Mindfulness walking and hiking retreats
“Anita unites the creative spontaneity of an artist, the ethics of a true spiritual practitioner, and the attention to detail and nuance of a professional guide in her work leading retreats. Each person on the retreat felt cared for, listened to, and included, and each turn of the trail unveiled in surprising and revelatory ways the beauty of a natural world infused with thousands of years of Italian culture and history. We all would do well to follow her way—one mindful step at a time—of generating understanding and compassion through immersion in nature and its wonders.”
A walking retreat is a time to connect deeply to oneself and to the energy of nature. It's a time to slow down, to feel wonder and gratitude, to detox and nourish ourselves.
How? We train to bring back our mind to the present moment. Every time we bring our attention to our breath, to our steps and our body, we are nurturing the energy of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the capacity to be with what is inside of us and around us.
The daily schedule follows the rhythm of a meditation retreat. We begin with sitting meditation and Chi gong/ body mindfulness exercises. We practice eating meditation to fully enjoy our breakfast. Instructions are given to practice mindfulness while walking along with exercises to amplify our perception. We walk in silence in touch with the earth so that each step becomes a seal of attention to the Earth.
These retreats are the fruit of Anita's practice in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh whom she met in 1993 for the first time. In 2005 she organized together with two nuns from the monastic community of Plum Village the first hiking retreat in the Dolomites (Italian Alps). Offering a mindfulness retreat in a powerful natural context, where the woods are the meditation hall and the rhythm of the mountain becomes our rhythm, is a meaningful return to the past. The Buddha, like St. Francis, loved to walk with his disciples on his bare feet.
Since 2014 Anita has offered (together with sister Tue Nghiem and Kaira Jewel Lingo) retreats in various parts of Italy: Casentino, Island of Elba, Dolomites, Val d’Orcia, Salento….
“Whether walking on the via Francigena, the medieval pilgrimage route that leads to Rome, or on the volcanic Island of Pantelleria, I discover again and again the pleasure of traveling in across the region on my own feet. In the last six years the fertile seed of hiking retreats has grown within me joining the threads of my life. Today I offer my experience and enthusiasm, bringing greater awareness of nature and a sense of togetherness in concentration and joy.”
2024 appointments
Please contact us for detailed information and private retreats.
English and italian languages available at all times.
Other destinations:
Walking with the Time of the Earth, Maremma, Tuscany
From Sorano to the sea
Climbing up the mountain, Being the Mountain; Dolomites
Salire la Montagna, Essere la Montagna: le Dolomiti d’Ampezzo
Walking retreat on the Island of Pantelleria
Camminarsi - percorsi sull’isola di Pantelleria
Happy Feet
Feet are at the center of our attention in these walks. We want to rediscover the intelligence of that which Leonardo da Vinci defined as “a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art”. With new awareness of their potential we shall let our feet guide us and narrate what they “see”. Each step full of presence brings us back home to the Earth.
