Italy Retreat

San Gimignano – Villa Ducci
June 29 to July 4, 2026

 A Transformative Tuscany Retreat:

Exploring How the Way We Think, Feel, and Move Shapes the Quality of Our Lives

The Alexander Technique is rooted in a simple yet radical insight: much of our difficulty in life comes not from what we do, but from how we do it. We live with ingrained—often unconscious—habits of tension, misuse, and poor posture that quietly shape our health, our emotions, and our overall sense of well-being.

F.M. Alexander dedicated his life to exploring the deep connection between our mental, emotional, and physical states—what he coined as psycho-physical re-education. His insights were not merely theoretical; they were principles he lived by and taught others to embody. At our Tuscany Retreat, we invite you to experience this transformative journey, where you’ll learn to break free from habitual stress patterns, such as the fight-or-flight response or “stage fright,” and rediscover your natural balance of thought and movement.

As F. M. Alexander famously observed:
“People don’t decide their future. They decide their habits—and their habits decide their future.”

Waking Up to Balance: Mind, Body, and Emotions…

F.M. Alexander devoted his life to exploring the inseparable relationship between thinking, feeling, and moving—what he called psycho-physical re-education. These were never abstract theories. They were living principles, discovered through careful self-observation and refined through direct experience.

At our Tuscany Retreat, you are invited to explore this work in a practical, embodied way. Together, we gently investigate how habitual patterns—stress reactions, over-efforting, performance anxiety, or what is often called “stage fright”—take hold in daily life. Through awareness, skilled guidance, and hands-on work, these patterns begin to soften and unwind.

What emerges is not something you have to add, but something you rediscover:
greater ease, clearer thinking, emotional balance, and a more natural freedom of movement.

Set against the quiet beauty of Villa Ducci and the timeless landscape of San Gimignano, this retreat offers the space to pause, reset, and reconnect with a more authentic way of being—both within yourself and in the world.

Change the Way You Think, Feel, and Move…

 Alexander Technique
 Hands-On Yoga

Why This Retreat Is Truly Special…

The teachers at this retreat bring decades of experience. The Alexander Technique requires a minimum of three years of full-time training to teach well, and that depth matters. In our work, words help organize your thinking, while hands-on guidance speaks directly to the nervous system. This combination allows learning to happen more clearly, more efficiently, and more deeply than through words alone.

We integrate the precision and subtlety of the Alexander Technique with the grounding and restorative qualities of Yoga—an approach many describe as a natural meeting of East and West.

The Alexander Technique is often seen as the Western counterpart to Yoga: different languages, pointing toward the same essential intelligence of the body and mind.

What You Can Expect…

• Daily exploration of the Alexander Technique and Hands-On Yoga

• Improved posture, coordination, and ease of movement

• Reduced stress and unnecessary tension

• Small group classes with individual attention

• Opportunities for private sessions

• Time to relax by the pool and enjoy optional local wine tours

• The inspiration of working in the quiet beauty of Villa Ducci, overlooking San Gimignano

Participants often report lasting benefits: greater ease, clearer thinking, renewed vitality, and practical tools they can take home and apply in daily life.

A Long-Standing Tradition…

This year marks our 48th Annual Retreat, a tradition that began in 1979 in Ojai, California. Over the decades, these retreats have served both as an excellent introduction for those new to the work and a deepening experience for seasoned practitioners.

• New students receive clear, supportive guidance

• Ongoing practitioners gain refinement and depth

• Those considering teacher training in the Alexander Technique or Yoga benefit from exposure to teachers from multiple training programs and traditions