Not so long ago I met Marina Efraimoglou, the founder and CEO of Euphoria Retreat on a digital panel in London. I was impressed how she talked about her retreat and how enthusiastically she described her own story that led to create something new out of nothing.
Marina used to be a in finance in London before she founded her own private bank Telesis in Greece where she was awarded business person of the year in 1999.
At a very young age she suffered from severe illness which inspired her to create a retreat with only the best health and healing concepts, located in the UNESCO-protected town of Mystras, in the mythical Peloponnese, a 3-hour drive from Athens.
But before she built Euphoria, she went on a journey to study with very well-known pioneers in the field of healing therapies and travelled all over the world sourcing knowledge and experience in their most authentic form.
She completed her studies in Chinese Medicine and has taught self-awareness workshops and retreats based on the five elements and ancient Greek philosophy, including other healing methods – which have since become the basis of the euphoria method.
With the precision of a banker, but with the emotion of an open minded and knowledgeable women she leads EUPHORIA, which I experienced this week in Greece.
The moment you pass through the city of Sparta you can feel the energy of a rich historical place. The balance and power that inspired the Spartans in the 5th century BC, the energy and mysticism that allowed Byzantine intellectualism and art to take root a millennium later. An incredible life-force that continues to allow nature to flourish. Arriving at Mystras I was taken by the forest which lays behind the well-conceived architecture.
Everything seems to merge into one another, not only through color and structure, but also through feeling and looking.
The rooms and spa are all constructed following the Feng Shui method and the private forest is part of it, which is one of the reasons, Marina had chosen this place.
It is also an important fact that the EUPHORIA is almost in the village, only a few minutes’ walk from the small main square of Mystras, as you can feel the Greek mentality and life during your retreat. It is the deliberate opposite of hiding in the country that shields you from the outside world.
Something you will learn when you arrive is to open your heart and mind, which has been very difficult for most of us over the past few months due to the pandemic in which we have lived and worked.
Not only through the excellent therapist and the mindful architecture that DECA Architecture realized together with her sister, the architect Natalia Efraimoglou, but also through the way you feel from the first moment you enter EUPHORIA.
You learn continuously and have time to reflect on what you have learned. About yourself, your body, the way you feed yourself and your relationship with others.
In short that’s what to expect:
THE RETREAT:
The healing philosophy at Euphoria is very unusual, blending ancient Hellenic and Chinese healing practices to help bring balance and transformation.
The idea is to reconnect with your inner self and achieve meaningful life change at every level – physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Ultimately, to become your own healer.
Programmes are centred around the five elements of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal, and their related energies and emotions. All treatments address the three levels of existence: emotional, physical, and spiritual. The signature seven-day retreat ‘Physical and Emotional Transformation’ is designed to achieve a truly transformational experience. Using in tandem, physical, and energetic treatments together with group work and meditation techniques to unblock emotions and free the body from stress and pain.
THE LOCATION:
Situated in the foothills of Mount Taygetus, Euphoria enjoys a backdrop of mountains, citrus, and orange groves.
78.000sqm of private and national forest features tracks leading to the archaeological site and provides space for biking, trekking and outdoor classes.
The beautiful beach of Gytheion is also only 40 minutes by car.
You can fly to Kalamata which is a 50-minute drive to the retreat or to Athens which takes 2,5 hours to travel to Mystras
This story was supported by Euphoria resort. This trip has been supported by Radermacher Reisen,
Contact them for all bookings and additional trips throughout Travel to Greece.