Veda Wellness x Casa Palmela Hotel: Wellness Retreats in Portugal

In the current context, finding time to take care of oneself has never been more important. We have selected for you exceptional wellness retreats, the Veda Wellness Retreats, offered by two international experts based in Bali, with extensive experience in yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda. These retreats will take place in November 2021 at the Casa Palmela hotel in Portugal, a little gem located in a natural setting just a stone’s throw from Lisbon.

Thérèse Svovgaard Poulsen, founder of Veda Wellness Retreats

Veda Wellness retreats: the spirit of Bali blows in Europe

The importance of actively focusing on physical, mental, and emotional well-being has never been so clearly recognized as it is today. Certainly, yoga and meditation retreats are now abundant. However, personalized holistic retreats, led by recognized experts with extensive international experience, and moreover in an enchanting setting, are rarer. This is why we want to introduce you to Veda Wellness Retreats.

Veda Wellness retreats take place over four days, and they aim to have a long-term impact on your life. Indeed, they offer a wellness interlude where you have the opportunity to feel what you really want in life, through various holistic activities, including yoga, meditation and breathing. The program is very comprehensive and all the activities offered create a synergy to find your “true self”.

Wellness experts since forever, or almost…

Therese Skovgaard Poulsen is behind Veda Wellness. For about thirty years, Thérèse has traveled sacred lands to train in multiple traditional and holistic practices. She is an Ashtanga Yoga teacher, certified in Shiatsu and Swedish massages, and she has studied Chinese medicine as well as numerous complementary physical practices. She was also behind the Breath of Hope foundation in Bali to bring Yoga practice to schools and orphanages in Asia. And this is just a vague overview of what she has accomplished…

To complement her expertise, Thérèse has chosen to work with Prof. Dr. Sujatha Kekada, an Indian specialist in Ayurveda, who has worked at the famous Como Shambala in Bali. During the retreat, she mainly takes care of the dimension related to nutrition, Ayurvedic science and the practice of Theta Healing. In other words, it’s a meditation that uses theta frequencies to connect to pure consciousness. It’s a highly appreciated technique for finding the path to change and developing one’s intuition.

The retreat program

The first two days are dedicated to personalizing the stay for each participant. The first day focuses essentially on deeply understanding one’s identity, one’s true “self”. In addition to daily meditation and breathing practice, the retreat includes five yoga sessions, five discussions about Ayurveda, nutrition as well as philosophical themes.

From the third to the fourth day, the days follow a program from 6am to 7:30pm with continued yoga, Ayurveda and meditation sessions. A bike tour is planned to discover the surrounding nature, and other activities such as a market visit, a cooking class, and “surprise” activities…

The breaks can be the ideal time to deepen one’s experience. Private activities and consultations are particularly possible during these quiet times. Also note that after the retreat, there is the possibility to continue the personal transformation through private online sessions with Thérèse.

A hotel located in the heart of a nature reserve near Lisbon

Casa Palmela Hotel in Portugal aerial view

The Veda Wellness Retreats will take place at Hotel Casa Palmela in June and November 2021. A small family treasure, Casa Palmela is rich with 400 years of history. Located just 35 minutes by car from Lisbon, the hotel is situated in a nature with great restorative power. It is, indeed, in the heart of a natural reserve in Portugal, the Arrábida Natural Park, where one can enjoy a personalized holistic stay. Hotel Casa Palmela is not just a simple hotel but rather a complete experience centered around nature, wine tourism, wellness, and gastronomy.

In reality, one feels here like in a holiday home in the countryside: a classic decor, with pastel colors and romantic touches. The rooms and suites are spread across two buildings, in the Main House and in the Garden House, which is the oldest structure on the property. Inside, you’ll find the superior rooms with private balconies as well as the Junior Suites, the most sought-after in the hotel. They are like small cocoons of 50 m² with views of the vineyard and the Capuchin convent. All rooms and suites offer a beautiful view of nature. Hotel Casa Palmela also has villas, which are more spacious (between 100 and 140 m²).

The “Slow Wellness” spa

At Casa Palmela, one rests, breathes, and feels good. The hotel itself is a refuge where one feels in harmony with nature, but to go further in relaxation, it welcomes its guests in its “Slow Wellness” spa. You can thus enjoy quality massages provided with totally natural products from the region.

Whether you like slow, deep, or more dynamic massages, the spa offers to personalize your treatment according to your desires. The most complete treatment on the menu is undoubtedly the Premium Ritual: a body massage based on aromatherapy with a facial treatment at the end of the session.

Sports classes such as pilates, yoga, or stretching are also possible within the hotel. And if you want something else, golf greens are located near the hotel, and water activities can be organized.

Extraordinary experiences

The location of the house and the unconditional love of the owners for their region allow guests to live extraordinary experiences. Multiple walks are offered: in the nature reserve, on beaches with turquoise waters, on horseback, by bike, or even by boat!

Hotel Casa Palmela invites its guests to take a seat in its Zimbral restaurant or on the terrace, right next to the gardens. The atmosphere is convivial, and they serve authentic Portuguese cuisine. Local products are carefully cooked and reveal their best flavors. The menu includes vegetarian and vegan options.