ROOT & RISE - 5-Day Herbal & Mind-Body Healing: Restore your inner balance, Learn how to sustain it

Location icon
Loural Village, Colmeal, Portugal
Users icon
Up to 15 in group
Date
August 26 - 30, 2025

Retreat Highlights

  • Soothe & Empower your Inner Balance with Traditional Herbalism and Mind-Body Practices
  • A retreat to restore your well-being by supporting your nervous system — and learn how to sustain it.
  • • Nervous System Reset – realign with yourself
  • Begin your journey with practices that gently release physical and emotional tension, restore your inner rhythm, and bring clarity to both body and mind. Through therapeutic shiatsu, immersion in nature, and moments of rest, you’ll reconnect with your nervous system’s natural ability to self-regulate and find calm.
  • • Hands-on Herbal Wisdom
  • This retreat offers a rare blend of learning and doing: you’ll dive into the essentials of traditional herbalism, craft your own natural remedies, and understand how to safely integrate herbs into daily life to support emotional balance and mental clarity.
  • • Find Your Unique Plant Allies
  • Every plant has a personality. Through guided tastings, intuitive exploration, and reflective group sessions, you'll be gently supported in discovering the specific plants that speak to you. Whether antidepressant, anxiolytic, nervine tonic, adaptogenic or sedative, these herbs become personal allies you can continue to work with long after the retreat.
  • • Lifestyle & Mind-Body Tools for Long-Term Balance
  • Go beyond symptom relief with a holistic approach that includes nutrition, natural supplements, hormonal and immune balance, and daily rituals. You’ll also learn simple yet powerful self-hypnosis tools to manage stress and calm your mind—anytime, anywhere.
  • • Supportive Healing Community
  • Throughout the retreat, you’ll be held in a caring, non-judgmental group space where you can share your story, receive insight, and design your own personalized wellness path. The power of collective healing turns individual growth into something deeper and lasting.
  • • Immersion in Nature’s Medicine
  • Set in an authentic eco-village in the lush Portuguese mountains—with quietness, wild gardens, waterfalls, forest trails, pools and a sauna—you’ll be surrounded by living nature at every step. This environment supports not only your relaxation, but also your deep reconnection with the rhythms of life.
  • ❗ Important Note
  • This retreat does not involve any psychoactive or hallucinogenic substances.
  • We work exclusively with traditional medicinal herbs — including calming nervines, adaptogens, and tonic plants — to support the nervous system through natural and gentle means.
  • All herbs used are non-psychoactive, safe, and rooted in herbalist and naturopathic traditions.

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

Soothe & Empower your Inner Balance with Traditional Herbalism and Mind-Body Practices

Feel renewed, reclaim calm, restore balance — and leave with lifelong tools to care for your well-being and nervous system.
This 5-day immersive retreat is designed for anyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious, emotionally drained, or simply longing for a deeper sense of peace and clarity. In a lush and tranquil setting, you’ll be guided through a powerful combination of herbal wisdom, emotional care tools, and collective healing experiences.
You’ll discover how plants can nurture the nervous system and emotional health through interactive and sensory herbal workshops — learning not only how to use them safely and effectively, but also how to connect with the ones that are most aligned with your own needs. You’ll also experience guided hypnotherapy sessions, nature-based practices, and supportive group reflection to help restore inner calm and resilience. A relaxing shiatsu session early in the retreat will help settle both body and mind.
All of this unfolds in the magical environment of Loural Ecovillage, nestled between mountains, forest, river, and gardens. You’ll have full access to the natural pool, waterfall, sauna, swimming pools, and peaceful spaces for integration and rest. Here, nature is not just a backdrop — it’s part of your healing journey.
Led by experienced, certified practitioners, this retreat is not just a break — it’s a turning point. You’ll return home with a renewed nervous system, a clearer mind, and a personalized toolkit to sustain your emotional balance and support your long-term well-being.

Schedule

DAY 1
• Opening & Sharing Circle
• Introduction to Traditional Herbalism: how to use herbs effectively and safely.
• Individual Shiatsu Sessions – Release the body, settle the mind.
• Free Time: relax in the pools, sauna, gardens or by the waterfall.
DAY 2
• Plant Allies for the Nervous System: introduction and sensory exploration of herbal categories – antidepressant, anxiolytic, nervine tonics, sedative herbs, flower essences, adaptogens, and more. Through guided tasting, intuitive connection, and group reflection, you will explore how these plants nurture emotional balance.
• Medicinal Planting Session
• Reflection & Integration Circle
DAY 3
• Holistic Approaches to Nervous System Balance: support your mental and emotional health through lifestyle and nutrition – prevention, key supplements, endocrine (hormonal) & immune support, pollutant avoidance, stress-related conditions...
• Collective Hypnotherapy Session – learn a simple and effective tool to calm your mind anytime.
• Nature Walk – reconnect with the living world.
DAY 4
• Healing with Plants & Practice: understanding common nervous system challenges – depression, anxiety, chronic stress, fatigue, insomnia, physical and mental hyperactivity, concentration and memory issues...
• Safe Space Group Work – designing therapeutic suggestions and approaches (individual stories/support, collective learning)
• Hypnotherapy Practice – introduction to self-hypnosis.
• Debrief & Explanation – integrate the hypnotherapy experience and prepare for autonomous use.
DAY 5
From Nature to Remedy:
• Wild Herbs Walk & Foraging
• Hands-on Herbal Workshop – craft your own tincture and oil macerate.
• Final Circle – guided meditation, shared reflection, Farewell Herbal Tea Blend to empower your nervous system.
• Free Time: enjoy the natural surroundings, pools, sauna and waterfall.

NB: Departure possible on Day 5 evening or Day 6 morning, according to your preference.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Hortus Vitae, Loural Village, Colmeal, Portugal

Directions

BY CAR
Loural Ecovillage is located halfway between Porto and Lisbon — it takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to get there by car. Simply type "Loural Village" into your map app (e.g. Google Maps).

BY BUS / TRAIN
You can travel to Coimbra, and from there we can arrange a taxi pick-up for you.

AIRPORT PICK-UP
We also organize shared shuttle transfers from Porto Airport.

Contact us to book your transfer and inquire about the cost!

Accommodation

Our retreat offers two types of accommodation to suit your preferences — each inviting you to slow down and reconnect with nature in comfort. Glamping tents are nestled in the heart of the gardens, offering an immersive experience close to the elements. Cozy, beautifully set up, and equipped with real beds and soft lighting, they strike the perfect balance between nature and comfort — ideal for those who seek simplicity with a touch of magic. Private or shared indoor rooms (single or double) are located in beautifully restored traditional stone houses within the village. With shared bathrooms and a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere, each room is thoughtfully designed to support rest, privacy, and well-being throughout your stay. Whether you choose to fall asleep to the sounds of the forest or the calm of ancient stone walls, your space will be a cocoon for deep rest and regeneration. You’ll also enjoy access to welcoming shared spaces, including a cozy living room with a fireplace, comfortable armchairs, books, and games — ideal for relaxing, reading, or sharing conversations. These areas create a friendly atmosphere that supports both connection and quiet reflection throughout your stay.

Accommodation
Glamping tents
Accommodation
Shared rooms
Accommodation
Private rooms

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
A Sanctuary of Nature, Beauty, and Peace
Nestled in the green heart of central Portugal, Loural Ecovillage is a hidden gem where natural beauty and intentional living meet in perfect harmony. Surrounded by lush forested mountains, the retreat center offers a peaceful, grounding environment that feels worlds away from the noise and pace of modern life.
You’ll have access to a range of beautiful and rejuvenating spaces: two swimming pools, a relaxing sauna and spa area, peaceful gardens, and a stu

Meals

Menu

Menu Types

Delicious organic, healthy, fresh vegetarian / vegan meals prepared by a professional chef.

What's Included

  • Accommodation (various options available to suit your preferences)
  • 3 delicious, healthy vegetarian meals per day – organic and prepared with care by a professional chef
  • Herbalism & Naturopathy workshops – a blend of therapeutic experience and in-depth learning
  • Group hypnotherapy sessions & initiation to self-hypnosis
  • One individual shiatsu treatment – to support nervous system balance and relaxation
  • Meditation, group work and integration circles
  • A personal introduction session (via video call or phone) to help identify your needs before the retreat – or a detailed questionnaire if preferred
  • Unlimited access to the retreat amenities: 2 swimming pools, sauna, lush gardens, waterfall and wild swimming spot

What's Not Included

  • Transportation to/ from the venue (can be arranged through us if needed).

Customer Reviews

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