VINYASA YOGA -Vinyasa yoga is a fluid, powerful practice, linking breath to movement through a balanced series of postures (asana). All levels are welcome and encouraged to participate in the daily Vinyasa classes, taught by select qualified instructors from around the world. Each instructor brings their own style to the yoga mat, reflected through the pace, sequencing and music of the classes they teach. At ESCAPE TO SHAPE we ask you to leave the inner critic behind and enjoy the internal and external challenges of Vinyasa yoga, to have fun, play & move!

HIKES -From the natural beauty of the Mediterranean coastline and Mt. Etna to the ancient Greek and Roman ruins of Taormina, along with a multitude of place to explore by foot in between, Sicily is home to an abundance of interesting hikes. We will guide you through daily hikes that not only burn calories, but expose you to the natural beauty of the island. Additionally, while with Escape To Shape and under the supervision of a volcanologist, you will respectfully conquor the magnificent Mt. Etna- a truly memorable experience!

SUNSET SCULTPING CLASSES - Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so while on your Sicilian holiday it's important to tone the body through simple, fun and effective sculpting techniques. This fast paced and fun sculpting class, sometimes combined with walks, will leave you not only tighter, but with effective exercises that you can take with you anywhere!

COOKING CLASSES - Sicily has long been known for its rich culinary roots. While with ESCAPE TO SHAPE you will have an opportunity to learn healthy adaptations of traditional Sicilian delights from a master Sicilian chef. Recipes include pasta alle vongole (clams), pasta alla norma, Pantelleria salad, granite and ricotta ice cream.

SPA TREATMENTS -One massage is included in your ESCAPE TO SHAPE package. Our therapists come from around the world, have extensive trainings and certifications . Relax with a Swedish Massage or work those tight spots out with a therapeutic deep-tissue or sports massage. Facials and mud wraps using all natural volcanic mud and ash products from Mt. Etna add to the unique Sicilian experience. Manicures, pedicures and other beauty appointments can also be arranged at an additional cost.

EXCURSIONS & OUTINGS - Excursions such as the following will be included in your ESCAPE TO SHAPE program:

GUIDED HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR- TAORMINA - Taormina, which is just 15 minutes for our villa in Sicily, is considered the pearl of the Mediterranean, full of beautifully restored medieval buildings, breathtaking views around every corner and a charming network of winding streets strewn with shops, bars and restaurants.

Taormina's rich history, which dates back to 392 BC, includes invasions by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Swabians, the French and the Spanish. Enjoy a guided historical tour through the streets and sites of this ancient city, including the 3rd century BC Teatro Greco, Palazzo Corvaja and the Odeon.

GUIDED HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR- CATANIA -Catania is Sicily's second largest city, with a population of around 300,000. It lies on the Ionian Sea, under the shadow of Mount Etna. Just 25 minutes for your home in Sicily.

Mount Etna is ever-present and has to a large extent shaped both the history and the actual existence of Catania. On several occasions volcanic eruptions destroyed the city, the most devastating of which happened in the 17th Century. In 1669 Catania was covered in lava and then, just 24 years later in 1693 an earthquake shook the town down to its foundations.

After the 1693 eruption the entire old part of Catania was rebuilt in Baroque style, with large, wide open squares and avenues, using lava! The use of lava as a building material sets Catania apart from all other cities in the world.

While with ESCAPE TO SHAPE - Sicily, guest will enjoy touring the old town center of Catania, the Piazza Duomo, the town hall, fish market, Castello Ursino and the city's symbolic lava elephant fountain. Opera lovers are in for a unique treat, as the opera house Teatro Massimo Bellini is open from October to June and is well worth a visit. Tickets can be arranged at an additional charge.

MT ETNA -While with ESCAPE TO SHAPE -Sicily guests will enjoy a guided hike on Mt. Etna, lead by a certified volcanologist/ mountain guide. The 4-5 hour round trip hike is safe, a great way to burn calories and experience the beauty of this legendary volcano.

The power and romance of mount Etna, at 3,323m (almost 10,902 ft) the tallest active volcano in Europe, and undoubtedly the dominating feature of the eastern part of Sicily has attracted the attention of travelers, artists, poets and philosophers for centuries:

"The port capacious, and secure from wind,
Is to the foot of thund'ring Etna joined.
By turns a pitchy cloud she rolls on high:
By turns hot embers from her entrails fly,
And flakes of mounting flames, that lick the sky.
Oft from her bowels massy rocks are thrown,
And shivered by the force come piece-meal down.
Oft liquid lakes of burning sulphur flow,
Fed from the fiery springs that boil below." Virgil - about 20BC

"..Etna, that wicked witch, resting her thick white snow under heaven, and slowly, slowly rolling her orange-colored smoke. They called her the Pillar of Heaven, the Greeks. It seems wrong at first, for she trails up in a long, magical, flexible line from the sea's edge to her blunt cone, and does not seem tall. She seems rather low, under heaven. But as one knows her better, oh, awe and wizardry! Remote under heaven, aloof, so near, yet never with us. The painters try to paint her, and the photographers to photograph her, in vain. Because why? Because the near ridges, with their olives and white houses, these are with us. Because the river-bed, and Naxos under the lemon groves, Greek Naxos deep under dark-leaved, many-fruited lemon groves, Etna's skirts and skirt-bottoms, these still are our world, our own world…If you would see her, you must slowly take off your eyes from the world and go a naked seer to the strange chamber of the empyrean. Pedestal of heaven!…" D.H. Lawrence 1920-22

The majestic Mt. Etna has always dominated the lives of those who live in its shadow: Its lava flows and dust clouds bring destruction, but they also enrich the soil, making the lower slopes and the surrounding plains some of the most fertile regions in Sicily, and spawning vast expanses of vines and citrus plantation. The periodic eruptions have been well documented through history, from the tales of Pindar to the modern day. Recent eruptions have been spectacular in their nature, though quite safe as they start far from inhabited areas. Whenever Etna erupts, journalists and travelers are drawn from all over the world to admire (from a safe distance) the unique sight of the smoking craters and snaking lava flows, which are visible from miles away.