Umbria, Italy: Spring Retreat 2026 | 2nd Session

8 days and 7 nights at an all-inclusive retreat on an 11th century medieval estate. Sleep in a real castle, enjoy farm-to-table meals grown on the property, and join multiple Qigong sessions daily. April 25 - May 2, 2026.

Qigong, Cuisine, & Community

Stay in an authentic castle on an 11th century medieval estate. Surrounded by lush hills and valleys, with several kilometers of the historic Tiber river flowing through it, this estate grows it's own food, produces its own honey and extra virgin olive oil, and even sniffs out its own truffles.

  • Includes 8 days and 7 nights at Le Torri Di Bagnara

  • Includes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner daily, sourced from ingredients grown on property and local farms in surrounding Umbria

  • Two to three deep Qigong & Meditation sessions daily to revitalize mind, body, and spirit

  • Detailed lessons in specific Qigong & Tai Chi forms and theories

  • Optional organized excursions for additional cost, including wine tasting, historic tours, hot air balloons, and truffle hunting.

  • 1500 acre estate includes salt water pool, 6 medieval castles, the Tiber River, and 4 lakes

  • The property produces its own honey, extra virgin olive oil, and pasta

Learn, Practice, and Breathe

Deepen familiar routines, learn new dynamic sets

Learn new skills, while deepening your foundations. Sets taught will include Animal Frolics, a Daoist Wudang style 8-move Tai Chi set, and Huo Gu Nourishing Qigong. Also master Jing Gong (internal Qigong - usually done seated) such as Crane, Turtle, and Deer breathing, and other skills for inner transformation. Daily practice will include at least two deep Qigong, Tai Chi, and Meditation sessions, typically lasting between 1.5 and 2 hours, in the morning and afternoon. In the evenings, an optional shorter, simpler session will be taught, to help with deep sleep and healing.

Experience Italy with All your Senses

Where culture, nature, and history meet

Go truffle hunting, take a cooking class, book a spa treatment, swim in the salt water pool, go for a hike, or explore 3 millennium old castle ruins right on the estate. Or head off campus for organized activities like horseback riding through local vineyards, wine tasting, hot air balloon rides over the countryside, or pottery making classes. Some activities may require an additional fee.

Farm to Table Cuisine

Healthy, Delicious, Local Meals

The estate cultivates honeybees, truffles, olives, legumes, fruits, veggies, traditional spelt, beef, and a special low gluten form of ancient wheat which it uses for homemade pastas. All other ingredients are sources from local farms in the surrounding region of Umbria. On-site chefs provide an unforgettable dining experience, with options for omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free menus.

Beautiful Atmosphere

Lifelong Friendships

Enjoy your stay in one of the two functional castles on property, each first built in the 11th century. Get a private room for one or two people, or a shared room with another same sex guest. Make friends with your castle-mates over meals, during breaks, on excursions, or over games in the evening. After eight days of heart-elevating activities and immersion in nature, our retreat guests always leave having forged lasting friendships. Many even meet up after retreats are over!

Pricing/Rooming options

Final payment is due March 1, 2026. Final payment is the full payment shown here minus the deposit. Our retreats typically sell out in less than a week, so act quickly to secure your spot.

"L'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle"

"The love that moves the sun and stars" Dante's Divine Comedy

FAQ

  • How do I get to the retreat center?

    The center tells us that most people fly into Rome Fiumicino airport, which has more available flights but is 2.5 hours drive away. You can alternatively fly in to Umbria-San Francesco international airport, which has flights from many European cities, including London-Heathrow, and is only 20 minutes drive form the center. Rome might be a good place to fly into, of course, if you wish to do some exploring before or after the retreat.

  • Is it expensive to fly to Italy?

    Not wildly. Spring is a popular time for tourism, but even still, flights we are looking at from the US range from $300 to $800 roundtrip, depending where you are flying from. Purchasing sooner than later is probably ideal to keep costs down. Using our deposit payment option can help you budget for this. There is a shuttle service offered by the estate, at an additional cost, that we can organize for those who don't wish to take taxis.

  • Do you give refunds?

    No, unfortunately we aren't able to offer refunds. However, we can provide you a credit towards a future retreat if we are able to replace your spot with another guest. If you need to back out of a retreat, giving us as much advanced notice as possible will help us to do that.

  • Is the Qigong beginner friendly?

    Nick teaches All-Levels classes at his retreats. His goal is always to provide accessible variations on exercises, and create a tempo of learning that allows everyone to progress at their own rate. Total beginners to intermediate Qigong students, and even some advanced practitioners, will find themselves at their Zone of Proximal Development.

Instructor

Nick will be your guide through this transformative experience

Nick is a Qigong teacher and wellness educator whose journey began in the forests near Toronto, where a love for nature and movement sparked a lifelong pursuit of healing. After overcoming early struggles with mental health and chronic illness through meditation, yoga, nutrition, and traditional Chinese medicine, Nick trained extensively with master teachers such as Lee Holden, Robert Peng, David Verdesi, and Ken Cohen. He has since taught Qigong to thousands across the world — from tech retreats and mental health centers to global online audiences — offering practical tools for energy, resilience, and transformation. Now based in Boise, Idaho with his wife and daughter, Nick continues to share the power of embodied practice through retreats, online courses, and his growing community of certified instructors.

Nick Loffree

Head Instructor