Time to pause at New Year
What from the past year are you still making sense of? At Il Convento, we’ll take a few days to slow down, let things settle and notice what matters to us as we begin a new year.
What to expect
- At the turn of the year · Looking back and writing, a New Year ceremony and a personal intention for the year ahead
- In motion · Free dance and Contact Improvisation. We use simple movements on the floor to get a clearer sense of our bodies. As we dance, we pay attention to what is happening in the room and what movements emerge between us.
- Time for yourself · Silence, walks and free time. On the threshold walk, you take a question into the woods on your own, then return to the circle and share what you experienced.
- There’s time for walks, silence and being on your own. In one of the practices, you take a question with you on a solo walk in the woods, then come back and tell the group what you experienced. · We gather regularly in a circle to share what we have experienced and make room for feelings that often get little attention in daily life. In pairs, one person speaks in response to a question while the other listens. Then you swap roles.
Who guides you
Aaron WeberDance and body awareness
I live at Il Convento. In my work I am curious about how we relate to one another and how much the body expresses before anyone says a word.
I work with floorwork, contemporary dance, Contact Improvisation and physical theatre. From Kinomichi I bring slow, spiralling movements. My training in Somatic Experiencing and principles of Nonviolent Communication shape how I guide the group’s pace, pauses and conversations.
At the retreat, I invite people to begin with simple movements. Moving slowly, we can feel how our breath follows the movement and how a turn travels through the body. When we improvise in pairs or as a group, we also pay attention to one another. A shift of weight or a little more space between us can change how I move.
Repetition can change how we perceive things, sometimes leading to a trance-like state. Afterwards, I leave time for the body to take in what happened at its own pace.
Lucie WolfBody and voice work
Lucie creates spaces that touch the heart. Her offerings bring together body and voice work – an invitation to feel the deep power of silence, expression, mindfulness and presence together.
Daily rhythm and silence
We start the morning with silence, meditation or gentle movement. After lunch there is time to rest or go for a walk. Later we gather for a guided session, free dance or a conversation, depending on the day. The schedule also takes its cue from the group.
We begin with short periods of silence on arrival day. On 30 and 31 December, meals, breaks and free time are silent. We speak during guided activities and when sharing in pairs or in the circle. After New Year, we talk more again and still set aside longer stretches of quiet.
A trip to the coast
A shared trip to the sea opens our view in another way. We walk, breathe and gather where land and water meet. What becomes audible when only spaciousness lies before us?
These days are for you if …
- You sense that something is ending or no longer belongs in the new year.
- You want to take time before new plans, tasks and expectations become loud again.
- You are ready to open yourself to silence, movement, community and the unplanned.
You do not need experience in dance, meditation or bodywork. Touch is optional. You can adapt an exercise, watch or take a break.
What you may arrive with
- A full and eventful year
- Experiences that are still resonating
- Openness or questions for the coming year
What can be given space
- Honouring and a fitting completion
- Clarity about what may remain and what may go
- An embodied direction for the new year
Accommodation and meals
Il Convento sits among woods, mountains and olive groves in Lunigiana, in northern Tuscany. We stay under one roof and meet in the lounge and around the table. There are single, double and shared rooms. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are vegetarian.
Cost and registration
The total price includes the retreat, six nights and meals. Meals cost €180 per person for the retreat. The total depends on your choice of room. Travel is paid separately.
- Early bird until 22 November€758–€1,112
- Regular€808–€1,162
- Supporting€858–€1,212
The highest price applies to single occupancy of a comfort room. If you are interested in a comfort room, ask Aaron about availability.
Volunteer places and scholarships
Reduced-rate places are reserved for people who need financial support to attend the retreat.
For either option, you arrive on the evening of 28 December 2026 and help us prepare the house. After the retreat you stay an extra night, help clean and put everything back in place with us. You leave on the morning of 5 January 2027.
- Volunteer place · €650 · three kitchen shifts during the retreat
- Scholarship place · €290 · four kitchen shifts during the retreat. Two places are available.
A kitchen shift lasts about one to two hours. You will miss any sessions that take place during your shifts. Please bring your own bed linen and towels.
Helper and scholarship places include a futon in a shared room. Accommodation and meals are included in the total price.
Apply for a helper or scholarship place using the registration form.
Register by 15 December 2026.
Getting here
We are happy to help you find a ride with other participants. Write to Aaron if you need help planning your journey.
By train
The nearest railway station is Minucciano-Pieve-Casola. A pickup can be arranged from there; the walk takes about 30 minutes. From the larger station at Aulla Lunigiana a taxi can also be arranged. Find train connections at Trenitalia.
By bus
FlixBus offers routes to Milan or La Spezia. From there you can continue by train.
By plane
Pisa, Florence and Genoa airports are convenient options. From there, continue by train.
Address and map
Il Convento, Via Convento 1, 54014 Casola in Lunigiana, Italy