Root & Rise
Wellbeing Retreat
28 October - 1 November in Ericeira, Portugal
Breathwork, Psychology, Somatics & Nature Retreat
LIMITED SPOTS - only 10min from ocean
You’re invited into an authentic human journey that transforms you here, and stays with you long after you return home.
Your breath is a powerful channel to your nervous system, one you can consciously regulate. You can’t control how your heart beats or how your digestion works, but you can guide your breath. And when you do, your body softens, your mind clears, and you feel balanced and anchored. That’s why, at the Root & Rise wellbeing retreat in Portugal, your breath is at the heart of everything you experience.
Here, you will (re)connect, rest, reflect, evolve, and genuinely enjoy your days. You’ll receive the transformative power of 1:1 psychology guidance, combined with the healing energy of breathwork, somatic practices, journaling, delicious food, nature, and meaningful community. All held in the golden Ericeira, 10min from the beach and short ride from Lisbon.
What makes this retreat special is how it brings together Eastern and Western tools in a truly holistic way, supporting your nervous system, emotional resilience, and deeper mind–body connection. Whether you’re here to pause, to shift what no longer feels aligned, or to explore a new way of living, this retreat is for you.
Come tired, unclear, or overwhelmed. Or come simply ready for peaceful, beautiful days in Portugal. You’ll leave feeling clear, resourced, alive, and more you.
Come as you are. We’ll meet you there.

See why our guests loved it.
The transformation you’ll feel, and keep
Experience precious days that you’ll love & remember forever.
Deepen your connection to your body, mind, breath, and emotional landscape.
Feel more grounded, present, calm, and energized.
Understand yourself better & ignite your spiritual element.
Take home simple, powerful tools to shift how you show up in your everyday life.
Be held in a warm, supportive group where you can be fully yourself — no masks, no pressure.
Guided by Experienced Facilitators
Everyone loved Root & Rise, so we brought it back. This collaboration is special to us. Leonor and Inês have been working together for years. Leonor holds the mental and emotional process, while Inês guides the body through breathwork and somatics. Guests often share how safe they feel with this combination, knowing they are supported on both the mind and body level throughout the journey.
Leonor Pinheiro
Psychology Wellbeing Guide
Those who’ve journeyed with Leonor, the founder of myalfazema, know her as someone deeply devoted to inner work, emotional clarity, and grounded transformation. Her presence feels steady, warm, and clear, inviting others to slow down, soften, turn inward, and reconnect with what truly matters.
Leonor holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Amsterdam, with a focus on Social Psychology and studies in emotion, motivation, and behavior change. Her path has taken her through over 50 countries and six universities, learning from diverse cultures, spiritual traditions, and teachers around the world. Her work weaves together science and spirituality, structure and intuition, logic and feeling.
Clients describe her sessions as spaces where they feel deeply heard, supported, and at ease. They leave with greater clarity, confidence, and reconnection - having released emotional blocks and opened the door to lasting wellbeing.
The myalfazema retreats are shaped by that journey. Root & Rise reflects her belief that true change doesn’t come from force, but from depth, presence, and inner alignment. Her facilitation is both research-based and intuitive, adapting to the energy and needs of each person and group.
As a passionate student of humanistic psychology and social constructivism, Leonor continues to explore how we shape meaning in our lives, and how we come home to ourselves in the process. She doesn’t offer quick fixes or spiritual shortcuts. What she creates is space. Space for feeling, reflection, release, and renewal.
Above all, Leonor believes in the sacredness of shared presence. Each person brings something vital. And in that shared space, we remember that we’re not here to fix ourselves, we’re here to root, rise, and live our lives fully.
Ines Aguiar
Breathwork & Somatics Teacher
Inês has been a breathwork and somatic practitioner for many years. She has studied and deepened her holistic practice around the world, working in the field of trauma and embodiment, especially in Koh Phangan, Thailand. This year, she is bringing her work to myalfazema retreats Portugal once again.
Guests always love her sessions and the way she makes breathwork and somatic practices feel accessible, grounded, and easy to bring back into daily life, which is why we’ve invited her to return.Her holistic approach supports nervous system regulation, emotional expression, and embodied integration through the breath, helping people not only have a powerful retreat experience but also carry the tools home with confidence.
With a deep commitment to presence and safety, she creates spaces where people can meet themselves with honesty and care, unraveling old patterns, reconnecting to aliveness, and restoring trust in the body.
During the retreat, Inês will guide breathwork, Somatic Practice, intuitive journaling, mindfulness practices, and teach foundational tools for regulating the nervous system, offering an embodied path toward inner clarity, emotional release, and a deeper sense of connection with oneself.
Our retreaters asked for it,
which is how Root & Rise came to life.
Root & Rise Retreat is the natural evolution of myalfazema, created in response to guests’ wish to return and explore deeper practices. It’s shaped by five years of experience, hundreds of participants, and everything we’ve learned throughout this journey.
Please note that this retreat is not a substitute for medical or psychological advice, evaluation, or treatment. Each participant is responsible for ensuring that they are fit and adequately prepared to participate in the retreat.
Delicious plant-based gastronomic experience
Chef Amabile
Delicious, healthy, and beautiful meals - this is what Amabile brings to our retreats. Pure perfection! We’re so grateful to have her on our team.
In our retreats, Amabile’s mission goes far beyond preparing meals - it’s about nourishing the soul. Her greatest joy comes from seeing participants not only savor her food but also feel deeply fulfilled and connected. She creates an experience that transcends the plate, fostering moments of unity, joy, and deep satisfaction.
Passionate and endlessly curious, Amabile draws inspiration from diverse culinary traditions and ancient healing practices, seamlessly weaving them into her work.
You won’t want to miss this! Get ready to experience vibrant, delicious dishes, all made with love and the sweetest energy by Amabile.
In Ericeira, a peaceful, ocean-view paradise

Quinta dos Raposeiros, Ericeira
We just keep coming back to this place. The moment we set foot here, it was love at first sight. And it only grows with each transformational retreat we host at this stunning wellbeing retreat center. It truly has it all!
First off, the rooms are hugely spacious and incredibly comfortable. And to top it all off, each room has a breathtaking ocean view. The shala is nothing short of magnificent either, offering panoramic views of the ocean and unforgettable sunsets.
In addition, this retreat centre has two beautiful swimming pools and plenty of peaceful spaces to walk around, listen to the birds, and simply relax – whether on your private balcony, by the pools, or seating under a tree.
And then there is the location. Just minutes away from the ocean and surrounded by walking trails, it’s the perfect place to unwind, reconnect with nature, and embrace your wellbeing journey. During past transformational retreats, we would often walk to the beach together, enjoying the serenity and beauty of the area.
Located just a few minutes from Ericeira, one of Portugal’s most charming traditional fishing villages, it’s also only 40 minutes from Lisbon Airport, making it incredibly easy to reach for your perfect bretahwork and wellbeing retreat experience!
Your Wellbeing Retreat Journey, Step by Step
Our intention is to guide you to explore the depths of your being, reconnect with your core, and unlock the power within. Here, you’ll rest, turn inward, receive individual sessions, embrace spiritual practices, and reconnect with your heart. Because last year’s edition was so loved and deeply transformative, we felt called to bring it back so you can experience its magic as well.
We’ll send you a short questionnaire to get to know you better and understand any important health details
You'll have your online 1:1 intro session with Leonor (psychology-led guidance) to share what’s unfolding in your life, what you’re carrying, and what you’re seeking
Your retreat, your flow — everything is optional
You’ll wake up in the beautiful Portuguese ocean-view paradise, take your time, and meet us at the shala for a morning movement practice. Each day is a little different, and the rhythm unfolds into peace, openness, and expansion, a journey back to yourself that empowers you from within.
Throughout the retreat, you will:
- Take part in breathwork, somatic & movement practices
- Some of the methods we may explore include: coherent breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, Nadi Shodhana, Kapalabhati, box breathing, somatic anchoring, somatic shaking, EFT tapping, mindful walking, heart-opening, and intuitive or reflective journaling.
- Join workshops, talks & sharing circles to explore psychology, breathwork & the nervous system, embodiment, transformation, and Q&A in community.
- If you wish, spend time with Leonor and deepen into your personal psychology process.
- Enjoy plenty of free time and integration, whether walking in nature, reading by the pool, journaling under a tree or resting in silence. Integration happens not only in sessions but also in the stillness between them.
• Enjoy plenty of free time and integration, whether walking in nature, reading by the pool, journaling under a tree or resting in silence. Integration happens not only in sessions but also in the stillness between them.
End each day with sunset, a nourishing dinner and meditation or reflection.
The practices, the setting and the slow pace create space for whatever needs to unfold naturally. The daily rhythm is soft, fun and honest, and always flexible. Everything is an invitation, not an obligation.
- Your experience does not end here. What you discover on retreat is meant to come with you. The tools and practices you explore are simple, sustainable, and designed to support you long after you leave — shaping how you move through your days, your relationships, and your life.
- Two to three weeks later: a 1:1 integration session with Leonor to reflect, anchor insights, and create a clear path forward.
- Your myGuidebook includes a variety of breathwork practices along with psychological guidance and exercises, helping you continue your inner work at home and fly solo.
Everything that’s included:
- 4 nights, all-inclusive, at Monte das Casolas
- 3 daily plant-based meals by Chef Sophie
- 1:1 psychology wellbeing sessions with Leonor
- Breathwork Sessions
- Somatic Practice Sessions
- Journaling Sessions
- Intuitive Movement Sessions
- Talk: Regulating the Nervous System
- myGuidebook: includes the Root & Rise journey, journaling prompts, and includes both the practical and theoretical sides of breathwork and psychology – so you can keep the journey unfolding, and feel supported even when you’re back home.
- Yoga props (mats, bolsters, blocks, blankets)
- 20€ donation from your registration fee to a wellbeing
- And everything else that will flow into this experience…!
Your investment goes beyond just joining
Curated with love, this retreat is an investment in your health, happiness, and future.
If you have any questions or need support, feel free to reach out — we’re here for you, always.
You can book directly with us via bank transfer (just reach out using the form below)
or use online payment by clicking the button.
Shared Room
Perfect if you’re coming solo and open to sharing with 1-2 people in a large room with its own bathroom. Ocean-view room.
959€ 859€
PER PERSON
Private Group Room for two people
Ideal if you’re coming with your partner, friend, or family member and want to share a private room with your own bathroom - double or single beds.
989€ 889€
PER PERSON
Private Individual Room
Perfect if you want full privacy, your own space, and a private bathroom to rest and recharge. Ocean-view.
1349€ 1249€
PER PERSON
I will come back for more!
I highly recommend making the choice and signing up.
We are made of small points that touch each other and give us a loving structure. In this cocoon where we lived for five days, perhaps we felt that these points expand and touch so many others — returning us to another place within ourselves.
Our structure enriches, the brightness appears, and perhaps illuminates some shadows — opening paths. And a soft, playful breeze whispers in our ear...
I love you.
I would recommend this retreat for anyone willing to reconnect with themselves gently.
A magical place, where I had the chance to meet fantastic people from all around the world. We shared relaxation, compassion, peace, and emotions in the most natural and authentic way.
Leonor and Filippa were just great at creating this atmosphere ♥️☀️
The retreat offered a wonderful program with yoga, other activities, and also enough time for yourself — allowing you to gain insights, new energy, and fresh perspectives, and to get closer to your true self.
It was incredible to share this with so many lively people!
Also, the fresh plant-based food was something to look forward to — and to remember.
The only thing is... I wish it wasn’t over yet!
Looking for a place to rest, reconnect and grow?
This is it!
Simply provide your details below to get more info, secure your spot, or get a gift voucher. Leo will guide you every step of the way.
Please check if you got a confirmation email that your message was sent. If not, please contact us directly at leonor@myalfazema.com.
Looking forward to talking to you!
A retreat is not, and will never be, a magic potion for happiness.
Yet this experience can be the beginning of something deeper - a meaningful step toward a more peaceful, grounded life.
Asking if this psychology & breathwork retreat in Portugal is for you? Let’s take a look.
You are in a moment of personal or emotional transition
Feeling tired, stressed, or burned out
• Going through a shift in your relationships or work life
• Unsure about your next step or searching for clarity
• Longing for rest, calmness, and a reset at a retreat in nature
You are curious, want to learn new tools and open to inner work
• Want to feel more connected to your body, breath, and intuition
• Looking for practices for stress relief, emotional healing, and self-care
• Tried therapy or self-development and want to go deeper
• Value meaningful connections but also need personal space to recharge
You value truth, nature,
and simplicity
• You want a retreat in Portugal to rest, recharge, and feel energized
• You appreciate a calm pace, thoughtful guidance, and real conversations
• You’re ready for lasting change and improved wellbeing, not just a quick fix
• You seek peace of mind, balance, and sustainable growth step by step
The Heart of Root & Rise
Root & Rise is not a sprint toward transformation. It is a step-by-step wellbeing journey, an invitation to turn inward to meet both light and shadow. This breathwork retreat in Portugal is about returning to yourself by rooting first. Like the trees in autumn, we begin by letting go. We release stress and what no longer serves, making space to rest, recharge, and remember who we are beneath the noise.
Rooting means honoring where you come from, accepting what is, and embracing the present moment. It is coming home to the earth beneath your feet, to the rhythm of your breath, grounded in your body and the wisdom of your inner world. And from that grounded place, we rise - by remembering that energy and expansion do not come from force but from flow, by softening and being authentic, by allowing healing and clarity to move freely.
Rising is about stepping into life with presence, balance, and inner power. Simplifying. Aligning. It is about reconnecting with your intuition, your creativity, and your truth. It is about allowing those parts of you to take up space within your existence, leaving burnout behind and stepping into a more energized way of being.
Autumn teaches us that growth and letting go are inseparable. So to Root & Rise in autumn means to be in tune with the cycles of nature. To own your presence within it. It is the inner spark glowing brighter as the days grow shorter, a reminder that even in transition, healing and renewal are possible.
At Root & Rise, you will be held in this sacred season. The land, the food, the rituals, and the community all support your process of rest and transformation. Quinta dos Raposeiros in Ericeira our retreat home, moves in rhythm with the earth and offers the calm of a true health retreat in Portugal.
And while this is a deep and transformative experience, it is also one of joy. We will laugh. We will share stories. Life is not meant to be taken too seriously, right? Let’s enjoy the ride, fully human, fully alive, fully in balance.
And like alfazema, the lavender plant rooted deep and open to the sun, you will return home grounded and clear. You will carry your presence into everyday life - wild, calm, and energized. Rising into your life with peace, clarity, and wellbeing.
These dates don't work for you, or are you looking for a different kind of retreat? We've got you covered 🙂
FAQs
Please let us know if you do not find what you are looking for.
Our team is here to help you.
Payment plan:
- Your spot will be confirmed after payment of a 200€ deposit
- The remaining amount is to be settled until one month after the deposit has been paid
- We can adjust the payment plan according to your needs. If needed, we can divide the payment into 3 or more installments. Please contact us so we can discuss your options
Don’t let anything stand in the way of your dream retreat in Portugal.
Over the past five years, guests from around the world have safely arrived in Ericeira for myalfazema retreat, just a convenient 35-minute drive from Lisbon Airport. Various transportation options are available, including Uber and Bolt in Lisbon, as well as public transport.
To make your arrival even smoother, we’ll set up a WhatsApp group before the retreat to help with ride-sharing. This has been a great way for guests to connect and arrange shared rides from the airport or central Lisbon.
28 October: Room Check-in from 3.30pm. The retreat is set to begin at 5.30 pm.
1 November: The retreat wraps up by 12 leaving you with a heart full of memories and a soul ready to flourish.
No worries! We’ll be sending out a questionnaire to learn more about you and your preferences so that we can provide you with alternatives. Amabile is highly skilled and can adapt the meals.
However, if you have any major or life-threatening allergies, please let us know before signing up so we can confirm that we can accommodate them.
As human beings, we’re always evolving and so much in life is unpredictable. That’s why we keep things flexible, adjusting to the energy, the weather, the universe, and whatever the journey is bringing,
Please check our T&C to know all the details about the cancellation policy. By enrolling in a myalfazema retreat, you are automatically agreeing to the terms and conditions.
https://myalfazema.com/terms/
The first thing to do is to secure your spot in this epic retreat before it's all booked up. Don't miss out like many guests who no longer could secure a spot in our last retreat! Once you've secured your spot, go ahead and book your flight or other transportation. Let's embark on this journey together 🙂
