Hambledon to offer seasonal ‘yoga in the vineyard’ retreats

English winery Hambledon has announced that it is offering a programme of seasonal yoga retreats designed to mirror the growth cycle of grapevines.

Image: www.vickiewilliamsyoga.com

The Hampshire based vineyard has teamed up with yoga instructor Vickie Williams to launch a series of yoga retreats, each taking place in a different season.

Williams trialled the project last autumn with the aid of her friend, wine education manager at Hambledon, Katrina Smith.

Writing on her blog, Williams said: “We delved deep into how changing seasons apply to us more than we think, and what it really means to ‘Ground with Momma Earth’”.

During the autumn retreat, guests meditated on three things that they had completed over the summer as a nod to the upcoming harvest. They also took part in a ‘releasing leaf meditation’ when they asked themselves what they were ready to let go of, symbolising the period when the vines are cut back and lie dormant, rebuilding their energy reserves.

Smith and Williams said that they “felt there was good synergy between winemaking and yoga as both disciplines are about connecting and working in tandem with mother nature”.

The retreats, priced at £85 a head, also include a tour of the vineyards, lunch and a tasting of Hambledon’s sparkling wines.

In addition to the yoga retreats, Hambledon has also expanded its wine education courses for 2018.

The winery is offering both WSET Level 1, which is completed in a day, and Level 2 which can be completed either over an intensive long weekend or as nine weekly evening classes.

Wine education manager Katrina Smith added: “All our courses offer a truly immersive experience with a tour of the vineyard, winery and cellar and a tasting of Hambledon’s award-winning wines. For those wanting to go beyond the book, there’s nothing to beat learning at a working wine estate. For example, if someone is struggling to understand an element of viticulture or winemaking, we can just wander out into the vineyards or into the winery – bringing the whole production process to life there and then”.

For a full list of prices and dates, please visit Hambledon’s web site.