Post by João

A slip of the foot and boom, water up to my knees. In my mischievousness I tend to throw our dogs Moo and Biscoito into the stream, waterfall or lake whenever we go hiking. This time the trick was on me.

More than a photo op, however, the fairly chilly dip placed me squarely in the present; feeling alive! Hence the raised fists. 

Living in the Azores, a place of natural wonder, trying to live with the seasons, choosing simplicity over excess, reconnecting with the land and attaining self sufficiency as much as possible has become our lifestyle.

Our lifestyle may sound like something of an anomaly. After all, in this fast-paced world of ours, many of us no longer know how to cook a meal, start a fire or balance ourselves in the face of constant perceived aggression.

Now, you ask, what does your coming here on vacation have to do with it?

The time has come to reclaim our humanity.

How are you doing this?

During our immersive programs we will gather to experience breathwork and morning movement practices that keep us healthy and connected. We will gather for afternoon hikes and philosophical discussions by sunset and starlight. We will harvest and then enjoy the fruits of our labors (sometimes literally). We’ll be walking barefoot and getting dirt under our fingernails while picking taro. And we will walk in silence, stretch our limbs and rejoice in the moment by the firepit.

​Our immersive program lineup for 2023 includes:

• Feb 17 - 20, Rimi’s February Cultivating Compassion weekend leadership retreat
• November: MYMINVIDA program focusing on food experiences that feed the soul

If you can’t make these dates and/or prefer to come as an Independent Traveler, you can check our availability online . While the group experiences such as hiking and yoga may not be on offer, you will still get our locally sourced and in-season organic breakfasts along with expert advice from our guest manager, Armindo.

So, as a sustainable, conscious travel business, we are uniting the joy of travel with the joy of learning. Let the true Journey of Discovery begin. 

The MYMINUVIDA Program leads participants into higher consciousness through food, nature and the journey within. 

MINUVIDA has hosted over 40 international retreats since 2017. We took our learnings and best practices to design an exclusive retreat with center owners, Rimi and João .

“What does it mean to Elevate Consciousness,” my friend Kristen asked me once? Elevating Consciousness means bringing us to a higher operating level, recognizing that everything is inherently connected and that as individuals, we influence the greater whole. When you realize the decisions you make and your motivation for life aren’t just about serving selfish needs (or at the expense of others or the planet), but about how you affect and influence the greater whole, this is elevated consciousness. 

The MYMINUVIDA program encourages you to elevate your consciousness through REALFOOD, TRUENATURE AND being HERENOW. 

REALFOOD
Do you actually know where your food comes from? How does food and your relationship connect you to the land and to yourself? 

“In old times, when people’s lives were so directly tied to the land, it was easy to know the world as a gift. When fall came, the skies would darken with flocks of geese, honking “Here we are.” The people are hungry, winter is coming, and the geese fill the marshes with food. It is a gift and the people receive it with thanksgiving, love and respect. 

But when the food does not come from a flock in the sky, when you don’t feel the warm feathers cool in your hand and know that a life has been given for yours, when there is no gratitude in return - that food may not satisfy. It may leave the spirit hungry while the belly is full. Something is broken when the food comes on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in slippery plastic, a carcass of a being whose only change at life was a cramped cage. That is not a gift of life; it is a theft.” - from Robin Wall Kimerrer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass  

We carry so many wounds around food, whether from information overload and a distrust of our inner knowing of what is good and nourishing to learning somewhere along the line that we need to limit, control or punish ourselves (or our bodies) through food. With the MYMINUVIDA program we get our hands dirty. We connect to our food and develop a deeper and more holistic understanding of how we can reconnect with ourselves and the land. 

After the program Catherine is cooking healthier meals for her family. Another guest said, “I’m so deeply grateful about learning more about nutrition from the land around us and how to be more resourceful and less wasteful.”

TRUENATURE
Do you walk by the waterfall and take a picture or a selfie with it and then move along? Or do you dive in, even in April (!) feeling the cool mountain spring water that reminds you that "YES, I'm alive!" and connects you to being fully present? We need to remember to feel, after so many of us have learned to avoid feeling or worse, we learned ways to numb ourselves. So we take baby steps, get our feet wet, maybe walk amongst the rocks, and some of us even get our heads under the cascading water (screaming giggles and all).

Too often we see guests view the magical and lush land around us through the lens of their phones or cameras. We do it too! In the moment we're taking the photo are we imagining what the social media post caption will be and what others will think or comment? And then when we look back upon these photos will we remember actually being in the place? Can we be HERE NOW?

HERENOW
We come from nature, we are made up of the same stuff. And the life force within us is the same as the rush of water as it cascades down the cliffs’ edge. It’s that same life force energy we feel walking through a cryptomeria forest. It is this life force energy we feel soaking in the warmth of the Earth’s natural hotsprings. But if you can’t be present to see, feel, hear, taste and sense it then it’s just another picture on your phone you may or may not ever come back to. 

“To feel how my body and mindset changed over the 5 day trip was incredible. It's such a great chance to slow down and check in with how you treat yourself and you have a chance to address any changes you may need to make.” - Sophia

Upon my return from the Azores)... “I couldn’t sleep in so I got up  early and immediately started weeding my garden! I was longing to return to nature and the earth and it felt really good to do so.” - Cat

We are welcoming groups of 4 or more starting this November. Details and application at www.minuvida.com/myminuvida