AGUA
Portugal retreat: Fluid body
15 - 18 May 2025
Imagine the separation between yourself and the world dissolving. You become interdependent with everything around you. Your body and the world are seen in their true nature, pure and interconnected. You sense your body grounded in the earth, yet it is made of energy and light, translucent like a rainbow in space. Held and supported by space, but never separate from it.
– Willa Blythe Baker
Each practice session at our retreat will begin with this feeling of oneness. We will immerse into the experience of simply being, breathing, and deeply sensing our connection to the space. This simple practice helps us feel that we truly belong, that we are an integral part of the world. In space, held by space.
This awareness is linked to the concept of proprioception: the sense of your body’s position in space. Sometimes called the “sixth sense,” it’s a is a kind of somatic self-awareness. In our yoga practice, proprioception plays a central role, it helps us feel not just the movements of the body, but our connection to the space around us. We begin to dissolve the boundaries between body and mind, between self and nature. As we tune into the sensations of muscles, bones, joints, and breath, our bodies lead us back to the simplicity of being.
During the retreat, free from the distractions of daily routines, we’ll deepen our awareness and reconnect with our fluid body: the internal currents of motion and sensation that are always there, waiting to be felt. In this unhurried time, we allow ourselves to rest, be held in our process, explore and reflect.
We are made of water. We explore our most natural flow, the flow of water. Here, we rediscover our mobility, our fluidity, and our vast strength. Through daily practices, we’ll tap into these natural flows, finding a state of vitality, strength, and inner peace.
This is the 13th edition of our special retreats, where we come together to cultivate presence, explore our deepest rhythms, and to remember the most radiant versions of ourselves. My hope is to invite you into this immersion as an opportunity to come home to yourself in stillness, diving deeper into this curious investigation, and setting you on an experience of new perceptions and contemplation that feels intuitive and supported.
Through movement, breath, Qigong, meditation, self-awareness, sacred sound, nature immersion, deep rest, and play, we’ll tend to ourselves, reset energetically, and reconnect with our own unique flow state of being one that connects us all.
WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE
Over these four days, we will gradually allow our natural rhythms to resurface. Expect deep rest, immersion in nature and the nurturing energy of being in community. You will reconnect with your sense of belonging and aliveness in every moment:
- Three nourishing vegetarian meals daily, made from organic produce grown in the center's garden.
- Morning sessions: We’ll gently begin with Qigong practices, guided by Nuno Damaso, a lifelong bodyworker with vast experience in Tai Chi, Qigong, Taekwondo, and yoga. He will guide us in practices that focus on grounding, centering, and opening the physical body.
- Midday sessions: Vinyasa flow and somatic explorations - dynamic, intuitive movements suitable for all levels. These sessions incorporate embodied movement principles that help build strength, fluidity, and somatic awareness, allowing each participant to find their own unique rhythm and flow.
- Afternoon workshops: We’ll dive into experiential workshops on Emotional Intelligence with Nacor Elliot. Nacor, an expert life coach and emotional intelligence facilitator, will guide us through powerful practices designed to deepen self-awareness, enhance communication, and provide practical tools to connect with our feelings and needs.
- Sunset rituals: Close each day with chanting mantras and harmonium, cultivating presence, opening the heart, and inviting peace.
I was exactly where I needed to be in terms of location but even more so in terms of well-being and soul nourishing. You were a powerful yet gentle guidance and I truly appreciate your hard work. You gave everything this weekend so that we could receive. You have my admiration for that. I am grateful for spending my birthday with you and the borboletas coloridas you surrounded yourself with.
— Daphne Fruhmann
LOCATION
Monte da Orada, Alentejo, Portugal
Nestled in a quiet valley close to beautiful surf beaches, Monte da Orada is a magical ecological haven, dedicated to organic farming and conscious nutrition. It offers the perfect environment for yoga and contemplation in nature, with panoramic views of the stunning Portuguese countryside
ACCOMODATION & FACILITIES
Monte da Orada offers a variety of comfortable accommodations, from private en-suite rooms to unique spaces closer to nature, such as treehouses, teepees, or bungalows. The retreat center also features a bio-pool, yoga and meditation temples, a rooftop terrace, and a sacred amphitheater.
SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE
8:00am - Qigong practice, breath-awareness & meditation
9:00am - Breakfast
12:00am - Deep, slow, full-sensory Vinyasa flow (all levels)
1.30pm - Lunch
Free time - Relax, take a walk, receive treatments, enjoy the sauna, or simply rest
5:30pm - Experiential workshops on Emotional Intelligence
7:30pm - Dinner
8:30pm - Sunset/Chanting mantras
Andreina, if you feel like going through it all again and organising another retreat :) please do let me know. (And do bring your amazing mother!) I know only too well how hard organising people from all over the place is (herding cats is easier!) but think you did a brilliant job. Very best wishes to you all, and happy yoga-ing. —Beverley x
INVESTMENT
€674 - €773
This includes:
Tuition
Accommodation
Three organic vegetarian meals daily
Please note: The price does not include flights, airport transfers, treatments, kayaking, cycling, or transport to the beach.
PAYMENT INFORMATION
To book your space a €200 deposit is required - Please note, deposits are non-refundable unless you find someone to replace you on the retreat to take your spot.
Full payment is required by April 1st, 2025. For bookings after this date, full payment is required at the time of reservation.
GETTING THERE AND TIMING
Monte da Orada is located 1.5 hours from Faro Airport and 2.5 hours from Lisbon. Consider sharing taxis or rental cars with fellow participants to make travel more convenient and eco-friendlier.
CHECK IN: 3pm Thursday 15th May
CHECK OUT: 1.30pm on Sunday 18th May
I just wanted to say thank you for YOUR lovely words – that is so kind of you to say that. I found it invaluable, and both you and Jana have given me much more confidence to actually start thinking of myself as a potential teacher rather than just a student.
— Love Helen xx