TRENTINO NATURAL WELLNESS

Holistic experiences at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites

During the summer months, San Lorenzo-Dorsino’s (one of “Italy’s most beautiful villages”) woods and grasslands will serve as the main locations for the BrentAnima festival, which is a series of holistic activities helping to recharge and rebalance the body and mind.

The two editions of the event will be taking place between 30^th - 31^st July and 20^th - 21^st August. Oltre i Limiti ("Beyond the Limits") will take place on 16^th and 17^th July. This is a two-day spiritual walk between the rifugi (“lodges") in Brenta Dolomites.

The two-day spiritual walk will help to recognise participants’ limits and to accept them with kindness. The walk is led by Alpine guides and holistic therapists highly experienced in mindful yoga and Zazen meditation. During the event, attendees will get an authentic and immersive experience stimulating all five senses.

 The days will start with stretching of the meridians and alignment yoga, before going on a “perception walk” in the woods (walking with your eyes closed to give the senses a newfound perception). Later enjoy Zazen meditation and Do-in, which uses breathing to get in touch with the deepest dimension of the body. The festival also includes Yoga & Climbing, which involves lightweight yoga movements, combined with natural rock climbing up the Falesia Dimenticata (“Forgotten Cliff”), as well as two-day retreat programme at Le Roche lodge, which is aimed to carefully listen to the body and discover deeply connect with the soul and spirit through meditation, stretching, and different types of walks.

Dolomiti Natural Wellness invites to discover and experience holistic wellness through six key practices, and eight specially designed wellness itineraries, guided by the experts in holistic practices such as Barefoot Walking and Yoga.

Another natural wellness tradition is forest bathing. Italy's first park-path dedicated to this practice is located in a large (roughly 36-hectare) beechwood in Fai della Paganella, equipped with everything you need for the Forest Therapy which originates from Japan.

The Bosco del Respiro (“Breathing Forest”) consists of four itineraries. To make the most out of the practice, walking through the woods and breathing slowly and regularly is needed in order to inhale the monoterpenes (invigorating or relaxing volatile substances found in essential oils from plants). This simple process can strengthen your immune system, improve blood pressure, and alleviate depressive moods. According to eastern precepts and studies on Bioenergetic Landscapes, to really benefit from the forest you need to ideally spend at least 10-12 hours there over a three-day period, with each session lasting at least two and a half hours.

San Martino di Castrozza, situated on the eastern side of Trentino, is the first area in Italy to take part in the Barefoot Trail project, launched by the Barefoot Academy: Il silenzio dei passi. The Barefoot Trails are paths which can be walked at least partially barefoot and are relatively easy to walk even for those with no hiking experience. Barefoot walking in nature, will help to develop concentration and balance, improve blood circulation, and become more grounded and reconnect with nature.
 

There are three mapped trails for barefoot walking, all of which are marked and signposted. A QR code on the signage at the start of the walks will link to a video guide. The Sentiero del Cervo (“Deer Trail”) is 3.2 km and is ideal for newcomers, while more experienced may prefer the 6.3-km Piani della Cavallazza (“Cavallazza Plains")  or the 4-km Sentiero del Cacciatore (“Path of the Hunter”).

Further info: https://www.visittrentino.info/en/articles/italian-lifestyle/experiences-wellbeing-summer-trentino