Vedic Meditation & Sacred Medicine Retreat
Yoga - Breathwork - Meditation - Sacred Medicine
Coming Soon! - Alentejo, Portugal
Overview
Our unique retreat blends Vedic meditation teachings with profound sacred plant medicine ceremonies, fostering deep self-discovery and healing. Prior to the retreat you will need to begin your journey with Vedic meditation and have learnt the Rounding Technique, (yoga and breath work).
During the retreat you will participate in plant medicine ceremonies facilitated by traditional healers. These ceremonies tap into your subconscious, revealing transformational insights. To integrate these experiences, group discussions, mindful practices, Vedic Rounding, nature walks, and creative therapies are intertwined throughout the retreat. Safety and guidance are paramount, with personalised care and confidentiality maintained at all times. This retreat takes you deep into your inner self and connects you to the world, providing you with transformative experiences that will stay with you well beyond your time at the retreat.
Sacred plant medicine can be a helicopter ride to the top of the mountain and help you gain a different perspective on your experience of life, whilst Vedic meditation is the long, but enjoyable (everyday) climb up that same mountain. This is why we are offering this retreat. Once you have had the experience at the top of the mountain, you will want to integrate that and nurture it into your everyday experience. This is where meditation comes into it own.
Soma & Oyasin Collaboration
While there’s no such thing as a quick fix, Mo at Oyasin believes that deep-diving into a number of transformational practices will yield the best results. While sacred plant medicine is an important element, this isn’t ‘just’ a plant medicine retreat, we approach transformation holistically and we take a deep-dive into those practices that are powerful allies on our path of transformation, including connection with nature and truth, shamanic and voice practices.
This is something Soma truly believes in and why combining a consistent daily meditation practice with sacred plant medicine experiences is a magical combination.
We get to meditate everyday, twice per day. We can then come to a retreat like this and go deeper just by being introduced to the Vedic science of Rounding. Known as “Industrial Strength Meditation”, which should only be done in a retreat setting.
On top of this, we get to sit and receive three sacred plant medicine ceremonies to offer even further transformational insight and depth. It’s been too long that these modalities have been separated, it’s time to bring them back together.
About Sam & Soma
About Mo & Oyasin
The Vedic Rounding Process
Meditation & Plant Medicine
Who Are The Retreats For?
Retreat Details
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.
Sacred Plant Medicine Ceremonies
This is a rare and special occasion to host the Mara'akames from the desert of Mexico and we are incredibly honoured that we can help them spread the work of 'the grandfather’: the medicine of love. There will be a total of three sacred ceremonies, offering rituals, as well as many healing practices. Our process involves deep preparation and integration guidance, and is designed to guide you through full and lasting transformation.
Vedic rounding (yoga, breath + meditation)
Once you have learn’t Vedic Meditation, you will then be able to dive deeper into the breath (Pranayama), and the 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. This will a huge support to the medicine ceremonies.
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.
Reasons Our Clients Attend
Finding Your Purpose
You’re ready to live a life of purpose bigger than yourself, to do something great for the world, yet you struggle to define what that purpose is.
Overthinking
Repetitive thoughts that you’re unable to ‘turn off’, as well as comparison to others, doubting your abilities, regretting your choices.
Burnt Out
Feeling restless, frustrated, tension in the body, low energy, struggling to prioritise, feeling that you’re never quite ‘done’, decreased performance or motivation.
Disconnected
Feeling disconnected from yourself and others, relationships feel challenging or strained, wanting to improve relationships, but not sure how.
In Need Of Peace
Frustration over inability to control things, unable to maintain a peaceful state of mind, longing to reduce complexity and have a 'break through', feeling that something is missing, yet unable to define what it is.
Unhealthy Patterns
A tendency of relying on alcohol, drugs, technology, wealth creation, porn, or food to ‘release’ and to feel alive. Keep falling back in old patterns, making those choices that we know are not good for us.
Learn more about our retreats from Sam here:
Retreat Testimonials
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, the rest is history.
Sacred Medicine - Mo
Mo is the founder of Oyasin, a heart-based leadership company that guides entrepreneurs, executives and leaders through deep healing and transformation with the sacred medicine and her talented team of Guides and Shamans.
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 of “Rounding” on the retreat. On the sacred plant medicine days, the schedule will change to accommodate.
You will also have 1-1 and group preparation and post integration sessions with Mo.
Your Options
1-7 November 2023 - 6 Nights
Private Accommodation
Master Suite with Double Bed
Shared Accommodation
Shared Twin Suite with Single Beds
Shared Triple Suite with Single Beds
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 and conclude at 1pm.
Full payment is required to book your spot on the retreat.
Location
Alentejo, Portugal
The nearest airport is Faro. 1.5hrs by car. Or train then taxi from Lisbon.
FAQs
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Yes, this is a requirement to attending and taking part in the retreat. You can learn before on one of our group or private courses. There will be an additional discounted fee for learning once you sign up to the retreat.
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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.
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You will receive a confirmation email with some easy instructions.
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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.
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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.
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Of course, we can work around any physical ailment and you will still have a wonderful experience.
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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.
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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.
