Beginner Yoga Retreat in the Spanish Pyrenees
Never done yoga? Not flexible? No idea how to meditate? That’s exactly where more than 40% of our guests start. Learn at your own pace, in a small group, in a 13th-century palace surrounded by forest and mountains.
★★★★★ 4.9 on Google · 241 reviews · 3,000+ guests since 2015
Can I go on a yoga retreat with no experience?
Yes. Our yoga and meditation retreats are designed so anyone can follow along from day one, whatever their experience. Every pose is taught at three levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced) and you choose the one your body needs; meditations are guided step by step, and groups are small. You don’t need to be flexible, fit or know anything about yoga — just want to slow down.
40%+
of our guests are on their very first retreat
4.9 ★
241 Google reviews
3,000+
guests have joined our retreats
Since 2015
hosting retreats in the Navarre Pyrenees
Retreat Calendar
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What worries you before your first retreat (and why it shouldn’t)
These are the questions people ask us most before booking. Here’s what actually happens at Casa Marterena.
“I’m not flexible”
Flexibility is a result of yoga, not a requirement. Every pose has a simple version, and we use props (blocks, blankets, cushions) so the pose adapts to you — not the other way round.
“I’ve never meditated and my mind never stops”
That’s completely normal. Nobody will ask you to empty your mind: meditations are guided, anchored in the breath, and include yoga nidra, a deep relaxation practised lying down.
“I don’t speak Spanish”
Jon speaks English. He gives you the key instructions in English and is happy to answer any question in your language. Isabel and he welcome every guest personally.
“I’m coming on my own”
Very common. The group is small, meals are shared and the walks invite conversation — by the first dinner most people already feel at ease.
“I won’t keep up”
There’s no pace to keep up with. Complete beginners practise alongside people with years of experience, each at their own level. Nobody is competing.
“I have an injury or back pain”
Let us know when you book. Jon adapts the poses or offers alternatives, and you can always rest. If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor first.
How our yoga and meditation retreat works for beginners
We’ve been running retreats at Casa Marterena since 2015, and we’ve learned that beginners don’t need an intensive course — they need a safe place to try things without pressure. Here’s how we make that happen:
- Three levels for every pose (beginner, intermediate, advanced). You choose; if in doubt, we’ll suggest the simplest version.
- Gentle, well-explained yoga: hatha yoga, conscious breathing (pranayama) and deep relaxation with yoga nidra and a gong bath.
- Guided meditation from scratch, with clear instructions and no dogma.
- Small groups, so Jon can look after each person.
- Yoga meets psychology: Jon is a psychologist with over 40 years of yoga and meditation practice. He explains the “why” behind every practice.
- Mindful walks through the surrounding woods and the Irati Forest, at an easy pace.
Choose your dates — every retreat is beginner-friendly
A typical day on retreat
A simple rhythm of practice, nature, good food and rest. No packed schedule.
- 07:30 Meditation and yoga practice
- 09:30 Healthy breakfast
- 10:00 Mindful walk in nature
- 13:30 Home-cooked vegetarian lunch
- 14:30 Free time and rest
- 16:00 Relaxation, pranayama (breathwork) and yoga nidra
- 19:00 Dinner
- 20:00 Satsang: time to share and ask questions
- 22:00 Silence and rest
Times are approximate and vary by retreat and season.
Retreat price: all-inclusive
One price per person covering accommodation, all vegetarian meals, every yoga and meditation session, the walks and all equipment. VAT included. You just choose your room:
Mixed triple room
€320
Private bathroom in the hallway, 3 metres away
Shared twin room
€370
Private bathroom en suite or in the hallway, in order of booking
Single room
€450
Private en-suite bathroom
Prices per person for a weekend retreat. Longer retreats and special dates are priced individually — see the calendar.
50% deposit to book · Free cancellation up to 15 days before
Book with peace of mind
- Secure your place with a 50% deposit; pay the rest on arrival, by card or cash.
- Free cancellation up to 15 days before: we refund 100% of your deposit or, if you prefer, keep it as credit for 12 months.
- Can’t make it? Transfer your place to someone else at no cost.
- If we ever cancel, you get a 100% refund.
- Secure card payment through BBVA/Redsys.
What first-timers say
Real reviews posted on Google by our guests (translated from Spanish).
★★★★★
It was my first retreat and it was perfect. Yoga and meditation with Jon: 10 out of 10 — he completely adapts to the group…Adriana · Google review, 5/5
★★★★★
A magical weekend, a wonderful atmosphere, so much peace and calm, and both Jon and Isabel welcomed us…
Lorena · Google review, 5/5
★★★★★
An experience that gave me a lot, both physically and mentally. As for the food — breakfasts and dinners — everything was delicious!
Marta A. · Google review, 5/5
Read all 241 Google reviews (4.9/5)
select your dates — we are beginner-friendly
We don’t run a separate “beginners only” retreat because we don’t need to: in every retreat, practice is adapted to each person. For a first time, a weekend is a great way to start.
Who guides you: Jon and Isabel
Jon Usandizaga is a psychologist and yoga teacher with more than 1,000 hours of training in hatha, ashtanga and yoga nidra, trained in the Sivananda tradition. He has practised yoga and meditation for over 40 years and has led the retreats at Casa Marterena since 2015. His psychology background shows in the way he teaches: no dogma, the reasons behind each practice explained, and particular care for anyone arriving stressed or run down. He speaks English, French and Spanish.
Isabel, co-founder of Retiros Yoga Pirineo, is the heart of the house and the kitchen — the vegetarian food so many reviews mention is hers.
Casa Marterena: a 13th-century palace on the edge of the Irati Forest
The retreat takes place at Casa Marterena, a 13th-century Navarrese palace in the village of Arrieta, restored with respect for its original structure and traditional furniture. Silence, forest and mountains outside your window — next to Irati, one of Europe’s largest beech and fir forests.
- Outward-facing rooms with private bathrooms.
- Spacious yoga hall with wooden floors and exposed beams.
- Vegetarian, gluten-free cooking with vegetables from the garden. Tell us about allergies or intolerances when you book.
- Navarre Tourism Registry: Marterena UP00974 · Casa Carpintero UPE00975.
Getting here
Arrieta is in the Arce Valley, Navarre, in northern Spain: about 45 minutes by car from Pamplona, 2 h 15 from Biarritz airport and 2 h 30 from Bilbao airport. We send detailed directions when you book.
Meditation retreat for beginners: learn to meditate without knowing how
Plenty of people try meditating at home with an app and give up after a few days. It isn’t a lack of willpower: it’s hard to learn to stop in the same place where you’re always rushing. A retreat changes the context. No notifications, a simple schedule and someone to guide you — and meditation stops being one more task on the list.
The research supports starting this way, with honest expectations: a review of 47 clinical trials in JAMA Internal Medicine (Goyal et al., 2014) found that meditation programmes produce moderate improvements in anxiety, depression and pain. It isn’t magic — it’s attention training. On retreat you’ll practise:
- Guided breath meditation, the simplest way in.
- Yoga nidra (“yogic sleep”), a guided relaxation done lying down.
- Walking meditation in the forest — ideal if sitting still is hard for you.
- Kirtan, meditative group chanting, for anyone who’d like to try.
Try it now: two minutes of breathing
- Sit with your back comfortable and your feet on the floor.
- Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.
- Breathe out through your nose for a count of 6, without forcing.
- Keep going for two minutes. If your mind wanders, start counting again — that is meditating too.
Lengthening the out-breath helps switch on the nervous system’s relaxation response. On retreat we take it further, step by step.
Beginner retreat FAQs
It’s a stay of a few days away from your routine where you practise yoga and guided meditation adapted to beginners, with accommodation and meals included. Ours last 3 to 6 days at Casa Marterena in the Navarre Pyrenees, in small groups, with every pose taught at three levels.
No. More than 40% of our guests are on their first retreat. Every pose has a beginner version and all meditations are guided. You don’t need to be flexible or particularly fit either.
Sessions are mainly guided in Spanish, but Jon speaks English: he gives you the key instructions in English and answers any question in your language.
A yoga retreat focuses on physical practice (poses, breathing, relaxation); a meditation retreat focuses on training attention in stillness. Ours combine both: yoga prepares the body and breath so meditation comes more easily — which helps a lot when you’re starting out.
Our retreats last 3 to 6 days. For a first retreat we recommend a weekend: long enough to feel the difference, without a big commitment.
A weekend retreat costs €320 in a triple room, €370 in a shared twin room and €450 in a single room, per person. It includes accommodation, all vegetarian meals, all activities and equipment. VAT included.
Yes — it’s very common. The group is small, meals are shared and the atmosphere is calm and respectful. If you’d like a room to yourself, choose the single room.
Comfortable clothes to practise in, hiking boots, warm layers (evenings in the Pyrenees are cool), thick socks, a water bottle, a notebook and your own mat if you have one. We send a full packing list when you book.
No. There are times of silence — during some meditations and from 10 pm — but conversation flows normally at meals and on walks.
No. It’s spiritual in a broad, secular sense: we work with yoga and meditation practices, also explained through psychology, without asking you to adopt any belief.
There’s no age limit for starting. Many people on their first retreat with us are between 45 and 65. Poses are adapted to your body and your stage of life.
Cancel 15 days or more before the start and we refund 100% of your deposit, or you keep it as credit for 12 months. Within 15 days, we try to fill your place; if we do, your deposit becomes credit. You can also transfer your place to someone else at no cost.
Plan your first retreat
If you like to arrive with everything clear, start here:
- Casa Marterena — the house, rooms and surroundings.
- Hatha yoga for beginners: what it is and how it helps — the style of yoga you’ll practise on retreat.
- All our retreats, season by season — dates, lengths and prices.
- About Jon, your teacher — his path through yoga and psychology.
Your first retreat starts with a date
You don’t need experience or any special preparation. Just a few days set aside for yourself. We’ll take care of the rest — together with the forest and the silence of the Pyrenees.
From €320 all-inclusive · Book with a 50% deposit · Free cancellation up to 15 days before
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