Yoga and snowshoe retreat

Yoga & snowshoe retreat at a special place of power

Firstly, things turn out differently, and secondly, than you think ....
Instead of a canceled seminar, an unforgettable weekend full of yoga, snowshoeing and warmth of heart awaited me. At the Waldrast Nature Resort, I was able to experience what happens when nature, movement and community come together in perfect harmony. You can find out what makes this retreat so special and Maria Waldrast such a place of power in this article.

Sometimes fate (or let's call it coincidence) has to help you be in the right place at the right time with the right people. One day before I was due to arrive, my planned Alpine Club seminar "Yoga and snowshoe hiking" was canceled. Two phone calls later, thanks to the great organizational skills of Regina from "mia wandern", I was booked onto her yoga and snowshoe retreat, which was to take place on the same weekend at the same location.

Arrival

So on Friday afternoon, it was time for me to get out of the daily grind and into my snowshoes. A friendly janitor picked me up at the toll station in Matrei am Brenner and took me to the Waldrast Nature Resort, also known as Maria Waldrast Monastery. After a very warm welcome and check-in, I flinched when I was greeted by wild screaming on the way to my room. With a grin, I realized that I had briefly fallen into the (apparently somewhat strict) training strategy of the new mountain guides. In my beautiful and cozy room, I was greeted by wonderful peace and quiet, a sensational view of the Olperer and a water bottle with a label asking me to fill it with Waldraster water.

After a short welcome round, we were able to sample the extremely tasty and regional cuisine at our accommodation. During the yoga session that followed, we found the first dogs looking down a little difficult, but we had to get through it.

Day 01 | A Saturday full of movement and encounters

The night was wonderfully quiet. As a lover of a cup of filter coffee straight after getting up, I was pleased to discover that a morning yoga session with Caro has the same uplifting effect.

Freshly stretched and motivated, we set off on our first snowshoe tour after breakfast. Maria Waldrast is situated at over 1,600 meters, making it the ideal starting point for snowshoe tours from the front door this winter. We followed the forest path, then Caro's secret path and at some point just a rabbit trail until we arrived at the Waldraster Jöchl, our summit destination for today. We descended again towards Gleinser Mähder when the sun we had ordered arrived and we stomped an energy spiral in the snow on a large meadow with our snowshoes. After a snack, we decided to make a meditative descent via the Schütternsteig and the Auffindungskapelle back to the hotel.
An extended yoga session awaited us in the afternoon. Caro managed to unite our different yoga levels. The fact that she had lovingly decorated the yoga room for us was the icing on the cake. Each of us was greeted by special yoga mats made from Swiss stone pine (which also provided a wonderful scent) and a lovely goody bag.
We enjoyed dinner to the full again. By now, we had grown into a very harmonious and equally fun group.

Day 02 | Yoga, winter hiking and a little melancholy

After my second night, my little break already felt like a real vacation - and that after such a short time, just 1 km as the crow flies from home.
Today we also met up for a morning yoga session. We skipped breakfast a little longer as the overnight rain was just about to turn to snow.
A true winter wonderland awaited us at the start of our tour. The snow fell from the sky in huge flakes that we really enjoyed.
We reached the neighboring Matreier Ochsenalm via the Schöpfungsweg trail in good spirits, where we first stopped for a coffee. We then trudged in a wide arc back to the Waldrast Natur Resort. Just before we reached our destination, the sun peeked out from between the clouds and cast a soft light on the mountains around us.
Today we experienced our first inner flow during the always slightly longer yoga session in the afternoon, before embarking on a relaxing journey through our bodies.

It was with a heavy heart that I had to say goodbye to Caro, the lovely group and the nature resort before I was shuttled back down into the valley. Tip: if you're not looking for a snow-chain adventure, I recommend always taking the shuttle organized by the hotel in winter. The car can then be left comfortably in the valley.

Conclusion: A weekend by and with professionals at one of the most beautiful power spots in the mountains of the Wipptal valley
Many thanks to Caro, Regina and Hannes for the highlight of my winter