Off to the beach...

We just said goodbye this morning to a lovely group on our Cultivate Contentment retreat. The summer is in full flow here in Portugal with temperatures soaring above 40 in the afternoon sun. We knew it would be hot, so we cheekily planned a couple of weeks off in our yoga season this year to enjoy it as a family.

In a bit I'm driving off with Von and the kids down to one of the most gorgeous stretches of Portuguese coastline, the Costa Vicentina. For a week of yoga, pool and surfing. We'll be staying with out friend Sara Serrão in her stunning Cerca do Sul place down there, and have invited folks to join us. 2 of our guests from the week just gone are meeting us there tonight, along with a few others journeying from cooler climes to basque in the sunshine with us.

To the beach, to the beach, to the beach!!! If you happen to be in Portugal this week, I know Sara still has a couple of rooms free. Come down and join us even if it's just for a night or 2. There's a Jazz festival there next weekend too. We're hoping to see some of it.

Other snitch of news from Vale de Moses to share is that Safira, our little black, blue-eyed forest guide of a dog, is shortly to birth heirs to the Moses dynasty. Safi is pregnant. A good 6 weeks by our reckoning. That means a slight chance she might pop some puppies out while we're away. So we have a fully trained, fully prepared, fully excited ("the puppies are coming, the puppies are coming!" team to look after her while we're gone. Katherine, Alex and Hannah. They've promised to take plenty of photos and vids, and if all goes well, watch our Facebook space for details of the new Royal arrivals (Moses granny won best of breed at Crufts don't you know!). We will be needing to find very good homes for all the little puppies. Give us a shout if you'd like to be considered as adoptive parents. :)

"Saude, paz e amor" as they say round these parts. Hope you are having a great summer wherever you are.

Memphis

As Featured in The Guardian!

A pleasant little surprise this week to find The Guardian ran it's first little feature on Vale de Moses. We had no idea. It was only when a guest booked on last weekend and said they had seen us in the travel section of the paper, that we were first alerted.

So now we're officially at "As featured in The Guardian" status. :) We hope the first of many main stream press features to come. You can see all our published articles and reviews so far here on our site.

Other big news is our launch of "Ashtango" this Autumn.  Featuring daily classes of Ashtanga Yoga and evening classes of Argentine Tango, we combine the two disciplines and are playfully calling it ‘Ashtango’.  Retreat dates: October 12 – 19 & October 19 – 26

Tashidawa teaches daily Ashtanga yoga classes and Carla Somer leads afternoon Tango technique classes and evening dance events. Combining the skills of dance and the mindful meditation of yoga, this retreat will explore alignment, balance, acceptance, grace and power.

Argentine Tango is an improvisational dance in which the connection between the dance partners is the most important factor. The dance technique begins with learning simple steps and then exploring these steps with varied expressive, playful, intense, passionate moods. 

Memorising the dance steps is not necessary & you don’t need any prior dance experience to be involved. What is important is the open minded & responsive contact between the dancers. No yoga experience is necessary either, however, a good level of fitness is recommended as the classes can be rigorous.

This retreat is not to be missed, book early to ensure your place…
Retreat price from 550€ includes:

• 7 nights accommodation, all Ayurveda meals and full facilities
• 5 morning Ashtanga classes with Tashi Dawa
• 4 afternoon and 3 evening Tango classes with Carla
• Massage and Acupuncture treatments with Vonetta Winter from 50€ per hour

It would be so very remiss of me, seeing as we are on the topic of Guardian features, not to also mention how incredibly proud we are of our friends Hannah and Charlie, from an olive farm over the hills from us in Oleiros.  These guys who have been instrumental in bringing the Bilderberg group into the global public eye over the last 4 years. Check out Charlie's hilarious satirical Guardian blog entries from this year's not-so-secret-anymore conference in Watford.

While here in the forests of Portugal we are far away in distance from the rest of civilisation, you guys have helped us feel so very much more connected. You are our heroes. Look what you did!! Feet up next year then?

Thanks for tuning in.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer wherever you are.

Memphis

Interview with Tashi Dawa

Very sad to say goodbye to Tashi yesterday. We can't wait to see her again in the Autumn. Watch this space for more info of her return. Plus a few more photos from our guests over the last fortnight. More on Facebook.

Mountain View

Lunch Prep

Dinner in Courtyard

Vale de Moses

Farmhouse and Yoga Shala

Yoga Shala

Mung bean Pancakes

Partner Yoga

Safira drinking

Soup

Marte and Jordan

Katherine Smith

Jordan on the path

Sr António in Abitureira

Ana with Dona Celeste in Abitureira

Mug and Candle

Josh and Andrew

Moses napping

River in the valley

Through the lens of our guests

April has just flown by. One of the most exciting we've had here in Portugal so far. Started so cold and wet. Now people are bathing daily in the rivers that run through the land in the heat of the afternoon sun. Should be ready for planting out the veggies this week. Finally.

Plus we've had guests from all over the world pop by for some rest in our home in the forest. What a joy to have been able to take care of them all. They've bought such light, kindness and gratitude to our little family. As well as some amazing photos from their wanderings through the valleys and forests. (Thanks Zoe Barling for all your iPhone shots on today's post.) It's a real treat to look at our place through someone else's eyes.

I've been enjoying creating some new dishes with the herbs and salads from the kitchen garden and the first produce from our neighbours farm too. Grelhos are the new green shoots from the coming year's cabbages, broccolies and turnip tops. Steamed with some tamari sauce, a little lime juice and a sprinkling of pepper and freshly cut herbs. Delish! Especially when they're picked in the morning and served for lunch. Pranamictastic. :)

Plan is to carve out some time this month to blog some recipes and share a few tales and reflections of our life on a yoga retreat. But for now I'll leave you with some photos and a We Love Moses TV walk around the farmhouse courtyard and new yoga shala.

Enjoy and may you feel the sap rising inside of you this Spring.

Peace

Memphis

Reflections

Yoga Shala Windows arrive!

River Trip in the Truck

Washing Line

Felgueiras

Yoga at Vale de Moses

Waterfall in the valley

Aduki beans

PartnerYoga

By the River

Forest trail

Farmhouse Courtyard

Dinner

Eucalyptus Woods

Farmhouse View

Dining Table

Swimming in the Zêzere

Guest House

Farmhouse Kitchen

Laughter Yoga

Meadow Flowers

Partner Yoga Von and Eli

River trip

Yoga at Moses

Wild River Flower Bouquet

Spring Flowers

Spring Dip in the Zezere

Safira Chillaxing

Poppies in May

Silent Morning Walks before Yoga

Lunch Menu

Laurinda

Poppy meadow

Steps of the guest house

Moses & Safira by bench

Amanda and Safira 

The view from Abitureira