Girls Surf and Yoga Retreat

In the Girls Surf and Yoga Retreat, each day we start with a warming up of the body doing a Vinyasa yoga class. After that we have a nicely prepared breakfast and get our lunch organized for a day out on the beach. We will do a 2 hour surf class on the beach including surf theory and water safety throughout the week. For the rest of the afternoon you are free to choose what you would like to do. In the evenings we meet again for a restorative yoga session, but incorporates stretching all the muscles that we used in the day from surfing.
We teach pranayama (breathing) exercises, meditation techniques, energies of the body, yoga history and philosophy.

The Girls Surf and Yoga Retreat is located in Baleal, Portugal which is 1 hour North of Lisbon on a peninsula known as Peniche. This area is called the Silver Coast and is known for its amazing waves, good weather, and lovely people. We warmly welcome you to our home on the coast so that you can experience the reason why we love it so much.

Every morning we prepare an awesome breakfast with various cereals and muesli, yogurt, fresh fruit salad, cheeses, meats, breads, orange juice, coffee and tea. For lunch we prepare everything that you need to make yourself a nice lunch pack for the day that you can take to the beach with you. We also provide water.

The yoga is Vinyasa style yoga with elements of Hatha yoga. Every morning we begin with some Pranayama to increase the amount of oxygen we can bring into our bodies and also to clean out the stale air. The yoga allows us to increase our blood flow and awakens our muscles for the day. Once the class is finished we will give a short guided meditation to allow the mind to become settled, clear and joyful.

Your teachers are Yvonne Stolz-Longaker  has been practicing yoga for 16 years now and has been teaching yoga all over the world. Yvonne is also a consultant, systemic coach, reiki practitioner and founder of Apura Consult. She is practicing Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition and is also a teacher in mindfulness and meditation. She is also an experienced surfer and is licensed from the International Surfing Association to teach surfing as well as the Yoga Alliance Certification program.

Donovan Longaker– Originally from Santa Cruz, California. Donovan has been doing yoga now for over 18 years of his life. He has been teaching Vinyasa style yoga for the past 6 years throughout the world and is certified with the Yoga Alliance Certification program. Donovan was raised in a Tibetan Buddhist tradition as a young child and has received instruction on meditation from many great teachers over the years. He completed a 3 year Buddhist retreat in the South of France in 2010. Donovan is also an avid surfer and has been teaching surfing as an internationally licensed instructor for many years. He is passionate about teaching and loves the most to see the smiles on people’s faces the first time they catch a wave.

Since Peniche has how become one of the top locations on the surfing world tour, many people are beginning to see Portugal as the new California of Europe. The wave quality and the variety of waves on our coast is world class. We have waves for every surf level that is out there. Whether for beginners or advanced surfers, Peniche offers an amazing geography that you cannot find anywhere else in Europe.

We teach in very small groups and on various levels which means that next to all the practical aspects of surfing we also teach you about water safety. The content covers everything from waves and surfing etiquette to tides and swell formation so that you have a very good understanding of the ocean.

For the all girls retreat our surf coaching is especially geared towards female surfers. This allows you to get comfortable on your own terms with the ocean so that you can have the most fun in the water. Without pressure and with professional and safe surf coaching (from learning to stand in the white water to surfing green waves)you will be able to learn on every surf level. Enjoy yourself and feel more secure with your surfing. Take your surf skills to the next level while having fun together with other girls!