RECONNECT, REGULATE & RESTORE: Grounding in the Moment Through Body and Nature
27-29 September 2024
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
-- David Wagoner
This retreat is an invitation to slow down, welcoming stillness and coming into the present moment. It has never been so vital to pause, reconnect with yourself and nature and create a space of silence. Current times are too fast and driven by a constant doing mode, pushing us into an automatic and frenetic rhythm that disconnects us from ourselves, others, and the present moment. The container of this retreat will allow you to unwind, rest, find inner space to be, unveil and remember what really matters. This is an opportunity to become closer to your authentic self and opening the doors to your inner resources to cultivate well-being and resilience.
During these four days you will be invited to join us in:
- - Mindfulness Based Practices
- - Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) Sessions
- - Mindful Movement for Nervous System Regulation
- - Workshop on Mindful Nutrition
- - Journaling
- - Contemplation
- - Free Time
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The mindfulness-based practices will support you in the process of returning into stillness, anchoring your presence in the moment and reconnect with your inner experience.
Forest Bathing – We will take slow walks through the woods, “bathing” in the forest atmosphere, taking in the environment through our senses, engaging in contemplative moments. Allowing our natural rhythm to unfold, experiencing time and presence as fluid, and remembering the reciprocity of nature and humans.
Nervous System Regulation Movement Practices – We will use movement, breathing exercises, myofascial liberation, and vagus nerve exercises to release tension, activate your parasympathetic nervous system to guide you towardsslowing yourself down and reconnect with your body.
Workshop on Mindful Nutrition - eating is more than just nourishing and providing the necessary nutrients for the functioning of our organism. What we eat influences different aspects of our health, as it affects the hormones and neurotransmitters we produce, influencing how we feel. It is also capable of modulating our immune system and the composition of our intestinal microbiota, whose impacts will reverberate throughout the entire body. With each bite, we are also influencing the genes we are expressing. All meals (snacks and lunch) will be guided to improve the health of the participants, and we will have a workshop where you can learn more about the impact of nutrition on our health. Throughout this day, meals will be guided by Dr. Daniela Seabra. Dietary choices will aim to ensure easy digestion, reinforce our healthy microbiota, positively modulate our hormonal production, be rich in immune-modulating nutrients and antioxidants, and capable of increasing the genetic expression of various antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes.
Meals will be oriented by Dr. Daniela Seabra and will be based on vegan and gluten-free diet with a high nutritional density.
Food choices will aim to ensure easy digestion, a reinforcement of our healthy microbiota, a positive modulation in our hormone production, full of immunomodulatory and antioxidant nutrients, and capable of increasing the genetic expression of different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes.
Journaling will support in the integration of the experience during the retreat, allowing depthness of your inner awareness.
Contemplation is a fundamental pillar of the entire retreat as you are invited to come closer to yourself – your body, mind, emotions - and the nature around you, awakening the senses to notice what is present in the moment.
You will have Free Time to wonder around the woods of retreat center, swim in the pool of the retreat center or go to the beach. You may also have a massage, horse ride or surf class organized directly with the retreat staff (additional costs apply).
TEACHERS:
Carla Martins - Founder and Director of Ser Integral: Portuguese Center for Mindfulness. Clinical and Health Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist with a specialization in Transpersonal Psychology and Mindfulness Based Interventions. Carla is a certified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the Center for Mindfulness of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA, orienting MBSR programs since 2007. She is also a Certified Teacher of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for clinical groups and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Life for the general population by the Oxford Mindfulness Center, University of Oxford. She has also completed trainings in Mindfulness Teacher for adolescents and children since 2013 by Mindful Schools & Still Quiet Place (USA), Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) Teacher. She is a Mindfulness-Based Program Teacher Supervisor by Mindfulness Network (England) and author of the book Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Older Adults: Evidence for Practice. Carla has over 30 years of meditation practice, loves nature and the simplicity of life.
Carla is also responsible for establishing partnerships between Ser Integral and international organizations in the area of mindfulness, as well as planning and organizing activities for personal and professional development in the area of mindfulness-based interventions including retreats, short courses, professional training and continuing education. Her professional work is focused on the application of Mindfulness-Based Programs for the adult population, clinical groups, health professionals in hospital contexts. She also works on individual consultations focusing on mindfulness and compassion-based interventions and transpersonal approached. In her work, Carla brings a safe and gentle container for individuals to meet themselves wherever they are in their lives, to foster their capacity to cultivate restore balance, cultivate their own well-being and express their authenticity.
Filipa Soares has a degree in Psychology by the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto. Collaborated 6 years with APDES - Piaget Agency for Development - as Risk Reduction Technician and Coordinator of national and European projects in the area of management of drug use, sexuality and other risk behaviors in young people. Since 2015 she collaborates with Ser Integral: Portuguese Center for Mindfulness in the development of Mindfulness programs aimed at schools, parents, children and adolescents and in supporting training and personal and professional development in the area of mindfulness (retreats, short courses and trainings). She has training in mindfulness in the MBCT-L Program (Oxford Mindfulness Foundation) and in several programs for children, young people and teachers. She is currently a research fellow in Education Sciences atFPCEUP/inED-PPorto, developing a research project in the area of humanization of Teacher Training.
Maria João is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide by the Forest Therapy Hub. Her background is in movement having a degree in Sports Sciences and being a Certified Pilates Instructor (Polestar Pilates - USA) and Yoga Teacher (ETY – Belgium), with more than 18 years’ experience. She founded her own Studio, Ahimsa Pilates Studio, where with her team promotes self-conscious movement in clients. With a vast interest in Health and Wellness she is a Certified Health Coach with a focus on gut health (IIN – USA), is self-taught in fermentation and has knowledge in Craniosacral Therapy (Upledger Institute). Since 2019 she has been studying Nervous System Regulation, the Vagus Nerve connection to Stress and Trauma. With the goal to deepen her knowledge in this area she studied the Neuro Affective Relational Model, becoming a NARM Practitioner (NARM Institute – USA) in 2022. In her work she combines conscious movement, fascial release, breathing techniques, healthy eating, vagus nerve activation, nervous system regulation techniques and connection with nature to support the individual restorative processes.
Daniela Seabra has been a nutritionist since 1999, and has been practicing nutrition in the clinical area, first at the General Hospital of Santo António (Porto), then at the Hospitar Center between Douro and Vouga (Santa Maria da Feira), at the Dra Cristina Sales Functional Medicine clinic, passing to Nordic Clinic Porto, and now at her on clinic “Clinica Daniela Seabra” – coordinating a team of other functional clinical nutritionists. In 2004 he had the privilege of crossing paths with Dr. Cristina Sales, whose vision of chronic diseases would awaken in her an interest and curiosity that he never lost, and in 2005 he joined her team as a nutritionist. Until 2013 she maintained her clinical practice simultaneously at the Centro Hospitalar entre Douro e Vouga, and at Dr Cristina Sales' clinic (and since 2013 only at the clinic) where she was able to observe the impact of interdisciplinary work, lifestyle changes, food and nutrition, can have on improving the quality of life of different chronic diseases. In 2008 she learned the role that food and nutrition can play in autism spectrum disorders, and in 2009 he was in the United States taking a course with the Autism Research Institute. In 2010 he went back to the United States for a course on Functional Nutrition at the Institute for Functional Medicine, and in 2011 he went to London to do the initial module for the certification in Medicine/Functional Nutrition at IFM. It was in 2018 that he completed the certification exam with distinction, with a classification included in the 20% highest grades. In 2016, also with IFM, she did 2 advanced trainings in pediatrics and prevention of cognitive decline, becoming a "Recode Practicioner". In 2019 she joined the clinical group at Nordic Clinic, in 2020 she took over the coordination of the Nutrition team at Nordic Clinic Porto and in May of 2023 she opens her own clinic – a clinic that focus on functional and personalized nutrition. Functional medicine/ Nutrition is a systems-based approach, targeting every aspect of persons life, since before their birth, and it recognizes the importance of several modifiable lifestyle factors, namely: sleep and relaxation, exercise and movement, nutrition, stress, and relationships. The mental, spiritual, and mental components are also considered when approaching health and healing. Over the years she accompanied thousands of patients using this approach to achieve improve their health.
DATES:
27-29 September 2024
SCHEDULE
To be presented during the retreat
LOCATION:
Herdade Da Matinha : https://www.herdadedamatinha.com/en/
If you wish to know more about the Retreat Center check here: Herdade da Matinha & Experiences at Herdade da Matinha
COST
- 1033 euros in shared ensuite room (VAT Incl)
- 895 euros in single ensuite room (VAT Incl)
Costs include accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner & orientation during the program. If you want to read more about meals at Herdade da Matinha please link above.
REGISTRATION
The limit date for registration is the 30th July 2023. After this date we won’t accept any further registrations.
The number of places is limited to 20 participants, so we advise your registration as soon as possible.
To register in the retreat:
- Make the payment of the value of the retreat using the payment options below. After the reception of your email we will send you a reply confirming your place in the retreat and with information relating to the retreat. If you don't receive our reply please contact us.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
- If your retreat is canceled until the 1st of August you will receive a full reimbursement of the retreat minus an administration fee of 50 euros plus fee for the international bank transference. After this date we won’t make any reimbursements.
- If the event is canceled due to an unexpected reason, Ser Integral: Centro Português de Mindfulness, will provide a reimbursement of 100% of the value paid for the retreat, but we won’t be responsible for any other costs (i.e., travelling and accommodation) associated with your participation in the retreat.
NOTES:
- The retreat will occur with a minimum and maximum number of participants (limited places available). In the eventuality of the retreat not having the minimum registrations established Se Integral: Portuguese Center for Mindfulness will have to cancel the event.
- Please bring confortable clothing, a meditation cushionand blankets for your own comfort in the practice room. Also bring confortable walking shoes to use on the gardens/forest and you might also be interested in bringing a mosquito repellent.
- The program is subject to minor changes according to the needs met during the retreat.
- The room has bed sheets, towels, blankets, but you should bring all the toiletries that you usually need (e.g., shampoo, soap, etc)
FAQ
How to get here?
- A2 - Direction Lisbon - Algarve (South) departing from Beja / Ferreira;
- IP1 - Heading to Ourique, Algarve to Mimosa;
- Turn to Alvajade - Cercal and in Cercal go towards Vila Nova de Milfontes;
- 1 km after Cercal, turn right on a dirt road in front of a small factory (approximately 3 km)
- Now start following the signs for Herdade da Matinha (HM) or the telephone poles (which start the tarmac road)
At what time should I arrive? When will we finish?
Arrival is on the 5th of October between 3.30pm and 5.30pm so that we can process your arrival and registration. You will then be assigned to your room and we will meet for dinner. In the last day of the retreat we will have lunch at the retreat center and after this we will all leave the retreat center.
Is there wireless and mobile phone connection?
Yes, there is wifi available at the retreat center.
Is it possible to arrive earlier or stay after the retreat ends?
Yes, if you need more nights at the retreat center you have to contact Herdade da Matinha directly.
What do I need to bring?
It is advised to bring confortable clothing, a meditation cushion, a yoga mat and blankets for your comfort during the practices. The room has bed sheets, towels, blankets, but you should bring all the toiletries that you usually need (e.g., shampoo, soap, etc). Also bring confortable walking shoes to use on the gardens/forest and you might also be interested in bringing a mosquito repellent.
What do previous participants have to say about their experience on other retreats organized by Ser Integral: Portuguese Center for Mindfulness?
"Thank you so much for organizing this retreat in Braga, it was a true gift for me and I got so much out of it...words cannot even describe. The organization was excellent, I loved the monastery and Paul and Anna were wonderful teachers!" - Myrto Legaki, Greece (2017)
"I flew from Denmark and joined a 5-day silent retreat organised by Ser Integral in Porto. The retreat place was perfect and I was very impressed by the genuine care of the organisers. They were truly helpful, professional, attentive and loving throughout the whole event. We stayed in single rooms and having this privacy was very helpful for me to extend deepening the silence. And if you are wondering, the food was great as well!:) I am looking forward to coming back for more retreats." Esen, Denmark (2017)