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21 October - 31 October 2023 | D'Alijo Yoga Retreat Centre
Partly Silent Retreat with Esther Ekhart
Slow down, restore, and revitalise on a profound level during our 10-day partly silent yoga and meditation retreat. Join Esther Ekhart for a transformative and rejuvenating experience, encompassing Meditation, Yoga, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, and Inquiry. Over the course of the retreat, we will immerse ourselves in silence for 5 consecutive days, creating an opportunity for deep introspection and inner exploration.
What To Expect
Experience the transformative power of our carefully crafted 10-day partly silent yoga and meditation retreat. This immersive journey is designed to slow you down, allowing for deep restoration and revitalization. By achieving a state of relaxation and balance within your energy system, you can easily connect with the world of reality, embracing its joys rather than being trapped in the realm of the mind. Throughout this retreat, we will employ various tools, including yoga, meditation, lectures, inquiry, pranayama, and silence.
Daily Practices
Each morning, from the moment you wake up until the start of the yoga practice at 11:00 AM, we will observe Mouna (silence). The day commences with meditation and pranayama, followed by breakfast and a silent break. We then engage in a fluid yoga practice that focuses on releasing tension, strengthening and stabilizing the body, and calming the mind. In the afternoon, we reconvene for enlightening lectures, inquiry sessions, meditation, restorative/yin yoga, and yoga Nidra, where we delve into self-exploration and gain insights into ourselves and life.
During five retreat days, we will embrace full silence, allowing for a profound inner experience. However, there will be opportunities to ask questions during the scheduled class times, providing a balanced approach to introspection.
Unplug
To ensure a complete break for both body and mind and to honour true silence, we kindly request that all participants surrender their mobile phones during the fully silent days. In case of emergencies, a phone number for the retreat centre will be provided.
Why you should join this transformative retreat
As you surrender to stillness, you will cultivate presence, awareness, and an authentic connection with yourself. You will tap into a profound sense of "being" that exists within each one of us—a universal felt sense that often goes unnoticed until it is consciously acknowledged. Additionally, being together in silence fosters a unique form of connection that can be more fulfilling than engaging in constant conversation. By embracing silence, we unlock a shared state of "being" that transcends superficial stories and identities, emphasizing our inherent interconnectedness.
Please note that participation in this retreat is limited to a maximum of 24 individuals. It is recommended to have prior experience with Esther's retreats or silent retreats before attending.
Join us on this transformative journey, where silence becomes the gateway to self-discovery, inner peace, and profound connection with others.
More about this retreat
This is a partly silent retreat. Within the 10 days, there will be 5 full silent days, somewhere in the middle. During the silent days, the main focus will be on meditation, and the mindful morning yoga practice from 11 - 13 to loosen out the body is still going to be there.
It's best to come to this retreat having done a retreat with Esther already, or having experience with a silent retreat.
Daily Schedule
08:00 - 09:00 Meditation/Pranayama
09:00 - 11:00 Breakfast + break, in silence
11:00 - 13:00 Yoga / Mindful movement
13:00 - 17:00 Lunch/Free time
17:00 - 19:00 Meditation/discourse, with short breaks in between
19:00 - Dinner
20.15 - (optional) Meditation or a restorative practice
During the silent days, the lunch break is shorter, and we will start at 16.00 or 16.30
Arrival & Departure
Arrival is on Saturday, Oct 21st, and Departure is on Tuesday, Oct 31st. Both days are travel days. I will offer a short grounding practice to those who are there on arrival day in the evening and meditation on the morning of Oct 31st.
Pricing per person for 10 nights
All prices include ten nights' accommodation, fantastic meals served three times daily, plus all meditation and yoga sessions.
• Shared room en-suite - € 1890
• Single room with shared bathroom facilities - €2190
• Single room with private toilet and shower - €2350
• Single luxury cabin - €2550 / couple share €2290 pp
You can secure your place with a non-refundable deposit of €450. The remainder of the fee will be due by 7th August 2023. You can also pay in full now too.
Book and Pay Online Today
You can secure your spot immediately be selecting to pay your deposit or full amount. Accepted payments include credit/debit cards, iDeal and Klarna (online bank transfer for specific countries)
Book and Pay by Bank Transfer
You can also choose to pay via bank transfer. If you want to book via this option please fill out our registration form.
We Are Proud Tree Sisters
By booking an in-person training with us, you are actively contributing to the global tree-planting efforts led by Tree Sisters. For every individual attending our retreats and trainings, we make a donation on your behalf.
About Esther Ekhart
Esther, the founder of EkhartYoga.com, is a down to earth well-loved spiritual teacher and a renowned global authority on yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Esther has a reputation for providing exceptional guidance both online and offline and has captivated countless students over 25 years. Esther's teachings incorporate diverse influences, making her online classes, “live” workshops, and trainings a fusion of wisdom. Her practice has evolved from dynamic styles like Hatha and Vinyasa flow to include slower practices such as Yin Yoga and Meditation & Mindfulness. Continually expanding her knowledge, she remains open-minded and integrates new insights into her work all the time.
More Information
Transportation options from the airport to the retreat centre
D’Alijo Centre is around 70 minutes by car from Porto airport (the closest airport). There are no public transport options to the centre.
Transfer service offered by D'Alijo
Transfers to and from the D'Alijo centre are not included in the prices. If you wish to avail of the transfer service, you can let us know by filling out our transportation form. This form will be emailed to you closer to the retreat start date.
If you are availing of the transfer service, please be aware there may be a short wait for other flights, but we will endeavour to minimise the waiting time. If you wish to be part of a group transfer, please try to arrive at Porto airport by 1:30 pm. Later group transfers may also be possible but are entirely dependent upon the arrival times of all participants. If you are already in Portugal, we can meet at the airport to avail of the group transfer.
The cost for transfers organised by the retreat centre will be approximately €40-€60 per person each way based on a group transfer rate. In the event that you need a private car, the cost will be EUR120 per car (maximum of 3 people). This is one way.
Other Options
Renting a car: This can be cost-effective, but local companies may require a substantial deposit.
Public transportation: Take the metro and train to Guimaraes, then a taxi (Uber) to the retreat location. It can also be a cheaper option to arrange a taxi yourself to Porto airport if you like your own private taxi.
About D’Alijo Retreat Center
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 has a vast knowledge of hospitality and is capable of tailoring your needs as you desire. 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-round. 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.