Breathwork with... Anna-Katharina Kestel
13. - 20. December 2026
From 13–20 December 2026, Anna-Katharina will be our guest as Breathwork Teacher in Residence. During this time, she will offer daily breathwork and yoga classes as well as sauna sessions. In her work, she combines the power of breath with mindful movement and shows how the breath can support us in everyday life - as something we always carry with us. Through her teaching, she creates spaces filled with lightness and joy in the practice.
From 13–20 December 2026, Anna-Katharina will be our guest as Breathwork Teacher in Residence. During this time, she will offer daily breathwork and yoga classes as well as sauna sessions. In her work, she combines the power of breath with mindful movement and shows how the breath can support us in everyday life - as something we always carry with us. Through her teaching, she creates spaces filled with lightness and joy in the practice.
What role does yoga play in your life?
Yoga continually brings me back to myself and to the present moment. For me, yoga and breathwork are not only a balance to everyday life, but also companions in the small moments when I need support. It is a practice for life that reminds me to remain open and empathetic, to treat myself and others with kindness, and to accept things as they are.
What do you hope to share with your students through your yoga classes?
I want to invite people to move from thinking more into feeling - with joy, presence, and conscious movement. We build strength, cultivate inner resilience, and stay connected to ourselves through the breath. It’s not only about the longer or more intensive practices, but also about the small tools we can take into everyday life: conscious pauses, supportive breathing exercises, or brief moments to slow down. Often, it is exactly these small steps that make our daily lives feel lighter.
What would you describe as the core of your philosophy?
In the end, what remains is the present moment - with presence, compassion, and authenticity. The breath as an anchor, the body as a compass, and the practice as a path to meeting ourselves more deeply. Because we can only meet others as deeply as we meet ourselves. I believe that bringing more awareness into everyday life can make our encounters - and perhaps even the world - a little better.
What role does yoga play in your life?
Yoga continually brings me back to myself and to the present moment. For me, yoga and breathwork are not only a balance to everyday life, but also companions in the small moments when I need support. It is a practice for life that reminds me to remain open and empathetic, to treat myself and others with kindness, and to accept things as they are.
What do you hope to share with your students through your yoga classes?
I want to invite people to move from thinking more into feeling - with joy, presence, and conscious movement. We build strength, cultivate inner resilience, and stay connected to ourselves through the breath. It’s not only about the longer or more intensive practices, but also about the small tools we can take into everyday life: conscious pauses, supportive breathing exercises, or brief moments to slow down. Often, it is exactly these small steps that make our daily lives feel lighter.
What would you describe as the core of your philosophy?
In the end, what remains is the present moment - with presence, compassion, and authenticity. The breath as an anchor, the body as a compass, and the practice as a path to meeting ourselves more deeply. Because we can only meet others as deeply as we meet ourselves. I believe that bringing more awareness into everyday life can make our encounters - and perhaps even the world - a little better.
Yoga Teacher in Residence
We are always expecting a variety of talented yoga teachers to create our open classes at Schwarzschmied and stay here as resident yoga teachers. Each of them brings their unique style and expertise to offer our guests an enriching yoga experience. You can look forward to varied offerings for your wellbeing and relaxation.
Read more
We are always expecting a variety of talented yoga teachers to create our open classes at Schwarzschmied and stay here as resident yoga teachers. Each of them brings their unique style and expertise to offer our guests an enriching yoga experience. You can look forward to varied offerings for your wellbeing and relaxation.
Read more
Our next Retreats
Inside Flow is a symbiosis of breath, movement and music. In this popular class format, you move fluently on beat to modern music and learn step by step a yoga choreography.
Inside Flow is derived from Vinyasa Flow Yoga, with the synchronization of breath and movement at its core. A constant flow, without beginning, without end. The individual asanas fade into the background, while transitions and flowing movements take center stage. Music becomes an essential part, giving heart and expression to the practice.
The result is a flow, meditation in movement, where the body releases happiness hormones and you experience a flow state on the mat that can be addictive. If you enjoy moving to music and already have some yoga experience, Inside Flow is just right for you!
Program
Thursday
5:00 – 6:30 pm Welcome Class
Friday
8:00 – 9:30 am Align & Flow – Alignment for Vinyasa Flow
4:30 – 6:00 pm Inside Flow – A Yoga Choreography on Beat
Saturday
8:00 – 9:30 am Align & Flow – Alignment for Vinyasa Flow
4:30 – 6:00 pm Inside Flow – A Yoga Choreography on Beat
Sunday
9:00 – 10:00 am Inside Flow – A Yoga Choreography on Beat
- for yogis with first experience -
- Vinyasa Yoga, Inside Flow -
- 3 nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied
- Breakfast at “La Fucina”
- Lunch or dinner in our Slow Food restaurants “La Fucina” or Bistro “Luce” (for an extra charge)
- Yoga equipment (mat, meditation cushion, yoga blocks) provided free of charge
- Grander water available throughout the hotel
- Mobility card for unlimited use of all public transport
Anna is an Inside Flow Senior Teacher and lives in Frankfurt. She travels as a trainer for Inside Yoga and Inside Flow throughout the German-speaking region as well as internationally. Her yoga classes come straight from the heart – she gently guides you through dynamic flows that allow you to sensitively feel into your body, tune your heartbeat to the beat of the music, and bring body awareness, thoughts, and emotions together. Her intention is to help you deepen the connection to your body and get to know yourself a little better.
Valid until 20. September 2026
This retreat invites you to immerse yourself in a world of mindfulness and inner peace – far from the fast pace of everyday life. Strengthened from within, you’ll return home with a renewed sense of balance, clarity, and vitality.
Together with Timo, you’ll learn to recognize your own strengths and use them intentionally for your well-being. Discover how to face challenges with confidence while staying connected to yourself. Step by step, you learn to release external pressure and fall back into your own natural rhythm – supported by breath, movement, and stillness.
A place to breathe. A moment just for you. A gift to your well-being.
Watch the video with Timo Wahl.
Programm
Sunday
Introductory class
Monday - Thursday
8:00 AM morning yoga session
5:00 PM relaxing evening yoga session
Friday
8:00 AM morning yoga session
– suitable for all levels –
– Hatha Vinyasa Yoga –
- 5 nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied
- Breakfast at “La Fucina”
- Lunch or dinner at our Slow Food restaurants “La Fucina” or Bistro “Luce” (at an extra charge)
- Yoga equipment (mat, meditation cushion, yoga blocks) provided free of charge
- Grander water throughout the hotel
- Mobility Card for unlimited use of all public transport
Timo Wahl discovered his love for yoga in 1998. He first studied Hatha Yoga in the tradition of Swami Sivananda and B.K.S. Iyengar, and later devoted himself intensively to Vinyasa Yoga. He completed training and advanced education with some of the world’s most renowned yoga teachers. He is not only a certified yoga teacher but also trains others. In his teaching, he draws on his extensive anatomical knowledge gained through his studies in sports science. He is especially known for his training programs in anatomy and alignment.
20. - 25. September 2026
The Subtle Motion Retreat is a short retreat that invites you to discover the power of gentle, conscious movement and targeted breathwork. In just two intensive days, you will experience how subtle impulses in body and breath can regulate your nervous system, foster presence and inner clarity, and give you a deep sense of self-connection.
This is not about classical yoga poses or performance, but about a therapeutically grounded practice tailored to your body and your needs. Every movement, every breath becomes an invitation to feel yourself more deeply, to find calm, and to gently bring your system back into balance.
Program
2 therapeutic breathwork & yoga sessions in the morning (90 min each)
2 therapeutic breathwork & yoga sessions in the evening (90 min each)
Welcome & Closing Circle for shared arrival and integration
– all levels –
– breathwork, yoga, therapy –
- 2 nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied
- Breakfast at "La Fucina" restaurant
- Lunch or Dinner at our slow food restaurants "La Fucina" or Bistro "Luce" (for an extra charge)
- Yoga equipment (yoga mat, pillow, yoga blocks) provided free of charge
- Grander water in the entire house
- Mobilcard for usage of public transport
As yoga and meditation teacher with a therapeutic and trauma-sensitive focus, Anja cares deeply about supporting people in a holistic way. She weaves together her expertise in yoga and mindfulness coaching with her background in sports science and naturopathy. For more than ten years, she has been guiding individuals and groups in movement. Since 2015, she has been integrating this extensive experience into her yoga classes, and since 2018 she has also been training students in yoga teacher trainings, particularly in anatomy and embodiment.
