Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.spabusiness.com
The programme is centred on introspection and meditative attention, drawing on the framework of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
The retreat combines meditation with walking, gentle asana, pranayama and daily body treatments
Eremito is set within more than 3,000 hectares of protected natural reserve and has 14 monastic-style rooms
Datu Wellness, the nomadic retreat operator, has launched a new retreat at Eremito Hotelito del Alma in Umbria, Italy, focused on introspection, meditation and contemplative practice.
Called ‘A Withdrawal into the Art of Introspection’, the programme will take place between 9 – 15 October within more than 3,000 hectares of protected natural reserve at Eremito, a property inspired by medieval hermitage models. Datu describes the retreat as an opportunity to step away from everyday distractions and develop a more sustained, inward-facing practice.
The programme draws on the meditative framework outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, including pratyahara (the practice of withdrawing the senses from external stimuli) and dhyana (a sustained state of focused meditation). These practices are supported by walking meditation and periods of quiet presence, while gentle asana, physical yoga postures, and pranayama, controlled breathing practices, are used to prepare the body and mind for meditation.
Daily body treatments are part of the programme, with Datu positioning them as a way to support physical relaxation and integration alongside the retreat’s contemplative practices. Datu’s body treatments are holistic, Ayurvedic and remedial.
Meals are described as simple, seasonal and carefully prepared, reflecting Datu’s approach to nourishment as part of the wider wellbeing experience.
Accommodation is provided in 14 Celluzze rooms, designed in a pared-back monastic style. The stone-built rooms have minimal furnishings, no electronic devices and no artificial lighting at night, reinforcing the retreat’s focus on simplicity, stillness and connection with the surrounding landscape.
Constantin Bjerke, founder of Datu, told Spa Business: “Datu’s concept is nomadic, and that’s fine because guests don’t need more amenities. They don’t need more intervention or to focus on performance – they need more humanity. With the help of practitioners and healers, we’re offering ancient wisdom for modern problems.”
The retreat costs from £2,500 per person (US$3,301, €2,952) for a six-night full-board stay on a double-occupancy basis, including five private treatments, daily group classes, meals and clothing for the retreat. Single occupancy starts at £3,500 (US$4,622, €4,133).
The retreat forms part of Datu’s Dimora di Datu programme, which introduces alternative themes and locations alongside its established Ayurveda-based wellness retreats. Datu’s upcoming programme also includes a residency at The Postcard Hotel in Goa, India, and the operator’s repeating ‘Return to Balance Ayurveda’ retreat that is hosted at a 17th-century palazzo in Salerno, Italy, on the Amalfi Coast.
Earlier this year, Datu hosted a retreat at the Amalfi Coast property, where a Tibetan Lama, Buddhist master and Tibetan medicine scholar led guided Tummo Fire Breath and Dzogchen meditation practices.
