Monday, December 28, 2009

Yoga Retreats at Moses, Amieira, Portugal

Our website for Yoga Retreats in Portugal 2014 is open for online bookings www.valedemoses.com 
or you can follow us on Facebook. Below is our first ever post about retreats back in 2009.

retreat «ri tréet»
a movement away from danger or a confrontation, back along the original route; a withdrawal from a position or point of view to one intended to lessen conflict; a quiet secluded place where people go for rest and privacy; a period away from normal activities, devoted to prayer and meditation.

Retreat away. Retreat into. You are invited to explore the possibility of retreating to Moses, a small valley nestled in the foothills of the Serra de Estrela mountain range of Central Portugal.


On any Saturday from 3rd September til 17th December 2010, make your way to the local town of Oleiros by coach from Lisbon or Porto, from where you will be picked up and driven to the village of Amieira and below into the valley of Moses, to a renovated 3 bedroom Xisto stone cottage that carries the same name as the valley.


After cereal, fruit and yogurt breakfasts in the cottage, mornings are spent learning about various aspects of self sufficient gardening. Learning by doing. Learning by playing. Learning by seeing. Gardening activities and workshops will be determined by the season, the weather and the moon. And at olive and wine harvest time, you can join us in helping our elderly neighbours collect their harvest in too if you would like.


Afternoons are a time for meditation by walking. Walking into the wilderness of the surrounding forests and interconnected network of once cultivated river side terraces. Into a life once lived. A life of Romans and Moors and Portuguese small holding farmers, who all carved out a living from the stones and waters and soil of the mountainside. 


Afternoons are also an opportunity to receive a massage and/or acupuncture treatment in the Farmhouse.

Before dinner, yoga classes are given on the wooden eternity deck by the Farmhouse. Vonetta teaches yoga according to the Dynamic Yoga Method as taught by Godfrey Devereux which is suitable for any level of experience including absolute beginners. 

Lunch and Dinner are served in the Farmhouse and are lovingly and freshly prepared by Vonetta’s mum, Arlene Drakes from Barbados. Arlene uses her own special blend of magic to turn the food grown in the gardens into scrumptious meals, mainly vegetarian, with meat available for those who require it.  At some point in the week, Eloise will make a cake or two.





Massage and Acupuncture Treatments

Vonetta Winter is a fully qualified and experienced therapist (Body Harmonics, Cheltenham 2005) who uses a blend of Oriental therapies in her treatments.

Tui Na is the ancient healing art of Traditional Chinese Medicine where hands press and massage key acupressure points stimulating the body’s own natural healing process. Tension is released increasing the flow of blood, nutrients and energy (Qi) around the body.

Thai, the 2500 year old massage technique for relaxing the body and mind, is applied through clothes on a futon mat, using rhythmic pressing and stretching through a series of gentle yoga based postures. 

Indonesian is a deep pressure, essential oil based massage, involving strong pushing techniques to invigorate the soft tissues, making it a highly effective treatment for sports injuries.

Acupuncture is the needle based therapy component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, excellent for treating a wide range of physical and emotional ailments.



Price:             Massage & Acupuncture €75 per 90mins        


Booking


To find out if we have space on the dates you want to come, visit the online calendar on www.valedemoses.com or give us a ring at the Farmhouse on 00351 272 634 006 or email us at info @ yogaatmoses.com with any questions. If we are not around, leave a message and we promise to get back to you as soon as we get back in from the gardens!

Namaste.

Vonetta & Andrew

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