Release to Receive: A Vinyasa & Yin Yoga Retreat in Puglia

Release to Receive is a Vinyasa and Yin Yoga retreat in Puglia, Italy, led by Dagmar Spremberg. It runs for five nights at Masseria Specula, a restored farm near the sea, and suits anyone who wants a week of movement, quiet and good food, from first-timers to long-time practitioners. The group is kept deliberately small, so the teacher can give personal attention.

What to Expect

Each day follows a steady rhythm. The morning begins with meditation and a gentle vinyasa flow. Brunch is served in the garden. The middle of the day is free: rest, swim in the sea, or join an optional excursion such as an olive oil tasting or a massage at the house. In the evening, a slower yin practice helps the day settle, and dinner follows at one long table under the stars.

Meditation and conscious communication practices are woven through the week, along with a special workshop with Dagmar. The aim is to breathe deeper, soften into the body, and bring home practical tools for how you relate to yourself and to other people. One day is set aside for an excursion to the trulli of Alberobello, and a traditional pasta-making class teaches you to shape pasta by hand.

About Dagmar Spremberg

Dagmar Spremberg is a yoga teacher and international retreat leader based in Mallorca, with more than 30 years of practice. She began with the goal of touching her toes and found the practice was more about touching her heart. She spent 25 years in Costa Rica, where she built the yoga studio and retreat business Montezuma Yoga from the ground up. Her background is in Vinyasa, Anusara Yoga and Yin Yoga, and her main mentors are Elena Brower and Rod Stryker. She graduated from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York in 2006. Her message is that grief and joy can exist side by side, and that we can honour our challenges while softening back into beauty. Her retreats have been running for over 13 years.

The Setting

Masseria Specula is a former dairy farm by the sea, built in 1611. It stood abandoned for seventy years before a family restored it. It sits among olive groves, terraced gardens and ancient trees in a quiet valley, not far from the trulli towns. Practice happens in a light-filled retreat room, with mats and props provided.

Meals are cooked by a team of private chefs, with local cooks working from family recipes. Brunch and dinner are shared, with dinner at the long table. There are ten light, spacious rooms, either single or double, each with a private bathroom, air conditioning and WiFi. Double rooms have a king-size bed or two separate beds and must be booked with an accompanying guest. Single rooms are limited in number.

To get there, fly into Brindisi or Bari, or arrive by train. Transfers from the airport and train station can be arranged, so a rental car is optional. The nearest beach is a 20-minute walk or a short bicycle ride away.

Before You Go

All levels are welcome. The morning vinyasa is approachable for beginners and experienced students alike, and the evening yin is slower and more restorative. The retreat is taught in English.

Included are five nights of accommodation, two yoga classes daily with Dagmar, the Alberobello excursion, all meals prepared by the private chefs, the pasta class, meditations and the workshop. Flights, transport to and from the masseria, massages and spa treatments, and additional excursions are not included.