mindfulness experience, you are welcome on this active holiday experience!
This activity qualifies for 19 continuing medical education credits through the Minnesota Medical Association. It has been designed to meet the Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education requirements for 19 hours of credit. However, the nurse is responsible for determining whether this activity meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education. Individuals representing other professional disciplines may submit course materials to their respective professional associations for 19 hours of continuing education credit.
Following the retreat there will be monthly virtual sessions offered for those who may want to continue their growth. The cost for the additional virtual sessions is $500 (for 6 months virtual sessions) or $750 (for 12 months virtual sessions). The virtual sessions will happen every 2nd Sunday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:30PM CST. It will be 1 CME per session. For more information, you can go here.
If have additional questions about this trip, please contact Dr. Corey Martin at Corey@BounceTravels.com
You’ll be greeted by our team in Italy at 11:00am at the Viterbo Porta Romana train station. Viterbo is a 2-hour train ride from the center of Rome or from the Fuimicno Airport FCO. After we check into our charming hotel, we’ll regroup in the yoga room for a chat about the upcoming retreat. We will celebrate our adventure by savoring lunch on one of the lively piazzas in this historical city. We’ll partake in the local passegiata by visiting the monuments of Viterbo. Dinner will be at 7:30 at one of the many gourmet trattorias in the city center. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
We’ll join our host in the breakfast room to nourish our bodies for an active day! After our educational we will explore the sacred forest of Bomarzo, a short drive outside Viterbo. Prepare yourself to travel back to the Renaissance period by meeting these 16th century sculptures made from the grey peperino rock formed into an imaginary zoo figures, sinister carvings, and mythical engravings. Once back in Viterbo, we’ll be free to wander in the town’s historical center and finally enjoy dinner together in a restaurant right in the medieval quarter. Breakfast and Dinner included.
Un caffè per favore to start the day! Once we finish up our prima colazione we gather for our group activities. We then lace up our walking shoes and head back to Bomarzo, this time to explore the Santa Cecilia cave settlement and an ancient Etruscan “Pyramid”. The total walk today will be approximately 6 miles of forest, riverbeds, ancient paths and mysterious monuments carved into the rock thousands of years ago. Enjoy a picnic lunch set up by your guides. Once back in Viterbo, you’re free to explore the town before we gather again for dinner. Breakfast and Dinner included.
After breakfast and educational activities, a short drive takes us to the slopes of Monte Cimino. A challenging but yet enjoyable walk through a chestnut and beech forest will lead us to the top of the mountain, where giant boulders of rock shaded by the UNESCO Natural Heritage forest reveal the volcanic origins of this whole area. Later, back in Viterbo, we are free to wander the town or just spend a beautiful afternoon sipping a cappuccino or a glass of wine and enjoy the Italian lifestyle before regrouping for dinner. Breakfast and Dinner included.
After our morning educational sessions and breakfast we get ready for a day dedicated to Italian cuisine and wine. A short drive takes us to Canepina, the little-known village in the province but well-known for its homemade pasta and its wine production. A visit to the vineyard of Azienda Agricola Cassano gives us the chance to try their reds, whites and spumante in the company of their enologist. We then move into the kitchen for a demonstration of how the locals roll the special pasta dough and cut by hand this mouthwatering “macaroni”, the typical Sunday pasta, smothered in a delicious, homemade sauce.
In the afternoon, it’s back to Viterbo where we have a chance to learn the history from a different perspective, visiting the underground tunnels and cellars of the medieval town center. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
After a morning of refreshing educational activities, we drive to one of the most amazing sites of the province: the village of Lubriano, where we set out with incredible views of the Valle dei Calanchi, a mini-Canyonlands, due to its unusual landscape. Today’s route will take us to the magic atmosphere of Civita di Bagnoregio, a town of only 11 residents perched high upon a precipice. This island in the sky is progressively isolated from the rest of the valley because of the geological features of its loose soils. Access to this hill town is by a narrow bridge. We, on the other hand, will reach the hamlet via the smugglers route by climbing a steep but short slope where we enter a forgotten about gate near a tiny chapel dedicated to Saint Francis. We’ll meander the tiny streets before crossing the modern bridge that takes us back to our vehicles then get back to Viterbo. Breakfast and Dinner included.
We’ll end this 8-day adventure by heading over to the local hot springs pool and spa for a well-deserved soak or indulge in one of their treatments (extra fee / book in advance). All great things come to an end as we say goodbye to our hosts and guides at 4PM in Viterbo.
7:30am – 8:00am: Breakfast at the hotel
8:00am – 11:00am: Daily reflective practice, check-in, and educational sessions
11:00am – 3:00pm: Hiking and Sightseeing Italy’s many wonderful trails and natural sights
3:00pm – 5:00pm: More breathtaking adventures, personal reflection or relaxation time
5:00pm – 6:30pm: Personal time
6:30 pm – 7:30pm: Social Hour and group reflection time
7:30pm – 9:30pm: Dinner at one of the amazing Trattorias in Viterbo
Our time spent cultivating joy, meaning, and purpose is through the use of educational sessions, quiet reflection, journaling, daily group reflections, and sightseeing journeys. We use our experiences and the paths we hike as daily metaphors to develop joy, meaning, and purpose in our lives by understanding our deeper sense of self.
We will stay at B&B Piazza Del Gesu and B&B Via Del Pellegrini, Viterbo, Iltaly
One of our locations Porta Romana, Viterbo.
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM =$4299 per person
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM WITH VIRTUAL FOLLOW UP SESSIONS =$4799-5049 per person
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM = $4999
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM WITH VIRTUAL FOLLOW UP SESSIONS = $5499-5749
RESERVE YOUR SPOT WITH A DEPOSIT=$500
• Pick up in Viterbo Porta Romana train station.
• Van support during trip for you & your luggage
• 6 nights of accommodations at beautiful B&Bs with private bathrooms
• Bi-lingual guide
• Expert facilitators with daily educational and yoga sessions
• Daily hikes, sightseeing and historical information
• Daily breakfast, two lunches and daily dinner.
• Round-trip airfare
• Four lunches
• Tips and gratuity
• Travel insurance
• Cancellations prior to January 16, 2024 are subject to a $500 cancellation fee
• Non-refundable on or after January 16, 2024
• If Bounce Travels cancels the trip due to any reason, you have your choice of a refund minus credit card processing fees OR using your entire balance towards another Bounce Travels trip through the following calendar year.
Please Note: This itinerary may change slightly due to accommodation availability, rain, festivals and spontaneous side trips. This is not an endurance race, nor a competition. Please be respectful of all the different paces and walks of life that come together on this group trip.
Accreditation Statement: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Minnesota Medical Association and Innovations in Resilience. The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Minnesota Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 19 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
There is no commercial support for this event.
A commercial interest is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The ACCME defines “‘relevant’ financial relationships” as financial relationships in any amount occurring within the past 12 months that create a conflict of interest.
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