Join us for this 2-day creative retreat on the topic of soulful living and personal freedom. We all experience feeling ‘stuck’ from time to time. We can get caught up in limiting narratives which can prevent us from expressing our authentic selves and leading the lives that our heart and soul truly desire. Soulful living is about being able to tune in to your own inner compass and determining what feels right for you. Acting in alignment with our soul’s desire is what fosters a sense of freedom and purpose.
The aim of this retreat is to create a safe place to explore and deepen our consciousness, and to express, face, and release whatever is holding us back from connecting to our true nature. We’ll do this through an energising blend of nourishing practices including journalling, guided self-inquiry, voice activation, yoga, ecstatic dance, meditation, sound healing, and sharing.
Join us on this uplifting mini-retreat and leave with a fresh toolbox of healing practices and empowering insights to live a free and soulful life.
The retreat starts on the evening of Friday, 12th May, 2023, and ends on the afternoon of Sunday, 14th May, 2023 (2-NIGHT OPTION). A 4 night option is also available.
The retreat will be held at our secluded property in the mountains of the Serra da Estrela natural park, a certified UNESCO geopark and an important conservation and biodiversity site in Portugal.
You’ll stay in the comfort and privacy of an ensuite room in one of our beautifully remodeled quintas. For an even more unique experience, opt for a premium room with a terrace and breathtaking mountain and valley views.
Unwind in our brand new facilities including a sauna, heated pool, gym, dining hall, and lounge with library and fireplace. You’ll also feel nourished with balanced Portuguese and Mediterranean meals based on whole foods, lovingly prepared by our team of chefs.
Participants who would like to take more time to relax and make use of our wellness facilities, explore our stunning property or the surrounding area, or add on options from our Wellness Menu, can choose to arrive on Thursday, 11th of May and stay until the morning of Monday, 15th May (4-NIGHT OPTION).
The language of the retreat is English.
For years, Thalien felt that the life she was living wasn’t true to her authentic self. Superficially, she had it all. Loving friends and family. A respectable job. Good health. Enough money. Living comfortably in the beautiful city of Amsterdam. Yet, she felt a looming sense of inauthenticity and unfulfilled potential that she couldn’t quite name or shake off. Her experience with recovery from depression and an eating disorder in her twenties had taught her that at times, exposing oneself to something radical is required to shake out self-defeating comfort zones. She also knew movement is the cure for stagnation.
And so in 2019 she decided to scratch her itch and exchanged city life for a nomadic campervan lifestyle to seek…whatever it was that seemed to be calling her. The voyage ended up being as much of an outward journey as it was a journey within. It allowed her to reconnect to her true nature, her purpose, and find a way of life that she finds deeply satisfying. A love for people and new experiences, while guided by her three core values — freedom, connection and purpose — have led her to a soulful life infused with meaning and abundance.
The universal lessons she’s learned throughout her life, especially since breaking free of her golden cage in 2019, provide incredibly powerful tools and wisdom for every human to live their full potential. Of course, not everyone needs to physically uproot their existence in order to live soulfully. The most important journey a human will ever embark on is the inner journey. Reaching one’s full potential isn’t a destination, it’s a path. It’s a journey of liberation — from one’s own limitations and the limitations that others (often with good intentions) put upon us.
Thalien’s search for freedom and soulful living was born out of dire necessity, but eventually grew into passion and a motivation to help others. Life at 39 is better than ever, and it is her great joy and honour to help facilitate the soul awakening journey of inner freedom through her retreats.
“What you are seeking, is seeking you” — Rumi
Day 1 (Friday):
18.00 – 19.15: Dinner
19.30 – 21.00: Welcome Circle & Mindful Movement
21.00: Rest and Noble Silence
Day 2 (Saturday):
06.30: Yoga and Meditation
07.30 – 08.30: Breakfast in Noble Silence
09.30 – 12.00: Soul Expression (Journalling & Sharing Workshop)
12.00 – 13.30: Lunch
14.00 – 16.00: Is It True? (Dismantling Limiting Beliefs Workshop)
18.00 – 19.15: Dinner
19.30 – 21.00: Ecstatic Dance & Sound Healing
21.00: Rest and Noble Silence until 08.30 the next morning
Day 3 (Sunday):
06.30: Yoga and Meditation
07:30 – 08.30: Breakfast in Noble Silence
09.30 – 11.00: Manifesting Practice and Closing Circle
Course instruction, private ensuite accommodation at our beautiful Serra da Estrela retreat centre, 3 balanced meals per day, and access to our wellness facilities are included with the fee.
Option 1: 2-NIGHT STAY
ARRIVAL: Friday, 12th May (afternoon, before 4.00 pm)
DEPARTURE: Sunday, 16th May (afternoon)
Standard room: €730
Premium room: €790
Discount of €248 for double occupancy in a shared room
Not included: Shuttle transfer between Porto Airport and New Life Portugal (€70 each way), extras from our Wellness Menu, any other transport costs.
Option 2: 4-NIGHT STAY
ARRIVAL: Thursday, 11th May (afternoon)
On Thursday you have the option of joining our afternoon mindfulness workshop, the late afternoon yoga, and the Thursday evening activity. On Friday you can join our meditation class, the morning meeting and the afternoon workshop and yoga class. On Sunday you can join our dinner and evening activity, and on Monday our breakfast.
DEPARTURE: Monday, 15th May (morning)
Standard room: €1460
Premium room: €1580
Discount of €496 for double occupancy in a shared room
Not included: Shuttle transfer between Porto Airport and New Life Portugal (€70 each way), extras from our Wellness Menu, any other transport costs.
Accommodation
Retreat participants will stay in private ensuite rooms in our newly remodelled quintas at our Serra da Estrela property in the central Portuguese countryside. The rooms are modern and cosy. Premium rooms come with terraces and mountain and valley views. All rooms feature a queen-sized bed, private bathroom, shower, reading lamp, sink, and floor heating during the colder months. Towels, soap, shower gel, facial tissues, water pitcher, and bedding are provided. Hair dryers are available upon request.
Meals
At New Life Portugal we serve three buffet-style meals per day. The dishes feature plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. We try our best to cater to a diverse range of dietary preferences. However, due to the large range of ingredients used in our kitchen, we are not able to guarantee that all our dishes are allergen-free. If you have special requirements, please feel free to get in touch to see how we can best meet your needs.
Travel Information
Our address is: Caminho das Regadas 1, Folgosinho, Gouveia 6290-081, Portugal
We are an approximately 2-hour drive from Porto, a 3.5-hour drive from Lisbon, and a 4.5-hour drive from Madrid. The nearest airport is Porto airport and the nearest bus station is in the city of Gouveia, which is a 30-minute drive from us.
If you have any questions about how to reach us, our team will gladly assist you with your enquiries.
Things to Bring
For further information on travelling to or staying with us, please see our Practical Information page or get in touch with our friendly team.
Wellness Menu
Feel like indulging in a massage? Want to make the most of your time with us by adding extra sessions? Our custom options are ideal if there are any special areas you’d like to focus on, or if you’d like to fit more activities into your wellness retreat with us. Please enquire about cost and availability.
A range of Small Group Yoga, Mindful Fitness, Breathwork and Mindfulness Sessions
In a private session with our experienced meditation teacher, you’ll have one-on-one time to ask questions or receive guidance on how to improve your practice. You can also choose a specific exercise to work on, or study topics relating to mindfulness and meditation that you have a particular interest in. It’s an excellent way to enhance your progress and gain the full benefits that mindfulness and meditation can bring to your life.
Mindful movement can be excellent for easing tension or pain. It can also help to reduce stress and anxiety. Book private sessions with our body-mind teachers specialising in qigong, yoga therapy, and breathwork. Depending on your needs, choose specific themes and practices to work on for effectively targeted relief.
Let your worries melt away. Soothe aches and pains. We work with different specialised professionals who offer full body therapeutic or relaxing massage, Swedish massage, sound massage, and acupuncture. With our skilled massage therapists, you’ll be able to give yourself the permission you need to truly unwind.
We feature regular psycho-educational and body-mind workshops as part of our weekly program. Feel free to add optional workshops to your program path for a more intensive experience of exploration and growth. On weekends we may also have additional workshops with invited teachers. Just share your interests with us and we’ll happily let you know what’s on.
We offer weekend and one-day retreats with our resident and guest teachers based on various themes, including meditation, yoga, dance, coaching, and noble silence. If there’s something specific you’d like to work on, feel free to design your own retreat experience with our Meditation Teacher or Program Manager.
Nature is a very important healing component of our program. Participate in a forest bath or mindful walk experience, sit on our contemplative benches, and listen to the surrounding sound of birds and streams. It sounds simple but you’ll be amazed at how calm, rested, and at peace you’ll feel by connecting with the natural environment around us.
Our centre is located in the stunning Serra da Estrela natural park, which features hundreds of walking and cycling trails. Ask us about the menu of hikes (with maps in Alltrails) and bike trails (GPS) that you can do on your own. You can also join the weekly scheduled group activity if you feel like some company and good conversation as you explore.
Central Portugal offers so many options that it’s sometimes difficult to choose what activity to do. We’re fortunate enough to be situated in a mountain region rich with history. Join a trip guided by local experts and explore fascinating cities and villages located nearby such as Gouveia, Seia, Celorico da Beira, Linhares, and Folgosinho.
Make your visit even fuller by connecting with the local culture. Participate in seasonal activities such as the shepherds’ summer festivities, cheese and chestnut festivals, cherry tree blooming, mushroom hunting, and more. You’ll learn about the region, make friends - and have lots of fun.
It is possible to join this retreat as part of your stay in one of our program pathways (Rest + Rejuvenate Path, Wellness Path, and Resilience Path). If you’re interested in this option, please get in touch.
Please book using the buttons below or ask any questions through the form. You can also give us a call on +351 238 249 925 or or send us an email.
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