South Korea
Yoga Adventure Retreat

November 3rd – 12th 2023
with Caroline Westling and Mary Susan Stults Sassone

An autumn retreat to Self and Sangha in South Korea.

Join us for a heart-awakened adventure and yoga retreat this November as we enjoy a deep dive into our yoga and meditation practices, community, culture, beauty, and adventure.

We are thrilled to share 10 spacious and joy-filled days together on retreat as we explore and soak up the beauty of autumn on our South Korea Yoga Adventure Retreat.

Our journey begins with 3 nights in the vibrant city of Seoul where you can enjoy everything this fascinating city has to offer—Korean fashion, beauty, music, art, food, markets, restaurants, culture, and much more.

From Seoul, we will travel south to the beautiful oceanside city of Busan on the eastern seacoast. Finally, we´ll travel inland and spend our final 4 days in a lovely, relaxing resort in the Korean forest.

This trip is for those who want to combine a yoga retreat with a unique and unforgettable experience in South Korea. We will have the opportunity to visit various beautiful regions of South Korea, including cities, the seaside, and forests.

Join us this spring as we share and co-create an unforgettable 10 days together on and off the yoga mat. See you in South Korea, xo

All levels of practitioners are welcome and encouraged to join.

During our stay in Seoul and Busan, we will practice yoga once a day most days. At our final destination in the forest, we will go deeper into our yoga practice with two classes a day. Here we also focus on our internal practice through pranayama (breathwork), guided meditations, Dharma talks, and you will also have an art/creativity workshop.

Our Yoga asana classes will be theme based and focus on understanding our individual needs.

Meet your Instructors

Caroline Westling

Caroline Westling

With almost 20 years of experience teaching yoga, philosophy, and meditation, Caroline Westling is a well-recognized and beloved teacher. She has taught and trained future yoga teachers in many countries.

In her home country of Sweden, Caroline has served as a specialized guest teacher in various teacher trainings, given public lectures and taught yoga in schools, prisons and senior centers. 

Caroline is known for her authenticity, the structure of classes, always having a clear reason why she teaches sequences in a particular way, and for her keen ability to teach students individually while in a group and understand their unique needs. 

“To practice and share yoga is a great privilege which I truly honor and respect.”

Mary Susan Stults Sassone

Mary Susan Stults Sassone

Mary Susan teaches a knowledgeable, dynamic, and refreshing yoga practice that intelligently weaves together the traditions of Iyengar Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. She also enjoys teaching Yin, Restorative Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, and Vipassana and Mindful Meditation.

Many describe her energy as contagious, finding her nurturing, wise, grounded, & patient style of teaching to be welcoming &supportive. Her offerings are infused with her grounded yet light-hearted nature.

When she is not teaching herself you can often find her in a training or Yoga intensive with one of her teachers or mentors.

Mary Susan teaches in the U.S and internationally and is an experienced Senior Yoga & Meditation teacher, educator, mentor, and practitioner.

Information

Accommodation

Seoul (3 nights), Busan (2 nights), and Nature Resort (4 nights).

Group activities

We will take you to unique places so you can experience the authentic culture of Korea. This includes drinking traditional tea, visiting a traditional village, seeing an old palace, eating Korean food specialties, and maybe even singing karaoke ;). These are included in the price of the trip.

We will also visit a South Korean food market where you are free to purchase the local specialties according to your individual tastes.

Sightseeing in your free time

You will also have free time when you can explore on your own, with guidance from us.

The retreat includes:

  • Shared or private lodging
  • The cost of train travel from Busan to the nature resort
  • Daily breakfast
  • Daily dinner
  • Daily yoga classes/workshops
  • Guided meditations
  • Group activities
  • Dharma talks
  • Community
  • Wifi
  • Retreat Gift Bag

The retreat does not include

  • Travel costs to South Korea
  • Travel within South Korea with the exception from Busan to our final destination.
  • Lunch
  • Alcohol
  • Some sightseeing “see above”
  • Travel Insurance

Flights, Visas and more…

The flight ticket is not included in the price. You will fly to Seoul, which has two different airports. Incheon International Airport is the largest and most common one. The retreat starts on November 3rd, which means you will have to fly on November 2nd  at the latest. If you want to come before the retreat starts or after the retreat ends, let us know and we can help you with accommodation options. Below is a list of suggested airlines and sites to book your flight.

www.finnair.com/se-sv (best option, which I usually travel with)
www.momondo.se
www.flygcity.se

You need a visa to enter South Korea. Most of you will just need a K-ETA, which is a very simple electronic application and can be done only a week ahead. But please look up what is required for your home country by visiting the South Korean embassy of your country. Please also read up on Covid regulations before you travel. 

South Korean Embassy Sweden
South Korean Embassy US

Optional Activities

Below is a list of different activities you can enjoy at your own cost.

Seoul

  • Seoul Tower
  • Korean war museum
  • Palaces
  • National Museum
  • Traditional sauna
  • Beauty and spa treatments (Korean specialties)

Busan

  • Magnate Café
  • Busan Tower
  • Yongdusan Park
  • Kim Jae Sun Gallery
  • Gamcheon Culture Village
  • Haedong Yonggung Temple
  • Nampodong Market

Forest

  • Nature experiences

Payment options:

Availability: Limited

A non-refundable registration fee of 500€ secures your booking for this trip. Signing up is binding, by paying the fee you agree to this term. Full payment is due no later than September 19th 2023. 


Option 1

2,999€

Total retreat tuition

(500 EUR registration fee + 2,499 EUR retreat fee)

Shared lodging (two twin beds or shared double bed)

Option 2

3,699€

Total retreat tuition

(500 EUR registration fee + 3,199 EUR retreat fee)

Private lodging – double bed option (private lodging is limited)

Registration Fee Only

500€

A non-refundable registration fee of 500€ secures your booking for this trip. The rest of the amount is due no later than September 19th 2023.

Cancellation Policy:

All deposits are non-refundable. No credit or refund is available if the attendee cancels less than 90 days in advance, or if they do not show up, or leaves early for any reason.

All final tuition payments are due 45 days prior to departure, or in full upon registration if joining the retreat within 45 days of start date. 

My love letter to Korea…

This is my story of how I fell in love with Korea and the reason why I started organizing yoga retreats in this beautiful country.

It all started many years ago when one of my sons introduced me to you. After that, you played a big part in healing us as a family when we were recovering from trauma. I got regained joy, a positive view of my life, and what I want my life to be filled with to thank you for. You inspired me to learn a new language, to open my mind, and to see the world again. 

Sitting on the plane towards you for the first time it felt like I was meeting the love of my life. Well in one sense it was because I already lost one of my sons to you. 

When I met you, you exceeded my expectations of you and I can’t even with words describe the amazing time I had with you. 

You introduced me to new friends and experiences which I will be forever grateful for. It was with a very heavy heart that I left you for the first time and I missed you deeply but I knew that we would see each other again soon. Korea you will always have a big piece of my heart and my love for you will never grow old.

– Caroline Westling

FAQs

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What if the accommodations I want are sold out?

We’re sorry to hear that! Feel free to reach out to us by email to be added to the waitlist!

What's included in the price?

Pricing includes room/lodging in 3 locales, breakfast daily, dinner daily, daily yoga, guided meditations, some workshops, transportation during retreat, some activities.

Flights, travel insurance, spa, travel to and from retreat, lunches, additional activities, tips, and additional snacks or drinks such as alcohol are not included. 

What if I want to share my room?

All pricing and tuition is as listed per student. If you would like to share your room we recommend one of our double occupancy rooms. Please let us know ahead of time if you have someone specific that you would like to room with, or if you are willing to meet someone new!

Are payment plans available?

Payment plans are available! We require a $500 non refundable deposit to save your spot. Installments are automatically billed monthly. Must be paid in full 45 days prior to departure.

Where do I fly in to?

Seoul, South Korea – Incheon International Airport. 

We ask that you arrive anytime before  on November 3th and do not leave any earlier than am on November 12th. 

Should I purchase Travel Insurance for my trip and adventure?

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Purchasing travel insurance helps to cover and mitigate any unexpected circumstances such as medical issues prior to traveling or while traveling, last minute flight cancellations or personal issues that might affect your trip. Students have found great rates and policies through Travel Guard.

What should I bring?

A list of all recommended packing lists will be sent out to you roughly one month before the retreat start date. 

Do plan on bringing a yoga mat, and some props. 

What additional activities are available?

The best part about this retreat is your ability to tailor your experience! The locations we will be in offer a wide variety of activities and offerings during your stay.

Is yoga experience needed?

Absolutely not! All activities are open levels and encouraged for every BODY!

What are the deposit and cancellation policies?

All deposits are non-refundable. No credit or refund is available if the attendee cancels less than 90 days in advance, or if they do not show up, or leaves early for any reason.

COVID Contingency Plan and Policy

If the retreat is canceled for any reason due to Covid resurgences in South Korea, students will be refunded or have the option to carry their tuition over to the next South Korea Adventure Retreat. Extra precaution is suggested as you travel to the retreat and back. 

Contact

If you have any questions or want to give feedback, please send your email directly to hello@carolinewestling.com.

Testimonials

“We had very good conversations during the retreat where Caroline challenged us to think and look at things in different ways than you normally do. This has made me grow as a person. Caroline also served very good and nutritious food, which contributed to the retreats at Caroline’s home being very healing. I will definitely return.’

Sandra M

“I have been on retreats with Caroline on several occasions, and it has always been a wonderful experience. Caroline is a very experienced yoga teacher and above all, she sees the individual needs of each student. She adapts her teaching to the students’ physical conditions, and this has been a significant positive turning point in my physical yoga practice as well as the mental and spiritual.”

Sandra M

“Caroline’s message is clear, solid and truthful. The Asana practice is safe, they know bodies by just looking at them and they help you to go further from where you are today.”

Belén A

“When I started practicing with Caroline things started to fall into place. She helps me by truly seeing me and my struggles. She does not give you shortcuts and the answers—she makes you find them yourself. She is there to support you on your way without hesitation. She helps you find the tools to find your own strengths, both in your asana practice and also in your philosophy practice.”

Anika FB

“I met Caroline through my teacher training at Yogayama. She is an inspiration and an amazing teacher. Caroline has taught me a lot, both about teaching myself, but also about my own path and yoga practice. Her knowledge and passion for sharing the yoga path is inspiring. She shares her knowledge generously.”

Christina KB

“Caroline is a very enthusiastic and well-prepared instructor. You have no doubt about her passion for yoga – it’s her life. She is a technically skilled instructor, she’s has “an eye on each finger” – in her class you feel that you are seen. Her gift is that she has the ability to always make you feel safe and well taken care of.”

Mona D

“Caroline has an ability to make a person feel seen even in a large group. She is clear in her instructions and assistance. There is also a sense of security to be able to practice with Caroline, who places great importance on doing poses safely and leaves nothing to chance! “

Ellinor L

“I love Caroline’s yoga teachings. She has very well-structured classes with beautiful sequences. I like in particular her restorative classes and her foundation classes with props. Her classes are clear, with easy to follow instructions. She emphasizes a safe practice with precise alignment and a beautiful connection to the breath. Caroline teaches from the heart with a deep understanding from her own experience, always with compassion and some humor.”

Franziska S

“Caroline has an exceptional quick understanding of the poses taken by students, especially concerning the energetic distribution in the bodies. Her yoga sequences are inventive and clever. At the core of her transmission resides the safety of the practice, and the alignment with respect to each student’s possibilities. Humbly and generously, she shares her deep and broad knowledge, both regarding the physical practice and the spiritual and philosophical practice. She inspires to deepen the yoga practice in all directions. Her teaching reaches way beyond the yoga mat.”

Cécile BL

“Caroline is one of my absolute favourite teachers. She has a great ability to set my body up for specific asanas. With props and fantastic guiding, she makes advanced positions more available. It’s like she is communicating with my body instead of me and my head. In addition to her great understanding of energy in poses, she is so well rooted in the tradition and philosophy of yoga that I can really rest in her space and feel safe.”

Nenne A

“Caroline is an outstanding experienced yoga teacher. She teaches to practice yoga in a structured and neat way, step by step: what to do, in what order, and why. She transmits the passion of being pedagogical. She prepares herself very well, she observes the students carefully and she is constantly reflecting about her own work.”

Cécile BL