Simple Joys of the Week, October 16th Edition

Today is our last full day in Italy! This week has been incredible and I'm totally in love with the experience, but like all good yoga retreats, it must [sadly] come to an end...

Because I want to be *as present as possible* and soak up our last free morning here (I'm heading to the sauna + then getting an aromatherapy massage...woohoo!), today's SJOTW will be short + sweet. 

What brought you joy this week? Here are some of my favorite simple, sensory pleasures from my week in Italy...

HEAR: Church bells ringing
As you probably saw in the pics I posted on Wednesday, the place where we're staying here in Tuscany is pretty idyllic. We're nestled among the quiet hills of the countryside outside of Lucca, and other than dogs barking and bird chirping, the main sounds we've been hearing are the church bells ringing to toll the time every hour. They're simply beautiful and I've found them to be a great reminder to check-in and be aware of the present moment.  

SEE: Cinque Terre
We went to Cinque Terre yesterday and I have to say, it might be one of my favorite places I've ever been--it's so picturesque I can't stand it! Now I want to come back and just spend a couple of days exploring the town, hiking, and basking on the beaches. It was SUCH a fun day.

TASTE: Gelato
Need I say more? The gelato alone is reason enough to come to Italy...

SMELL: Vino
A yoga retreat where you get a 1/2 bottle of local wine with your dinner each night? And where you go on a wine tasting at a local vineyard in the afternoon? And where you enjoy a glass of wine at lunch, just because you can? Yes, please! This trip has TRULY been all about indulging in sensory pleasures and the wine here has been a big part of that. But just to be clear: my wine consumption has all happened AFTER teaching or leading a creativity session, when I'm totally done for the day ;)

TOUCH: Art supplies
As usual, we've had a wonderfully creative group with us this week and it's been fabulous watching them explore art journaling and mixed media during our creativity sessions. I've loved working alongside our retreaters and playing with all of the art supplies that we hauled here with us--such a great way to let go and get lost in the process! 

Hope you've had an amazing week, too, and that you find some time to reflect on it today. I'll be back to my regularly-scheduled programming next week!

{PS. Want to join me on a yoga retreat? You can read about the next two that I have scheduled for 2016 HERE.}