Vedic Rounding & Sacred Medicine Retreat

Yoga - Breathwork - Meditation - Sacred Medicine
1-7 November 2023 - Alentejo, Portugal

Prices from €2,300

Overview

This retreat is perfect for beginners or advanced meditators. The only requirement is that you’ve been trained in Vedic or Transcendental Meditation.

It is the perfect opportunity to boost your practice and shut off from the outside world, with a complete digital detox. The intention is to share Vedic Wisdom, techniques and expand your states of consciousness, to promote your own happiness and greater health.

There will be an opportunity to learn Vedic Meditation during the retreat or you can attend one of my group courses before, it’s completely up to you.

What To Expect

 

Beautifully secluded location

This well kept secret is situated in the “Parque Natural do Sudoeste, Alentejano”, land of gentile rolling prairies bathed by the blue sea and unruly beaches. It is this protected Natural habitat that now welcomes “Casas da Lupa”. It’s the perfect spot to go deeper in your practice.

Vedic rounding (yoga, breath + meditation)

As well as practicing the meditation technique you already know (if you don’t, it is a requirement to learn), you will also dive deeper into breath (Pranayama), and body (gentle yoga asana) daily. This combination over the 7 days creates a feeling of deep rest, and a full reset for the whole body + mind. We will also be enjoying one whole day of silence.

Home-cooked ayurvedic food

We will have Caroline Massote cooking for us, who loves to cook with locally sourced produce. 2 meals per day are carefully selected and prepared to support and enhance the healing process your mind and body will go through over the course of the retreat. We will be fasted during the morning, which will support your experience.

  • "I went on the meditation retreat to Portugal and can't even begin to describe how amazing it was. The people were really nice, food was awesome and Sam is a genuine caring teacher. On top of that, the meditation (rounding) retreat brought me to a calm state unlike anything I had experienced previously. I finally seem to get what meditation is about. Can highly recommend Sam as a teacher and / or his retreats!"

    Armin, Germany

  • "Thank you Sam for a life-changing Vedic meditation retreat. I feel like years of stress and anxiety have been dissolved, my nervous system has been completely reset and I have come home to my true self after a stressful few months. If you’re thinking of learning to meditate with Sam, don’t hesitate. You will receive a transformative, sacred, life-long and personalised practice that goes far deeper than any other meditation or healing modality I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot!) Sam is a compassionate, heart-centred, wise and warm teacher and you will be in the best possible hands."

    Helen, UK

The Team

Meditation & Yoga - Sam

Sam struggled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, for most of his twenties. With no known ‘cure’ available in Western Medicine, he instead chose to give meditation a try. From the first session he felt a level of relaxation he didn’t think possible and felt more alive too.

Sacred Medicine - Mo

Sam struggled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, for most of his twenties. With no known ‘cure’ available in Western Medicine, he instead chose to give meditation a try. From the first session he felt a level of relaxation he didn’t think possible and felt more alive too.

Food - Caroline

Caroline is a Psychologist who worked for many years with Human Resources in International Investment Banks, but always had her heart connected to yoga, plant-based cooking and a sustainable way of living. She loves to cook with organic, locally sourced produce.

Daily Schedule

08:00 Morning yoga & meditation (rounds)
12:30 Lunch
13:00 Group check in and chat
13:30 Free time
15:00 Afternoon yoga & meditation (rounds)
19:00 Dinner 
19:45 Group discussion to check in and lecture.

This is a typical day on the retreat, there will be some additional content and sessions included.

Learn more about our retreats from Sam here:

Prices

1-7 November 2023

6 Nights

Shared Accommodation

Shared Twin Suite with Single Beds - €2,500
Shared Triple Suite with Single Beds- €2,300

Private Accommodation

Master Suite - €3,300

Master Suites have a private interior courtyard with a plunge pool. All have a double bed and living area.

Included: 6 nights accommodation, Ayurvedic/organic vegan meals & teas, full programme.

Not included: Flights, transfers, treatments & insurance.

Retreat will begin at 3pm on Wednesday 1st November and conclude at 1pm on Tuesday 7 November 2023.

40% deposit required to secure a place.

Full payment required 2 months before retreat start.

Location

Casas Da Lupa, Herdade dos Currais de Baixo. 7630-585 S. Teotónio

The nearest airport is Faro. 1.5hrs by car. Or train then taxi from Lisbon. The nearest train station to the venue is: Santa Clara Sabóia

FAQs

  • Yes, this is a requirement to attending and taking part in a retreat. You have two options: you can learn before on one of Sam’s group or private courses or during the retreat for an immersive experience. There will be an additional group course fee if you decide to learn during the retreat.

  • Don't worry - we will keep your food warm and catch up with you for a chat later in the evening.

    I really encourage everybody to take a day off if at all possible, so you can enjoy all the positive energy you'll be feeling. But if you need to leave early on Sunday, just let Sam know.

  • You will receive a confirmation email with some easy instructions.

  • It’s completely up to you. If you are anything like me, I jumped straight on to a retreat within 1 month of learning. Some people will choose to learn Vedic Meditation during the retreat.

  • We serve fresh organic vegan food that is locally produced. Please let us know by email of any dietary requirements and we will do our best to accommodate them.

  • Of course, we can work around any physical ailment and you will still have a wonderful experience.

  • Once paid, there is no refund policy, so make sure you are committed to this experience. If you can’t make the retreat for whatever reason, you will have the opportunity to give your space to someone else.

  • I will create a group so that you can organise shared transport from Faro and Lisbon.

    By car, the retreat venue is 1.5 hrs from Faro and 2.5 hrs from Lisbon.

    The cheaper option is getting 1 train from Lisbon or Faro and then a 30 minute taxi to the venue. Round trip train tickets are a maximum of €30 and final taxi is around €35 each way.

 

Meditation Benefits

There are so many benefits to meditation, but these 3 are the most common reasons people decide it’s time to dedicate themselves to a regular practice, and make a change in their life.

 
 

Stress & Burnout

We’re often told that stress is bad for us, but it’s actually our relationship with stress that matters. A regulated nervous system naturally fluctuates into a state of action, enabling us to navigate the stressors of our day-to-day lives, these challenges make us feel stimulated in a positive way. Problems only occur if we can’t then return to a state of rest.

Meditation naturally activates the para-sympathetic nervous system, and improves our vagal tone, meaning we are more able to recover from stress.

Chronic Fatigue

If you’re suffering with chronic fatigue, you will not only experience extremely low energy, but also the knock on effects on your mood, digestion and sleep. This can become a vicious cycle, because an unhappy mind can effect your body’s natural ability to create ‘happy hormones’ such as endorphins (a natural painkiller), and serotonin.

Meditation naturally increases the body’s production of the hormones that will help you feel mentally more positive, and begin to break a negative pattern.

Improved Performance

We live in a world that makes complete presence difficult. Constant stimulation means that our attention can often be divided. Our minds learn from repetition, so by repeating a pattern of distraction, we slowly lose our ability to focus when we really need to. A loss of focus means you are not performing to the best of your ability.

Meditation improves the function of the neo-cortex, the part of the brain responsible for attention, thought + perception, meaning better focus, and ultimately performance.