Embrace Your Inner Self
Yoga Retreat
A Journey Thru the Niyamas
July 21st- 27th, 2024
Inspiration in Portugal is calling…
One of the most powerful things about a retreat (besides slowing down from everyday life) is that it gives us the space to dream & grow. To step outside our safety box, be bold & courageous, and reimagine and transform ourselves and our lives.
Join HumanNatureYoga on the Algarve in Portugal for 6 nights/ 7 days to
RECONNECT & REPLENISH
through exploration of Niyamas and the beauty of Portugal, yoga, meditation, sound healing, hiking, delicious local cuisine, play, and so much more!
Taking a Retreat is one of the BEST ways to reconnect with your authentic Self and find clarity in your Life!
WHAT IS THIS RETREAT ABOUT?
Do you feel as if you have hit the wall? Has life left you out of breath, restless, disconnected, weary, and uncertain?? It’s not easy to find something you’ve lost.
Join us for a journey to explore the practice of yoga and Niyamas and all that it can offer. This 7-day retreat will highlight your well-being and connection with Self and provide opportunities for growth both mentally and physically; learning to push boundaries and honor limitations, all while building friendships. There isn’t much in life we can control, but our breath is one. Come with an open heart and mind as we enjoy the power of vinyasas, the stillness of yin, and the cleansing of sound baths. Yoga is a journey, and no one is left behind. Nestled in the heart of the Algarve, Portugal is a sanctuary, Monte Velho Retreat Centre, rich in history and grounded in nature. It will be the backdrop of our daily practice. Putting your intentions of reconnecting and replenishing into purpose and action while emphasizing a life filled with joy, self-awareness, confidence, and acceptance.
WHO IS THIS RETREAT FOR?
Everyone!!!
This is the kind of retreat that goes deep into the depths of your own soul because that’s where the answers lie and where transformation happens.
It’s going to be full on. Out of your comfort zone. Exciting. Fun. Ecstatic. Life changing. Loving. Out of this world. Magical.
You know you’re here for a reason. Deep down….
Who are you at your very core without labels?
What inspires you?
What does your internal dialogue sound like?
How often do you practice self-care?
How much energy do you use each day to get what you want and avoid what you don’t want?
How often do you give others the power and shy away from your own?
Where do you invest your energy?
If you’re already asking yourself these questions:
Retreat with Us!!
for this very unique journey.
Embrace Your Inner Self Yoga Wellness Adventure Retreat
You know you’re here for a reason. So, take a much-needed break from life's everyday demands and join us in a retreat that is centered around your personal reconnection, growth, self-reflection, and healing of the mind, body, and soul.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
6 Nights/7 days accommodation at Monte Velho Retreat Centre
2 daily yoga classes (Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative, Yin). All levels are welcome & encouraged in our own private Shala
Daily Nature Meditations
Hike to Praia da Bordeira Beach
Excursions to Monte Casteleja Organic Winery & Ingrina to Barranco Grottos Kayak Tour
All scrumptious and nutritious meals are fresh and locally sourced, vegan and vegetarian
Restaurant outings to experience local cuisine fresh from the sea
Travel during the retreat
Sauna & Steam Room
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
Airfare (Faro International Airport) or Travel to & from Monte Velho Retreat Center.
Any Monte Velho Spa Services.
Any additional local activities (Horse riding, dolphin watching, surfing, mountain biking, art therapy workshops).
Travel Insurance.*
STOP!!! Before you go further, please click the link below and read the terms and conditions for this retreat.
*We strongly recommend travel insurance as Deposits are Non-Refundable, and No Refunds will be provided if canceled within 65 days of the retreat start date.
LET’S DIVE DEEP INTO…
NIYAMAS:
Please don’t let the demands and responsibilities of modern life fool you into thinking you can’t make use of ancient philosophies off your mat. There is great value in looking beyond the physical practice of yoga. The guidance given in the philosophies can bring peace and contentment to your life.
The Niyamas guide your choices in your day-to-day life, encouraging you to do those things that keep your body and mind clean and healthy. Habits of physical health are often the easiest to understand, although they might not be easy to practice consistently. Habits of mental health also feature strongly in the Niyamas, including gratitude, reflection, mindfulness, and a focus on self-improvement. The ancient Niyamas seem to be reflected in modern mental health care advice.
As you begin this journey, know that the Niyamas are not about perfection. They are a means to help us cultivate self-awareness and a deep connection with ourselves and ultimately each other.
MONTE VELHO RETREAT CENTRE
UNIQUE NATURE
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Room packages start at $2399
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![Rooms 4 & 6 at the Monte Velho Retreat Centre in Portugal.]()
Urze & Joina--SOLD OUT
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![Rooms 5 & 7 at the Monte Velho Retreat Centre in Portugal.]()
Tomilho & Rosmaninho
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![This is bedroom 9 at the Monte Velho Retreat Centre in Portugal.]()
Piri Piri--SOLD OUT
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![The Tree Suite is a stand alone structure for couples, families and friends at the Monte Velho Retreat Centre in Portugal.]()
Tree Suite
A beautiful place with both coasts and forests, Monte Velho Retreat Centre is in the middle of the stunning Algarve West Coastal Region, outside of the small traditional seaside village of Carrapateira. Monte Velho is situated in the middle of the Natural Park of Costa Vicentina. It is surrounded by forest and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. You can expect amazing and wild beaches, beautiful walks around the park, and stunning sea cliffs.
Around Monte Velho & Carrapateira you can find:
Freesurf and Free Kitesurf
Surf Classes
Horseback Riding
Bird Watching
Diving
Fishing
BTT
Nature Walking
WHAT WILL THE FOOD BE LIKE?
The following meals are included:
Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
FOOD FOR THE SOUL
Monte Velho provides vegan and vegetarian food cooked with care and love. At Monte Velho, they pay attention to the principles of Ayurveda as they understand the healing effects of food. Their chefs design balanced menus to provide all the nutrients for good health and create inspiring plant-based dishes. They work with unprocessed foods, fresh and locally sourced, and they use herbs and vegetables from their own garden in Monte Velho!
MONTE VELHO MISSION AND VALUES
While staying with us, our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit!
We want to enhance and educate the palate with vegan and fresh ingredients and flavors while surprising each group with a creative menu.
*HumanNatureYoga also will be providing meals out at local restaurants to experience the many beautiful flavors of Portugal.
WHAT ELSE WILL FEED YOUR BODY?
YOGA:
If you're ready to improve the quality of your life, you can! Yoga is the path to having a progressively more joyful, connected, and fulfilling life.
When you join HNY’s Embrace Your Inner Self Retreat, you'll be supported in your practice to:
Shake-up or Wake-up your daily routine.
Reconnect mind, body, and spirit so they work more harmoniously together.
Build life-affirming habits through physical and mental transformation.
Lovingly embrace your whole Self, where you are.
Have fun along the way.
Overcome any excuse you have that might be holding you back.
There will be 2 yoga sessions daily for all levels, guiding you through a mindful Niyama-based practice each day. The classes will offer thoughtful movement, breathwork, and meditation sequencing grounded in ways to move energy with the intention to replenish, reconnect, and embrace your true inner self, always leaving room for playfulness and fun. We will be including Human Nature Yoga’s Happy Hour Yoga!!!
In keeping with the cycles of our lives, the daily offerings will include both yin & yang energies. Morning classes will be chakra-based Vinyasa/Hatha yoga that will create energy, uplift, and open the body and mind to reconnect to your Inner Self. Our evening classes will be more Yin/Restorative which will relax, unwind, and ground the mind and body from the day’s journey. This ultimately allows the creation of balance to Reconnect and Replenish the body, mind, and soul.
We will have our private yoga shala and outdoor space to practice daily yoga and surrender to sound healing and workshops. The Templo Verde is a circular, beautifully designed yoga pavilion with panoramic ocean views and green grass, and a little pond.
Hiking:
Enjoy daily nature hikes/walks throughout the many beautiful trails on the over 84 acres encompassing Monte Velho Retreat Center, a sharing space, and a holistic learning center for biodiversity and sustainable living. Monte Velho Retreat Center wants to share their environment with their guests so that everyone can benefit from reconnecting with Nature, protecting it, and integrating it in a sustainable way into your life and daily practices. It is a daily learning experience, and the changes each person makes in his or her lifestyle happen gradually.
One morning, we will be taking a guided hike down from the Monte Velho Retreat Center through the stunning countryside to the beautiful beach of Praia do Amado, where we will spend some time relaxing and enjoying the sand & surf for the afternoon.
WHAT WILL FEED YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT?
GROUP ACTIVITIES & EXCURSIONS
Monte Casteleja Organic Winery
Tour & Wine Tasting/Guided by a Sommelier:
Observe, feel, breathe, and taste…
A fascinating discovery for your senses.
The name “CASTELEJA” was given by the archaeologist who discovered the ruins of a small castle on this land dating back to the Roman period. The visit includes a tour of the vineyards and the winery and ends with a wine tasting. You will have the chance to hear the history of the farm, see their grape varieties up close, get to know their organic terroir and understand the artisanal production methods by which Monte Casteleja create all the wines, from the care for the soil and plants, to winemaking and bottling. During the wine tasting, regional tapas will be served, specially chosen to harmonize with each of the wines, creating a special tasting experience.
Ingrina to Barranco Grottos Kayak Tour:
During this Kayak tour, you will see one of the most remote and beautiful beaches on the southern Algarve coast of Portugal, exercise on your kayaks in calm and crystalline waters, to visit some unexplored but breathtaking caves. This tour begins at Barranco Beach, a wild and hard beach to reach. Here you can marvel at the scenery, cliffs, grottos, and caves at this beautiful spot. From the beach, you will head out to sea to begin your journey through the different caves while learning about this sport. Admire the different caves, the light-colored limestone cliffs, and the ruins of a 17th Century fortress across the blue waters. Your guide will take photos of you along the way so you can take the memories back with you after the tour. Carrapateira Extreme is a tour company that offers different activities for tourists, so you can get to know more about the area and fall in love with Portugal, creating moments, experiences, and memories to take back home with you!
Sound Healing Circle:
A 1-1/2 hour meditative healing concert with special instruments to unwind and relax body, mind, and soul. During our group sound baths, you’ll typically be on the ground or lying down on a mat, cuddled up with a cozy blanket and any other yoga props. As we rest, we will listen to a variety of instruments as you bathe in the healing and soothing sounds and vibrations. Sound Healing is an ancient healing technique that uses tonal frequencies to bring the body, mind, and Chakra System into a state of vibrational balance and harmony and will activate the body’s system of self-healing.
Dinner & Fado Night:
O Cangalho Restaurante Menu is based on the flavors and aromas of ancient recipes, prepared to be enjoyed in a truly affectionate, comforting, and warm spirit. At Cangalho, the tradition of fado music is still what it was.
Every Tuesday, starting at 9pm, let the most representative music of the Portuguese people delight your ears and tear your soul. Unforgettable nights with unforgettable music and unforgettable food. Silence, please. It’s time for fado music! A shawl, a guitar, a voice and a lot of feeling. A recognized symbol of Portugal, this simple image can describe Fado, a music of the world that is Portuguese. In its essence, it sings the feeling, the heartbreak, the longing for someone who left, the daily life, and the conquests. Silence, please. It’s time for fado music!
WORKSHOPS:
Holotropic Breath Workshop
Deepen your yoga & meditative experience with the breath.
This is for anyone who wants to breathe better, be it because of a specific breathing disorder, because they have the goal of increasing their endurance or deepening their meditation, to address a feeling of not getting enough air or feeling stuck in their breath, to calm the nervous system, to move that stuck energy through the Chakra System and Subtle Body via something our body does naturally every second of every day, and/or create a more balanced and connected mind, body, & breath.
This workshop will include a little bit of movement and yin stretches at the beginning to get the physical body comfortable, followed by active breathwork and meditation, ending with a gentle sound bath to soothe and reset.
Benefits:
The Holotropic Breath Workshop will alleviate stress and anxiety while helping with concentration and sleep.
Breathing or Pranayama exercises are good for your energy, reducing inflammation, lungs, posture, oxygen intake, blood pressure, heart rate, nervous system, lymphatic system, and immune system.
The Breath Workshop combines psychotherapy and relaxation techniques.
The Holotropic Breath Workshop uses active meditation. This practice has physical and psychological benefits.
The Breath Workshop takes you on a meditative journey that can aid in clearing stagnant energy, improve mood, and release stored trauma connecting mind, body, & spirit.
Niyamas Workshop:
Embody the Niyamas, Bring yoga philosophy to life!!
The Niyamas provide solace, purpose, inspiration, and motivation for the modern yogi. But these principles of self-care serve no purpose if they can’t be integrated into your daily lived experience. To help you better engage with these yogic principles in your daily life, this workshop series helps you embody purity, contentment, discipline, reflection, and surrender in asana, pranayama, and meditation practice. We will deeply explore what it means to live the Niyamas through the lens of Self-care in every-day-life in movement, breath, and inquiry. We will work with the inquiry: How can you use the Niyamas to nourish your body, mind, and soul, so that you can continue to show up as the best version of yourself?
HOW DO I JOIN THIS RETREAT?
HOW TO SAY YES TO A WELL-DESERVED ADVENTURE…
STEP 1: Learn all about the Journey: the theme, the guides, the teachers, the home, the location, our policies, etc.
STEP 2: Read the full Agreement Page before signing up.
STEP 3: Choose a room and reserve your spot as soon as you’re ready for the best option.
STEP 4: Book your travel. The nearest airport is Faro International in Portugal.
STEP 5: You’ll get a confirmation email + 3 emails leading up to your trip preparing you for an amazing adventure.
Email humannatureyoga333@gmail.com with any additional questions that aren’t answered on this page or the Retreat Agreement page.
Meet the Team
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Angela Albuquerque
Founder & Creative Director of HumanNatureYoga in Las Vegas; Medical Language Specialist, RHDS; E-YRT 500HR Yoga Educator/Instructor/YACEP; Energy & Sound Healer; Movement Specialist & Health Coordinator
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Nicole Lionakis
Breathwork Facilitator, Intuitive Coach, Yin Instructor, Master Reiki
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Andy Reger
Meet your hiking & climbing guru, Andy with over 20 years of hiking and climbing guiding experience, he is committed to providing a safe outdoor rock-climbing or hiking experience regardless of your ability.
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Kris Blunt
500Hr E-RYT with Yoga Alliance, holds additional certifications in Pre-Natal, Yin, and Restorative Yoga, and has more than 108 hours in Yoga Anatomy.