We're delighted to present 3 new videos shot earlier this summer by the talented Lisbon film director, Tiago Pedro de Carvalho. We asked Tiago to capture the passion of our team, to take a look behind the scenes and explain a little better why we love practicing and teaching yoga here, why we prepare such delicious and nutritious food, and why we include massage and acupuncture treatments on every retreat.
You can also find these videos on our Facebook page. Help us spread the word about Vale de Moses by sharing with those you think might really enjoy retreating with us. View our calendar of retreats and reserve your place online via our Vale de Moses retreat website.
We Love Moses!
Blogging the stories of our family life on a yoga retreat in the magical village and valleys of Amieira, Central Portugal. Everyday we are tending this beautiful land and its stone dwellings in our journey towards self sufficiency. Moses is the Portuguese name of this place, meaning many mill stones. And, providently, is also the name of our beloved golden retriever, without whom, we'd never have found it. We love you Moses.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Sleeping Without Props, by Dr Nerina
‘To sleep is an act of faith’ Barbara Grizzuti HarrisonFirstly, I must apologise for the radio silence. It has been more than six months since my last offering but I assure you, this has been for good reason. Settling in to my new home and life and finishing Book 2 were no minor feats but throughout, I’ve mostly slept like a baby (one that sleeps well, that is). Yes – I’m sleeping better than I’ve ever slept. I used to need to sleep with a fan on at night – nothing to do with noisy neighbours or ferreting foxes but simply to erect a defence against my own noisy thoughts. However, after decades of waging war against my own insomnia, studying the delicate workings of the melatonin-secreting pineal gland, and helping others to sleep, maybe…just maybe…I’ve cracked it. No fan at night, no favourite pillow propped up just so, no sleep monitoring devices, no scented oils sprinkled on the pillow to calm mind and deepen breath. No props. Just…simple….deep, velvety sleep. Apparently we’re meant to spend roughly a third of our lives sleeping. It’s an innate ability that’s encoded in our DNA. So why is it so difficult at times?
Sleep problems are not created when you put your head on the pillow at night. Every choice you make during the day - every thought, every behaviour, every conversation (especially with yourself), whether you laugh or cry, the number of times you find yourself at the coffee machine, the number of times you swipe, how you live and love – all of this settles in your nervous system and affects your ability to sleep effortlessly. The key to deepest restoration lies not in superficial sleep hygiene methods (although they might help a little) but in examining the choices we’re making in life. Are we making choices that are building inner safety and trust? Or are we making choices that fuel fear, quicken the breath, and foster distrust?
So much of life is uncertain. So much can change at the drop of a hat. And as life continues to go ever faster, one of our greatest resources lies in going deeper within, finding that place of inner stillness and safety from which we can move outwards to action, not always knowing where we will end up but always trusting.
And in so doing, maybe we can sleep deeply and effortlessly…and without props.
I promise you won’t have to wait so long for my next installment. In my next blog, I will share practical steps to creating inner safety and trust thus helping you to create the pure sleep that you truly deserve.
Until then…
Yours in amazing health and energy,
Nerina
www.drnerina.com
Order a copy of Dr Nerina's new book "Fast Asleep, Wide Awake" on Amazon.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Where we live. In the foothills of this beauty.
A couple of beautiful videos below I saw this week, of our local Serra da Estrela mountain range, just 50 kms north east of us as the crow flies. We're in the foothills of the tallest mountain in continental Portugal, 2kms above sea level at its highest point (on top of a 7m stone obelisk as it's officially only 1993m high without that stone!).
The big river Zêzere where we take our guests every week for a wild swim and mud bath, actually originates up in these mountains. We've been as a family up there a few times over the last 8 years. Always so very majestic, with breathtaking views and crystal clean air.
Hikes for miles in all directions too. Well worth a visit before or after a retreat with us.
The big river Zêzere where we take our guests every week for a wild swim and mud bath, actually originates up in these mountains. We've been as a family up there a few times over the last 8 years. Always so very majestic, with breathtaking views and crystal clean air.
Hikes for miles in all directions too. Well worth a visit before or after a retreat with us.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
10 reasons to retreat to Vale de Moses
By Katherine Smith, republished with permission from her own blog.
I rise in the stillness, to the sound of silence. I shower swiftly and pick my way across the olive terraces to the yoga retreat below. A quick coffee, a reflective moment and I am ready for the day, which always began with practice then teaching.
Stretching, sweating, laughing and sometimes even swearing before giving in to Savasana is how I remember mornings at Vale de Moses. It is the place I called home for two years before moving to Amsterdam and where I’ll be leading yoga retreats this May, August and October.
Vale de Moses is a small old valley farm nestled in the remote and picturesque foothills of the Serra de Estrela mountain range, Central Portugal. Here you can retreat for a week on the edge of wilderness, in the beautifully restored home of the Winter family, who will enchant you.
From mud-baths and forest walks to healing hands and floating yoga spaces there are almost too many reasons to retreat to Vale de Moses. It is full of magic and might just be the very escape your soul has been searching for.
Here are 10 reasons to go on yoga retreat at Vale de Moses:
1. Healing hands
With one treatment included in every yoga retreat no-one misses out on benefiting from an incredible massage and/or acupuncture session with Vonetta or Peter.2. The floating yoga shala
The yoga shala is perched above the vegetable patch and fragrant herb garden, providing stunning panoramic views of the surrounding forest and mountains, which burst into full bloom in May. Yoga classes are offered every morning and afternoon in this serene spot.3. Hidden spaces & secluded spots
If you get tired relaxing by the natural plunge pools, lounging on the sun-terraces or feasting in the sunken courtyard there are plenty of secret spots to discover where you can enjoy time alone, in close proximity to nature, beneath the Portuguese sun.4. High vibes, mountain climbing and hikes
If yoga isn’t enough and you still have energy to burn, you can take off on the multitude of hiking trails through the mountains, visit local villages for a cheeky coffee or go climbing with an experienced guide.5. Morning walks in the woods
Let Andy lead you through the forest on one of his infamous morning walks that never fail to inspire. It is the perfect way to wake up your body for the yoga class that will follow.6. Furry friends
7. The food
8. The wilderness
Magic happens when you immerse yourself in nature. Research has shown that spending time outdoors can have a positive impact on your health and happiness. Here you can bath in the natural pools, the forest, the mud or just the sun.9. Getting here won’t break the bank
Flights to Lisbon or Porto are usually inexpensive, from within the rest of Europe, if you time it booking them right. According to Skyscanner 7 weeks ahead of your trip is the best time to book affordable flights. (Direct coaches to Oleiros on Sunday afternoon where there'll pick everyone up by car. Lisbon 1.30pm Porto 4.30pm. Rede Expressos site.)10. Lisbon
It is hard not to fall in love with Lisbon. Its sunny colours, corner cafes and arty ambience provide the perfect stop off on route to Vale de Moses. There are plenty of beautiful Airbnb properties at reasonable prices, not to mention an incredible range of hostels offering rooms for as little at €15 per night. Be sure not to miss the Pasteis de Natas in Belem!And if you’re still not convinced. Watch this video.
Join me at Vale De Moses for Wild & Whole, 1-7th May, 7-13 August, 2-8 October or Get on your mat with Kat, 8-14th May, 14-20 August, 9-15 October.
Online Reservations showing live availability for each of my retreats. Prices start from €740 for couples or friends sharing a private room, 790€ for a place in the old stone cottages, or 890€ for a private bedroom, Soulpad or Tipi as single occupancy.
Kat x
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Happy 10th Birthday Moses!
At 18 months the day we left London |
Asleep with Eli |
In France 2007 |
Lake Dijon |
After just 18 months of exploring London's parks and surrounding countryside, holidays where you would be welcome and free, we finally began to realise that morning and evening walks and weekend wooded escapades were so much fun that maybe we'd like to spend all of our time with you like that. So we decided to quit our jobs, take the kids out of school, rent our house, buy a motorhome and take you on a much bigger expedition round Europe.
And we'd call it the Poop in Europe Tour aiming to let you poop in as many countries as we could manage in a year. That link is the first blog we ever wrote, and it still gives me goose bumps to think of how nervous and excited we felt at the top of the cliff before we jumped.
Italy Sheep Trough |
Abruzzo with Margot Portrait |
The original yoga deck and Safira |
Wife Safira and daughter Moksha |
Serra de Estrela |
We love you Moses.
Walks by rivers |
On the beach in Barcelona |
Company while restoring houses |
First touch of Portugal |
Outdoor Shower with Vonnie |
First snow for 30 years |
Ready for shampoo and set in Lisbon |
Friday, June 19, 2015
The State of Deliciousness, my retreat review by Chloe Skinner
Lying on my yoga mat this morning I was 'invited into stillness' by Von - my favourite yoga teacher, and now, after my third visit to Vale de Moses, my friend. I lay there in the beautiful yoga shala overlooking mountainous forests, gleefully anticipating the joy of the astanga practice that was to come - a yoga practice guided by Von's playful, sincere and genuine love of sharing the joy of yoga with others. 'Stillness' isn't something that I find easy to 'achieve', but here at Vale de Moses, even in the invigorating movement of a vinyasa flow, a meditative morning walk with Andy, or a solitary hike up a hill, I can - albeit apprehensively and reluctantly at times - find stillness.
Stillness in the surrounding mountains; stillness in the stars on a clear night; stillness in the people around me; stillness in myself. Stillness can be intimidating, particularly following or during life's storms - the times I have found myself journeying back to Vale de Moses - but the warmth and love of those that live and work here, coupled with the ease of finding solitude, is such a nurturing environment in which to seek stillness.
As someone more naturally inclined toward movement however, the ability to balance this stillness I need so much with the delight of physically flowing - as well as the inevitability of a concurrent emotional flowing - is one of the many dynamics which draws me to Vale de Moses. After a morning walk with a sparkly-eyed and warm-souled Andy - predominantly silent but with a vignette of wisdom sprinkled in - a yoga class in which all different bodies are lovingly celebrated, 'held', supported and encouraged by Von, and a body and soul nourishing breakfast with good food and good people, I spent some time alone yesterday down at one of the natural pools - basking in the cool, fresh water, the fire of the sun, the rich smell of the earth and the silkiness of the light wind.
In the nurturing stillness, I found the rarity of the time to 'look' - simply 'look' - and found movement, adventure and busyness. Watching the small fish under the surface, the insects resting on the water's surface, the sway of the surrounding trees, I thought about how lucky I am to find myself in a place where I am reminded of the ease of loving this life, this world, these people, this self - even amidst the inevitabilities of pain and hardship which came before, and will come after, this moment, this week, this retreat.
All of this and it was only midday! The afternoon followed with mouth-tingling nourishment, brain-stimulating conversation, heart-warming laughter, body-quenching yoga practice and, all in all, soul-quenching life! Lovely life!
This morning, after hearing ourselves moving, stretching, and breathing into our bodies alongside one another - bodies that have recently been deeply massaged by the expert hands of Pete or Von - two of the other guests remarked upon how good an idea it was to come to Vale de Moses. I couldn't agree more - it is an excellent idea... indeed, it is my favourite! It is true, however, that one of my 'favourite' volunteers here said yesterday that 'every 'thing' is your favourite'. But that is just how I feel at Vale de Moses...as Von said to me,
And it is. It is delicious here. Come.
Chloe Skinner
As someone more naturally inclined toward movement however, the ability to balance this stillness I need so much with the delight of physically flowing - as well as the inevitability of a concurrent emotional flowing - is one of the many dynamics which draws me to Vale de Moses. After a morning walk with a sparkly-eyed and warm-souled Andy - predominantly silent but with a vignette of wisdom sprinkled in - a yoga class in which all different bodies are lovingly celebrated, 'held', supported and encouraged by Von, and a body and soul nourishing breakfast with good food and good people, I spent some time alone yesterday down at one of the natural pools - basking in the cool, fresh water, the fire of the sun, the rich smell of the earth and the silkiness of the light wind.
In the nurturing stillness, I found the rarity of the time to 'look' - simply 'look' - and found movement, adventure and busyness. Watching the small fish under the surface, the insects resting on the water's surface, the sway of the surrounding trees, I thought about how lucky I am to find myself in a place where I am reminded of the ease of loving this life, this world, these people, this self - even amidst the inevitabilities of pain and hardship which came before, and will come after, this moment, this week, this retreat.
All of this and it was only midday! The afternoon followed with mouth-tingling nourishment, brain-stimulating conversation, heart-warming laughter, body-quenching yoga practice and, all in all, soul-quenching life! Lovely life!
'it is just about moving from one state of deliciousness to another'.
And it is. It is delicious here. Come.
Chloe Skinner
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
The beauty of May in the Forest
Spring here in central Portugal is, by far, our favourite season. Warm and sunny already well into the mid 30 degree heat, cool in the evenings and mornings, with the heavy rain showers back in April, as always, precipitating such a splendid show of flowers, roses and colour everywhere. We love it. It's divine.
We just uploaded to our Facebook page some of our favourite guests' photos of their retreats here since March. A few on the blog today but do take a browse if you can. There are some stunners.
To help us capture the lushness of the landscape at this time of year, tomorrow a film crew arrive with a drone! They came last week to do some light testing and flight path work, and it was so bizarre to have a noisy little machine flying around the place. Like a wee invasion from the civilized technological world far far away. But we think it's the best way to film the valley and buildings here so it's happening tomorrow and Friday. Gulp!
On a personal note, although it's been wonderful to have so many more lovely people retreat with us again this year, Vonetta and I are missing our children terribly during the week days. Eloise is in Lisbon at art school and Josh finishing off his schooling in Castelo Branco. They’re both healthy and happy but we wish we could all still be together. Summer is here soon and they’ll be home for a while. ;)
As if I hadn't already realized that they’re both all grown up and flying the nest in search of their own independent adventures, the arrival of tattoos kind of visualized it for me. You won't believe how many times I've said I'm getting a Tat but always chickened out. Not our two though! They beat me to it. Maybe encouraged a little by the fact that where Eloise stays in Campo Pequeno, a new tattoo bar opened up last month beneath the flat!
I’ll leave you with links to two videos of our new Tipi going up a couple of weeks ago. (Videos will appear here soon when I work out how to embed from FB!) Big thanks to our dear friends Ian and Merle from Hummingbird Tipis and Scorp for carrying it over in 3 suitcases on an airplane and putting it up for us. It's resplendent.
Tipi is built
Paz e amor,
Andrew
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