Datu Wellness - Italy
TUSCANY, ITALY
A restorative, holistic retreat offering a gentle introduction to ayurveda in the dreamy Tuscan hills
For those wanting to delve deeper into ayurveda but daunted by a long-haul journey east, Datu Wellness is the answer; carefully curated one-week ayurvedic programmes during the spring and autumn in Italy. Datu’s dual USP is its convenience-factor and authenticity. For time-poor Westerners, founder Constantin Bjerke has handpicked doctors and practitioners from across India and Italy and brought them together in a magical, medieval hilltop hotel. Datu is an ayurvedic taster – with cultural and creative activities welcome added extras.
our Reviewer lucy gillmore says:
‘Datu was so much more than an ayurvedic retreat. Each day was topped and tailed with light sadhana and the sleep ritual, but in between there was a changing programme of meditation, chanting, sun salutations by the pool and breathwork, interspersed with spa treatments’
Queen of Retreats says:
‘The sound therapy session, wrapped in blankets beneath the trees, is magical and moving. Don’t miss the optional guided hike through the ancient olive groves and woodland of the estate; a mix of mindful walking, forest bathing and – in season – fungi foraging. Pack warm socks and thermals to wear under the beautifully designed cotton Kurta pyjamas, worn at group sessions and meals, which you’ll find in your wardrobe alongside a poncho, scarf and robe’
Experiences
From sadhana to asana, each day features a full programme of therapeutic activities; sun salutations by the pool, yoga nidra and pranayama in the elegant Piano Room, and Om chanting in the candlelit cave.
Experience less well-known practices, like raag therapy and meditation such as Gom, Tratak and Shamatha. Curl up in front of the huge, open fireplace in the library for evening satsangs, inspirational talks on the history and practice of ayurveda, and yoga.
Learn more about ayurvedic cuisine with a cookery lesson; take home recipes for Kichdi, calming herbal teas and night-time golden milk.
Other holistic activities include Human Design with Therese Augsburger, or art therapy, dance and improv comedy with expert practitioners.
Your stay can be topped and tailed with tours of Siena and Florence.
Spaces
Borgo Laticastelli is a 12th century former hamlet restored into a countryside hotel. The tree-shaded, verdant garden is a tranquil spot, scattered with a fountain, and chairs and benches for quiet contemplation. Here you’ll find the small Limonaia spa, a rustic-chic space with a clutch of charming treatment rooms.
The picture-perfect pool has bucolic views over the surrounding hills, while from the restaurant’s pretty terrace you can also gaze out across poplar-fringed slopes.
Yoga and meditation are held in the light, airy first floor Piano Room with its soaring beamed ceilings and windows framed by shimmering white drapes.
The satsangs and art therapy sessions take place in the cosy library or ‘Fire Place’; meditation and Om chanting in a candlelit cave.
There are 33 rooms and suites scattered throughout the borgo’s cluster of honey-hued medieval buildings, all decked out in traditional Tuscan décor with terracotta-tiled floors, high ceilings and antique furniture; some with dreamy hilltop views. Bathrooms are stocked with delicious ayurvedic products by MA Earth Botanicals, which are 100 per cent natural.
Sustenance
The food is prepared on the sattvic principles of ayurveda but with earthy Tuscan produce, freshly cooked with love by chef Asia Kostka, using local, seasonal ingredients. Michelin star chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen pays regular visits to share expertise.
Breakfast, after light sadhana, is seed-sprinkled porridge or mung bean pancakes with coconut and cilantro chutney.
The main meal is at lunchtime, as the digestive fire is at its strongest between 10am and 2pm. Two-course lunches feature dishes such as mung bean hummus with vegetable biryani followed by coconut cake. Supper is light, a choice of two hearty soups – with refills for those who want seconds.
Afternoon tea is served each day with homemade snacks – no refined sugar - such as moreish sticky date and coconut balls and satsumas, washed down with unending pots of delicious freshly made herbal tisanes.
At night a flask of hot ‘golden milk’ is left beside the bed to aid sleep; almond milk warmed in a pan with herbs and spices including ginger, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon and chamomile flowers. There is no caffeine or alcohol served - guests are encouraged to abstain.
