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TRANSFORMATIVE RETREAT -

2025 - SEPTEMBER 12-17 -

TRANSFORMATIVE RETREAT - 2025 - SEPTEMBER 12-17 -

Dancing the Untamed

A 5-day MINDFULNESS - BUTOH - FELDENKRAIS Retreat in Portugal

with Pedro Goucha, Jonathan Martineau and Lisa Silva

12th-17th September, 2025

This carefully curated 5-day immersive retreat offers a rare invitation to explore, experience and dance the untamed within you.

Extra: On the second day, an optional “Sacred Toad” ceremony with Lisa will offer a portal to dissolve mental boundaries, releasing and letting go.

Book before June 24th and save €240

To think is the art of giving birth. To dance is the art of being born.

Jonathan Martineau

Detailed Overview

  • Our activities include:

    • Mindfulness Meditation

    • Butoh (The Art of Birth)

    • Awareness Through Movement (The Feldenkrais Method)

    • Optional and extra “Sacred Toad” Ceremony (Bufo)

    For those seeking a break from the digital world, total or partial digital detox options are also available.

  • Pedro Goucha is a professional dancer and teacher with an international carrear spanning over 40 years. Certified as a Feldenkrais Method and of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher, Pedro will be guiding daily Mindfulness meditation and Awareness Through Movement sessions focused on revisiting primitive movement patterns in a safe and soothing way.

    Jonathan Martineau (PhD) - Philosopher and movement researcher, codirector and teacher in Aula Nostra · Innate butoh formation (www.aulanostra.com). The translation of his doctoral thesis Shadows of justice has given light to the butosophy, where he merges philosophy and movement. Jonathan regularly imparts Art of Birth -Seminar of Butosophy and has published articles and presented papers around what he calls nascent thought as a praxis of movement (www.butosofia.com). Jonathan will be imparting his continuously evolving workshop; The Art of Birth.

    Lisa Silva is a Master Kambo and Bufo practitioner, who leads transformative ceremonies rooted in Unity Consciousness. Creator of the Kambo Nadi System, she trains practitioners worldwide. With expertise in Reiki, Homeopathy, Colour Therapy, and Shamanism, Lisa offers deeply integrative experiences and ongoing mentorship, guiding each participant toward lasting self-discovery, healing, and spiritual growth (www.shangriballa.com).

  • Retreat prices include:

    • All retreat activities.

    • 3 Organic and locally sourced vegetarian meals a day (we cater for your dietary needs).

    Price does not include:

    • Sacred Toad Ceremony (to be paid directly to the teacher)

    • Flights to Portugal.

    • Travel to and from Loural Eco-Village (let us know if you need support with travel arrangements).

    • You have the choice to pay the full amount at once, or if you prefer, you may start by paying a deposit of 400€ to hold your place at the retreat. For this option contact me directly here

    • Deposit is 100% refundable only if your participation in the retreat is cancelled 30 days before the retreat start date (August 12th 2025).

    • Balance of total amount due, payable 30 days before the retreat start date (August 12th 2025). If you prefer to pay the remaining amount in cash, please contact us beforehand.

Glamping Area

Early-Bird until June 24th:

€750/person

After June 24th:

€990/person

(Everything included except the Sacred Toed ceremony)

Double Shared Room

Early-Bird until June 24th:

€850/person

After June 24th:

€1090/person

(Everything included except the Sacred Toed ceremony)

Single Room

Early-Bird until June 24th:

€950/person

After June 24th:

€1190/person

(Everything included except the Sacred Toed ceremony)

ON SITE WORKSHOPS

- LISBON -

ON SITE WORKSHOPS - LISBON -

Feldenkrais Method Workshop

Lisbon

This workshop will consist of two Awareness Through Movement lessons in the morning, and an individual Functional Integration session in the afternoon, which is the hands-on modality of the Feldenkrais Method.

September 20th

10:00 - 13:00 Awareness Through Movement Workshop

14:30 - 15:45 Functional Integration Individual Session

16:00 - 17:15 Functional Integration Individual Session

17:30 - 18:45 Functional Integration Individual Session

19:00 - 20:15 Functional Integration Individual Session

September 21st

10:00 - 11:15 Functional Integration Individual Session

11:30 - 12:45 Functional Integration Individual Session

Pricing options:

  • Awareness Through Movement workshop (€30)

  • Functional Integration - individual session (€70)


Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Lisbon

7th October - 25th November

More information soon…


The Curious Body

Leiria

Saturday, June 7th we will be offering the third and last chapter of The Curious Bodies. A three part workshop that brings together the Feldenkrais Method, Dance, Somatic Drawing and life electronic music with Nuno Lean.

You’re invited to experience the beauty and elegance of this unique combination of practices, and take part in a series of guided explorations in movement, drawing, imagination and more.

The Curious Bodies will be facilitated by me (Feldenkrais Method, Somatic Drawing) and Chiara Mezzadri (Dance) in the studio Pão em Rosas in the centre of Leiria, Portugal. 

60€

REMOTE CLASSES -

REMOTE CLASSES -

The Art of Being You:

Online 12-Week Mindfulness and Feldenkrais Program

March - May 2026 (12 sessions)

( 09:00 - 11:00  Portugal/UK Time )

( 10am - 12:00 am Central European Time )

Join our 12-week online Mindfulness and Feldenkrais course designed to cultivate awareness, ease, and connection. Through weekly 2-hour live sessions via Zoom, we’ll integrate guided meditations, Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons, and group discussions to deepen your practice. 

Each week includes daily home practices (30–45 minutes), supported by guided meditation recordings, ATM audio lessons, and a comprehensive workbook with journaling prompts and tips.

As a special addition, the program culminates in an optional 6-day retreat in Portugal (Summer 2026). This retreat offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature connection practices, an introduction to permaculture, creative drawing sessions, and nourishing, delicious food. While the retreat is not mandatory, it provides a beautiful space to integrate and expand upon the learnings from the course.

Weekly Themes at a Glance:

  • Week 1: Introduction to Awareness

  • Week 2: Perception

  • Week 3: Awareness of the Body

  • Week 4: Exploring Stress

  • Week 5: Reacting vs. Responding

  • Week 6: Mindful Communication

  • Week 7: Letting Go of Resistance

  • Week 8: Cultivating Gratitude

  • Week 9: Embracing Change

  • Week 10: Compassion for Self and Others

  • Week 11: Integrating Practice into Daily Life

  • Week 12: Moving Forward

This program invites you to cultivate greater awareness, resilience, and connection—both within yourself and with the world around you. Whether you join us solely for the online course or also for the retreat, the choice is yours.

Pricing Options:

12-week Online Program €400

Includes:

- Weekly 2-hour live sessions via Zoom

- Guided meditation and ATM audio recordings

- Course workbook with journaling prompts and poems

12-week Online Program + 6-Day Retreat in Portugal from €1550 

( €400 for the online program + from €1150 for the retreat with bundle discount)

Includes:

- Everything from 12-week program

- 6-day retreat in Portugal with:

- Nature connection practices

- Mindfulness practices

- Awareness through Movement lessons

- Introduction to Permaculture

- Creative Drawing Sessions

- Accommodation, 3 meals a day and retreat materials

6-Day Retreat in Portugal only from €1350

Includes:

- Nature connection practices

- Mindfulness practices

- Awareness through Movement lessons

- Introduction to Permaculture

- Creative Drawing Sessions

- Accommodation, 3 meals a day + retreat materials

PRIVATE SESSIONS -

PRIVATE SESSIONS -

Embark on a transformative journey with the Feldenkrais Method, a holistic approach utilising movement, touch, and the enhancement of awareness for learning, well-being, and personal development.

Regular practice not only improves daily activities but also supports individuals of all ages in overcoming unique movement challenges.

Eight sessions to improve your mobility.

  • A total of eight sessions, comprised of:

    • 6 Awareness Through Movement lessons.

    • 2 Hands-On sessions.

    • 6 Online - Awareness Through Movement lessons.

    • 2 In-Person hands-on sessions in your home.

At Pedro’s Studio

60€

price per session

In Your Home

80€

price per session

Hybrid Session

70€

price per session

(6 online sessions and 2 hands-on sessions in your home/studio)

  • “To anyone who will ask me about this experience, I would just answer them with a silence. If the silence wouldn’t speak loud enough to draw you here, than I would really invite you to experience it for yourself”

    Claudio Murabito 

  • “This retreat was certainly one of the most unique retreats I have attended in my life and I will continue to tell people about it. I hope to eventually live in a place where these kinds of practices are part of daily life!” 

    G.

  • “The Feldenkrais sessions were a wonderful surprise for me. I discovered a body I didn’t know I had for myself. Through tiny movements or just thinking about them, our body becomes much lighter and in harmony with the surrounding space. A true mystery I deeply recommend.” 

    M.J.G.

  • “With the Feldenkrais Method everything works better; sleep, balance, the mood as well as the relationship with others and creativity. It’s a stimulus toward spontaneity.” 

    Carla Rodrigues

  • “This retreat was very gentle and gave me a great insight into my body and how it relates to nature. Pedro came up with a rare formula that is simple and hence highly transforming. The most important for me was a significant improvement in movement following an accident I had a few years ago. It is wonderful to realize that my body can be so resourceful and continue to heal when it is stimulated in the right way.” 

    Justyna Grzes

  • “Feldenkrais is a date with my own body. I slow down, listen, become aware. Sometimes there is transformation, other times not, but we always accept and listen, with great respect for this wonderful house that is the body.”

    Catarina Rodrigues

MY STORY -

ABOUT ME -

MY STORY - ABOUT ME -

My name is Pedro Goucha Gomes, and I live in the Portuguese countryside with my wife and children. Since the age of 9 I've been involved in the dance world, working with renowned companies such as Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and The Netherlands Dance Theatre, amongst others.

In my early twenties, a trip to Japan sparked my interest in meditation, which led me to explore different practices and meditation traditions. Meditation changed my relationship to dance. It was stillness that taught me the most about moving. Seeking to share the benefits of mindfulness, I became a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher.

My passion for movement led me to study Somatic Movement and become a certified teacher in the Feldenkrais Method.

Today I am committed to sharing practices that I believe may lead to a greater sense of peace and respect toward ourselves, each other and all life around us. With this in mind, I studied Permaculture and offer classes, workshops and retreats to anyone interested in exploring how the awareness that emerges from the fields of Meditation, Somatics, Dance and Permaculture may contribute to the cultivation and embodiment of creativity, peace and environmental awareness.

Finally, my family and I are involved in the Loural Ecovillage project, a retreat center in Portugal focused on integrative therapies, art, permaculture, and energy autonomy.

 FAQs

  • The Feldenkrais Method ® uses movement, touch and the enhancement of awareness for learning and personal development. Regular practice not only improves daily activities, such as sitting, standing, walking, running, breathing, sleeping, and so on… it also assists many in overcoming exceptional challenges. People of all ages and capacities can benefit from this sophisticated method. The Feldenkrais Method is composed of two complementAry modalities; Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons and Functional Integration (FI) sessions.

  • Awareness Through Movement (ATM) are verbally guided group lessons. These movement lessons encourage enjoyment and ease while learning new possibilities of thinking, sensing and moving. As your movement becomes increasingly free of unnecessary effort, you can develop a greater capacity to align your actions with your intentions. The shift from a goal oriented mindset to an experiential and playful approach to learning has had profound and long-lasting effects in many people’s lives.

  • For Awareness Through Movement on-line lessons have with you a yoga mat (or something similar), wear comfortable and warm clothes, and if possible choose a place without distractions where you can lie with your arms open. Also, make sure you have a stable internet connection and place your computer/phone in a place where I can see you properly.

  • Functional Integration (FI) are private sessions in which the primary means of interaction is through touch. In these pain-free sessions the person lies comfortably dressed on a practice table. Through following the person’s natural stream of movement the practitioner enables improvement in movement, coordination and balance, as well as pain relieve and general well-being. This process develops according to the particular needs of each individual. Given the sensory-motor nature of these processes, often an overall enhancement of self-perception is experienced.

  • Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves intentionally focusing your attention on the present moment, without judgment. It's about cultivating awareness of your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the environment around you. It's not about clearing the mind of thoughts but rather about becoming more aware of them and developing a different relationship with them, one characterized by acceptance and non-reactivity.

  • Mindfulness meditation can be practiced formally, through dedicated meditation sessions, or informally, by integrating mindfulness into daily activities like eating, walking, or even washing dishes.

  • Private sessions are designed according to your particular needs. This could make your experience more meaningful to you and bring an enhanced focus to your process.

  • Yes, Curious Body, Courageous Heart is designed to suit all levels of experience. You will be supported and guided on a gentle journey to yourself, and encouraged to follow your personal interests at your own pace.

  • Yes. We would ask you to please let us know in advance what are your dietary requirements. We will do our best to accommodate them. There will be 3 daily nutritious and locally sourced vegetarian meals a day.

  • This retreat is an invitation for a Digital Detox. We will not enforce a ban on the use of your devices, but offer a conscious invitation to choose whether you want to turn them off for the duration of the retreat. You can choose to completely switch them off for the full 6 days, or use them in case of emergency or work related issues or in whatever way your awareness dictates. We will be there to support your decision. Whatever option you choose, there will be no use of devices in the shared spaces of the retreat including the group practice room and the dining spaces.

  • No, everything you’ll need will be provided. However, keep in mind that Loural is 500 meters above sea level. Nights could be chilly. Also, you might want to bring a bathing suit for a dip in the swimming pool and some shoes for walking in nature.

  • I cannot offer scholarships, but in case you would like to participate in any of my offers and cannot pay the full price, please get in contact with me. I am confident we will find a solution!

  • Loural Ecovillage is a 2h30min drive from Lisbon and from Porto. If you are coming from either airport, the best way to get there by public transport is to take a train or bus to Coimbra, and a taxi to Loural, which will cost you approximately €70.

LOURAL ECOVILLAGE

- TRANSFORMATIVE RETREATS -

LOURAL ECOVILLAGE - TRANSFORMATIVE RETREATS -