Awaken Your Inner Artist: Portugal

Awaken Your Inner Artist in Portugal: A Narrative Therapy Retreat
Lisbon & the Algarve | July 19–26, 2026 | 8 Days, 7 Nights

Do you have a story living inside you that you have never found the words for? Have you been carrying something you cannot quite name, feeling stuck or disconnected from your own voice, longing to play, create, and feel joy again?
This is your invitation to find it.

Join Yinsa Retreats for an 8-day, 7-night immersive wellness and creative retreat through two of Portugal's most beloved landscapes — the vibrant, historic streets of Lisbon and the sun-drenched coastline of the Algarve. This is not a standard yoga retreat. It is a full-body, full-mind, full-heart experience rooted in narrative therapy, personal writing, daily movement, hands-on art, and deep cultural immersion, led by a team of licensed educators and clinicians with a combined 70 years of experience and a 4-to-1 staff-to-participant ratio.

The Framework

This retreat follows the arc of narrative therapy — the evidence-based practice of separating who you are from the stories that have defined you. Each day moves through a thematic stage: curiosity, mapping, externalizing the problem, reauthoring, and integration. The curriculum is anchored in literary texts by Mary Oliver, Kiese Laymon, Annie Dillard, and others, and is facilitated by Irene Yannascoli, a published writer, NYC educator, and peer counselor whose workshops are among the most transformative parts of the retreat experience.

What Each Day Looks Like

Mornings begin with tea or coffee, yoga and movement with Felipe Gonzalez (500-hour ERYT and Katonah Yoga teacher, MSW), and a community grounding in poetry or prose. Late mornings move into writing workshops, hands-on art sessions, or curated excursions. Afternoons offer free time for rest, café culture, or optional add-ons. Evenings close with reflection circles and community connection.

Excursions and Cultural Immersion

In Lisbon: a Fado music dinner, street art and creative neighborhood tour through Alfama and Bairro Alto, an Azulejo tile workshop and museum visit, and an optional food and wine tasting. In the Algarve: a coastal boat trip along the dramatic sea cliffs, a cooking class and local market tour, and a pottery or traditional tile-making session in a local atelier. Every excursion is chosen because it deepens the inner work, not because it fills an afternoon.

Your Journey Begins Before Portugal

Upon registration, participants receive access to a 12-week guided journey through The Artist's Way, so that by the time the group gathers in Lisbon, the creative channel is already open and alive.

What Is Included

Seven nights of accommodations split between Lisbon and the Algarve, all ground transfers, daily yoga and movement, all narrative writing workshops, all excursions, all meals during the retreat, a welcome gift, retreat workbook, curated reading list, on-site team support, and access to a private online community.

Who This Is For

Solo travelers, friends traveling together, and small groups who want meaningful travel, genuine depth, and real community. No writing experience necessary. No yoga experience necessary. Beginners are not just welcome — they are often the most courageous people in the room. This retreat is particularly well suited for anyone navigating a life transition, creative block, grief, burnout, or a desire to reconnect with who they were before life got so loud.

Your Teachers

Daniele Gates, Founder and CEO of Yinsa, is a Certified Educator, Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner, and transformational retreat leader with 15 years of experience across four continents. Irene Yannascoli is a Brooklyn-based English teacher, writer, and peer counselor whose work sits at the intersection of literary craft and emotional healing. Felipe Gonzalez is a 500-hour ERYT, Katonah Yoga teacher, and Master of Clinical Social Work whose classes are grounded in the union of breath, body, and imagination.

Investment

Single room: $4,500 per person. Double room: $3,500 per person. Deposit to hold your spot: $250. Payment plans available. Extended financing through Klarna, Affirm, and PayPal Credit up to 36 months.