A week to gather together for a retreat in the beautiful surroundings of the D’Alijo Retreat Center, surrounded by nature with great hiking trails, leading you to rivers, waterfalls and natural pools. 

The intention for this retreat is to help you to transition into the darker months with more ease and to leave you feeling resourced and connected to all that supports you.

As always with Mandy this is a practice rich retreat with yoga, breath work, meditation, mantra and yoga Nidra all on offer. 

On day 2 there will be a guided hike into the surrounding area to enjoy together.

In the middle of the retreat - days 3-5 we will observe silence in the mornings, until after the morning session. This is a chance to be together wholeheartedly but without the usual social constructs. This can allow for deeper restoration and insight. 

An outline schedule will be sent to you within a few weeks of the retreat.

We will have sole use of the White Tara Shala with floor to ceiling windows, perched atop a small hill with gorgeous views of mountains and valleys. 

The Shala is 91 square meters, has a wooden floor and is equipped with high quality yoga mats, cushions, blankets, straps and props with a state-of-the-art sound system. A comfortable lounge area and a bathroom are also in the Shala for your convenience.

D'Alijo specialises in hosting yoga retreats and is a fully managed retreat centre with restaurant.

It is a five hectare site. Unless renting out the whole site, D'Alijo hosts 2-3 retreats at a time. During your retreat, there will be just one other small group. They have the Green Tara Yoga Shala and separate accommodation. Some meal times may be shared and there is ample space in the restaurant to accommodate everyone with ease. 

Please note that there are two friendly dogs at the property - one young Jack Russell and one old Podengo. They walk around the property. If you are not a fan of dogs the advice from D'Alijo is to take a River Cabin room to be away from the Main House. 

For more about Mandy and to read some testimonials from previous retreats, please visit www.mandybrinkleyyoga.com.

The nature of this retreat is such that social time will be more limited. I appreciate that many will be seeing one another for the only time in the year and for this reason I am suggesting a trip extension for those who would like and are able to. It is also an opportunity to enjoy more of the area. We will meet in Porto on October 10th and have dinner together. Please register your interest when booking.

All accommodation is offered en-suite.

Single occupancy only means 12 participants.

A maximum of 2 rooms will be offered as twins, if requested, to give a maximum of 15 in the group.

https://dalijoyogaretreats.com/rooms

Getting there:

D’Alijo centre is around 70 minutes by car from Porto airport (the closest airport). There are no public transport options to the centre. 

Transport Service

There is a transfer service offered by D'Alijo. Transfers to and from the D'Alijo centre are not included in the prices. 

The cost for transfers organised by the retreat centre will be approximately €40-€120 per person each way. If you are part of a group transfer the cost will be closer to €40-€60 one way. There will be occasions where you will need a private transfer (arrive later in the day etc) and the cost of a private car is €120 (max 3 people).

This is a 7 night, 8 day long weekend retreat:

Arrivals from 3pm Friday 11th October

Departures by midday Friday 18th October..

What to bring

Water bottle - filtered tap water freely available.. 

The yoga studio is beautifully equipped. Your own shawl / blanket can be nice for meditation.

The Douro valley in October is beautiful.  Expect cooler temperatures and rain.

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In their own words, from the retreat centre:

D’Alijo Retreat Center in North Portugal is an exclusive retreat centre located in the village of Cabeceiras de Basto in the province of Minho, with its beautiful city of Porto. Porto offers an international airport just one hour away from our retreat centre. The area is well known for its Vinho Verde vineyards, olive fields and beautiful national parks. Their studio and accommodations are cohesively blended with nature and are sure to awaken the mind, body and spirit.

D’Alijo’s intention is to nurture its guests by providing a space to learn, develop and grow, coupled with outstanding client communication and customer service.

Since they do have mild winters and can heat all buildings, bookings are accepted year around. D’Alijo boasts an inspiring studio space, along with stylish accommodations, and a gorgeous terrace surrounded restaurant set amongst vibrant lush gardens. Those who come to this centre will feel empowered to reconnect with nature, in a truly spectacular location.

Please indicate when booking if you have any dietary requirements.

D'Alijo specialises in hosting yoga retreats and serves 3 meals a day specialising in  "healthy, flavorful and nutritious vegetarian – vegan food... complimentary to the Yogi lifestyle."

Therefore no meat or fish will be served during this retreat. 

D'Alijo serve "not just healthy Yogic food, but meals that are delicious in their own right. We believe that the right food creates the right mood & energy for people to have a truly memorable retreat experience. All the menus served at our retreats have been a huge hit! So let us surprise and amaze you!"

During breakfast there will be a different fruit/vegetable juice available every day, along with tea, coffee and mineral water.

Lunch is served with water. There is also an honesty fridge where you can take coconut water, kombucha, etc.  There is also a Nespresso machine and a wide variety of teas available. All at a very reasonable price.   You settle your bills at the end of the retreat. 

Filtered tap water is available all around the property, so you can fill up your water bottles for free.

You can visit the D'Alijo website or check them out on social media to get a sense of the place, their ethos and the food they serve.