Multidimensional Sound Healing with Social Psychology Retreat

Join us for five days of self-discovery, connection with others, and a deep re-connection with your heart, soul, and inner being. Immerse yourself in the healing practice of yoga and Social Psychology, coupled with the vibration of crystal bowls, gongs and the didgeridoo as you relax into and embrace the boundless presence within. This retreat is designed to guide you toward profound inner peace in the tranquil heart of the Monchique Mountains, where nature’s serenity surrounds and embraces you.

 


Schedule

Day 1

We begin with a welcome circle, connecting our souls through mindfulness practices, followed by a healthy, delicious, and nutritious dinner. A complimentary shuttle from Faro airport is available on this day for your convenience. Please contact us about the flight transfer before booking your flight.

Day 2

We start the day with hatha yoga, combining meditation, pranayama, asanas, and a soothing gong meditation. Afterwards, we gather together to enjoy a deliciously nutritious brunch. In the afternoon, Maria leads a therapeutic group session, and in the evening João offers a calming sound healing experience.

Day 3

On this day, we begin with a beautiful sound yoga practice, blending mantras, mudras, kundalini yoga, and gentle breathwork. The soothing sounds of the Gong and Didgeridoo will leave you feeling calm and rejuvenated.

In the afternoon, Maria will guide a psychodrama session, followed by a transformative evening featuring a Cacao ceremony, Ecstatic Dance, and Sound Healing—an unforgettable experience.

Day 4

Our fourth day begins with yoga and gong meditation, followed by a delicious brunch.

In the afternoon, João leads a Puja Sound Healing session using the Gong, crystal bowls, shamanic instruments, and light language activation. These transformative practices help you reconnect with your true self and inner purpose, opening your heart to greater abundance and love.

Day 5

Start your day with Sound Yoga and a delightful brunch.

In the afternoon, reconnect with your essence through Art Therapy led by Maria. As the evening unfolds, prepare for a profound experience: João, Jean-Jacques, and Vanessa will perform a seven-and-a-half-hour Gong Puja while you sleep. This immersive sound journey will impact you on a deep, subconscious level, reaching beyond what you can consciously observe.

Day 6

We wake up early after the regenerative Gong Puja, allowing you to watch a sunrise or take some time to integrate all activations of this week.

We get together for our final brunch and end this magical retreat in a sharing circle. For those needing an airport transfer we will leave Rural Escapes after 12 noon.


Meet the Facilitators

João Rafael Viana
Sound Healing / Gong Bath / Meditation

João a certified holistic therapist from Portugal, his mission is to spread love, peace, and light to all he encounters. His spiritual journey began in his childhood, when his mother introduced him to the world of energy and healing. At the age of twelve, João discovered Reiki, which sparked a deep and lifelong passion for holistic healing.

João embarked on a six-month pilgrimage through South America, where he encountered the ancient practice of Crystalline Sound healing. This modality initially came to him as a whisper during meditation, has become his calling.

Today, João integrates the wisdom gained from his travels, continuous study, and meditation into his therapeutic practices. Specialising in Crystalline Sound healing, which he offers to individuals and groups within the Algarve.


Maria Jose
Social Psychologist / Yoga Instructor

Maria shares her elder wisdom and uses creative approaches to help you awaken to a deeper awareness. She will guide you in processing internal challenges and unconscious patterns with compassion, facilitating the release of old structures that no longer serve your growth. This process opens the way for a more loving and liberated connection with all aspects of your life, including relationships, your profession, habits, and your soul’s path.


Jean Jacques
From a very young age, music has accompanied Jacques at every step of his journey. For him, music is vibration, and everything that lives vibrates. Life itself pulses in a constant search for harmony.
Jacques is a dedicated therapist specializing in Tui-Na massage, a sound therapist since 2018, a certified Gong Master since 2020, and an accredited facilitator of Biodanza SRT®.  He conducts individual and group sessions, utilizing Tibetan singing bowls and planetary gongs to foster balance and well-being.

Costs: €850 per person (all incl.)

Includes: Shared accommodation, all meals, all sessions, and airport pick-up and drop-off.

Continue reading “Multidimensional Sound Healing with Social Psychology Retreat”

Summer Solstice Yoga & Adventure Retreat

Location and Atmosphere

What is up with Portugal? It seems like everyone wants to travel there, move there, live there nowadays! Come explore the colourful, chilled-out Portuguese way of life with us at this yoga retreat at this unique, sustainable venue. Sip an espresso and watch the world go by at a street-side cafe. Paddle through stunning sea caves and watch out for dolphins on the horizon. And most importantly, get to know yourself better while you slow down and soak in the natural beauty of our home base in Portugal’s southern “Algarve” region.

Rural Escapes Portugal provides an inviting atmosphere surrounded by lush greenery and panoramic views of the mountains. The property features charming, eco-friendly accommodations designed to make you feel at home in the surrounding nature while providing all the amenities you need for a restful stay. From cozy, communal spaces to tranquil gardens, you’ll find plenty of spots to unwind, reflect, and connect with fellow participants.

The retreat location is strategically positioned for easy access to Monchique, a charming typically Portuguese town. The town itself boasts cobbled streets, traditional Portuguese houses, and stunning views over the surrounding hills and coastline. You’ll discover local shops, quaint cafés, and markets where you can experience authentic Portuguese culture.

Daily Schedule

Each day of the retreat is thoughtfully structured to provide a balanced mix of yoga, adventure, and relaxation. Mornings typically start with a sunrise meditation and then an invigorating yoga session led by Carrie. Carrie’s classes are designed thoughtfully to awaken and energize both body and mind, while weaving in mythology and the philosophical “off-the-mat” principles of yoga along the way. Carrie’s classes are trauma-informed with lots of options for beginners and experienced yogis alike! She does her best to make every practice inclusive and keep everyone engaged and learning throughout the week!

After a wholesome breakfast prepared by Zach, the midday schedule will include either an adventurous hike, beach day, or town exploration, or a special workshop on mindfulness, Ayurveda, or yoga for recovery. These interactive sessions offer practical insights that you can integrate into your daily life long after the retreat ends.

Afternoons are designed for relaxation and self-exploration. You might enjoy a leisurely walk in the surrounding hills, spend time at the pool, or engage in one of the optional additional activities offered.

Evenings culminate in yin or restorative yoga sessions, and then a chance to share experiences with fellow participants over a delicious dinner. Each meal is a celebration of local ingredients, reflecting our commitment to wellness and nourishment throughout your stay. More about the food below…

What activities are included in this Portugal yoga retreat?

This Portugal yoga retreat will have lots of included activities, along with optional add-on adventures. What’s included:

  • Mount Fóia highest point in  Southern Portugal – a hike (5 miles, 1000 feet of elevation gain)
  • Beach day at a popular nearby beach in the Algarve region
  • Sea cave kayaking tour
  • Half-day town exploration in Monchique
  • Daily or twice-daily yoga & mindfulness practices
  • Special Summer Solstice ceremony, other special workshops
  • Plenty of time to relax at Rural Escapes Portugal, hike around the area, or relax by the pool
  • Optional additional activities:
  • Surf lesson
  • Massage or treatment
  • Additional town or beach trips

To book

For more details and to book visit  Bigger Life Adventures website

Portugal Summer Solstice Yoga & Adventure Retreat!

Play, Create, Discover: An Inner Child Healing Retreat

 

The Retreat

Reconnect with your inner child and discover the needs that often go unmet in the busyness of daily life. When was the last time you allowed yourself to play and truly have fun? It’s so easy to lose sight of joy as we get caught up in our endless to-do lists and the demands of life.

At this retreat set in a stunning location, we will create a nurturing space where you can slow down, explore your shadows, and rediscover your playful spirit. Through guided sharing circles, creative activities, gentle yoga, breathwork, meditation and sound healing, we’ll embark on a journey of playfulness and healing.

Absolutely no art experience is necessary just a willingness to be open and allow the process to flow through. Creativity is a natural and Divine given form of expression open to everyone regardless of ability!

There will be plenty of opportunity to relax, hang out in a hammock, swim in the pool, read a book, journal and immerse yourself in nature.

This is your time to prioritise yourself, to listen to the whispers of your inner child, and to bring more balance, creativity, and joy into your life. Let’s come together to heal, grow, and play.

Who is this retreat for?

This retreat is designed for those who are ready to dive deep into their inner healing and recognise that true playfulness and joy come facing and transforming their shadows to unburden the inner-child. It’s a space for individuals who understand that in order to unlock a more fulfilling and vibrant life, both within themselves and in their relationships, they must first confront the aspects of themselves that hold them back.

During this retreat, you will be guided to explore and release the blocks that prevent you from experiencing true fun and connection. By embracing the more challenging parts of yourself, your spirit will become unburdened, allowing for greater self-love and authenticity. This transforming process will not only enhance your personal well-being but will also positively impact how you relate to others—whether in love partnerships, family, friends or within your broader community.

Daily Schedule

  • 8-9.15am  Gentle yoga
  • 9.30-10.30 Light breakfast
  • 11-1pm Daily activities this will include – playful activities such as process painting and writing, sound healing with João, Breathe Feel Heal with Pixie and a silent guided walk in the mountains with Camilla.
  • 1.30-2.30pm Lunch
  • 2.30-6pm Free time (you will be encouraged to use this time reflectively. Sketching and writing tasks may be given)
  • 6-7pm Dinner
  • 7.30-9pm Sharing circle focusing on a topic followed by a restorative grounding practice.

What’s included

  • 6 nights’ shared accommodation (single accommodation available at an additional cost – see below)
  • Transfers to / from Faro airport* (please read note below)
  • All vegetarian meals – lovingly prepared using locally sourced food
  • Daily snacks of fruit, nuts, filtered water, herbal teas and coffee
  • Art materials (please bring your own journal)
  • Daily sharing circles
  • Guided walk in the mountains
  • Optional tour of Rural Escapes Portugal with Ellis
  • Daily gentle yoga
  • Daily restorative practices including yoga nidra, medtiation, movement and song
  • 1 x New Moon Crystal bowl sound healing session with João Rafael
  • 1 x Breathe Feel Heal with Pixie

What’s not included

• Travel insurance (please ensure you have travel insurance)
• Flights (check airport transfer times before booking your flight to Faro)
• optional treatments (massage, reiki from local therapists)
• Toiletries

Airport Transfer TImes

Arrival 30th September at 17:00  Airport transfer from Faro Airport to Rural Escapes Portugal
Departure 6th October 12 noon  Airport transfer from Rural Escapes Portugal to Faro airport
Rural Escapes Portugal is  90 minutes from Faro Airport, so please check our transfer times before booking your flights.

Pricing and how to book

The price is 800€ for shared accommodation or 900€ for single. We require a 100€ deposit to hold your place. The deposit is non refundable. The full amount needs to be paid by  15 September 2024.

There are options to stay at Rural Escapes Portugal for longer after the retreat has ended, please feel free to enquire about this.

For enquiries and bookings please email Camilla directly at info@ruralescapesportugal.com or send a WhatsApp message directly to Camilla +447786527686.

Meet the Facilitators

Camilla Bergman will be leading this retreat, she is a dedicated yoga instructor and retreat facilitator with 12 years of teaching experience, specialising in Hatha and Kundalini yoga with a particular focus on supporting those in recovery. Drawing on extensive certified training with renowned experts like Nikki Myers (founder of Y12SR – Yoga of 12-Step Recovery), Carolyn Cowan (Mastering the Addictive Personality), and Durga Leela (Yoga of Recovery), Camilla brings a deep well of knowledge and experience to her practice. She is also trained in Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all her students. Furthermore, her studies with master sound healer Don Conreaux have enhanced her holistic approach to wellness.

In recovery since 1999, Camilla draws on her personal journey and over a decade of teaching experience, including teaching prisoners at Lewes Prison and those in recovery. Camilla began teaching yoga in Brighton at venues including Brighton University, Virgin Active and Cascade Recovery Centre and has led retreats in Tenerife and Portugal since 2014. She continues to teach both in person and online for bu-evolution  , offering a blend of yoga, recovery, and holistic healing.

Camilla now lives in Portugal, where she and her husband have built and created Rural Escapes Portugal, a retreat and holiday centre offering a sanctuary for healing and transformation.

João Rafael, a certified holistic therapist from Portugal, his mission is to spread love, peace, and light to all he encounters. His spiritual journey began in his childhood, when his mother introduced him to the world of energy and healing. At the age of twelve, João discovered Reiki, which sparked a deep and lifelong passion for holistic healing.

João embarked on a six-month pilgrimage through South America, where he encountered the ancient practice of Crystalline Sound healing. This modality initially came to him as a whisper during meditation, has become his calling.

Today, João integrates the wisdom gained from his travels, continuous study, and meditation into his therapeutic practices. Specialising in Crystalline Sound healing, which he offers to individuals and groups within the Algarve.

Pixie is a wholehearted intuitive. After training with the prestigious Steph Magenta and Dr Albert Wong she become a Trauma Informed Breathwork Facilitator passionate about sharing the benefits of working somatically using embodiment awareness practices. She works with breath, toning, shaking, conscious movement and meditation to develop lifelong tools to regulate the nervous system.
After surviving adversity she searched for something to help her heal from the inside out and Breathwork offered her deep healing & transformation. Instantly she knew this was something she wanted to share with others.
With a pure mind and a warm heart she creates a safe container for deep healing, transformation, introspection, and overall improvement of stress, anxiety, and general well-being.
Let’s Breathe!

 

For enquiries and bookings please email Camilla directly at info@ruralescapesportugal.com or send a WhatsApp message directly to Camilla +447786527686.

Rebirth Kundalini Retreat – harmonise your natural rhythm

Gift yourself 7 days of deep immersion as you submerge yourself in nature and reconnect with her natural flow in this stunning off-grid retreat centre in its own private mountain valley.

The invitation for this retreat is to fully immerse ourselves in nature and connect with its flow as we tap into the alchemical tools of transformation that are inherent in Integrated Kundalini Yoga, cultivate a deeply satisfying connection to the wild nature within as well without.

Dial down your screen time for a digital detox. Overloaded by screen time we become disconnected from our true nature, experiencing the joy that comes from simply being.

There will be plenty of time to relax and explore the landscape, to be still and alone in nature or together with the group. Time to read, time to rest, swing in the hammock, swim in the pool. From a place of stillness and relaxation insights spring forth and natural flow is restored.

THE YOGA

Kundalini yoga brings into sharp focus awareness of the self that is deeper than whatever the mind narrates. What better to bring that awareness to but the deep nourishing connection to self and other that is lived in real time and in person.

The morning sessions will focus on dynamic practice and transformation, working with the body in specific and healing ways using a powerful combination of posture, pranayama (breath), music, mantra and meditation to bring into balance the hormonal system, mood and emotions. Strengthen the entire body and nervous system. Create inner vitality. Cultivate the ability to completely relax. All of which foster expanded states of consciousness, awareness and healing.

The evening sessions will focus on rejuvenation and relaxation, using meditation, yoga nidra and gong baths. Guided meditation practices with the rejuvenating practice of Yoga Nidra enable a state of deepest relaxation and conscious awareness to be realised, supporting the body and mind to fully reboot and recharge. One evening we will have a Cacao Ceremony. Cacao is known as one of the foods of the Gods, it is a powerful but soft feminine plant medicine. The spirit of which brings a subtle opening of the heart to welcome more love in and release fears that may be blocking us from thriving and living a life full of joy and bliss.

For accommodation and location information visit ruralescapesportugal.com

Price and what’s included

Please note these prices are in Pounds NOT euros.

Shared accommodation is £680 (approximately 790 euros) early-bird price before April 1st £750 (approx 880 euros) thereafter.
Single accommodation is £820 (approximately 960 euros) early-bird price before April 1st £900 (approx 1055 euros) thereafter. Instalment payment plan is possible please contact Ashley for details

  • Airport transfers to and from Faro airport to the mountain retreat
  • 6 nights accommodation
  • All food and snacks are deliciously, nourishing & lovingly prepared
  • Twice daily – Kundalini Yoga / Meditation / Yoga Nidra / Gong Bath
  • Trip Out To The Beach
  • Manifestation rituals
  • Swimming pool
  • Dawn walk through the forest to a secret swimming lake
  • Guided journaling / mindful creativity sessions
  • Cacao Ceremony
  • Plenty of free time to play, explore, relax or swim
  • Fun, friendliness, connection

Contact Ashley

Website
Online classes 
Instagram

 

Tel: +44 (0)7504 496 763  Email ashley@loveisinyou.com

Where there is love, there is no effort – AMMA

A Heroine’s Journey

“There will come a time when you can accept nothing less than the breath-taking truth of your soul, the voice of divine love within you.” Meggan Watterson

 

Based on my book, Falling Awake – A Heroine’s Journey, this week-long immersion retreat invites you to answer the call to explore your own Heroine’s Journey. Come and join me in the beautiful mountains of southern Portugal, for a deep dive into the many practices and experiences that helped me tell my story.

This retreat for women will offer you a deep dive into healing practices including Qoya, mindfulness, writing, sharing, ceremony and ritual. Through the connection and support of each other, we will be able to delve deep, to go within, to feel, to let go, to find our voices, find our truth…and emerge through the other side!

About me:

With over twenty years’ experience as a psychotherapist and group facilitator, I am also a fully qualified mindfulness instructor, and three years ago I became a certified Qoya teacher. Last year I wrote and published my first book, a memoir. This process added to an already unfolding journey of discovering my true self – not the one I had been programmed to be! My passion is to help others to access their authentic selves and find their voices through a combination of these practices. For more information about me and my work, click here.

A bit about Qoya:

“We dance because we can no longer not dance.”- Rochelle Schieck, founder of Qoya.

Qoya is a movement practice designed for women based on the idea that through movement we remember that our essence is Wise, Wild and Free. Often described as movement as medicine, Qoya incorporates free dance, feminine movement and yoga. There is no way you can do Qoya wrong and no previous experience of any of the above is required. For more information on Qoya, click here.

A bit about what else you can expect:

  • Daily mindfulness practices including some time spent in noble silence.
  • Writing practices with the opportunity to share.
  • Dispacho (native American gratitude) and cacao ceremony.
  • Sharing and singing circles.
  • Other ceremonies and rituals.
  • The invitation for daily journaling (writing and artwork)
  • Delicious locally produced plant-based food.
  • Time for resting, digesting and processing.

Price

£777/900€

The Heroine’s Journey Retreat – Come as you are…and leave as more of who you are!

Kundalini Yoga retreat : Harmonise with the rhythm of nature

Ashley Jones

Join Kundalini Yoga teacher trainer Ashley on this 6-day immersion in nature in a private mountain valley – the invitation is to connect deeply to the energy of Gaia and fully surrender to her rhythm.

Tap into the alchemical tools of transformation that are inherent in Integrated Kundalini Yoga practices, combined with journaling, ceremony and tranquility you will cultivate a deeply satisfying connection to the wild nature within as well as without.

We will dial down our screen time for a complete digital detox as we go offline, giving our overloaded nervous systems time to heal and experience the joy that comes from simply being in the present moment.

THE YOGA

Integrated Kundalini brings into sharp focus awareness of the self that is deeper than whatever the mind narrates.  What better way to bring in that awareness through the deep nourishing connection to self and other that is lived in real time, in person and with Gaia.

The morning sessions will focus on dynamic practice and transformation, working with the body in specific and healing ways using a powerful combination of posture, pranayama (breath), music, mantra and meditation to bring into balance the hormonal system, mood and emotions. Strengthen the entire body and nervous system. Create inner vitality. Cultivate the ability to completely relax. All of which foster expanded states of consciousness, awareness and healing.

The evening sessions will focus on rejuvenation and relaxation, using meditation, yoga nidra and gong baths. Ashley will guide you through meditation practices including the rejuvenating practice of Yoga Nidra enabling a state of deepest relaxation and conscious awareness to be realised, supporting the body and mind to fully reboot and recharge.

Ashley will offer a sacred Cacao Ceremony. Cacao is known as one of the foods of the Gods, it is a powerful but soft feminine plant medicine. The spirit of which brings a subtle opening of the heart to welcome more love in and release fears that may be blocking us from thriving and living a life full of joy and bliss.

For accommodation and location information email info@ruralescapesportugal.com

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • Airport transfers to and from Faro airport to the mountain retreat 
  • 5 nights accommodation
  • All food and snacks Deliciously Nourishing & Lovingly Prepared
  • Twice daily – Kundalini Yoga / Meditation / Yoga Nidra / Gong Bath/Ceremony
  • Manifestation Rituals
  • Swimming Pool
  • Dawn walk through the forest to a secret lake where you can take a dip
  • Guided journaling / mindful creativity sessions
  • Cacao Ceremony
  • Plenty of free time to play, explore, relax or swim
  • Fun, friendliness, connection 

To Book

Shared accommodation is £620/730€ early-bird price before April 1st £690/815€ thereafter

Single accommodation is £720/845€ (early-bird price before April 1st £790/930€  thereafter

 

Interested?

Get in touch!