Stories of Transformation
This is why we do what we do.
Explore this page to see how our wellbeing retreats have profoundly impacted the lives of those who joined us.
Antonio's Story
Coming from 17 different countries, 27 people just joined in a beautiful mystical secluded valley to live and breathe the myalfazema Summer Wellbeing Retreat.
I later shared that never in my life had ever been with such a divine group of beautiful souls, spreading in each moment, the purest form of love and kindness. The empathy, the chemistry and most of all, the energy that bloomed without stopping will resonate within for the years to come.
The Yoga sunrise, the breath meditation amazing experience, the bliss during the meals and the sacred reflections made these days nothing short than a miracle.
No words can describe all the small details and the way each one was in “high alert” every time they felt someone was more vulnerable, perfectly balancing between giving some space or just approach in silence and hold the hand or a powerful hug.
I packed to go in the most challenging moment of my existence, with the devastating loss of my wife. After almost 7 months in silence, being with this Loving tribe made it possible to open my heart and share a truly unique love story.
It was such a privilege to be part of this “dream team” and have the chance to learn and most importantly forever grateful and touched for the way you all helped in mending my bleeding heart.
I´m already missing you guys!
Bless you💕
António
Celine's Story
It is difficult to find the words to describe the myalfazema retreat experience, wow. The special place of Monte da Orada, the great organization of the retreat with a mix of gentle and profound yoga practices, delicious vegan meals, most interesting talks on life, precious me-times, transporting sound and breathwork journeys, all of it made it a wonderful experience. What amazed me the most was the deep feeling of connection, to be part of a loving and caring community, being surrounded by beautiful people from all over the world, who opened up their hearts, shared their stories, showed their lights and their shadows.
On a more personal level, during this retreat, I had to face myself, my own limitations and difficulties relating to feeling emotions and showing them to others, my need to always be "in control" and "perfect" in front of others and, finally, in front of myself. This experience and these beautiful people showed me the way to be authentic and not to fear having emotions and sharing them with other people as we are all connected and this feels so good. Back home I already experienced changes in my relationships after the retreat, and I feel healed on a certain level.
Feeling forever greatful to Leonor and all of the beautiful people I got to share this experience with and who showed me the way. Thank you, myafazema.
TK's Story
I'm typically a private person and don’t enjoy sharing my experiences, stories, or emotions with others. Because of this, I have always been afraid of people knowing what I’m thinking, so I wasn’t sure if a place like this would be right for me, even though I had always wanted to go somewhere to discover myself. When I started feeling depressed due to many challenging events in my life, I decided to find a place where I could relax and find peace. My best friend, for her own reasons, also wanted to find a place like that.
We started looking and found myalfazema. The place was like something out of a fairy tale. The energy of the surrounding environment was magical. An amazing group of people with beautiful auras came to this place to find inner peace. The schedule allowed us all to connect with each other, understand and express our emotions, and feel close to one another, as if we were a big family. Everything was so well-organized, giving us time to think, feel, breathe, and be one with the surrounding natural environment.
My best friend and I had the opportunity to stay together in a bungalow. I never imagined a bungalow could have so much attention to detail, love, and cleanliness, making our stay easier and more relaxing. I was so glad to have had the opportunity to stay there. The food was delicious and very healthy. I had never tried yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises before, but I am very glad to have had amazing teachers to guide us every step of the way. They made us love it and want to continue it in our lives.
After this experience, I feel like I have rediscovered myself. I am very grateful that there are such good people who want to organize retreats like this, offering a blessing that helps people become better versions of themselves and love life and others.
Thank you for everything.
Isabella's Story
The New Year retreat with myalfazema was a truly life enhancing experience for me. My goal was simply to set some personal intentions and spend some restorative time alone before a busy year ahead of me back home, but I gained SO much more than I could have imagined from this incredible retreat. The yoga led by Claudia was the most transformative aspect; after 10 years of going to yoga classes, it was only on the retreat that I finally felt that I gained a consistent and meaningful Sadhana practice, with the tools to integrate it into my life back home.
The food, music, accommodation and activities were all so carefully considered and Leonor and her mother were the absolute dream team behind such a seamless experience, putting in a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that everyone felt comfortable, listened to, and supported to participate as much or as little as they liked. I would highly recommend this retreat for any solo travellers. You will not only gain meaningful knowledge from the yoga practice and other classes, but also benefit from incredible connections with like-minded, kind individuals.
Thank you to Leonor, Claudia and all the team for such an inspiring weekend which will stay with me forever!
Jade's Story
I've long since wanted to deepen my yoga practice, reconnect with (and delve deeper) into myself and learn how to live a more balanced life - both in practice and in thought. So, I searched the internet for a retreat (to that effect) and, having read numerous different retreat descriptions/reviews, I was so happy to come across Myalfazema: the more I read about Leonor, her ethos, the practitioners, the team, the beautiful setting, the delicious food etc. I started to get those tingles of excitement and KNEW I had stumbled upon something very special.The retreat certainly did not disappoint, in fact, it surpassed all my expectations and more: it's given me a new found confidence in my practice and has really motivated me to learn more, explore and push my boundaries.
I cannot put into words how life changing this experience has proved to be for me (and, as my fellow yogis have learned, I am not one to be rendered speechless!). So, I will say this: thank you for creating and holding such an incredible, inspirational and safe space for me to find myself again; my cup fills every time I think back to my time (with you all there) and I continue to release and let in lots of emotions I didn't even know were there. Everytime I go to the mat (which has been everyday since my return) I can feel the energy of the Yoga Shala filling me with positive light, which makes me excited about life and my practice - you've really awakened a passion in me, for which I am eternally grateful.
Thank you to everyone who participated too - my old friend Serendipity had a plan for me, and as such, I have met some fantastic people - big love and bountiful blessings. 💖💞🧘🏾♀️
I will definitely be attending another retreat/workshop (or, perhaps, I'll just more to Portugal 😆) and I implore anyone reading this review to do the same - you will not regret it - be brave and invest in yourself...the rest is just love...🫶🏾
Klaus' Story
Hi, this is Klaus from Switzerland speaking. I took part in the April 2024 retreat from myalfazema and I really enjoyed it. Everything was very well organized, the Ondina guesthouse where we stayed is nice and calm, with friendly staff that was cooking delicious veggie food, and the yoga cottage is located in such a beautiful spot overviewing the ocean that it almost felt like being in a dream. I also appreciated the psychological input and the sound and dance sessions.
The best of all was the people that participated: we really had a great group with a good mix of nationals and internationals and everybody was able to contribute and be part of the positive dynamic.
It's now Day 1 after the retreat and I feel empowered, happy, loving and smiling on the inside. I highly recommend it to anyone, be they in need of a power break, an energy booster to change things, a get-away from their daily life and routine or just simply peace and love.
Coco's Story
Such an incredible experience, so much could be said… Thanks again to MyAlfazema for gathering the most beautiful people !
Some specifics for those who would want to join and aren’t decided yet (do it !) :
- Location : Monta de Orada is a wonderland, full with nature and beauty. Something is truly special about this place. Although it seems and is remote enough to be peaceful, it was very easy to get there as Leonor managed to get us all in touch before the retreat and we all organized our bus/ taxi together, it was a perfect way to start the retreat and get to know each other !
- Food : absolutely lifechanging, I had never had such tasty and delicious vegan/veggie food in my life (eggs and cheese are included for those who want it). The cooks are so talented and everything was a bliss, I bought the cook book !
- Accommodation : all the comfort and options you might need, everything was tidy and sweet, from totally indépendant to fully shared up to your liking !
- Yoga : Filipa’s class were perfect, authentic yoga with themes evolving throughout the retreat, available for everyone even beginners as options and variations were offered as they should be, clear and gentle instructions, the yoga was an absolute pleasure and a moment of great introspection. We all loved it.
- Activities (meditation, lecture, breathwork , etc.) : so well prepared and thought through, evolving following our own rhythm and growing throughout the retreat, Leonor and her team really put a lot of work into creating something perfectly balanced and an incredibly rich experience for everybody !
So grateful that I joined MyAlfazema and had the chance to be a part of it for 5 wonderful days (rich as a 100) !
Thanks a million again, so much love was spread and received, trully beautiful ❤️
Paula's Story
I'm a teacher, a mother, and a woman..... I live at a rhythm called "non-life" because of the speed at which time passes. On a day that I was reaching my limit, the myalfazema retreat advertisement appeared on Facebook, and I thought it was a sign...
I have to stop, rethink, and focus on what matters; that's it! Without thinking twice, I signed up! Without any previous knowledge about Yoga, having never done a yoga practice before, I spent an idyllic weekend at AtAlcacer.
A weekend that served to relax, where. I was received by the best hostesses, where Filipa introduced me to true Yoga, and Chef Pipa introduced me and taught me how to cook delicious healthy dishes, where I was lucky to have a wonderful group with space to share, laugh, cry, slow down! Much better than I expected!
Thank you, Leonor, Thank you, Alexandra, and Thank you all!
If you have any doubts about trying it out, don't hesitate!
Sofia's Story
After a challenging year, the most complicated so far, I felt the need to change some things in my life and bring some practices that would give me more serenity, tranquility and well-being. For some time, I considered making a yoga retreat, and when I saw myalfazema it seemed perfect. And I'm glad I decided to go.
It was three magical days, in an excellent and very inspiring place, with super sweet hosts, food to cry for more, and super relaxing yoga and meditation classes. Most importantly, I met genuine people with open hearts, which allowed incredible and immediate sharing for those who didn't know each other until then.
These days far exceeded my expectations (which were high!). I feel grateful and privileged to have shared this retreat. I learned a lot, was moved, reflected, grew, and came much more fulfilled and ready to face what awaits me. I'm sure it brought lessons to life.
It was very refreshing, and I genuinely want to do it again.
Many thanks to Leonor and Alexandra for making me feel at home and providing me with a weekend of wellbeing, union and gratitude. A good one.
Rocky's Story
I’m forever grateful!
I was in a place where I stopped taking care of myself and even stopped caring to care for myself. Downward spiral, and I needed some help to stop the fall.
I received a quick response and read a bit about the teachers coming then I listened to myself and decided that this was the place for me.
I was cared for purely and deeply by complete strangers and it made me think, “ who am I to not care for myself, if even a random stranger can give so much love & care, then I need to show up for myself like that again. It was a beautiful reminder that didn’t even need words to express, the feelings and intentions each day were so real and pure that they helped me remember who I am and how much I matter.
Each and every care and need was attended to above and beyond. The location is absolutely breathtaking and truly in nature. Each meal and class felt like it was catered to my exact internal needs at that time. The teachers are literally the epitome of loving caring guides.
They don’t preach the help you remember that the tools are within.
Joana's Story
It was supposed to be a regular family weekend, with kids in the mix, trying to rest amidst the chaos of family life... but it wasn't! I decided it wouldn't be just another weekend, but the one where I would go on my first retreat. Without thinking too much about what it might be like, without expectations, I went.
I confess that the first day was tough. The silence of nature was hard, returning to yoga after five months of a life without time was hard, and facing myself with time to think about what we don't deal with due to a lack of time for ourselves was hard.
Without wanting to write a novel about this three-day journey inward, I want to say that if you're thinking about whether to go or not, go and do it for yourself.
I was fortunate to do it with the best — organized by the lovely Leonor and her dear mother, and with the best yoga teacher I've ever encountered, Claudia Sousa Santos....
Thank you for planting the first flower in my garden. Now, every day, I'll keep sowing, and one day, I'll have a beautiful garden. That’s the path. ♥️🌸🪷🌼
Madalena's Story
myalfazema retreat was just the perfect escape.
Since it was my first yoga retreat, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I was surprised by every detail.
Claudia Sousa Santos was just the perfect yoga teacher, embodying Sadhana. Combining philosophy, asanas, mythology, and empathy in every practice, she made us all belong, despite the previous personal yoga context. She was genuinely committed to giving her best so we could take the best of ourselves.
The Kirtan night involved me in a way that I didn’t expect. The freedom of singing together with Inês Carmo Costa, lighted by candles, was out of this world.
Ondina House, just a few minutes walk from the beach, perfectly fit the agenda, and the team filled us with joy and vegetarian delights from breakfast to dinnertime.
Last but not least, Leonor was behind the scenes and on stage with her kind energy
Thank you for everything 🙌🏻
Sandra's Story
It was three beautiful days, all perfect.
Leonor and Alexandra made me live an unforgettable experience. An experience to repeat, and I highly recommend it!
Definitely one of the best investments I've made in my physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
I went to the retreat alone, which initially scared me a little, but that feeling quickly disappeared.
I finished the retreat wholeheartedly, with happy memories of sharing and union with the rest of the group, many teachings and learning, a more relaxed and peaceful spirit, more connection to the present, nature and myself, and more confidence in myself and others!
Thank you, myafazema.
Elsa's Story
This retreat with myalfazema was a gift to me...these last years of 2020/2021 were years of change, closing cycles and opening new ones.
The retreat lasted two days, and they were all days of learning, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, but above all, being with myself without worries. In those days, I could Feel, Appreciate and Be Grateful.
The myflow session was emotionally draining on the last day, but it left me with a sense of lightness and gratitude.Thank you to all the wonderful people I've met. For sharing, for the stories, courage, and strength of each one.
This was the first retreat of many. An experience to repeat! 💜🤍
Thank you for everything 🙌🏻
Anonymous's Story
I truly enjoyed the Retreat!
I had many reasons to go: having a weekend just for myself, having time to read, understanding the philosophy of yoga better, understanding the meaning of mindfulness, eating healthy and delicious food and even meet who would welcome me! All the reasons to leave Lisbon for a weekend were gathered!
The big surprise was the way I saw the whole retreat. I realized how I don't identify with the philosophy of yoga. Loving God above all things and loving your neighbor as yourself are two commandments that are not contemplated, and I cannot imagine my world without them. But I discovered the power of focusing and preparing ourselves through the body for prayer.
I was so excited to discover this path in the Catholic environment that I already spoke to a Catholic yoga teacher and made a playlist on Spotify with songs to think this way through the body and pray.
Thank you for helping and guiding me in this discovery!
Fábio's Story
This retreat was a restart in my relationship with yoga, nature and healthy living. What counts is the present moment, what we do from the here and now.
We must always live looking to the present and the future. We must continually challenge the future and start from the present.
I am incredibly grateful for my experience, with the beautiful feeling of starting over together with a new group of people willing to fight for a new future.
Rita's Story
My main goals for this retreat were to stop, think, and decide! And what an excellent decision to go, alone and committed to my purpose!
The extraordinary Diana, the group's diversity, Leonor's youth, and the maturity and empathy created with Alex drove the change I was looking for and could not find the way. After all, the way to end my anguish and anxiety was within my reach and only depended on me! A simple answer was the key to alleviating my pain: “Let Go, Let Go, Let Go.”
Give it time, let it flow, and the answers will come. And it was the fundamental learning that I brought from the retreat.
Thank you for everything!
Benny's Story
This retreat reminded me of the importance of living well and gave me irreplaceable tools.
It was a natural breath of fresh air, essential for anyone like me who wants to feel connected to more than the mundane details that flood us daily.
Leo creates an environment where we feel at home, with perfect harmony between attention and moments of individual freedom. Diana, the yoga teacher, is a living testimony of how following the philosophy of yoga makes us radiate light and infect everything and everyone around us.
myalfazema manages to call us back to what truly fills us without ever falling into the cliché of clichéd phrases or fruitless experiences. She couldn't have come out fuller. And I can't wait to do it again.
Ana's Story
myalfazema was a wonderful experience of pleasure and pure emotion, which included yoga teachings and practices, delicious vegetarian food and an incredible group of people from all over the country with open hearts, prepared to give and receive.
The organization was exemplary, from the reception and follow-up by Leonor and her mother, through the “3 Michelin stars” meals prepared by chef Liliana, to the radiant Diana.
Diana taught us so much about the lifestyle that yoga represents. I am sure that after this experience, we will contribute together to a better world!
A big kiss, and I hope to have more opportunities to participate in myalfazema retreats again.
Mary's Story
The myalfazema Retreat has taught me a lot. Mainly dealing with the difficult things in life and feeling gratitude for them. Diana's classes on Yoga Philosophy led me to change how I think and see more positive things. I will think more about myself and treat myself well because only when we are well can we help others.
The food was terrific. I never thought vegan food could be so good and creative!
The group was excellent and had beautiful energy. I felt at home from the first minute.
A Story
Was looking for a few days to reflect and be with myself.This retreat seemed welcoming of all people (which was a plus as it was my first time), the location seemed amazing and the program stroke a great balance between lots of things to do and also some free time to chill.
Was able to truly disconnect, leaving my phone away for the entire retreat. I left with a feeling of being deeply well rested and happy! Definitely recommend myalfazema if you are looking for a retreat in Portugal.
The staff is super caring and professional, the people attending were very nice and there was a strong sense of community. The venue was breathtaking (especially the Shala!), the food was amazing and the yoga practices demanding but doable even for me!
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