Explore & Restore
Akureyri, Iceland
June 11th - 18th 2022
Explore & Restore in Iceland with Laurie and Meredith
Join Laurie LeCompte and Meredith Conroy for a one of a kind yoga retreat in Northern Iceland. Akureyri, Iceland offers a beautiful backdrop with exciting excursions! Participants will enjoy a daily yoga itinerary, as well as excursions that include a ferry ride to Hrisey Island, a walking tour of Akureyri, a scenic mountain hike, a visit to the GeoSea, a full day adventure to the geothermal region of Myvatn, and more! This is is the time of year where there’s sunshine all the time, so you will get to experience the midnight sun! Horseback riding and whale watching are also possible excursions! AND we might even get to see some puffins!
Here are the details:
Location
The picturesque city of Akureyri, lovingly nicknamed the “Capital of the North” is the second largest urban area in Iceland after Reykjavik. Built alongside the fjord, Akureyri offers a mild climate and one-of-a-kind picturesque landscape.
Flight Considerations
Book flights from your hometown to Reykjavik KEFLAVIK (KEF) International airport
Direct flight approximately 7 hours
Book your inland flights to and from Reykjavik Domestic airport (a different airport) to Akureyri
45 minute flight
Cost approximately $115
Lodging
Pearl of the North Apartments
The shared apartments are some of the nicest in Akureyri and feature modern design, central temperature control, comfortable beds with down comforters, full kitchens and common living areas. The natural, pristine drinking water is straight from the tap and the piping hot water for the showers and Jacuzzi’s is tapped from below, heated by the Earth itself. The apartments are a 10-12 minute walk to the town center.
Hotel KEA
Hotel KEA is located in the heart of Akureyri next to the iconic church of Akureyri with a view over the fjord. The hotel is walking distance from the town central with shops, cafes, restaurants and more, but it’s a little farther from the retreat center.
PRICES
includes:
transfer from Akureyri airport
transfers to apartments, yoga classes, and excursions
lodging
all yoga
meals starting with dinner on first night, all breakfasts and lunches, and 5 dinners (2 open dinners in Akureyri)
ferry ride and tour/hike to Hrisey Island
Myvatn full day excursion with spa entrance fee
Akureyri tour with local waterfall excursion
Midnight Sun outing
Double Occupancy in 3 bedroom Pearl of the North Apartment with shared bath, kitchen, living space and use of Jacuzzi — $3,450 per person
Single Occupancy in 3 bedroom Pearl of the North Apartment with shared bath, kitchen, living space and use of Jacuzzi — $3,720-$3,860 per person
Double Occupancy in 2 bedroom Pearl of the North Apartment with 2 baths, kitchen, shared living space and use of Jacuzzi —$3,600 per person — SOLD OUT
Double Occupancy in Hotel KEA — $4,320 per person
Single Occupancy in Hotel KEA — $5,190 per person
A $500 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot in the retreat. The deposit will be applied to the total cost of the retreat. Rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. There is a place in the deposit submission where you can specify which room you would like.
Payment schedule:
$1000 payment due by December 15th 2021.
$1000 payment due by February 15th 2022.
Balance due by April 15th 2022.
Any person reserving a spot after December 15th 2021 will be contacted within 24 hours to be caught up on the payment schedule
Knarrarberg Yoga & Wellness Center
Transportation from the hotel and apartments will be provided each morning at 8:45am to the Yoga Center, classes are from 9:15 – 11:15am.
Across the fjord you will find a historic landmark marked by a large stone and anchor marks the place where, according to Icelandic folklore, the Vikings originally landed in Iceland. On this beautiful property now lies Knarrarberg, the newly built wellness center where we will have our daily yoga classes.
The center has a large yoga room, massage rooms and therapists, a meditation/relaxation hall, male/female showers, changing rooms, a large dry sauna and an outdoor geothermic jacuzzi. The yoga space is fully stocked with mats, blocks, straps and blankets.
The wellness center overlooks the fjord and mountains and on summer evenings, you can enjoy the midnight sun.
Meals
Our first group meeting is dinner on the arrival Saturday at 6pm located at Kaffi Ilmur
Kaffi Ilmur is a centrally located restaurant operated by locals. Everyone can walk easily from their apartments and hotel to the town center to meet, then it’s a straight walk up to the left to the café.
Breakfasts are provided at the hotels and at the apartments. Apartments will be stocked with a variety of items including coffee and teas, hot and cold cereals, dairy and non-dairy milk, juice, bread, eggs, cheese, fruits and nuts, etc.
Lunches are provided at a local cafe or at the wellness center.
Group dinners are included-- minus 2 nights in Akureyri.
Typically there is one soup (vegetarian and normally dairy free), fresh breads, salad bar and 1 or 2 entrees. If you cannot eat something on the entree section, please ask the chef and she will offer you something. We will let them know in advance of those who are vegetarian and vegan, gluten and dairy free.
Daily Schedule*
Saturday, June 11th
Arrivals in Akureyri, transfers to apartments
6:00pm – Group Dinner at Kaffi Ilmur
Post-dinner – Rest, star-gazing, jacuzzi time
Sunday, June 12th – Friday, June17th
Breakfast in apartments/hotel
8:45am – Pick up and transport to yoga
9:15 – 11:15am – Yoga
11:30am – Depart for lunch
11:45 – 12:45pm – Lunch
1:30 – 5pm – Group activity/Excursions
6:00pm – Group Dinner
Saturday, June 18th
Breakfast in apartments/hotel
Time TBD – pick up and transfers for morning flight from Akureyri to Reykjavik
*Tuesday and Thursday night there is no group dinner, dinner to be arranged by each individual
General Information
The apartments and hotel are on the “town” side of the fjord in Akureyri (all within a few blocks of each other).
The Wellness Center was built just on the other side of the fjord with quiet and amazing views.
Each morning, vehicles stop by each lodging and pick people up for the 5-8 minute drive across the fjord for class. There's a lounge, hot teas, bathrooms, changing rooms and everything else you need there.
After class, everyone is taken back to town for lunch (offered in a local café buffet style in a private space). The cafe is also close to all the lodgings.
Packing
You will need standard European 2-prong plug converters.
Hotels and apartments have hairdryers, towels, etc. Apartments have simple paraben and perfume-free soap (which can also be used as shampoo) plus laundry machines and laundry powder. *ladies, I recommend bringing hair conditioner*
Bring warm layered clothes - light thermal underlayer, middle layer and water and windproof outer layer. Bring warm hats, gloves, and neck protection.
There ARE shops in Akureyri and you’ll likely buy some lovely accessories, but if you need to buy pants or coats, the prices are much higher than in the US.
Meet the Teachers
MEREDITH CONROY
Meredith still remembers her first time in a hot yoga studio and it was love at first sweat! Although she found yoga later in life, her background as a gymnast and University of Florida cheerleader prepared her for the physical challenges of hot yoga. Early into her time in the hot room Meredith knew she had found her passion and was quickly discovering her desire to teach and share with students the amazing benefits of hot yoga.
Those thoughts quickly turned to action as she took a leave of absence from her corporate job to travel to Brazil for a five-week intensive training in the Moksha Yoga practice. Upon her return to Kentucky she began teaching part-time developing her skills until she exited the nine-to-five world to do the work she truly loved – teaching yoga!
Meredith earned a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville and this aspect of her background influences her teaching style and how she leads class. She knows that many students begin hot yoga for the physical results and stress relief, but a good class provides the opportunity to go deeper. Her goal is to support students who are ready and willing to shift out of an everyday state of mind and into one that enables internal exploration, learning and growth.
Her teaching style is relaxed and joyful and her goal is to tailor each class to the individual and ensure every student leaves her class feeling better than they did when they came! Meredith’s clients have ranged from students with no yoga, or even much exercise experience, to professional athletes. Her philosophy is that yoga should be accessible to all levels of ability, from beginners to advanced practitioners and it is her intention to meet all students’ levels of ability in each and every class.
Meredith is a partner at Bend and Zen Hot Yoga.
Laurie LeCompte
Laurie has been teaching or coaching since she was a teenager. She has always been attracted to athletic activities and relished the community that came with being part of a team. Laurie volunteered as a rowing coach and later became an assistant cross country coach. She began to notice that she needed to pay attention to other areas of her wellness and engage in an activity that provided more varied joint movements, caused less repetitive stress, and offered a space for stillness. She took her first group yoga class and quickly realized that yoga was the missing piece she had been seeking. A space to connect with others as well as herself.
After falling in love with the yoga practice and practicing for several years, Laurie completed her 200 hour training in Ashtanga Vinyasa at Infinite Yoga in San Diego, California. Laurie also completed 300 hours in advanced yoga studies at the Asheville Yoga Center. She has specialized training in pre- and post-natal yoga, restorative yoga, yoga for seniors, and therapeutic elements of yoga.
Laurie’s love of teaching and sharing yoga with her students inspired her to create Yoga Baum in 2016. Laurie has BAs in both mathematics and German and a MA in German Studies. She has taught both subjects at the college level. Laurie taught German for 10 years before opening the studio space for Yoga Baum and brings her in-depth knowledge of yoga as well as her extensive experience as a teacher to her students. Her expertise in working with students in a variety of settings provides an invaluable insight into the learner’s mind.
Laurie LeCompte is the owner and founder of Yoga Baum.
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