Buddha Retreats is a yoga and surf retreat in Portugal 70km north of Lisbon in the picturesque village of Columbeira. We offer a place where guests can relax and recharge and slow down from the often fast-paced daily life and take care of body and mind.
At Buddha Retreats we are as passionate about teaching yoga as we are about teaching surfing and our certified instructors will make sure that you have the best learning experience possible.
Besides yoga and surfing we love healthy and yummy food. All our retreats start with a healthy and energising breakfast in the morning and end with everyone enjoying dinner together in the evening. We prepare most of our meals with ingredients out of our own veggie garden and buy fresh produce from the local markets.
To keep a family-feel we never have more than 20 guests staying in our beautiful Quinta in comfortable single and double bedrooms. The spacious gardens surrounding Buddha Retreats make sure that there is more than enough space for everyone to enjoy their stay.
MISSION
Our mission is to create a place where people can relax, recharge and slow down. To give people an opportunity to step away from their fast-paced lives and to take care of their bodies and minds. To offer a beautiful location in a sustainable environment that is friendly for both nature and animals.
Carlijn
Carlijn was born in the Netherlands and took her first surfing lessons while studying in Australia. After returning from Australia she took on an office job but decided after a few years that it was not for her and started to travel through Central and South America where she found her other passion yoga. She loves the ocean and began to freedive a couple of years ago. Carlijn is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and has been teaching in Morocco, Bali and is one of the yoga teachers at Buddha Retreats. She loves to share her passion for surfing, yoga and freediving.
Stephan
Stephan was born in Germany quite far away from the closest beach to surf. Nevertheless he always had a passion for watersports and took his first surf lessons while living in Australia where he also met Carlijn. A few years ago while living in Amsterdam he got into kitesurfing and received his instructor qualification a few years ago.
THE YOGA
During our retreats we teach Iyengar yoga which is a dynamic and physically intensive form of yoga where the focus is on correct alignment of the asanas (postures). This practice allows the energy to flow freely through the body. The practice of yoga will give strength and flexibility to the body and more peace in our mind.
The roots of Iyengar yoga originated in and Iyengar yoga was founded by BKS Iyengar who was a student of Sri T. Krishnamacharya. All our yoga teachers are fully qualified and have done several years of teacher training. Iyengar yoga is suitable for all levels.
Asana practice is a big part of each yoga class. By practicing asanas, the body develops flexibility, strength and stamina. By cultivating the body, the mind can become clear and quiet.
We take the food very seriously here at Buddha Retreats. As part of all our yoga and surf retreats we provide you with daily delicious and healthy meals. We serve an abundance of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, often coming from our own garden or the local markets. Our menu is based on the philosophy of whole foods, so we avoid processed foods and preservatives. In the morning we will serve you a healthy and energising breakfast which includes fresh fruit, homemade granola, freshly baked bread and banana bread among other things. Depending on your yoga and surf schedule you will enjoy a delicious lunch either at the Buddha Retreats house or we will give you a packed lunch that you can enjoy at the beach. After an active day we will serve a dinner on our terrace enjoying the sunset or indoors in front of the crackling fireplace. During the warmer periods we try to do a seafood BBQ with fresh caught seafood once per week. The other meals will be vegetarian. As part of our retreats you can enjoy fresh coffee, herbal teas and purified water as much as you wish. During dinner time we serve Portuguese red and white wines.