hOMe
The Inner Peace Sanctuary was born out of Love.Love for Silence. Love for Nature. Love for Deep Rest and Connection. Love for Peace and Home.
A space for meditation, contemplation, yoga and conscious harmonious living, the Sanctuary accommodates personal retreats, dark retreats, workshops and yoga teacher trainings, as well as meditation retreats for up to 10 guests.
This over 200-year old intimate haven is nestled on its own ten hectares of chestnut forest on a hill top with expansive views all the way to Corsica.
As you arrive, you enter a different world, a world of peace and quiet where you are welcomed by the forest dwellers: deer, foxes, porcupines and elfs.
The Sanctuary is located in one of the hidden off-the-beaten-track parts of Tuscany called ‘The Switzerland of Pescia’ in the foothills of the gorgeous and abundant Apennine mountains.
The meals we serve are wholesome and delicious Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern fusion cuisine, crafted with organic locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. Most dairy products we use are artisanal and from nearby small farms, ensuring the respectful and loving attitude towards animals and the production process.
The Space
Welcome to the Fairy Forest!
You will be surrounded by lawns, gardens and hours worth of forest trails.
The Sanctuary is an over 200-year old traditional stone-built Tuscan country house and has four rooms available for guests:
• 6-bed spacious dorm
• 1 single room
• 1 twin/double room
• 1 triple room
The ground floor features a spacious dining room adjacent to a cosy lounge space with a double-sided fireplace between them as well as the Sanctuary’s kitchen, a wood-fired sauna and a jacuzzi tub.
Home & Hearth
Upstairs, apart from the rooms there is a reading corner and a large balcony terrace with sweeping views of the valley and the sea beyond with Corsica in the distance.
Additionally there are several bell tents in the garden, offering a glamping experience with affordable privacy, a spacious geodesic dome (below) for yoga practice and a dark room retreat designed for advanced solo practice.
Nestled in its own ten hectares of chestnut forest the Sanctuary harbors numerous fruit trees and berry groves with our main practice space on a clearing between the shady trees.
Parking is available for those arriving with their own wheels.
Check out the GALLERY for more pictures.
Events
The Love · Evolve · Awaken Bhakti Immersions
16 – 19 July 2021 (Bhakti Weekend Reunion for graduates)
31 August – 5 September 2021 (Full Bhakti Immersion)
Imagine a Magical Time in a Tuscan Fairy Forest filled with Devotional Chanting & Satsang, Ceremonial Cacao, Bhakti Hatha Yoga, Nurturing Meals & Wonderful Human Beings.
It’s not for everyone, but for those into Bhakti it’s pure Bliss!
Find all the details at LOVEEVOLVEAWAKEN.COM
Love · Evolve · Awaken™
RYT-200 Tantrik Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Programs
1 June – 4 July 2021 – with 4-day Silent Meditation Retreat
17 August – 19 Sept 2021 – with 4-day Bhakti Module
From EUR 2999 including 32 nights of accommodation, delicious vegetarian meals, Tantra intro workshop, weekly sauna nights and weekend trips into Tuscan towns & surroundings. Rates going up 6, 4, 2 and 1 month in advance.
One of the longest, highest-quality RYT-200’s in the world with 250h total. Go deep and get empowered for success in your new life as an inspiring yoga instructor.
Find all the details at LoveEvolveAwaken.com
Silence in the Forest: 4-day Autumn Harvest Meditation Retreat
29 July – 3 August 2021 (4-day retreat)
1 – 10 October 2021 (8-day retreat)
Dive deeply into the Spiritual Heart with us for four mystical days of meditation, slow Hatha Yoga, inspiring discourses, beautiful Sufi poetry and lots of Silence during the most beautiful time of the year.
Find all the details at LOVEEVOLVEAWAKEN.COM
Personal & Dark Retreats
The Inner Peace Sanctuary is occasionally available for personal retreats with a minimum of three days.
Personal retreats are for people looking for a peaceful, yogic environment in order to deepen their own mindfulness practice, they include three yummy vegetarian, locally sourced/organic meals made with Love, unlimited tea/water, use of the practice space and weekly sauna nights.
Additional activities like tours into the Tuscan surroundings and towns available.
Feel welcome to be in touch for more details.
Dark Retreat
Please note that our darkness retreat facility is designed to accommodate one practitioner at a time.
Different people prefer different meal plans during their dark retreat, hence meals can be added according to your needs.
Please note that retreating in the dark is an advanced practice that is not to be approached lightly. Feel welcome to find more details about it on our dedicated website
Feel free to reach out for more details and with any questions you may have.
Seva
Seva means Selfless Service, which constitutes its own path known as Karma Yoga. It is a practice that releases personal attachment to the outcome of our actions, gradually purifiying the individual in the process.
Fill in this form if you are interested in practicing Seva at the Inner Peace Sanctuary. There are only two spots available at a time, priority is given to people with qualifications & experience in vegetarian cooking and permaculture.
“By doing Service, Heart and Mind are purified… Be convinced of this! To engage in Service is a very powerful Sadhana; do not become impatient. Rather, Serve your people with the utmost Calm and have a Kind Word for Everyone.”
~ Beloved Sri Anandamayi Ma ॐ
Gallery
About Us
Arjuna & Arpita are a yogi-meditator couple with over three decades of experience in the fields of Traditional Yoga, Theravada Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta and Tantra between them. They both entered their formal spiritual sadhana (practice) through the gateways of Shivananda/Satyananda Yoga and Vipassana in their late teens and are dedicating their lives to the Recognition of One Consciousness and Service towards all beings.
Their passion is the integration of the mystical with the mundane, finding inner peace in the ecstasy of devotion and developing a Heart of Loving Compassion in every present moment.
“At the beginning of 2012 we founded Kaivalya Yoga School, which later expanded into Mahadevi Ashram on the shores of magical Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. We felt a strong guidance towards establishing a European vision as well, giving birth to The Inner Peace Sanctuary Tuscany out of our love for peace and quiet in the spring of 2018.
“Our lives now flow between Italy, Guatemala and Asia where we share authentic wisdom & practice in the Love · Evolve · Awaken™ Yoga Teacher Trainings, Meditation Retreats, Pilgrimage, different workshops as well as through the power of Kirtan (Ecstatic Mantra Chanting Circles).
“We pray to serve the Liberation of All Beings.”
Contact & FAQ
For any enquiries, feel free to contact us at
[email protected]
Follow us on Social Media:
Feel welcome to check out what people say about their stay on our Facebook page above. Prior to this project we used to run an ashram in Guatemala, feel free to read the reviews of Mahadevi Ashram to get an impression of the experiences we offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to the Inner Peace Sanctuary?
The Inner Peace Sanctuary is tucked deeply into the chestnut forests near Lucca, one hour away from both, Florence and Pisa. If you wish to visit the Sanctuary we do provide pickup from the train station on request.
We will also send you detailed directions with your booking confirmation in case you arrive by road. This way we minimize spontaneous visits and ‘drop-ins’ to assure a peaceful and safe environment for spiritual life & practice.
What’s the climate like?
The Sanctuary is situated at an altitude of about 700m/2000ft, which affords us a nice breeze in summer, keeping it pleasant from spring to autumn.
What to bring?
– Your yoga mat
– Comfortable clothing including something warmer for the mornings & evenings, swim suit if you are planning to join the sauna or sunbathe
– Your personal products and supplements; as we are using some of the grey water for the gardens, and in any case all of it goes into the earth, we ask to use only nature-friendly body care products (biodegradable)
– Comfortable shoes for hiking around the forest
– Slippers for inside the house
– Flashlight/torch/headlight
– Notebook and pen
– Any sacred objects you would like to have with you
– Whatever you need for trips to Tuscan towns nearby, like some “city clothes” if you prefer
What not to bring?
Kindly note that the premises are meat/alcohol/intoxicant free.
Bringing work with you is generally discouraged so you can enjoy and benefit from your time at the Sanctuary to the fullest.
We love children, however the Sanctuary is set up for adults only.
Can I just come on a personal retreat?
We do offer personal retreats at certain times of the year, please see this section.
Do you have Wifi?
Well, kind of. To cultivate an environment of inner peace, contemplation and digital detox, wifi is available for only two hours per day for those who need it.
Do you have yoga mats & cushions or should I bring my own?
Meditation cushions are available. We do have a couple of backup mats on site, however this kind of thing is always nice to have personally, so please bring your own.
Do you offer work exchange or Seva?
Yes, please read this section.
Are there any shops nearby?
Not really. Being deep in the forest means it’s a 45 min walk to a picturesque medieval fortified village of less than a hundred souls, which has no real shops or restaurants. The closest town with facilities is 30 min by car from the Sanctuary.
