Yoga

Thank you for visiting the Rural Escapes Portugal website. I hope you’ll join us here—I’m sure you’ll love it!

Our resident teacher, Camilla, has been guiding yoga students since 2013, with a special focus on addictions and trauma recovery. Her unique approach, which she calls Intuitive Yoga, creates a safe, inclusive space for self-exploration and healing. Through a blend of yoga, breathwork, meditation, and group sharing, each class helps to:

  • Release inner blocks
  • Calm the mind
  • Soothe the nervous system
  • Improve physical flexibility

This gentle, embodied practice supports you in meeting whatever arises in the present moment.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.” At its heart, yoga is about reconnecting—bringing mind, body, and spirit into alignment with our higher self, so we no longer feel fragmented or disconnected.

In addition to yoga, Camilla also offers sound healing using gongs and singing bowls—deeply restorative practices that complement the therapeutic benefits of yoga.

Camilla’s Training & Credentials

Since completing her initial training with Sivananda in India, Camilla has continued her learning through a wide range of trainings and workshops:

  • Sivananda TTC – 200 hours, India (Feb 2013)
  • Yoga of Recovery – California: Integrating yoga, Ayurveda, and 12-step principles (2013)
  • Vinyasa TTC – 200 hours, one-year program with YogaLondon (2013–2014)
  • 1-to-1 Yoga Teaching – Six-day course with Kate Ellis (2014)
  • Trauma-Sensitive Yoga – Three-day training (2014)
  • Mastering the Addictive Personality – Kundalini-based training with Carolyn Cowan (2014–2015) (certification pending)
  • Y12SR: Yoga of 12-Step Recovery – Four-day training with Nikki Myers (2015)
  • Embodied Yoga – Weekend immersion with Mark Walsh (2015)
  • Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training – Jan–July 2016
  • Gong Master Training – Ten-day intensive with Don Conreaux & Aidan McIntyre (June 2016)
  • Advanced Hatha Yoga TTC – 500 hours, Rishikesh (Jan–Feb 2017)
  • Leading Kirtan – Two-day workshop with TablaTom, Stroud, UK (May 2018)
  • A Functional Approach to Yin Yoga – Two-day immersion with Ehud Neuhaus (June 2024)