Review – The Curry Sisters Retreat at COMO Castello del Nero, Italy

Some places are closer to nirvana than others in life. And as that journey goes, Tuscany, with its soft rolling hills, fine food and wine and general Dolce Vita, must surely be approaching a ‘10’ on the scale of enlightenment.

As a solid ‘2’ though (“You have knowledge of physical objects”) on the list of Samadhi, or ‘meditation mastery’, that greeted me on arrival at COMO Castello del Nero I needed some evolution. I was starting that with a five-day ‘Ground Yourself’ yoga retreat at its wellness centre COMO Shambhala with sisters Andrea and Christina Curry – albeit with trepidation.

My relationship with yoga has been historically awkward – nausea when jumping into downward dogs and warrior poses that look like I am being electrocuted. I once breathed so hard in an Ashtanga class I passed out briefly.

Here, though it’s all about the holistic feelgood, the brand’s philosophy since the first COMO Shambhala was first established in a Singapore yoga studio in 1997. Translated to ‘peace’ in Sanskrit, Shambhala is about the pursuit of balance – and thankfully this means wellness without asceticism – and true to its roots, yoga continues to be a core COMO focus in aligning mind, body and spirit.

Twelfth century Castello del Nero has been part of the COMO hotel and resort family since 2019. Here, remodelled rooms by Milanese designer, Paola Navone now offer achingly elegant limewashed greys and copious muslin, suites have original Renaissance frescoes in them, and you can see the property’s private five-bedroom Villa San Luigi from the front windows, offering the hotel amenities with even more privacy just over the valley.

It all revolves around the spa though, a sanctuary of hydrotherapy pools, saunas and steam rooms and free morning mat Pilates and yoga classes – and a 24-hour gym “if you want to work out in the middle of the night” as the spry spa manager tells me cheerily. Unlikely. Treatments are soothingly divine with signature wellness rituals that use ingredients grown on the estate including lavender-infused olive oil. But woman cannot achieve her higher self by body scrub alone, and we were here to strike a pose.

Christina and Andrea have been studying yoga for over 25 years, inspired by range of styles including vinyasa, ashtanga, hatha and Forrest yoga, with an emphasis on pranayama – or breathwork. Both have worked with COMO for years alongside their private clients (Andrea was resident yoga teacher at COMO Parrot Cay in the early noughties) running retreats rooted in yogic philosophy and tailored to people’s needs in style and pace.

Over dinner that night I chat with Christina who is surprisingly pragmatic about it all (“I love ascension practices but… you have to live in the world”) which makes me feel better about being a 2. It also makes me feel better about struggling to hold triangle pose the next day in the first of ten two-hour classes, while everyone else is slicing through moves like a hot knife through butter.

By the second day, morning yoga sessions move outside to stretch as the sun dissipates the mist over hills scored with baton-like cypress trees conducting the distant clanging of church bells. The staggering perfection of the Castello’s surrounding 270-hectare estate was continuing to put me in mind of an Italian Truman Show (“…and cue puff of wind, perfect cloud, olive farmer…”) – hearing only bird song as we wobble through tree poses.

When you’re not stretching or meditating, you’re feeding the soul with numerous wellness activities in and around the castle. The estate produces its own olive oil, winner of Tuscany’s Best in 2023, while its woods are ripe for truffle hunting and walks with a trail map available at reception. Nearby towns and villages are there to be explored and wine estates in the surrounding Chianti country have myriad options for tastings. Antinori, makers of Super Tuscan Tignanello, is a 12-minute drive away, Castello di Ama not much further. Siena is 40 minutes’ drive and Florence 30 minutes, with a complimentary hotel shuttle bus daily and private driver hire if required. Or you can just sit by the heated outdoor pool in dappled sunlight and let the peaceful surroundings work their magic.

In the evenings, we return to the studio to do our practice by candlelight, savouring the deep relaxation of restorative yoga before dinner in the Pavilion restaurant overlooking the valley and naturally early nights.

It’s an intense week. Four hours of poses and meditation a day is a commitment. With this focus though the group relaxes into each other like a forward bend, imperceivable sighs of release as we start to chat, exchanging stories of trippy sleep and DoTerra essential oil balm. By Wednesday, we’re enjoying a dinner together in a nearby village, ‘supporting our prana’ with Chianti wine and a Tuscan feast of beef stew, white beans and fried artichokes. For more culinary adventures, Michelin stars twinkle at La Torre onsite at the Castello, under chef Giovanni Luca di Pirro, and 15 minutes’ drive away at Osteria di Passignano in Badia di Passignano.

As the week progresses, I overcome my weird yoga nausea and discover a love of the invisible hands that swoop down to lengthen, turn, tuck and align me as I lunge and stretch into hitherto unknown (to me) positions. I stop longing for the shavasana – ‘corpse pose’ at the end of a practice where you lie down and relax – and stay in the present moment more and more. And I get a little obsessed with the signature COMO ginger, lemon and honey tea – ask at the spa desk and they’ll give you the recipe for in a sealed envelope like the secret to the universe.

I return home limber and relaxed – and strangely an inch taller – with a personalised plan from Andrea and Christina to continue my yoga practice and immediately buy a mat. Finding myself on it the next day is a revelation. I strongly suspect I’ve finally become enlightened.

Words: Anna Melville-James

Rooms at Castello del Nero start from £474 per night, B&B.