Yoga, as a practice and culture, is taking off in Medellín.
In my neighborhood, Laureles, more and more varied Yoga studios are opening up: there’s Bilingual Yoga, Pole Dance Yoga, soon to be Hot Yoga, and I can’t even imagine all the other types and places in the rest of the city.
While yoga in the park or a studio is good, I recently went on a Finca Chill Out Retreat to San Jerónimo (about an hour away) where we had wonderful outdoor yoga, and had a great time!
It’s run by Yoga Chime and is an overnight yoga retreat to a beautiful finca in San Jerónimo. I am not a huge yogi, but the retreat included so much more, with live music and hikes and swimming to be done, yoga is just a snippet of it.
The retreat costs 250,000 pesos ($80), and while it is organized by a yoga studio and includes yoga, it’s much more than a yoga retreat. Activities are many and varied.
The retreat includes the following:
While you’re at the finca, beers are available for purchase; the swimming pool is extremely refreshing, and nature walks and nearby waterfalls are 10-45 minutes away (there are several).
The organizer of the trip, Lewina Cooper, was super helpful the whole time. I met up with everybody Saturday morning at Parque del Poblado where I met everyone else who signed up, and we got on the chiva to head out to the finca together.
Everyone who signed up received an itinerary ahead of time, so we all knew what to expect though it’s understood that it’s your weekend to do with as you wish, so you can take part (or not) in whatever you want.
The Finca is just outside of San Jerónimo and is called Hostal La Finca. It’s beautiful, quiet and available if you’d like to stay more nights after the retreat!
The trip there was great, bumpy at times, but we got to know everyone and by the time we were there, we were already acquainted. The chiva bus is a good experience and necessary if you haven’t tried it before to further immerse yourself in Colombian culture.
We had a formal sit down after our arrival to get to know everyone and then split up to indulge in activities like swimming, reading, hanging out, napping, etc., until sunset yoga, after which we had a delicious dinner and great live music and open mic (during which one of the attendees blew everyone away).
The next day, those who were up to it had morning meditation before the first yoga session of the day and then we all had breakfast together. Again, we split up, some to go on a hike to a waterfall, others to swim in the pool, others to hang out around the finca.
Next, we had a delicious curry lunch and finished the day with more yoga.
I had such a relaxing experience, and the people that went on the retreat with me were so kind and wonderful, I strongly recommend it if you want a break from the city and want to meet some new people while you’re at it.
The retreats fill up quick, but they’re relatively frequent. The next one is the first weekend of April, and you can sign up easily by contacting them via Facebook or email.
Yoga Chime is catering to the yoga market in Envigado, teaching as well in places like 20 Mission. They brought together this retreat as a way to gather people together in a space that inspires serenity, relaxation, and togetherness.
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My retreat experience was provided courtesy of Yoga Chime; all opinions are my own.
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Retreat sounds great. Out of curiosity, what was the mixture of Colombians to extranjeros??
Hi Adam,
The retreat was lovely, many decide to stay at the finca longer. I'd say it was just under half Colombian attendants including the musicians the time I went.
Hola Ximea,
It looks + sounds great . Im so new here in Medellin + will try it this year for sure . Thanks and take care.
Ups ... i meant Ximena .