Nov. 5, 2025
Why Tuscany Is the Perfect Place for a Yoga Retreat
Five days of yoga, shared meals, and slow living in the hills of Tuscany at Ebbio, a 13th-century farmhouse just outside Siena.
Quiet. It wasn’t the first word I expected to describe Tuscany. I imagined warmth and movement, sun across the hills, a lively table of yogis, a farmhouse humming with conversation. And it was that, at times. But the liveliness would taper, leaving behind an ease I didn’t know I’d been craving.
At Ebbio, a restored 13th-century farmhouse tucked into the heart of Tuscany, Italy, the stillness isn’t empty; it hums softly through the olive groves at dusk and lives in the stone walls long after the light fades. You feel it as soon as you arrive, an invitation to exhale.
For Heart + Bones Yoga, Tuscany offered that rare balance between energy and rest. The retreat moved with Tuscany’s rhythm: mornings of movement and sunlight, afternoons left open for walks or rest, evenings gathered under vines as the valley turned gold.
Ebbio Farmhouse: A Tuscany Yoga Retreat Surrounded by Nature
Ebbio rests in a wide valley on the slopes of an extinct volcano, its farmland ringed by forest and the medieval walls of Monteriggioni visible in the distance. Seventeen acres of olive trees, gardens, and orchards spread from the farmhouse, the air scented with lemon balm and herbs that grow wild across the paths.
At dusk, the valley glows in copper light. The old stone catches warmth as the sun drops behind the ridge, and from the top of the olive grove the view stretches endlessly, soft hills rolling into other hills. It’s a landscape that invites movement but also makes stillness feel effortless.
This is what gives a yoga retreat in Tuscany its restorative quality. The land itself seems to breathe with you, shaped by centuries of quiet labour and lived history, ancient trails, weathered bridges, and homes that have watched time unfold yet never lost their ease.
What to Expect from a Yoga Retreat in Tuscany
A Heart + Bones Yoga retreat moves at a human pace, structured enough to guide you, spacious enough to let you rest.
Mornings began gently, with tea, coffee, and light snacks set out for early risers who wanted to read or wander before practice. Each day opened with a 90-minute anatomy-informed class, accessible movement that adjusted to what people needed most.
After practice came a long brunch drawn entirely from Ebbio’s harvest. The meals carried the taste of the season: sun-warmed tomatoes, olive oil pressed on site, herbs clipped from the garden only hours before. Vegetarian, yes, and always abundant.
Afternoons were left open by design. Some guests explored nearby Siena or Florence; others stayed close, reading under vines or walking the olive trails. One afternoon a few of us joined local guides for an e-bike ride through the countryside, crossing the historic Via Francigena, an ancient path nestled between forests and farmlands.
As evening settled, a shorter class helped unwind the day, often shaped by requests and the collective energy of the group. Dinner followed outdoors, family-style beneath grapevines, glasses of local red within reach, conversation easy and unhurried. Two evenings brought a touch of celebration: one with live music, another gathered around a fire beneath a sky bright enough to make you look up and stay there awhile.
Farm-to-Table Meals at Our Tuscany Yoga Retreat
Ebbio’s kitchen is its heartbeat. Run by a family devoted to organic cultivation, every dish mirrored the same mindfulness as the yoga practice itself. Vegetables were picked from their gardens, olive oil pressed from the farm’s own trees, bread baked in the stone kitchen.
Eating together outdoors framed our days, communal and full of connection. The food carried the kind of richness that doesn’t need embellishment. What seemed simple on the plate was layered with attention, from the planting of seeds to the final handful of herbs scattered before serving.
At a Tuscany yoga retreat, nourishment comes not only from movement but from the ground itself. The flavours here remind you that care, when consistent, becomes its own luxury.
Book Our Next Retreat
If you’ve been dreaming of a yoga retreat in Italy, this is your invitation. Heart + Bones Yoga will be returning to Tuscany, and we’d love for you to join us. Every retreat is rooted in the same philosophy that guides our online studio: accessible, anatomy-informed, and sustainable practices that help you feel grounded, strong, and connected.
Heart + Bones Yoga in Tuscany: Movement for All
For Heart + Bones Yoga, this retreat reflected everything the online studio stands for, movement that’s accessible, sustainable, and deeply personal. Each class began with conversation, curiosity, and a sense of choice. Some days the focus was on the hips and legs, supporting those who’d spent the afternoon walking; other days leaned toward rest, with long holds and soft transitions.
It wasn’t about performance or perfect form. It was about awareness, how your body felt in that moment, what it needed, and how breath could shift everything.
Led by Brea Johnson, founder of Heart + Bones Yoga, the practices carried the same spirit as the online studio: anatomy-informed teaching grounded in kindness and inclusivity. The goal was never to push harder, but to listen more closely.
Hosting this retreat at Ebbio marked a return to in-person gatherings for Heart + Bones after several years away. The setting, balanced between seclusion and connection, reminded everyone why retreats matter. They offer something we rarely allow ourselves—time to breathe, to rest, and to remember that movement can feel good for its own sake.
Why Tuscany Is the Perfect Yoga Retreat Destination
Tuscany’s beauty isn’t limited to its landscapes; it’s in how the region makes you feel. There’s an ease here, between history and nature, movement and rest, that draws people back again and again. Walk through the olive grove and the crushed herbs release their scent into the air. Watch the sunlight shift across the stone walls as the day stretches out.
For anyone seeking a wellness retreat in Italy, Tuscany offers something rare: a place that doesn’t demand escape from daily life, but gently guides you back to it with more ease. Here, rest and inspiration coexist. Some days that means active exploration, others it’s simply lying under a blue sky listening to the countryside breathe.
Walking the Via Francigena
Just beyond Ebbio runs the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route connecting Canterbury to Rome. Many guests chose to walk a stretch of it, following the path through cypress and farmland. I walked it alone one afternoon during our free time, reading the plaques along the way and imagining the travellers who crossed these bridges centuries ago. It felt safe, quiet, and enchanting, an easy reminder of how deeply history lives in the Tuscan landscape.
That connection to the land is part of what makes a yoga retreat in Tuscany so powerful. It bridges past and present, body and place, effort and rest.
FAQs about Yoga Retreats in Tuscany
When is the best time to visit Tuscany for a yoga retreat?
Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) offer the most comfortable weather, warm days, cool evenings, and plenty of sunlight for outdoor practice.
Where is Ebbio located?
Ebbio is near the walled town of Monteriggioni, about 10 kilometres north of Siena and 45 kilometres from Florence, in the Tuscany region of Italy.
Is this retreat suitable for beginners?
Yes. Heart + Bones Yoga creates anatomy-informed, accessible classes for all levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace.
What kind of food is served at Ebbio?
Meals are vegetarian, organic, and made from produce grown directly on the farm, true farm-to-table dining every day.
