Ebb & Flow Retreat is about balance: the balance between Yin & Yang, stillness and movement, fun and serenity, activity and rest and exploring the spaces in between. We are not used to going within and feeling our natural ebb and flow and the rhythm of our inner tides. But this rhythm is what makes us unique and to have this personal wisdom, is essential to understanding our vitality.
This retreat is for you if you would like to learn ways and tools to balance your personal tides and tap into your natural relaxation and vitality.
This retreat is not for you if you are looking for a workout only or aren’t interested in self-healing techniques.
Self care takes patience, introspection and love and we can sometimes struggle with all of the above. But it’s not the struggle, it’s how we handle the struggle that makes the difference. At Ebb & Flow Retreat we will explore a variety of tools that you will then hopefully take with you and apply in daily life whenever you need them.
Yin Yoga was developed by Paul and Suzee Grilley and describes a static form of Yoga, where poses are designed to target the deeper layers of the muscles. We hold poses, mainly floor poses, for a couple of minutes at a time so the tissues can regenerate and rejuvenate and the meridians of our organs are stimulated in the process.
Yang Yoga as opposed to Yin Yoga is active, not static, and is just a general term to describe a more physically engaging practice like Vinyasa Yoga or Power Yoga.
Functional approach means that we take into account the uniqueness of everybody and every body. Therefore all levels are welcome, since we all need to adjust and personalise poses here and there. Showing up is what’s important, not the level of your skills, or the flexibility of your body.
Qi Gong is a broad term describing a deep energetic practice. Literally translated it is the skill, the practice of life force energy. This is why we call our practice “basics of Qi Gong”. It is an inner art that requires years of practice and this here is merely a starting point.
This starting point, however, is already full of benefits and will consist of self massage to both awaken energy and warm the muscles and joints and to stimulate acupressure points and meridians. We will work with slow, flowing movements to distribute this energy through the body and we will focus on the meditative aspect of Qi Gong as opposed to a more medical approach to Qi Gong. And for those who are interested, we will work with the Healing Sounds that benefit the organs.
Daily schedule
7.30 - 8.00 optional meditation
8.30 - 9.30 breakfast
10.00 - 13.00 practice, including breaks
13.00 lunch
16.00 - 18.30 practice, including breaks
19.00 dinner
Most of D’Alijo’s food is home-grown and all meals are vegetarian and skilfully prepared by the kitchen staff.
There is plenty of free time for you to explore the grounds of D’Alijo, hiking or swimming or simply relaxing by the pool. And if you would rather do some sightseeing, instead of a morning- or afternoon-practice, we are happy to organise that for you.
D’Alijo Retreat Center is an alluring place located in the village of Cabeceiras de Basto in the province of Minho, home to beautiful UNESCO cities such as Porto, Braga and Guimarães. The area is known for its Vinho Verde vineyards, olive groves and national parks.
The Yoga Shala, the main building with the restaurant and the accommodations are all beautifully blended into nature and make for a restful and holistic experience.
The closest airport to D’Alijo Retreat Center is Porto International Airport (OPO) with regular services by Air France, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, easyJet, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Luxair, Ryanair, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Air, Transavia, Turkish Airlines, Vueling, Wizz Air and few intercontinental airlines.
Main House and River Cabin, Twin
€ 995 per person for 5 nights
Main House and River Cabin, Single
€ 1250 per person for 5 nights
Garden Suite Single Deluxe
€ 1350 per person for 5 nights
Garden Suite Couple share Deluxe
€ 1195 per person for 5 nights
A deposit of 50% is required to assure your spot, thank you for your understanding.
for bookings made in January 2025
Sandra van Seters (1972), born and raised in the Netherlands,where I took my first yoga class just before my 40th birthday. It was love at first asana, and a week or two later I attended my first of several teacher training courses I would follow around the world. I had the privilege of working extensively with Anat Geiger and Marcel van de Vis-Heil and to study with Paul and Suzee Grilley for several years.
My practice and my teaching (both Yang and Yin) have a functional approach. This can help you free yourself from the stress of striving for an aesthetic ideal and will instead lead to movement in an efficient, powerful, and pain-free way that celebrates your body’s uniqueness. My classes aim to discover love, joy and freedom within yourself; combining Yang elements such as strength and rhythm with Yin elements such as kindness and silence.
www.sandravanseters.com
Anna Feilchenfeldt (1970), born and raised in Switzerland. I moved to Amsterdam in 1991, where eventually I met Sandra. We spent many Yin Yoga hours together, both at the Yoga Garden in Amsterdam with Anat Geiger and Marcel van de Vis-Heil and with Paul and Suzee Grilley in California and Mexico. My first training was in 2013 with Anat Geiger and though my heart always went out to Yin Yoga, as opposed to any style of Yang Yoga, I started to search for something to supplement the stillness. Qi Gong moves the stillness.
Qi Gong literally means the skill of cultivating energy: Qi is the life force and Gong is the skill. To cultivate life force energy and maintain it is a miracle in itself. Every individual experiences energy in their own way and this cultivation is a long and personal journey but as the Chinese proverb says: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. In the Eastern world this journey has been going on for thousands of years but in the West we are only just exploring these inner streams.
Qi is yin and yang combined, which is never static. We are in constant flux and so are our needs and this is an individual perception that takes a lot of time to develop. It is therefore more the path than the destination that I would like to share and explore with you, both in movement and in stillness.
Anna is a remarkable person. She has a subtle, unexpected sense of humor that always catches you off guard—in the best way. It’s the kind of humor that sneaks up on you but makes you smile at just the right moment. Her lightness and playfulness go hand in hand with profound wisdom and an immense love for what she does.
What I admire most about Anna is her thorough approach: everything she does is infused with deep care and dedication. She has a rare talent for conveying complex ideas with clarity and eloquence, always showing up with an open heart and genuine presence.
Anna’s knowledge and experience in Qi Gong and Yin Yoga are impressive, but what truly sets her apart is the way she shares her wisdom.
She has no need to be in the spotlight; instead, she creates space for those around her. With Anna, you feel truly seen—not just as a participant or student, but as a person. She observes with care and kindness, free of judgment, creating an environment where you can be fully yourself. Everyone deserves to have an Anna in their life because she brings not only depth and calm but also a spark that transcends the ordinary.
What makes us special together is the heart-to-heart connection we share. We understand each other without needing many words. Co-hosting a retreat with Anna is not just a wonderful collaboration but also a profound and enriching experience that we’re so excited to share with our participants.
- Sandra
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Sandra to me is like a Buddha. There is something infinitely calm and calming about her, like a maternal sage, who takes you by the hand and all is well. She has an equally infinite capacity to listen and I have rarely met someone with as much empathy and authenticity. Her heart is as open as her mind and there have been many occasions where I have turned to her for advice. Because not only does Sandra have this innate wisdom that will point you in directions, that you may never have considered but she has a rare talent, that allows her to exceed our material and earthly existence to wander through realms that are invisible to most of us. And then she returns and in her ever gentle and kind manner she will tell me about her journey and to me this is always hugely enriching.
Some of my favourite memories of Sandra, however, are connected to the earthly realm and time spent together during the endless hours of Yin Yoga training, that we both followed with Paul and Suzee Grilley. In California we would conquer the Redwood Forests together and in Mexico Sandra just about didn’t talk me out of buying a pair of leggings in the local Yoga shop… “you don’t wear leggings, Anna!”, she rightly said! “But they do suit you!”. And I bought them, because they did suit me and I never wore them because I don’t wear leggings.
When Sandra suggested we did this retreat together, my heart and gut and everything involved said YES! Or maybe even HELL, YES!! Simply because my faith in Sandra is unconditional. I would blindly entrust all my students (plus family and friends) to her because I know, where Sandra is involved, there is space, there is harmony, there is a safety net and a magic spark.
- Anna
