21 Day Gaia Gourmet Plant-Based Culinary Training Course and Certification in Verona, Northern Italy
Plant-Based Culinary Course in Italy
Interested in exploring a new career in the plant-based culinary arts, helping the environment, practicing yoga, and striving for optimal wellness—all at the same time? With the Gaia Gourmet Culinary Training immersion, you’ll travel to a beautiful destination and spend twenty days learning gourmet cooking through hands-on experience. Enjoy delicious, colorful, and decadent vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Expand your kitchen skills to deeply nourish yourself and others, while sipping a fabulous glass of Barolo in Italy!
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Gaia Gourmet culinary training manual
- Gaia Gourmet certificate of completion
- Around 40 hours each week in and around the kitchen
- Morning yoga and meditation classes
- 20 nights in luxury accommodations in shared room
- Organic Gaia Gourmet vegetarian or vegan meals
- Full access to magical private properties
- 3 weeks making friends for life with beautiful souls from around the world
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Accommodation
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Dining area
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Labyrinth
- Lobby
- Lounge
- Luggage room / storage
- Meditation garden
- Terrace
- Yoga shala
- Conference room
- Laundry
- Library
- Meeting room
- Parking lot
- Wireless internet
The Villa and Wine Resort
The timeless beauty of Villa Dei Cipressi, nestled on the highest hilltop of the Sona Village, is both enchanting and inviting. Her classically elegant architecture and design are said to date back to the end of the ninth century.
Spacious rooms are tastefully decorated with antique furniture including many beautiful art deco pieces, original artworks, exquisite lighting, ancient tiles, linen drapes, and luxurious bedding. You will begin each day with a beautiful morning yoga practice in the panoramic sunroom facing the park.
The grand estate, recognized as a Heritage Site, spreads out over 28 hectares including vineyards, olive groves, and gardens with Villa del Cipressi centered as the crown jewel. Just outside the villa are ancient coniferous and cypress trees, a rose garden, lily pond with fountain, a bamboo grove with an outdoor pizza oven, expansive lawn, swimming pool, and several cozy seating areas to relax, contemplate and enjoy the breathless views of the Verona Valley with a delicious glass of wine cultivated right on the property. All of this and more creates a romantic, dream-like atmosphere in exclusive privacy.
This property, at about 200 meters above sea level, is part of the Garda Lake Morainic amphitheater. The unique geologic formation is composed of many horseshoe-shaped hills carved out by glaciers and streams 100,000 years ago. The special soil composition is a key to their world-renowned wines. Verona is to the East, Garda Lake to the West, and the Dolomites to the North.
The Landini family has owned this property since 1963. The Sparici-Landini motivating spirit is their love of the land, its vineyards, and olive groves. The founder of the wine resort was a woman, Maddalena, called “la Grisa”.
Their 40 years of success in wine production is a synthesis of rich traditions developed over centuries, wisely measured modernism, and, most importantly, good soil. They harvest the finest selection of grapes for their boutique wines bunch by bunch by hand.
Program
The Yoga of Cooking: A 21-Day Plant-Based Culinary Arts Course
The sacred union of mind, body, and spirit is deeply connected to the way you receive nourishment. Optimal nourishment from food strengthens the physical body (in the yoga tradition, they call it the Anamaya kosha) so that it can best support mental and spiritual awakening. Not only what you eat, but also how you eat and where your food comes from are very important.
Considering this, Lakshmi School has made delicious and nutritious vegetarian cooking and eating lifestyle. When you pair the best and most consciously cultivated vegetables, fruits and herbs with an expert, sophisticated and artful palate, you get Gaia Gourmet Cuisine. You will nourish all of the senses and layers of who you are so that you can live your best lives.
Exclusive surroundings, experiential eating
In this unique certification program, students participate in all aspects of catering a yoga teacher training. The course is based on tried and tested Gaia Gourmet methods and recipes under the guidance of Chef Naga and his team. You’ll gain tools and insight to embark upon a new career in the plant-based culinary arts, such as catering yoga retreats and wellness events or working as a private chef. This program is also a great option if you’d like to join a friend or partner during their yoga course!
With love, for health
Your daily schedule will vary but expect to spend about 40 hours each week in and around the kitchen. You’ll be cooking from day one - working with the finest natural ingredients to create nutrient-dense gourmet cuisine in a precise, professional environment.
Other highlights may include shopping for goods and produce at the best local markets and farms, optional group wellness excursions, and exclusive enjoyment of an exquisite private château in southwest France.
Who is this program for?
This program is for you if you want hands-on experience in a working vegetarian kitchen preparing Chef Naga’s world renown dishes. You will get to perform the full range of cooking, from the basics to the advanced. You will make some of the most delicious vegan and gluten-free desserts, an array of different dressings and sumptuous sauces so that you can reproduce them at home for yourself, family, friends, or potentially setting you up for a career in the culinary arts.
This experience will give you an opportunity to cultivate greater confidence and skill while cooking at home. If you have some professional kitchen experience already, this program will inspire your plant-based repertoire and open your eyes and tastebuds to new possibilities. This program is also a great option if you’d like to join a friend or partner during their yoga course. All levels of cooking experience are welcome. No prior experience is necessary.
Curriculum
The Gaia Gourmet method centers focus and awareness, bringing mindfulness to the kitchen as you lovingly transform the raw materials into a multi-sensory, communal dining experience. This training is 100% experiential, not a traditional classroom. All of the learning happens hands-on in real time.
You will learn by watching and doing. It takes a lot of structure to feed 20+ yogis three amazing meals each day, so the menu is standardized rather than improvised. Space is limited to only two participants per culinary training, so you will get maximum practice time in front of the stovetop, oven, blender or grill!
You Will Experience:
- How to organize a plant-based kitchen
- Optimization of produce lifespan and uses
- The versatility of nuts and seeds: nut butters, vegan cheeses, and garnishes
- The ultimate vegetable stock
- Spice combining
- Lunch and dinner entrees
- Soups, dals, curries, and kicharis
- Salads and dressings
- Decadent vegan, gluten-free desserts and biscuits
- How to handle dietary restrictions, special needs, allergies, and sensitivities
- Problem solving on the fly in a live kitchen environment
- Menu planning, including describing and announcing dishes
- Scheduling and time management
- Meal service (front and back of house programming, including table setting and clearing)
- Strategic kitchen cleaning
- Daily Vinyasa yoga classes
- Morning meditation
- Ayurveda lectures
- Yoga philosophy lectures
Instructors
Liz Lindh
Dr. Elizabeth Lindh is the Founder and Program Director of Lakshmi Rising Yoga & Wellness, an international platform for transformational yoga education, wellness, travel, and conscious community. As the lead facilitator of Yoga Alliance-accredited teacher trainings, Liz has developed a rigorous, multidisciplinary certification program that has empowered over 1,200 students from nearly 50 countries to become yoga instructors. Her signature 200- and 300-hour trainings—held in Costa Rica, France, Spain, Italy, and, beginning in 2026, Portugal
Chef Naga
Chef Naga is a self-trained plant-based chef. In 2001, after having profound life-realizations while on a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat, Naga became a vegetarian. Chef Naga developed and honed his meditation and culinary skills by embracing the empirical scientific method of running experiments, analyzing data, adjusting accordingly, and repeating again and again. The results of this refinement process are multidimensional vegetarian and vegan dishes with rich and complex flavor profiles as well as gluten-free vegan desserts that are nutrient-dense and plate-licking amazing.
Location
Verona, Italy
The charm and deep-rooted history of Verona led you to explore this magical region to host your October Yoga Teacher Training. Verona is a medieval city built between the majestic Adige River in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It’s famous for being the setting of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
This magical old town is home to the Verona Arena, a huge 1st-century Roman amphitheater, which currently hosts concerts and large-scale opera performances regularly. In the province surrounding Verona, there are some of the most historical areas of world-famous wines such as Valpolicella (Amarone), Soave, Lugana, Bardolino, Custoza, Durello, that can be accessed in less than 30 minutes' drive.
Food
A mouthwatering experience: gourmet vegetarian and vegan cuisine
Nutrition is more than just feeding the physical body. Food is essential on so many levels and that’s why Lakshmi Rising has chosen Gaiaa Gourmet Cuisine to cater to all of the international retreats and yoga teacher training. This incredible cuisine nourishes every aspect of your being - supporting, nourishing, and cleansing your body, mind, and spirit along your journey.
The talented plant-based chef creates three unforgettable Gaia gourmet vegetarian or vegan meals per day inspired by the world’s greatest cuisines. Healthy organic food is artistically crafted to please all of the senses. Meals are designed around the seasons using Ayurvedic principles while incorporating the best and freshest local ingredients, herbs, and spices.
They procure and serve all organic produce from local family farms. The meals are well balanced and prepared with love. This positive energy is infused into the food, aiding the digestion process.
Balanced nutrition for the body and mind
It’s important that you are well-fed and completely nourished from the inside out when you join this training. With a vegetarian-based menu (and vegan and gluten-free options available), you will be provided plenty of protein by using legumes, seeds and nuts, artisan cheeses, and eggs from free-ranging chickens.
They only use whole grains and natural sweeteners. With an ever-expanding orchard of over 300 various tropical fruit trees, the freshly picked organic fruits make great complements to your dining experience. Overall, this will produce a more lively healthy body and mind and is the most environmentally friendly diet.
They always do their best to accommodate food allergies. They can omit certain items from dishes, such as cheese, dairy, and nuts. They cannot guarantee a completely gluten-free or nut-free environment. Persons with serious food allergies such as Celiac disease or those on a 100% raw food diet should not attend a retreat.
The organizer must know of all serious food issues at least three weeks prior to arrival. Bring an open mind and allow your taste buds to savor this unique culinary adventure!
Here is a sampling of our menu:
Lunch
- Zucchini-Basil Pesto Linguine
- Arugula, Orange & Fennel Salad with an Orange Balsamic Dressing
- Chana Masala and Caribbean Coconut Rice
- Arugula, Feta, Watermelon & Mint Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Sweet Balsamic Drizzle
- Rainbow Summer Rolls with Fresh Basil and Sweet and Spicy-Ginger Marinated Tofu and a House-made Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Supreme Kale-Fennel Salad with an Orange Tahini Dressing
- Pesto Primavera Lasagna
- Arugula with a Creamy Avocado, Panamanian Chili, & Cucumber Dressing
- Marinated and Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Sautéed Spinach, Caramelized Onions Gnocchi with a sweet balsamic drizzle and brown-buttered crispy sage and a roasted garlic & cashew béchamel sauce
- Arugula & Avocado salad with a Black Pepper Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette and salty cashews.
- Pumpkin Risotto with Brown Buttered Crispy Sage
- Arugula & Crispy Camote Salad with a Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Moroccan Quinoa Couscous with Coconut Raita and Blackened Tofu
- Kale and Roasted Chickpea Salad with Honey-Ginger Dressing
Dessert
- Hand-crafted Dark Chocolate Truffles
- Blackberry-Mango and Dark Chocolate Tart Almondine with vanilla coconut cream
- Vanilla-bean panna cotta with a hibiscus mango syrup and dark chocolate yin-yang
- Twice as nice Double-chocolate mousse with mango confetti
- Tiramisu Karma Kup
- Lemon and Passion Fruit Cheesecake with a chocolate drizzle
- Magical Coconut Bars
Dinner
- Coconut Spinach Broth with an Avocado Chickpea Bisque
- Miso Soup with a Ginger Soba Noodle
- Kale and Camote Kichari, made with red-lentils, brown rice and an eclectic Indian spice blend.
- Mediterranean Plate with Traditional Hummus, Avocado-ganoush, Watermelon-Tomato-Feta Salad, Carrot and Snap Pea crudités, and crackers.
- Lovely Lentil Soup with Lemony Kale
- Leek and White Bean Cassoulet with a vegan-GF buttermilk biscuit
- French Country Pistou Soup w/ garlic bread
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Lactose Free
- Whole food
Things to do (optional)
Your culinary course will be intense. As a part of your personal growth and wellness element of the training, Gaia Gourmet has some delightful cultural excursions planned for you, all at your own cost!
What's included
- Gaia Gourmet certification upon successful completion of the course
- Gaia Gourmet culinary training manual
- Gaia Gourmet apron
- 20 nights in luxury accommodations
- 3 incredible, organic Gaia Gourmet vegetarian or vegan meals each on-site day (excluding arrival, departure and excursion days)
- Unlimited coffee, an assortment of teas, and fresh fruit for snacks
- Weekly self-serve laundry with access to a machine and weekly towel and linen changes
- Full access to magical private properties including gardens, trails, swimming pools, and more
- Morning yoga and meditation classes
- Select yoga workshops that relate to the cuisine
What's not included
- Flights
- Airport transfers
- Group excursions
- Access to exceptional wine tastings, pairings, and producers
- Meals on arrival, departure, and excursion days
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Verona Villafranca Airport
6 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Verona Villafranca Airport (VRN). Plan to arrive at the villa on Saturday after 4:00 p.m. The villa is a short distance from both the train station and the airport in Verona. It is very simple to hire a taxi from your arrival point (address included in your welcome letter). You will have a welcome celebration dinner at the villa that evening.
You can also easily get here from Florence or Rome Airports!
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.