If you’re ready to hike incredible mountains, watch magical sunsets, work up a sweat under the Mexican sun, discover yourself on a whole new level and are drawn to adventure - then this retreat is for you. Join us for a 6 day transformative escape to Chacala, Mexico, where you’ll be staying in a beautiful wellness resort overlooking the stunning golden sand beach of Chacala.
FAZENDA
noun
[ feminine ] /fa’zenda/
farm
“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Fazenda means farm in Portuguese. I spent my childhood living and helping my grandparents on their farm in Suntaži, Latvia; digging potatoes from the moist earth, picking fruit and berries in the afternoon sun, collecting eggs from under the warm bellies of clucking chickens, and endless mornings weeding. I didn’t think much of it as a child, but as I reflect back on my orbit around and towards healing, it is clear to me that it was one of the greatest gifts of my childhood: an un-moveable connection to Mother Earth. For, growing up in a culture that is so proud of its mind over matter philosophy, that cuts us off from our bodily experiences and the earth itself, this was one of the few anchors I had to my True Self. It would be long into my adulthood before I could name it, appreciate it, and learn to call on Her.
With that said, I am excited that my next retreat will be held in Casevel, Portugal, where we’ll be staying in a beautiful farm house (with chickens and therapy horses). Join me as we slow down, connect to our bodies, ourselves, and the earth. We will have two hour morning practices, where you can expect to move more dynamically, and two hour evening practices which will be designed to facilitate integration. These will consist of yin, pranayama, meditation, and journaling. This will be an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, build community, and discover new depths of stillness. If you’re keen to join me, the next step is to fill out this short form so my team and I can help curate the best possible experience for you. In the meantime, please do let us know if you have any questions. My retreat team is on hand and ready to answer any questions that you may have. You can get in touch with them here {mailto link}. As the retreat approaches, we’ll be in touch again with all the information you’ll need to prepare for your incredible time away, so please keep an eye on your inboxes! And I will leave you with one of my favourite BKS Iyengar quotes about ‘organic farming.’
“The whole educational thrust of yoga is to make things go great in our lives. But we all know that an apple can appear perfect on the outside but have been eaten away by an invisible worm on the inside. Yoga is not about appearances, it is about finding and eradicating the worm so that the whole apple, from skin inward, can be perfect and a healthy one. That is why yoga and indeed all spiritual philosophies seem to harp on the negative — grasping desires, weaknesses, faults, and imbalances. They are trying to catch the worm before it eats and corrupts the whole apple inside. This is not a struggle between good and evil. It is natural for a worm to eat apples. In yoga we simply do not want to be the apple that is rotten from the inside. So yoga insist s on examining scientifically and without value judgement, what can go wrong, and why, and how to stop it. It is organic farming of the self — for the Self.” - B.K.S Iyengar
All the All the best,
Mona
Trip Highlights
Connect with nature at the Quinta
Daily Yoga practice with Mona
Sound Bath session
Venue
QUINTA CARVALHAS
Also named ‘The Green Farm’ because of the natural beauty of the property and the absence of chemicals, this extensive farm in the Ribatejo has everything you could look for – a rolling landscape, gorgeous old stone buildings, plenty of trees and a lot of history. It is only an hour from the Lisbon airport and 90 minutes to the Atlantic Ocean. This ideal location is complemented by ideal weather, with lots of sunshine and clear blue skies.
Rooms
Itinerary
DAY 1 - Arrive
- Arrive and settle into the beautiful Quinta Carvalhas, your home for the next six days
- Start the evening with a slow flow practice
- Meet and connect with the group in an opening circle
- Welcome dinner at the farm
DAY 2 - Settle in
- Start your day with a yoga practice followed by breakfast
- Enjoy free time to explore the farm or treat yourself to an optional massage
- Lunch at the farm
- Afternoon yoga practice with Mona
- Dinner at the farm
DAY 3 - slow down
- Start your day with a yoga practice followed by breakfast
- Enjoy free time to explore the farm or treat yourself to an optional massage
- Lunch at the farm
- Afternoon yoga practice with Mona
- Dinner at the farm
DAY 4 - relax and breath
- Morning yoga practice followed by breakfast
- Enjoy free time to explore the farm or treat yourself to an optional massage
- Lunch at the farm
- Afternoon yoga practice with Mona
- Dinner at the farm
DAY 5 - Relax and Breath 2
- Morning yoga practice followed by breakfast
- Enjoy free time to explore the farm or treat yourself to an optional massage
- Lunch at the farm
- Afternoon yoga practice with Mona and closing circle
- Dinner at the farm
DAY 6 - Farewell
- Enjoy a morning of sound healing
- Breakfast
- Departures
- 5 nights accommodation
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Daily yoga with Mona
- 1 sound healing session
- Arrival and departure airport transfers
- Flights
- Travel Insurance
- Additional speciality beverages
- Additional nights accommodation
Why book this trip?
CURATED FOR PASSION
Trips built around and for you, led by passion and genuine care.
YOU ARE IN CARING HANDS
We are professional travel managers who are also passionate yogis, footballers, and surfers.
YOU ARE PROTECTED
All payments and trips are ABTA-protected, the gold standard in consumer protection.
LIFETIME DEPOSIT
Change of plans? No worries, we got you, for life. Just give us a new date when you are ready.
Meet your host
Meet Mona Lisa Godfrey… RYT E-500 Yoga Teacher, passionate about utilizing the ancient wisdoms of yoga and meditation as a platform to create meaningful change in our modern world. Mona has launched and directed various studios and retreat centers in the US, Australia and Indonesia. She is currently residing in London, where she leads group classes, workshops, teacher trainings and retreats. Mona is the proud co-founder of High Yoga School. Dedicated to teaching with a commitment to the ancient traditions of yoga, Mona believes that with discipline and enthusiasm, the practice has the power to raise the vibration of the collective, starting from the inside, one awakened heart at a time.
Testimonials
Mau Messina, UK
TESTIMONIAL
“Mona’s retreats are like a bit of Heaven! A perfect combination of dynamic practices to energise you and slow classes to quiet the mind and soothe the body, together with yoga philosophy and spirituality that Mona beautifully instills into all her teachings. Her retreats have the power to touch your soul in ways that you will never forget… an utterly sublime experience!”.
Shruti Mohan, UK
TESTIMONIAL
“I have joined Mona on two of her wonderful retreats. She is quite simply an inspirational teacher. Her classes are a beautiful marriage of movement and philosophical guidance and the retreats have allowed a gradual un-peeling of the layers of pressure and noise of the outside world. They left me feeling renewed and with fresh perspectives and vigour to face the challenges of daily life. I can’t wait until the next opportunity.”
Valentina Zanetti, Italy
TESTIMONIAL
“Mona has the innate powerful ability to touch your soul with her voice and guide you towards your real self. Her retreats are the perfect balance between the physical and emotional, grounding and uplifting, asana and meditation, serious and play! And it all shakes you inside. She makes me cry every time and I will be forever grateful to her for that!”
FAQs
WHAT TIME DOES THE RETREAT START AND END?
The retreat will officially start at 16:00 on April 30th and end after breakfast on May 5th, 2024.
WHICH AIRPORT DO I FLY INTO?
You will fly into Lisbon airport (LIS)
HOW DO I GET FROM AIRPORT TO THE VENUE?
We will provide a private transfer to and from the venue as part of the retreat.
DOES THE RETREAT CATER TO SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS?
Yes, we will be having all of our meals at the hotel which will provide 3 meals per day. Vegan and gluten-free options are available on request. Please let us know at least 21 days in advance of the retreat start date if you have any special dietary requests.
CAN I COME TO THIS RETREAT ALONE?
Yes! Traveling alone is a great way to meet new people, and on this trip we’re all in it together and you’ll be part of the gang in no time.
WILL I GET ANY “FREE” TIME?
Absolutely! We will always schedule down time in our daily itinerary for you to use as you wish.
I WANT TO SHARE A ROOM, BUT I AM TRAVELING ALONE, DO YOU ASSIGN ME SOMEONE TO SHARE THE ROOM WITH ?
Please contact us so we can assign you to an unaccompanied guest that also wants to travel in a double occupancy room. We will do our best to accommodate.
HOW DO YOU ASSIGN THE ROOMS?
Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. Each room is unique. Changing to a different room at the retreat is subject to availability and additional costs may apply.
Please note: all rooms are equal in terms of comfort and cleanliness. We will do our best to assign you the nicest available room at the time of your deposit.
WHAT IS THE COVID CANCELLATION POLICY?
In the unlikely event that WE have to cancel the retreat for any reason then we will offer you the following options:
- A full refund of all monies paid, including your deposit
- Transfer of your booking, free of charge, to a future retreat of the same value
- Cancellation fees
- Positive Covid-19 test preventing you from traveling
- Local and destination restrictions preventing you from traveling
IS TRAVEL INSURANCE INCLUDED?
We do not include travel insurance as everyone’s needs are different. However, having travel insurance in place for each person is a condition of your booking. Please ensure COVID-19 cover is included. If you haven’t purchased cover yet, you can do so here:
For other International residents link hereIS MY DEPOSIT REFUNDABLE IF I DECIDE TO CANCEL THE TRIP?
The Deposit is a non-refundable deposit, used to secure your spot on the trip. If you decide to cancel your trip, we cannot refund your deposit. Please ensure you purchase adequate travel insurance to cover any fees you may incur if you have to cancel your trip.
WHEN DO I NEED TO PAY THE REMAINING BALANCE?
The balance payment for your trip will be due on March 1st, 2024, you will be notified by email.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATING THIS TRIP?
This trip is being sold and operated by Seek Dharma Ltd, a company registered in England & Wales (company number 13127983 and members of ABTA, no. Y6752). Seek Dharma is collaborating with Mona Lisa Godfrey to build an incredible experience for her community.
WHO DO I REACH OUT TO IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
You can reach out to us directly via email at highyoga@seekdharma.com.
From 1728 £/pp
DESTINATION
Casevel, Portugal
DURATION
5 Nights, 6 Days
DATES
April 30 - May 5, 2024
VENUE
Quinta Carvalhas