Course Contents
We invite you to connect with your purpose and passion and ignite your fire with a group of loving women in rural Portugal
The past couple of years have been challenging and a strong reminder that change can rush through at any moment. In moments like this we can shrink into fear or expand forwards into love and passion. Our invitation is to allow the recent changes to clear us out from deep within and choose the women that we want to be. We offer inspiring and nourishing practices to inspire you to connect deeply with your purpose and passion for the future.
As mother and daughter, Rosa and Suzanne will draw upon our different experiences of shiatsu, yoga, meditation and massage to inspire you and awaken your creativity.
We will celebrate and explore your life cycles from your time in the womb to your experience of ageing. This is for you, wherever you are at in your life cycle - menstruation, pregnancy, birth, motherhood or the menopause and whether or not you have had children. We will weave together the wisdom of each cycle to connect with our purpose and passion.
Overview
Over five days, we will drop deep within through yoga, movement, meditation, workshops/touch based practices, creative & nature - based activities, sharing circles & ceremony. There will be opportunities to rest and reflect on your own as well as to enjoy good food and company. The mornings will be an energising practice to set the theme for the day and the evenings will close with a nurturing and relaxing practice to ease you into the night.
Each day has a theme:
Day 1: Beginnings - preconception, our time in the womb, the impact of our birth
Day 2: Growth - childhood, fertility, motherhood or creative projects
Day 3: Ageing & death - including time to go within
Day 4: Rebirth - choosing our journey forwards
The retreat will include
- An Opening Ceremony to ignite your creative fire and set your intentions
- Yoga and movement journeys each morning, with breath, sound and mantra to connect with a cycle of life
- Awaken the Extraordinary Vessels with guided and intuitive movement. These powerful energy vessels regulate our life cycles and ancestral patterns
- Explore how the mother daughter relationship affects our later relationships
- Get in touch with the elements of the surrounding landscape (including the ocean) as we guide cleansing and balancing practices
- The Inner Mother: time to rest and be in nature, deepening your relationship with yourself
- Challenge yourself with a day in silence to journey within
- Sharing circles where all women are invited to contribute - whether a short practice, a song, a poem, or words to inspire
- Paired bodywork practices drawing from shiatsu & massage (no experience necessary)
- Guided visualizations to connect with life cycles
- 1 Shiatsu workshop led by Suzanne exploring shiatsu points and the Extraordinary Vessels
- 1 Yoga workshop led by Rosa to explore ways of connecting with the Extraordinary Vessels in your practice
- Relaxing evening practices (slow yoga, meditation) to integrate your day
- Closing Ceremony – sparking the element of fire to celebrate your creative light and all you have to offer the world
The retreat space
We have chosen an inspiring rural space to support our work – Monte da Orada
“ an abundant green womb for expansion and transformation”
Click on the link above to be taken to their website where you can view a video.
June is the month of the most light. We chose it to support the theme of passion and to ignite the fire within.
It is a family run, eco-sustainable, community based soul retreat centre, nestled in 71 hectares of nature and privacy. Located near Portugal's Southwest Atlantic Coast, bordering Algarve, Orada is near spectacular wild surf beaches (15 minutes from the coast) and the authentic countryside tranquillity of Alentejo.
There is a Bio pool and they grow most of their fruit and vegetables inspired by permaculture principles. The food will be nourishing, vegan and gluten and sugar free.
The nearest airport is Faro and takes 1.5 hours in a shared 8 seater minibus (about 20€ each way). Lisbon airport transfers take 2,5 hours and are about 30€ each way. There are also bus and train options to São Teotónio then a taxi. We will be in touch with you a few weeks before to coordinate travel arrangements for you. We will organise the minibus.
A Typical Day
Timing varies depending on activity
07.00 -7.30 Meditation
07.30-08.30 Movement journey
09.00–10.00 Breakfast
10.30-13.00 Themed workshop
13.00-14.00 Lunch
15.00-18.00 Outside activity (includes trips and 1 or 2 afternoons free)
18.00 -19.00 Women’s sharing circle
19.00- 20.30 Dinner
20.30 -21.30 Nourishing practices (relaxing Yoga and breathwork)
Monday evening opening ceremony at 8 pm and Friday evening closing ceremony. Start 7pm dinner Monday, finish lunchtime Saturday
Working with extraordinary women's cycles was particularly touching for me. I have done lots of personal development work, such as counselling, body therapy, psychotherapy, energetic work, but I have never connected with my womb in such a loving way.
I felt you held the space in a way that valued my womb, my femininity, my sexuality and made me aware of my female power in a way I had not experienced before.
It was like the permission to truly give birth to my real self!
Thank you so much Suzanne!
Brigitte Markl
Shiatsu-Practitioner and Coach for Personal Development
This course is a jewel for every woman!
I was standing at a threshold and needed to step back, reflect and get nourished in a way before moving on with my life. The course has exactly given me that. Right from our very first session, the threshold was gone and I felt whole again.
From that moment on, I felt completely happy with where I'm standing now, and open to whatever experience may arrive. Tears came... and went. No drama. No questions. Just me witnessing, and at the same time joy and gratefulness. A real treasure!
Thank you Rosa and Suzanne for having offered and continuing to offer such a beautiful opportunity for growth, reflection and awareness.
Cordula Quadt
Shiatsu therapist and Qi Gong teacher
Available languages
- English with French and Spanish support
Dates and location
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Monte da Orada, Portugal13/06/2022 - 18/06/2022
Teacher
Suzanne Yates
Suzanne is the founder and principal teacher at Wellmother, established 1990
Rosa Lia
Rosa is a yoga teacher & massage therapistEntrance Requirements
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Open to any woman who wants to reconnect with their purpose and passion and ignite their fire with a group of loving women in rural Portugal.
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You will get a certificate of attendance, which, if you are a professional, you can use for your CPD (50 hours).
More information
Price
Fully inclusive of teaching and full board accommodation at Orada. For early booking price pay in full by 22nd April.
Triple room: £795 early booking (£845 standard price)
Twin room: £845/ £895
Single room: £945/£995 (limited option - please check with us before you book this)
(Room options in Orada presentation booklet above - triple are the bungalows, doubles are the suites.
Mother/daughter or 2 friend price – discount £50 per person. Email us for code.
One scholarship place at £550. You will be in a triple room. Email to receive our application form. THIS HAS NOW BEEN ALLOCATED
To secure your place pay a non refundable deposit of £250. If the retreat is cancelled for any reason, you will be fully refunded. If you need to cancel, payments can be transferred to other courses. Check with us that your room choice is available.
3 meals a day (apart from arrival day, evening meal only and departure day breakfast and lunch only)
Start Monday dinner (7pm) with opening ceremony at 8pm. Finish lunchtime Saturday
Flight and travel to venue not included - but we help coordinate the airport transfers.
If you want to stay a few days before or after the course, there are plenty of local options for accommodation. Nearest beach is Zambujeira do Mar.
Apply for course