Experience Tokyo in cherry blossom season, surround yourself with nature at Bessho Onsen and see the old-world vistas of Japan that the Kiso valley is known for. During this retreat you will take inspiring yoga classes, enjoy delicious local food, beautiful hikes and life in traditional Ryokans with their completely natural onsen hot spring baths.
We will begin our journey in Tokyo, where we will meet in the Mecure Hotel Hibiya, before venturing out together for dinner at a local restaurant. The next day after breakfast we will take the comfortable Shikansen (bullet train) together, through stunning scenery, and then a small train to our first ryokan in rural Bessho Onsen. We will spend 3 days enjoying local culture, beautiful forests and old temples of the Nagano region. During this time we will be practicing yoga and meditation in a 200 year old Buddhist temple in the woods, with the Japanese doors open to the babbling stream and beautiful birdsong. We will then travel together to an incredible luxury ryokan in the Kiso valley where the excellent chefs regularly win awards for their food. There we will hike a portion of the Nakasendo trail and the Ontake pilgrimage, utterly beautiful and steeped in history, and enjoy fun and inspiring workshops such as calligraphy and Za zen Buddhism. All activities are optional.
Check out this video to get an idea of the peaceful, traditional nature of the Kiso ryokan and the beautiful surrounding valley.
Our very lovely and experienced and instructor for this retreat, Naomi Hayama, will guide you through an inspiring week of classes. Specialising in Hatha Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation, Naomi also interweaves Vinyasa Flow, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga and somatic movements. She will introduce you to wonderful relaxation and meditation practices that will help you to feel relaxed and focused. You will also learn refined elements of yoga such as Pranayama (energy/breathing techniques), Nada Yoga (vibration/sound) and Mudras (seal/gestures). Her creative classes will have you feeling balanced and energised.
If you are interested in a longer stay, to experience cherry blossom season to the fullest, we advise visiting southern regions before the retreat or / and northern regions after the retreat.
This retreat includes:
- 1 night at the Mecure Hotel Hibiya
- 6 nights accommodation in traditional Japanese Ryokans in Nagano and Kiso
- Onsen hot spring baths at both ryokans
- Incredible Japanese meals. Breakfast, most lunches and dinners with 9 – 13 courses of ‘Kaiseki’ -traditional Japanese food made by local chefs (lunch at local restaurants at your own expense on 3 occasions)
- Yoga and meditation sessions in a 200 year old Buddhist temple
- A full week of yoga classes (check the retreat schedule for detailed info)
- Guided walks through Bessho Onsen, the Kiso valley, along a portion of the Nakasendo trail and the Ontake pilgrimage
- A Za zen workshop and meditation practice lead by a local Buddhist monk
- A Calligraphy workshop
- All travel between Tokyo and the retreat centers
- The use of all yoga equipment
- A Bluerise water bottle to take home
ACCOMMODATION
Our retreat centers in Japan are traditional ryokans (Japanese Inns) surrounded by the old-world vistas of Japan. These ryokans feature indoor and outdoor therapeutic mineral springs, communal spaces both inside and out where guests can relax and take in the beautiful views, rooms with woven-straw flooring, traditional Japanese furniture and futon mats.
Upgraded rooms, for the 3 nights we are in Kiso, have open-air baths on the balcony.
HEALTHY EATING
The quality of the food on our retreats is very important to us and the chefs at our Japanese ryokans are renowned for their excellence. On this retreat you will discover true high end traditional Japanese cuisine with local chefs serving 9 – 13 courses of elegantly presented ‘Kaiseki’, made with local ingredients by award winning Japanese chefs.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Jess Rose is a Kansas City native based in Europe for the past 10 years, and travels the world to lead workshops, retreats, and teacher trainings. Since 2015, Jess has been teaching on DoYouYoga.com, the world’s largest online yoga community, and has more than 50,000 students all over the world with her 30 Day Yoga program, among others. As an RYT-500/E-RYT-200 in alignment-based vinyasa and hatha, her classes are founded on the importance of sustainable alignment and biomechanics, but her passion shines through in the form of creative sequencing, the exploration of themes, and an innate sense of playfulness and humor. She is a featured author for Elephant Journal, has been interviewed and featured in San Francisco Yoga Magazine, and is a regular contributor to DoYouYoga.com.
Jess’ website: www.jessrose.yoga
THE HIKES
Experience guided walks through the stunning Bessho Onsen region and historic Kiso valley.
Our gentle half day hikes last 2 – 4 hours (including stopping for lunch) with plenty of time to take in the beautiful views. On our hikes we will visit some wonderful rural villages along the Nakasendo trail (more on this below).
No prior fitness level is required.
All hikes are optional.
BESSHO ONSEN
Bessho Onsen (別所温泉) is a small hot spring resort town just outside of central Ueda City in Nagano Prefecture. During the Kamakura Period (1192-1333), it served as the headquarters of the governor of the Shinshu Region (today’s Nagano Prefecture), who built temples and brought Kamakura culture to the mountain town. This made Bessho Onsen into a prosperous center of education and religion, and in turn earned the town the nickname “Kamakura of Shinshu”.
Bessho Onsen is the oldest recorded hot spring in the region. Its sulfurous waters have long been regarded for their healing properties and are said to have healed the arrow wounds of warriors who bathed in them. There are three small traditional public bath houses found around town that offer visitors a chance to experience the atmosphere of a small neighborhood hot spring bath. For larger baths and more amenities, head to the Aisome no Yu public bath house at the entrance of the town.
THE KISO VALLEY
The Kiso Valley (木曽路, Kisoji) is located in Nagano Prefecture, and runs alongside the mountains of the Central Alps in Japan.
From the early 1600s until the late 1800s, the Nakasendo (“path through mountains”) served as a vital travel artery, connecting Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). 70km of this ancient trade route ran through Kiso along with 11 of it’s ‘post towns’; from Magome in the south to Niekawa in the north. Restrictions enforced by the shogunate in the 17th and 18th centuries meant that travellers had to make their trip on foot, which lead to the development of post towns every few kilometers to provide travellers with places to eat and rest.
Along the Kiso Valley, a few post towns, particularly Magome, Tsumago and Narai, have been incredibly well preserved to look as they did when they served travellers of the Nakasendo. On our walks through the Kiso valley we will be able to enjoy the stone paths and traditional wooden Japanese buildings of a bygone era.
Some Kiso facts:
- The Kiso Valley is bordered by the Central Alps to the east and Mt Ontake to the west
- The wooden products you find for sale around Kiso are made from top quality hinoki cypress; prized by emperors, it will last for centuries
- The Ontake faith is a blend of Shinto, esoteric Buddhism, and ancient shamanic practices
- At 3,067 meters, Mt Ontake is Japan’s second highest volcano after Mt Fuji
WHAT TO BRING
We recommend bringing hiking boots or sensible outdoor footwear, sunglasses and sun cream.
We provide all yoga equipment but you are welcome to bring your own mat if you wish.
We also provide towels, bathrobes and slippers at the ryokans so no need to bring your own.
TESTIMONIALS
‘My yoga retreat with Bluerise far exceeded my expectations. All of the staff were keen to make every day an enjoyable one, and nothing was too much trouble. The schedules were planned each day, though nothing too rigid, the accommodation was outstanding, and to top it all the food was 5* quality. I can’t wait till my next one!’ – Vanessa Reeve
‘The other guests were wonderful; inspiring and real pleasure to spend time with. Everyone involved in running the retreat was very welcoming, friendly and really fun to have around. Eleanor and Anna made us all feel really at home and looked after us brilliantly. Wonderful, inspiring, responsive yoga teacher. I had the best massage I have in years. The food was excellent, absolutely delicious. The views were magnificent. Perfect balance of structure and freedom.’ – Fiona Paveley
‘I can’t recommend this retreat enough! Wonderful people, surroundings, yoga, food, activities….everything. I will be booking again.’ – Rhonda Martin
