Trail Running and Yoga retreat Turkey October 2013

A fantastic week and thank you to all who came! I had been planning and preparing for this retreat for so long, that it was great to get under way! The first evening we spent getting to know a bit about each other’s backgrounds in yoga and trail running, and had a glance through the week’s provisional schedule.

To everyone’s agreement I cut down the week’s two longest runs, so that they were all 6-8 ish miles. We started with a run through a forest trail down to the Faraya Hotel’s sister site Yuva, and from there ran (plus some hiking involved in places!) along the coastal path to the beach of Kabak, and back again after a beach break. I think it’s safe to say that everyone was taken aback by the beauty of the scenery, and most took another walk down to Yuva’s beach the same afternoon. The food did not disappoint, with delicious local produce cooked by the adorable cooks. The yoga deck at the Faralya is the perfect place to practise, and luckily for us just as the sun was setting over the ocean.

The trail runs continued with a stunning 6 mile route along the Lycian Way to Olu Deniz, 8.5 miles through mountain forest to the ancient amphitheatre of Pinara, 8 miles through forest from the historical town of Kayakov and another enjoyable day out to Kabak. I loved teaching the yoga sessions each evening and watching everyone stretch out from their run (and sun lounging!).

Yoga complements running in such a way that it replenishes the muscles, aiding recovery and allowing you to feel fresh for your next run – only your yoga classes made it possible for me to fully enjoy all the runs. The combination of yoga, running, sea, location and accommodation make this the ideal retreat for anyone who loves yoga and the outdoors. Will I teach another retreat there in 6 months? Oh go on then!