The Heart Retreat

28 July - 6 August 2022

The Heart Retreat

We hereby present you with a very unique opportunity for dedicated yoga practitioners looking for further guidance and inspiration in their practice: a 10-day (100-hour training) retreat guided by Satya Katiza and Kevin Sahaj at D'Alijo Yoga Retreat Center in the beautifully green region of Northern Portugal.
Invaluable benefits you will gain from this training:

• A cleansing of the temple of body and mind
• A clearer understanding of yourself
• Alignment with your life towards awakening

This retreat is a 10-day (100-hour) training - which can be followed individually or in combination with the Advanced Teacher Training - where you will have the opportunity to deepen into the yoga that is most suited to your individual needs and will give you the foundational ground, connection, and steadiness to become a living yogi or yogini.

About The Heart Retreat

Yoga - since its creation - has always been taught in a one-on-one setting. The teacher would assess the needs, aspirations and constitution of the student and give them the personal practice that would connect them to their innermost truth. This innermost truth of the individual is unique to that person, and each person’s yoga practice will ultimately be an individual practice, guided closely by authentic teachers and teachings.

In The Heart retreat, you will have the opportunity to deepen into the yoga that is most suited to your individual needs and will give you the foundational ground, connection, and steadiness to become a living yogi or yogini.

A yoga retreat is a rare opportunity to discover what it is to live a yogic life of awakening. It is a time we remove ourselves from our ordinary life and create a new possibility of coming out of our conditioned mind, our emotions, and our body. From early in the morning until well into the evening, we will be immersed in the sacred path of yoga in all its forms. It is an intensive process that will change the way you see your life.

We call this retreat “The Heart” because that is the physical location of our energy and our true Self. It is through the heart that we fully open ourselves to develop pure devotion and longing for liberation.

Program Outline

During this retreat, Satya and Sahaj will draw from several wisdom traditions to offer you 100 hours of practices ranging from asana, pranayama, meditation, healing, Taoist chi-kung, shamanic healing, and Buddhism, to chanting, rituals, and philosophy.

We will begin exploring and realigning the physical body with the breath, experiencing the connection between the body and mind. We will then be ready to introduce the more subtle body/energy practices. The philosophical ground of practice will be based on the Bhagavad Gita.

We will be using more advanced yoga practices that help us to decode, uncover and, in a way, break down the walls of what is keeping us from being aware of our true wisdom nature. This practice will affect the nervous system, and this will change the patterns of the energy flow in the body.

We will learn how the energy in the body works, and how the energy body and mind are intimately connected. The subtle body is composed of energy pathways called nadis, and areas of focused life energy called chakras. When these channels are clear, our awareness is clear like the sky.

Through the deep immersion in the teachings of these very gifted and experienced teachers, you will come out as a different person, with a clearer understanding of yourself, your practice and your dharma - this retreat will literally open your heart and blow your mind away.

Typical Daily Schedule

06.30 - Guided Meditation
07.00 - Kriyas and Pranayama
07.30 - Asana Yoga Practice (Hatha, Vinyasa)
09.00 - Breakfast
10.30 - Lecture: Living Philosophy
12.00 - Subtle Practices and Dynamic Meditations
13.00 - Lunch
14.30 - Lecture: Elements and Breathing Practices
16.00 - Tea Time
16.30 - Energy Practice, Chi Gong or Flow Practice
18.30 - Dinner
19.30 - Meditation, Chanting or Yoga Nidra Practice
21.00 - Bedtime

D'Alijo Yoga Retreat Center

D’Alijo Yoga Retreats Center is a yoga retreat in the midst of beautiful Portuguese nature. It sprawls across three hectares of land consisting of terraces, olive fields and hills with large rock formations.

The accommodation consists of wooden chalet-style houses, cabins or rooms which are tastefully decorated, positioned in rural parts of the grounds at walking distance from Yoga Studio, swimming pool and the main house. All rooms have outside verandas.

The main house which was rebuilt with huge granite rocks from centuries ago is now the cosy “heart” of the retreat centre. Surrounded by large terraces and undisturbed views of the area and premises. It offers 5 guest rooms. The centre offers a heated swimming pool, water features, and a peaceful meditation cave and the surroundings invite tranquil walks.

D'Alijo Retreat Center is located 1 hour away from Porto International Airport. Transfers from/to the airport can be arranged on request.

Practical Information

The Heart Retreat starts on 28 July and finishes on 6 August 2022. Transfer between Porto (OPO) Airport and the retreat location by car takes 1 hour. On 28 July, check-in is open as of 12.00 hrs and the program starts around 15.00 hrs. On 6 August, the program ends after a morning self-practice.

We advise not to arrive after the retreat has started, or to depart before it has ended, as this would mean missing important parts of the program. The transfer from the retreat centre to the airport OPO leaves 3 hours before the flight departure time.

Recommended flights if flying from Amsterdam:
28 July AMS - OPO: KL1711 09:05 – 10:40 (or check Transavia earlier in the morning and wait for arrival of the KLM flight to share transfer)
6 August OPO - AMS: KL1712 11:25 - 15:05

Or consider other environment-friendly alternatives like bus or train to Porto and then join the shared transfer from Porto airport. There is also a Flixbus connection to Guimarães from where pick-up can be arranged.

Price

Payment options for teaching fees (including course manual, excluding accommodation/travel):

• Registered students of the Advanced Teacher Training: € 1.150 (incl. VAT)* payable by 27 June 2022
• Early bird: € 1.400 (incl. VAT)*
  (€ 150 non-refundable deposit upon registration, €1.250 payable by 30 April 2022)
• Regular: € 1.500 (incl. VAT)*
  (€ 150 non-refundable deposit upon registration, €1.350 payable by 27 June 2022)

*Upon booking the retreat, a deposit of €150 is payable. Please note that the deposit is non-refundable if participation is cancelled or postponed by the student for whatever reason (including corona-related circumstances).
*Please note that due to Dutch tax legislation (reisbureauregeling), there is no VAT deductible.

Accommodation
The costs for accommodation and food are on the basis of 9 nights and full board (3 vegetarian meals per day). The following room types are available:

• € 955 shared room with 2 people
• € 1.140 single room with shared facilities (house with 3 single bedrooms and shared living room / bathroom) - FULL
• € 1.350 garden suite (luxury single 36 m2, own facilities) - FULL

The teaching fees (minus deposit) and the accommodation are payable by 30 April (Early Bird) or 27 June 2022 (Regular), depending on the chosen payment option.
Not included in the above fees are books, travel costs to- and- from the retreat centre, travel insurance (highly recommended), local tourist tax.
Camping at the retreat location / external accommodation is not possible, unfortunately. Extra nights can be booked directly at D'Alijo Yoga Retreat Center by sending an email to info@dalijoyogaretreats.com, for a 40% discount on room rate, including two meals (instead of three during the events).

Packages

• Participants following The Heart Retreat & The Mind Retreat directly after each other, receive a discount of €50 per retreat.
• Students following The Basic Teacher Training, The Heart Retreat & The Mind Retreat directly after each other, receive a discount of €200 (Early Bird) / €300 (Regular).
• Students participating in the Advanced Teacher Training are eligible for a different pricing option. The pricing details can be found on our ATT pricing site.

Once you have booked your spot in the retreat using the button below, we will get in touch with you via email to discuss accommodation requirements (please indicate in case you snore/have frequent nightmares).

For our cancellation policy, please read our General Terms and Conditions.

Requirements

• 2 years of regular yogic practices including asana
• Experience with meditation and pranayama
• A motivation letter why you want to take part in this retreat
• To be emotionally stable (see note below on Health & Well-Being)
  If you are not sure about meeting these requirements but you'd like to join this retreat, please contact academy@delightyoga.nl with your questions or concerns.

Reading Material

Please read the following books prior to the retreat:

1. Bhagavad Gita - Here is the list of the recommended versions:

• The Living Gita by Swami Satchidananda Saraswati; or
• The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Nikhilananda/Ramakrishna; or
• The Bhagavad Gita translation/commentary by S. Radhakrishnan, Harper Collins translation; or Eknath Easwaran Commentary

1. Breathing Book by Donna Farhi
2. Awakening the Sacred Body by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Health & Well-Being

Your current health and health background are very important to us to assess your needs and to be aware of any precautions or adaptations of the yoga practices that may be needed for you personally. The information you provide is confidential and will not be shared with others.

Please let us know by e-mail know if any of the following applies to you:

• Are you experiencing physical, mental, or emotional issues? (If so, please detail.)
• Are you currently under medical treatment or taking medications for mental or physical conditions (If so, please detail.)
• Are you currently or have you suffered in the past from depression, burnout, addiction, or any other mental health issues? (If so, please detail.)
• Please provide us with a phone number of a partner/friend/family we can contact in case of emergency.

Get a taste or prepare

Meeting the Heart - Online workshop
If you would like get an introduction or prepare for the retreat, or if you have joined the retreat in the past and would like to refresh the practices, we recommend joining the online workshop "Meeting The Heart" on 28 May 2022 with Satya & Sahaj. Registered participants of this year's or previous retreats receive a 50% discount. To receive the voucher code, please email academy@delightyoga.nl.

Stay Connected with the Sangha

To stay connected with the Sva Dharma community we offer the Sva Dharma Family Gatherings. This is an exclusive event for everyone who has ever participated in a training or retreat with Satya and Sahaj. We warmly welcome you to gather, re-connect, inspire each other, practice together, share experiences, and thus find support in the Sangha (community of like-minded people).

NOTE: This retreat is part of the 300-hour Advanced Teacher Training of Delight Yoga but can also be followed individually.

BOOKING: after booking the retreat through the below button, please notify academy@delightyoga.nl to arrange the further details, such as accommodation.