As a writer I am always excited by the discovery of a new word. When I happened upon the term ecosomatics, I felt an immediate affinity with the concept of the indivisible connection between the earth and environment and the lived experience of the body. A I know how profoundly my connection with the earth and all living beings has been heightened through having the great privilege of caretaking 30 acres of land for over two decades and spending thousands of hours planting native trees, shrubs and grasses to restore animal habitat. In living so closely with nature, there is a renewal of primal sensitivity to sounds, sights, smells, textures and sensations and a realization of the deep interconnectedness that links each incoming breath with the outgoing breath of the world.

This is one of the reasons it has become so important to me when looking for retreat centers to purposefully seek out partnerships with organizations that prioritize rewilding, sustainable agriculture, and cultivation of local communities. This strongly influenced my decision to work with OneYogaGlobal and offer retreats in the Alladale reserve in the Scottish Highlands where over a million trees have been planted, damaged peatlands repaired and native species reintroduced. This is also what captivated my attention when Sara Bigatti and Elena Polato approached me with the idea to lead a gathering at Bio28 in Northern Italy. It’s rare to come across an organization both committed to sustainable agriculture and to the support of the arts.

Traveling to attend an event at such places offers opportunities to learn so much more than what is on offer during our yoga sessions.  We have opportunities to learn about the connections between botanical challenges (such as keeping pests out of the greenhouse), and the culinary adventure of using ingredients in creative ways to move towards zero-waste cooking.   If ecosomatics is to become truly relevant, it must extend into our choices about what we buy, what we eat and how we live.   And how we take this beautiful practice of yoga into the world.  That is why the title of this intensive is Yoga From the Core: Structural Balance for Enriched Living, because I want our time on the yoga mat to have direct application into our ability to live more fully, more deeply, and more sustainably.

At Bio 28 in Northern Italy, daily life moves in rhythm with the land — a perfect setting for exploring the essence of ecosomatics: the living relationship between body, breath, and earth.

This retreat is an invitation to slow down, to listen, and to experience how practice and place can restore balance within and around us.

If this speaks to you, I invite you to join me in Northern Italy — to rest, to move with awareness, and to rediscover the quiet harmony that sustains all life.

Namaste,

Donna

P.S. Click to see a full list of events in 2026.