Portugal                

Iyengar Yoga among the almond trees

This week includes yoga classes in a beautiful and pleasant environment in Algarve in the south of Portugal. Rachel is a Iyengar yoga teacher with more than 13 years of experience in teaching classes. The course will be held on an inviting place known for its warmth and hospitality. Yoga retreats has been held here since 1993 with a lot of returning participants.





The retreat is only 20 minutes from the airport, close to the historic town of Loulé and 15 minutes away from the Algarve coast. You will be enjoying beautiful surroundings with a lot of friendly people. Whether you are traveling with a friend or by yourself you will find plenty of space for time alone when you need that and a lot of good company when you prefer that.

In the 5 hectares big yard you can find 300 fruit- and almond trees. Here you can pick your own avocados and oranges if it is the right season. It is a calm atmosphere but still nearby small towns and villages.

You will stay in one of the rustic buildings. In each house there are three double rooms with AC and bathroom. There is a living room, a kitchen, a terrace and fireplace. Each building has its own swimming pool. Outside of these buildings there are more rooms above the yoga studio. These rooms share a bathroom.

Brunch and all dinners except two are included. These two evenings you will go out together to a nearby restaurant (on your own expense). It is also possible to cook your own food or order take-away.



Yoga
In Iyengaryoga there is a lot of focus on details, discipline, physical posture combined with philosophy, compassion, learning and understanding. The classes are formed to give the participants a deep experience of yoga asanas, to learn more, improve their practice, have fun and relax.

Rachel will be your hostess and yoga teacher during this week. She has 20 years of experience in Iyengaryoga and competence to give classes that suits all levels of capability and experience. Her retreats often give these effects on people; thinking clearer, easier to make decisions, feel better physically and also get the opportunity to meet physical challenges which builds up the self esteem.

Rachel has gone through the very scholastic education that is necessary to qualify as a Iyengaryoga teacher. To be able to keep her professional standard Rachel has to stay in contact with senior teachers, participate in study days and give regular classes and workshops. Within the Iyengaryoga it is possible to reach different levels of certification but only through years of study and practice. Rachel is considered to have necessary competence and knowledge to teach midlevel classes and also to teach people with serious health conditions.



The yoga studio is spacious and bright with high ceilings. It has everything in place for most types of yoga (yoga mats, blankets, ropes, ribbons, blocks and chairs), plus air conditioning and heating systems. One side is filled with glass doors that open onto a lawn where you can have classes in the Algarve sun.

Program
On all holidays, unless otherwise specified, there will be a programme of posture (asana) work in the mornings with more meditative and restorative/relaxing practice in the afternoons. Arrivals and departures are on Saturdays.

We take one morning and one evening yoga class off per week so that you can have extra time to relax & enjoy your surroundings or for the more adventurous & active, there are plenty of other activities such as walking, horse-riding, golf or surfing nearby.

Although it can vary depending on time of year, the days normally look like this:

Your teacher
Rachel uses her 20 years of Iyengar yoga experience and skills as a teacher to provide courses to suit all levels of abilities and experience. She has been providing yoga holidays and retreats since 2003. Her passion and enthusiasm for the practice of yoga and the life-enhancing benefits it gives us is what drives her to share with others.

She works with individuals from all walks of life at all levels of fitness and health: everyone from sports professionals to those recovering from illness or suffering from stress or depression or simply students wanting to bring a regular practice of yoga into their lives. Her dedication and devotion to helping her students through yoga is at the core of her work.

The attention to detail, the discipline, the physical posture work combined with philosophy, compassion, learning and understanding was everything the Rachel was looking for in a spiritual practice. Through Julie's influence and generosity, Rachel was encouraged to work hard and eventually went on to train as a teacher of Iyengar yoga.

She was incredibly lucky to meet Mr BKS Iyengar in 1993 and to attend classes with some of the most senior teachers in the UK such as Sylvia Prescott, Mira Mehta (author of Yoga, The Iyengar Way), Penny Chaplin, Judi Sweeting, Sasha Perryman, Cathy Rogers-Evans and Judi Soffa. It was while on a yoga holiday to Portugal with Cathy and Judi Soffa that Rachel realised for certain that she wanted to become a teacher.

The training in Iyengar Yoga for teachers is thorough, it is student-centered and once qualified, teachers have to maintain professional standards through contact with senior teachers, attending study days, regular classes and workshops so that students can benefit. Various levels of certification are attainable but only through years of study and practice – there are no fast-track options in Iyengar Yoga teaching! It is the safest method of yoga practice as it is taught progressively and is student-centered. The Iyengar family in Pune, India have dedicated their lives to the study and practice of yoga to help others and instil good health and well being.

Rachel qualified in 2000 and has now attained Junior Intermediate Level II which means she has been examined as having the necessary skills and knowledge to teach intermediate postures and help those students who may have serious medical conditions (under the guidance of a Senior Iyengar teacher). She continues to study and keep in contact with senior teachers to maintain her skills and knowledge and in 2006 was delighted to spend a month with the Iyengar family in Pune, studying with Geeta, Prashant and Guruji. uji.

Accommodation
The accommodation is arranged in 3 converted Portuguese farmhouses. There are 3 ensuite rooms in each house with lounge, fully equipped kitchen, terrace and barbeque area for each house. Also on site are 3 swimming pools all exclusively for the use of residential guests of Quinta Mimosa. The ensuite rooms can be shared between two, or for a supplement as single occupancy, unless otherwise specified. Also available is a dormitory area accommodating up to 4 people, in a mezzanine gallery integrated above the fully equipped yoga studio, or a separate twin room which shares the bathroom with the dormitory area.



Other activities
Plenty of time is scheduled between classes to allow for other activities, quiet time, excursions or extended sunbathing sessions or perhaps a massage treatment from one of the visiting massage therapists. There are swimming pools at both venues and beach towels are provided.



Within easy reach are historic towns & villages, spectacular scenery, excellent beaches, golfing, horse riding, tennis, sailing, walking & even go-karting! For those who seek the surf, the famous Atlantic west coast is only 50 minutes away with some of the best surfing beaches in Europe & in the other direction, Spain is only an hour away.

Algarve
The Algarve is the southernmost province of Portugal, where you can glimpse Africa days with favorable weather. The wild and beautiful mountains of the Algarve and the long coastline offers countless possibilities for activities and excursions.

The weather in the Algarve is fantastic with endless days of sunshine and a short, mild winter. Temperatures climb steadily from an average maximum of 18c in March to a peak in August of up to 33c. The Algarve has over 3,000 hours of sunshine throughout the year and our September & October holidays afford warm, sunny, dry weather with temperatures still in the mid to high 20′s. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/weather for more information.

Map of the retreat: