Via Yoga Offers 15 Yoga Vacations at Villa Amor and Las Alamandas in Mexico, November 2006 through May 2007: Yoga Only, Yoga/Surfing, Yoga/Pilates, Yoga/Spanish

Via Yoga, the Seattle-based yoga vacation company started in 2004 by Kelly Kemp and Michelle King, offers 15 yoga vacations at two locations in Mexico from November 2006 through May 2007. Eleven of the vacations will be at Villa Amor in Sayulita, chosen for the resort’s rugged beauty and the many adventures the area has to offer. Four of the vacations will be at Las Alamandas, a luxurious boutique hotel that offers the utmost in privacy and top-notch spa services. Yoga students of all levels are welcome at the retreats, as classes are tailored to the needs of each student.

While Via Yoga vacations are designed primarily for the yoga experience, they’re also very much about fun, adventures, and meeting new like-minded people. Groups are kept at a maximum of 20, smaller than at most retreats. Guests can expect to unwind with the daily yoga classes, meditation, and hours of free time, but can also take advantage of the adventures each resort has to offer. Some guests come for ‘alone time,’ some bring a partner, and others come with friends for a group experience. It’s no wonder that Via Yoga guests return to their daily life with a healthy balance of mind, body, and spirit. “The week was a perfect combination of privacy to enjoy our own vacation and naturally flowing planned activities to meet new people. It was really an investment in new energy and peace of mind for the rest of the year rather than just an ordinary vacation,” said a recent guest at a Sayulita retreat. Todd Jones of Yoga Journal said "Via Yoga creates a great blend of structure and freedom and they take care of details so quietly that their work was almost invisible - everything was so smooth."

Sayulita, 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta by car, is a pretty beach hamlet on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Once a quiet fishing village, it is now dotted with charming restaurants and shops. There are vast, unspoiled beaches with excellent surf, mountains, and lush jungles. For those who like adventures, the region offers many, from some of Mexico’s best surfing to horseback riding, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, and zip-line tours through the jungle canopy. Villa Amor is a classically deluxe resort of 35 beautifully decorated open-air villas nestled on a hillside overlooking Sayulita Bay. Each villa is steps away from the beach, with expansive views of the ocean, village, and mountains.

Las Alamandas is a 5-star, 14-room luxurious boutique hotel on 1500 acres of private land about two hours south of Puerto Vallarta. The romantic hideaway is a paradise of palms, exotic trees, flowers, wild birds, lagoons, and white-sand beaches. Favored by celebrities for its privacy, Las Alamandas is managed like an elegant estate and provides the highest standards of hospitality.

Every Via Yoga vacation includes roundtrip airport transfers, deluxe accommodations, two daily classes, and an in-room massage. The Sayulita trips are six nights and also include daily breakfast, three group dinners, and a day trip to Punta Mita for surfing or snorkeling. Prices range from $1795 to $2795. The Las Alamandas trips are four nights and include three organic meals daily. Prices range from $1995 to $4495. Airfare is not included.

Via Yoga’s teachers are carefully chosen, highly regarded, and well experienced, and they share what they have absorbed in their in-depth studies and ongoing training with yoga masters. Most offer their own yoga training and workshops on a national or worldwide level. They represent many different yoga styles: Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara.

Kelly Kemp and Michelle King started Via Yoga in 2004 with the aim of taking yoga vacations to a new level of bliss. In their first three years in business, they hosted between six and 12 retreats per year at Villa Amor in Sayulita. Business was so good that they started a second vacation series in 2005 at Las Alamandas. Kemp, an entrepreneur and passionate yoga practitioner, was in radio sales for 10 years, has a degree in business, and has studied yoga since 1997. King has studied massage since 1993 and yoga since 1994. A certified yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist, she currently teaches yoga and Pilates and has a thriving massage business.

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Via Yoga: (800)603-YOGA,www.viayoga.com

Kelly Kemp, Director of Operations, kelly@viayoga.com

Michelle King, Director of Programs, michelle@viayoga.com