What to Expect at Our Sicilian Spirit Yoga Retreat (26 September – 3 October 2026 in Sicily)

There's a particular quality of light in Sicily in early autumn — softer than the height of summer, but still warm enough to swim in the sea and sit outside long after sunset. It's one of the reasons we chose late September for this retreat: the island slows down, the crowds thin out, and there's room to actually feel the place rather than just pass through it.

Why Sicily

Sicily sits at a crossroads — Greek, Arab, Norman, Italian influences all layered into the same hillsides, the same food, the same light. There's something fitting about practising yoga and mindfulness somewhere that has absorbed so many different ways of life and made something whole and distinct out of them. It mirrors, in a way, what we're hoping people will do on retreat: bring everything they're carrying and let it settle into something steadier.

The island also gives us a natural rhythm to work with — mornings of movement and stillness, long unhurried lunches, time by the water, and evenings where conversation tends to wander in good directions.

What the week looks like

A typical day on Sicilian Spirit moves at a gentle pace:

• Morning yoga to wake the body before the heat of the day sets in

• A sitting meditation practice, building gradually across the week

• Long breaks for swimming, walking, or simply doing nothing

• Shared meals built around fresh, local, seasonal produce

• An evening practice — sometimes movement, sometimes stillness, sometimes just sitting together

We keep the structure light. The point isn't to fill every hour — it's to create enough space that people can actually hear themselves think for the first time in a while.

Who this retreat is for

You don't need any yoga or meditation experience to join us. Some of the people who get the most out of these weeks have never set foot on a mat before. What matters more is wanting to slow down, wanting some honest stillness, and being open to a week that isn't about achieving anything in particular.

Many people come alone. Most leave having made real friends.

A few practical details

• Dates: 26 September – 3 October 2026

• Spaces: Limited — around 6 remaining as of now

• Facilitators: Sion Jones and Rosanna Gordon, Heartful Retreats

If you've been weighing up whether this is the year to finally take a week fully for yourself, this is a gentle nudge that the spaces are going. We'd love to have you with us. Reserve your place here

Photo: 2025 retreat participants in Cefalu, Sicily