A week immersion at the Longevity Lab

DAY 1 | SUNDAY: Arrival & Grounding

Your longevity journey begins the moment you arrive at Heraklion airport. Private transfer to Villa Kerasia, where you'll be welcomed with traditional meze and organic wine from Babis vineyard—your first taste of how Cretans welcome their guests.

Settle into the Villa and explore the historical restored building, the gardens and the surrounding paths and village. Let the slower rhythm begin to work on your nervous system.

Evening: Welcome dinner. Meet your fellow longevity apprentices and your instructors.

DAY 2 | MONDAY: Foundation & Assessment

Morning: Gentle mat Pilates with fascia release techniques, followed by your comprehensive movement and posture assessment. This is where we understand your body's current state and design your personalized longevity movement protocol.

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast. Hydration practices workshop—learn how Cretans approach water intake for cellular health. Rest and digest.

Midday: Individual session with your instructor and/or bodywork therapist—beginning your tailored program.

Afternoon: Private Pilates session with fascial focus, then free time to rest, journal, or wander.

Early Evening: Mindful writing session—set intentions for your week, reflect on what brought you here.

Evening: Journey to Archanes village in the foothills of Mount Juktas. Dinner at a family taverna where locals still gather nightly—your introduction to parea (the Greek art of companionship) and how social connection extends lifespan.

DAY 3 | TUESDAY: Ancient Wisdom

Morning: Mat Pilates session with fascia hydration exercises and movement meditation—learning to move with awareness, not just effort.

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast and relaxation.

Late Morning: Depart for the Palace of Knossos, Europe's oldest city. Walk where the Minoans walked 4,000 years ago—a civilization that thrived on this island's resources. Continue to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion to understand the deep cultural roots of Cretan resilience.

Afternoon: Gastronomic walking tour of Heraklion—market visits, tasting stops, conversations with vendors who've worked the same stalls for generations. This is food culture as living practice.

Evening: Return to Villa Kerasia. Private sessions available.

Pre-Dinner: Mindful writing session—capture insights from the day's cultural immersion.

Dinner: Omega-3 rich feast featuring ingredients from the places you visited.

DAY 4 | WEDNESDAY: The Mysterious South

Morning: Mat Pilates with deep fascia release work—building on yesterday's practice. Hydration exercise sequences to prepare for the day's coastal adventure.

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast and relaxation.

Late Morning: Depart for the wild, less-traveled Southern coast. This isn't the tourist Crete—these are the villages, beaches, and gorges where traditional life persists.

Midday: Time at a hidden beach. Swim in water that's been here since the myths began. Late lunch at a seaside taverna where fishermen still bring the daily catch.

Afternoon: Option to hike coastal paths with a local guide, learning to identify and forage wild herbs used for centuries in Cretan health practices—dittany, sage, mountain tea, oregano. Understand their medicinal properties and how to use them.

Evening: Return to Villa Kerasia. Private sessions available.

Before Dinner: Mindful writing session—reflect on the wild beauty of the south, what slowing down reveals.

DAY 5 | THURSDAY: Deepening Practice

Morning: Mat Pilates session with integrated fascia release and hydration sequences. (Optional add-on: Shiatsu massage, extended movement meditation, or Bowen therapy)

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast and relaxation.

Afternoon: Your choice of longevity experiences:

Cooking immersion: Prepare traditional dishes with a local cook at the Villa

Mountain foraging hike: Guided trek to gather wild herbs and greens, learning their health properties

E-bike exploration: Village routes through olive groves and vineyards

Therapeutic bodywork: Extended massage session

Beach time: Simply rest by the sea

Late Afternoon: Guided mindful writing session—"My Longevity Blueprint"—begin articulating the practices you'll take home.

Evening: Group session and Omega-3 rich dinner at Villa Kerasia.

DAY 6 | FRIDAY: The Gift of the Vine

Morning: Mat Pilates with advanced fascia release techniques—refining the practice you'll take home. Hydration exercise review.

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast and relaxation.

Late Morning: Visit local organic wineries. Meet vintners maintaining traditional methods. Taste wines from indigenous grapes that have grown on this island for millennia. Learn why moderate wine consumption (the Greek way) is associated with longevity.

Afternoon: Return to Villa for rest.

Late Afternoon: Final mindful writing session—integrate the week's experiences, complete your personal longevity protocol.

Evening: Final group session with fascia release and restorative movement. Omega-3 rich dinner at Villa Kerasia—a celebration of the week's learning.

DAY 7 | SATURDAY: Integration

Morning: Mat Pilates session with full fascia release and hydration sequence—consolidating your personalized protocol.

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast and relaxation.

Afternoon: Free day for deeper exploration. Options include:

Journey to Rethymnon's Venetian old town and harbor

Visit Agios Nikolaos and the island-fortress of Spinalonga

Extended foraging hike in the mountains

Village immersion experiences

Simply rest and reflect

Evening: Farewell dinner. Share insights from your week. Toast to the longevity principles you're taking home.

DAY 8 | SUNDAY: Departure With Purpose

Morning: Final mat Pilates session with fascia release and hydration practices—closing the circle.

Post-Practice: Receive your personalized take-home materials:

Your tailored Pilates practice guide (including fascia release and hydration exercises)

Cretan Omega-3 nutrition guidelines adapted for your home kitchen

Herbal remedies and foraging knowledge

Your personal longevity protocol (refined through mindful writing)

Mindful journaling practices for continued integration

Mid-Morning: Traditional Cretan breakfast and final moments at the Villa.

Departure: Private transfer to Heraklion airport, timed to your individual flight. You leave with more than memories—you leave with a roadmap for living longer, better.