Sky Ting Sicily Yoga Retreat at Salinara

A yoga retreat in Sicily sounds a little bit extra, I’ll admit. However, after checking in with my body after a year of opening 7 restaurants, attending two weeks of SXSW events from morning to night, and planning client partnership community events, I thought, “Well, maybe this is what I need right now? I could disconnect my head from my body and go to a beautiful place where I won’t have to plan my daily activities, or meals, and won’t know anyone that will ask me about my job or restaurant recommendations.” That is so unlike me, though!!

I looked up my favorite yoga studio in NYC, Sky Ting, which specializes in Katonah yoga and saw there was one over July 4th weekend, so why not go? What else am I going to do before my August projects start? I mean, if I stay home I might find more work, so I’m just going to ship myself across the world so I can be in my body with forced rest and beauty. I convinced my good friend Madeline to join me, and we booked the trip a month out, where we started with three days in Paris (much cheaper to fly there than Rome in the summer), then did one week at the retreat, which was on the west side of the island in Marsala at a cute villa owned by a couple who also provided all of our meals called Salinara, and then ended with two days in Rome on the backend. I wrote on the plane that my intention was to get out of my mind and into my body and not think about whether I would be discovering something new about myself or working toward something else for my future. I just wanted TO BE. 

THE YOGA

What is Katonah yoga? It was created by an Egyptian woman named Nevine who lives in Katonah, New York and has created a movement similar to hatha and kundalini that is so relaxing and healing to the body, along with purposeful breath work unlike the intense American-style Core Power yoga or vinyasa up and downs we have here. “The language of Katonah is metaphor and analogy; identifying the body as the abode, exploring the body as one’s instrument, the mind as the musician and the breath as the melody. The power of analogy allows the individual to use life experiences to define the personal and understand the collective.”  

I think it’s hard to describe, but the reason I take these Sky Ting classes every time I’m in New York is that I leave feeling like my body is actually levitated, my hip flexors are looser, my body is lighter, I did a pose or a movement I had never heard of before, and I feel readjusted inside. Imagine doing this practice for a whole week in Sicily TWICE a day with two of the best teachers out there! Josie Schweitzer, Denver-based, and Beth Cooke, NYC-based, complemented each other so well with Josie’s fiery personality and athletic approach (she has a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu!!) and her mantras and quotes that inspire you to keep going, mixed with Beth’s playful dance moves, rinsing out the body in waterfall and triangle poses, and softness. They are cut from the same cloth with similar breath work modules at the beginning and end of class, phrases that teach you about your body, such as ringing out the kidneys with specific twists, inhaling effort and exhaling grace, imagining what you want your life to look like and encouraging you to go get it. It’s all inspiring, and you can’t help but be fully present at all times to see and learn what is next!!

THE ACCOMMODATIONS

Salinara is located in Marsala, just over an hour away from the Palermo airport and about 15 minutes from Trapani airport. They have hosted retreats at this 18th century farmhouse for the last 20 years from a husband-and-wife and chef team that comes everyday to provide a family-style breakfast with fresh melons, bananas, peaches, apples, yogurt, granola, eggs, frittata, meats, honey, jam, and bread. There were about 20 of us, mostly strangers and including two mom-and-daughter pairings, and then Madeline and I were really the only other ones that knew each other so we were a group of strangers from California, Wyoming, Denver, NYC, Philly, Canada, Phoenix, etc! All of the rooms had a private garden terrace, natural lime-washed walls, handmade tile floors, lemon trees, and bougainvilleas overflowing our door entrance. It felt like a little Italian castle in some of the rooms that had bright natural light. We had a loft, so nightly, I’d be downstairs in bed yelling up to Madeline as we recapped the day, talking about the people we loved, nosying over on Instagram to see what was happening back in Austin, acting as detectives, and giggling ourselves to sleep. Salinara is tranquil, and built a yoga shala in the grass with light curtains where we practiced each day.

THE PLAY

I think my absolute favorite memory was jumping on the bikes after dinner one night to sprint down the street to the ocean dock where locals like to lay out to try and catch the sunset. It felt like 10 of us were in the movie Now & Then with music blaring, chattering, us trying to all ride right next to each other and stare down the sun while taking selfies. Then, all of a sudden, we had a man go down, although she jumped up with style and grace, and we made it to the dock watching the beautiful serene ocean hit shore while the sun calmly went down in the distance. This night reminded me of camp being with a bunch of girls from all over that I don’t see regularly as we did yoga, ate a fun dinner, and had an after-dinner activity with dancing and singing — all basic needs that are so underrated and truly the most fun part of life.

I love moving my body, so much so that another day, Madeline, Anne, and I took the challenge to bike to a further beach along the bike route that ended up being about 45 min with hills, through dirt roads, and alongside wineries. I felt like it would never end, but I secretly loved every minute of it but not the beach covered in jellyfish, so we audibled and biked next door to Spiagga San Teodoro, my favorite beach from the first day, which felt cold like Barton Springs and had such little movement you could just float and bask in the sun. We ended up eating at the restaurant on the beach, which was, of course, family-owned and you could see each member and really see how the European cultures are so simple. I mean, we only saw one other table eating in there and then hopped on our bikes back and 20 min later, the mom was driving by us honking and waving! The Shrimp Pistachio Spaghetti was probably my favorite pasta I had the whole time in Italy at this random spot! I also am not a pasta craver or lover, but still. 

On our last day, they rented two little speed boats for us, and we zoomed off faster than I’ve definitely ever used on Lake Austin. I guess I did say I wanted to disconnect my head from my body, and this definitely sealed the deal. The turquoise water was a hue I’ve never seen in any crayon box or painting. I just couldn’t stop staring, and once we got in, I never wanted to leave! We ended our retreat with a nice dinner at the house with homemade pesto ravioli, cod fish, and gelato with olive oil. Oh, I forgot to mention that I’m pretty sure each gal ate their own whole bottle of olive oil the whole week, because it was truly fantastic on everything! We had a lot of eggplant and tomatoes, which I love, and I just wish we had more seafood dinners, but also I wasn’t there to eat. Haha! We said goodbye after a raging dance party circle, which again, reminded me of camp and why I love the summer time so much. I’m so grateful I sent myself on this journey to be my kid-like self again. Swimming, biking, sports, and the summer heat always make me nostalgic and take me back each year when we hit June.

MY REAPINGS 

Well, I did exactly what I said I’d do. I have never felt stronger in my body. I don’t know if I had some body dysmorphia or high, but when I looked at some of our photos from the beach, my arms looked like big guns! WOW, did I buff myself up in just one week of double yoga classes more than I do at home with weights and mile swims? OR, did I just see myself in a brighter more relaxed light without a worry in sight? I noticed a shift in my own expectations and reactions that week. 

When I ordered this mouth-watering ahi tuna sandwich that was stuffed with stracciatella and pesto on the island we docked at, I thought I was about to hook a winner! However, the flavor combination, while so perfect for Italy and the terrain, was NOT my style. Why? Because I like my tuna with Asian flavors, like ginger and soy. However, at this moment, I accepted this sandwich for what it was and where I was. What I’m getting at here is that instead of being disappointed by my lunch (as if), I saw the moment as an experience to enjoy and witness how someone else’s culture is doing this and what the flavors resembled. I didn’t think of it as a wasted meal, but as a point in life to be aware of what others are doing differently and just see it and learn about it. It’s good to try other things so you can understand people, and just confirm what you know you like! I can now talk about this interesting sandwich combo when I’m in a future conversation and think of it as a turning point for me in wanting things to always go a certain way. I enjoyed my day much more seeing it for what it was instead of what I didn’t get.

I also realized that I didn’t get to know all 20 girls as deeply as I normally would in a situation like this. While I am a social butterfly and can be everyone’s best friend, I decided to sit back and “be,” just like I intended, instead of fluttering around everyone and checking in on each person trying to learn their life story. I had so much fun getting to be with Madeline for our first travel adventure and the other girls who I huddled around meal time with. I felt a little guilty leaving when I saw I didn’t go so far with a couple gals, and then realized how proud I am that I took care of myself and did what I purposely went there to do. My mom always says you can’t do everything, but I think I can 😊