GOODBYE LUA NUA!
4 FINAL RETREATS
MAY 2024
NAKED YOGA RETREATS FOR
GAY BI TRANS QUEER MEN
***
ONLY ONE DOUBLE ROOM REMAINS ON THE FIRST RETREAT, THE REST ARE CURRENTLY FULL WITH WAITING LIST.
HELLO SPRING!
SUN 5TH - FRI 10TH MAY 2024
1 X DOUBLE ROOM AVAILABLE!
BARE NECESSITIES
DIGITAL DETOX
SUN 12TH - FRI 17TH MAY 2024
BACK TO NATURE
SUN 19TH - FRI 24TH MAY 2024
POWER OF GOODBYE
SUN 26TH - FRI 31ST MAY 2024
Lua Nua
Sao Teotonio, Alentejo, Portugal
Join us for the final 4 retreats at Lua Nua! Our dear hosts Franck and Christophe are moving on, and it’s time to bring the curtain down on 6 years of naked yoga adventures in Alentejo!
The original 3 retreats sold out in record time so we’ve added a 4th week.
Working with Lua Nua and spending May and September in this stunning corner of Portugal has been an absolute dream. I’m so proud and grateful for all of the retreats we’ve hosted, I’ve lost count! And to all the men from around the world who have joined us - thank you! It has been such a pleasure to welcome you to Lua Nua.
So we have 4 final retreats for you! We’re going out with a bang - first is Hello Spring! Perfect for crawling out of our winter hibernation and embracing the first warm sunshine of Spring and getting energised for the warmer months. Next is Bare Necessities, for a soothing device-free digital detox adventure. Followed by Back to Nature, an invitation to connect with the elements and the beautiful Alentejo landscapes, and finally we have Power of Goodbye!
For this special closing retreat we will embrace natural endings and saying farewell as a necessary and beautiful of part of life. A week of gratitude, appreciation, celebration, and new horizons.
More info below!
Hope to see you in Portugal,
Tom x
HELLO SPRING!
SUN 5TH - FRI 10TH MAY 2024
The Call
The original 3 retreats sold out in record time with waiting lists so we’re thrilled to offer an extra week!
For Hello Spring! we’ll emerge from our Winter hibernation and step naked into the first warm sunshine of the year. Days of big blue skies, wild naked beaches, and time in the lush gardens of Lua Nua which will be in full bloom and bursting into life.
Portugal in Spring time is magnificent. After the long dark months of Northern Hemisphere Winter, the sunshine and nature and beaches of Alentejo are medicine for mind body and soul.
We shake off the layers that build up over Winter, and start to feel the excitement and expansiveness of the warmer months, and all the adventures that will entail.
Hope you can make it,
Tom x
BARE NECESSITIES
DIGITAL DETOX RETREAT
SUN 12TH - FRI 17TH MAY 2024
The Call
Join us for Bare Necessities! A digital detox + naked yoga retreat where we explore what’s possible when we log out, switch off, and rediscover time and space free from screens and notifications.
When was the last time you switched off for a few days? Maybe this retreat excites and inspires you, maybe it brings up nerves and fears. We embark on this adventure together!
We all have a different relationship to these miraculous devices that give us god like powers at our finger tips. We are living through the greatest era of technological innovation in the history of this planet - and naturally it’s not easy to adapt!
During this retreat we will use yoga, breath, music, singing, dancing, and the power of nature, to allow our body and spirit to remember and rediscover what it feels like to be device free.
Daily trips to the epic wild beaches of Alentejo, great food, even better company, all in the comfort of the gorgeous Lua Nua with our dear hosts Franck and Christophe.
I hope you can join us!
Tom
BACK TO NATURE
SUN 19TH - FRI 24TH MAY 2024
The Call
Let’s go back to nature and back to the wild!
A naked yoga adventure to reconnect with your more primal, instinctive self through the power of nature.
Leave all your daily stresses, worries and responsibilities at home and enjoy a week of naked yoga, music, meditation, great food and even better company, and revelling in the majestic nature of Alentejo.
Each day we’ll go to a different beach. The beaches on this coastline are wild and epic and rugged - great medicine for mind, body, and soul.
We’ll also go for a cliff top hike along the famous Fisherman’s Trail and another hike to a valley canyon for a fresh water swim.
This retreat is ideal for those with a sense of adventure and who get excited about the joyful wonders of exploring nature and landscapes. It’s also a great retreat for men who are curious about having a closer relationship to nature!
Hope to see you in Portugal,
Tom
POWER OF GOODBYE
SUN 26TH - FRI 31ST
MAY 2024
The Call
And here it is - the final Lua Nua retreat! Bringing the curtain down on 6 years of naked yoga adventures at Lua Nua with Franck and Christophe.
This retreat is a celebration of everything we have experienced together, and all of the incredible men from around the world who have joined us here.
Natural endings, goodbyes, are a difficult but necessary part of life. It’s never easy knowing when it’s time to move on, or deciding where to go next! It takes courage and trust.
But when we learn to let go, and find the courage to take a step in a new direction, whole new horizons of possibility and opportunity open up before us.
There will be lots of naked yoga, an abundance of naked beach time, a fabulous pool party, a legendary Cabaret show, and much much more.
So whether you have been here before, or you’re coming for the first time, join us for a big week of revelry, gratitude, and celebration, as we bid farewell to Lua Nua!
Merci pour tout, chers Franck et Christophe!
MY RETREAT PHILOSOPHY
These retreats are designed for Gay Bi Trans Queer men of all ages (18+), all shapes and sizes, and levels of yoga experience. You are all welcome!
My retreats are much much more than just a yoga holiday. If you are looking for a relaxing break with a little bit of yoga every day, perhaps I am not the best fit for you!
These retreats are a sacred pause from daily life and our habitual patterns and routines. They are a space for you to step out of your comfort zone, reflect on your life, to have some deeply restful and restorative time for you, to relax and connect deeply to nature, and to rediscover and explore your relationship to joy, pleasure and playfulness.
What I love about organising retreats, is that each time a completely unique group of men come together to share and participate in an adventure together. We have this sacred time together, and my intent is to help you make the most of it!
At the heart of all of my retreats, is embracing self acceptance, self love, and confronting fears and doubts that hold you back in life. We will practice a lot of yoga together. We will meditate, and music and ceremony will play a big part in our time together.
This is space for you to be yourself. Every single part of you is welcome on these retreats. It's a place for you to be seen, to be heard, and to be accepted for you are, and a space for you to do the same for others.
My retreats are alcohol and substance free. However tobacco is permitted in a designated area. Please do not bring alcohol or substances apart from tobacco with you.
THESE RETREATS ARE FOR YOU IF:
You understand that this is a Naked Yoga Retreat and NOT a clothing optional Yoga Retreat. We will co-create a safe, non judgmental space for us all to enjoy being naked together.
You understand that these retreats are alcohol and substance free. Smoking is permitted in designated areas. Please don’t bring alcohol or substances with you.
You understand that this is more than a yoga holiday, and it’s important for the group dynamics that men come to participate in the group.
You are inspired to celebrate your unique naked body, and to nurture self acceptance and self love.
You are looking for a sacred pause from your daily routine, and to dive deep into nature, into your yoga practice, into your body and soul, naked in the company of GBTQ men!
Your heart sings at the prospect of sharing a wild adventure in remote nature in the community of international GBTQ men!
You are seeking space from certain behaviours, like technology, social media, alcohol, substances etc
You are open to making a positive changes in your life, learning about yourself, to grow, transformation, releasing old patterns, to connect with nature in a community of friendly supportive men.
THESE RETREATS ARE PERHAPS NOT FOR YOU IF:
You’re looking for a nice yoga holiday and expect everything to be done for you.
You’re looking to just have a relaxing week on your own and not take part in the group activities. It’s important for the group dynamics that participants come to participate.
You don’t do well with last minute changes of schedule. Due to events outside of our control (the weather for example) or simply the needs of the group, I may adapt the schedule spontaneously.
Couples are very welcome. We get many lovely couples joining us in Portugal. It’s important that both of you want to be part of the retreat and participate in the group - not just one coming along to support the other. This way both of can have your own individual experience but also share the experience as a couple - which can be a very beautiful and meaningful time together.
WHY NAKED?
Being naked literally strips away all the social and economic barriers that clothing can represent. Being naked in front of other people can be challenging as it brings up our vulnerabilities around self acceptance, being seen, and around shame! Together we will playfully confront these vulnerabilities!
Society often tells us that being naked is all about sex. Practising Yoga naked, singing and dancing naked, walking through the woods naked, swimming in the pool or ocean naked, is an exhilarating way to feel freedom and build self acceptance in your beautifully unique body in a non sexual space.
Arousal can happen, if it does that's beautiful and magical and can be enjoyed and celebrated. Connection and intimacy with other men can happen, which can be intensely healing and nurturing and wonderful. The invitation for this retreat is to connect with yourself and other men from the heart. To embrace self acceptance. To shed layers of shame, guilt and regret. To come together with other men in celebration of queer community and spirit!
Nudity can deepen our spiritual practice and help us to face some of our deepest fears in a a safe, supportive and non judgmental community of men - come join us!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Yoga // Ceremony // Music // Touch // Movement // Nature // Massage // Coastal Hikes // Epic Beaches
Yoga is the foundation of our time together on retreat. A deep active morning practice and a more restful and restorative evening practice, mostly in the Shala, and weather permitting on the deck by the pool.
Music, singing, chanting, dance, movement, performance! Practices that bring joy and celebration to our lives, that make us feel alive and connected. That inspire us with gratitude for life and awaken our sense of awe and wonder for the world.
Touch! Touch is deeply healing, pleasurable, relaxing, and sacred. Simple, gentle exercises to practice giving and receiving touch. This can be done clothed or naked.
Playfulness! Play is healing and play is liberation. Play connects us to joy and to our inner child. Play can be funny, intimate, sexy, spontaneous. Play inspires us to be ourselves, in the moment, and to feel alive.
Nature! By the pool surrounded by the lush gardens of Lua Nua, afternoon trips to the epic local naturist beaches, and at least one hike along the magnificent Alentejo coastline.
ACCOMMODATION
We have space for 11 participants this year, with everyone in a shared room. As space is quite limited, and so we can have a full retreat, the Double Rooms are initially reserved for couples or 2 friends to share.
Price is 1300 EUR per person.
3 Bed Studio
Twin Room x 2
Double Room x 2
(Price includes accommodation, food, daily morning ceremony + yoga, evening group activities)
The Studio can accommodate three people. With 1 single bed on the ground floor and 2 single beds on a mezzanine level. It has its own bathroom and a private terrace overlooking the garden with an amazing view on the lake.
Our two Superior Suite Twin Rooms are equally comfy but a bit more spacious. Each offers two single beds with high-end quality Portuguese mattresses. Both have ensuite bathrooms. They open directly on to private terraces overlooking the garden.
Our two Junior Suite Doubles are very charming and super luminous. They are appointed with a queen size bed and have ensuite bathroom. They both open directly on a private terrace facing South where you can relax ‘al fresco’ on warm summer evenings. The Junior Suite Doubles are initially reserved for couples to share. This is so that we can have a full retreat with 11 participants.
Rooms will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
LIKELY DAILY SCHEDULE
8am - Fruit, Tea, Coffee
9am - Morning Yoga Practice
12am - Brunch
3pm - Beach, Hike, or Pool
7.30pm - Dinner
9.30pm - Evening Meditation
10pm - Bed / Relax
First Day //
7pm - Welcome Circle and Dinner
Final Day //
8am - Yoga Practice
10am - Farewell Brunch
11am - Depart
HOW TO BOOK
Please email me your retreat date and room preference.
I will confirm availability and send you bank details for transfer.
Please don’t ask me to hold a room for you. Rooms will be offered on a first come first serve basis and places are confirmed only when payment has been made.
Price per person // 1300 Euros
Bare Necessities // Sunday 12th - Friday 17th May 2024
Back to the Wild // Sunday 19th - Friday 24th May 2024
Power of Goodbye // Sunday 26th - Friday 31st May 2024
3 Bed Studio
Twin Room
Double Room (For couples or 2 friends sharing)
Price includes accommodation, food, daily morning ceremony + yoga, evening group activities.
All fees paid for workshops and retreats are non-transferable and non-refundable. In paying for a workshop or retreat, you agree to these terms.
TRAVEL TO LUA NUA
This year the retreats run from Sunday to Friday which means there is plenty space before and after the retreat to visit Portugal!
My suggestion is that participants fly to and from Lisbon, which is an incredible city and a great place to hang out with the group - especially after the retreat.
I will put each group in contact so we can coordinate travel to Lua Nua and people can arrange to meet up for a meal or a walk or beach trip, and also to organise train travel and hire car lifts
You are welcome to arrive at Lua Nua any time after 3pm. Our welcome dinner is at 7pm.
From Lisbon:
Hire Car: Journey time to Lua Nua is 150 mins.
By Train: Direct train from Lisbon to Santa Clara Saboia, journey time is a couple of hours, we can collect you from Saboia, which is 30 mins from Lua Nua.
Recommended Train:
Depart Lisbon - 1410 (TBC)
Arrive Saboia - 1620
From Faro:
By Car: The easiest solution is to hire a car. For making trips to the beach it's very useful if we have at least 2 hire cars in the group. We can contribute as a group towards the rental and gas.
By Train: There are direct trains from Faro to Santa Clara Saboia, journey time is one hour, we can collect you from Saboia, which is only 30 mins from Lua Nua.
Recommended Train:
Depart Faro - 1415 (TBC)
Arrive Saboia - 1519
Airport Shuttle: Ideally, everyone will arrive in a hire car or by train, however it is possible to organise a shuttle bus. This can be expensive, up to 150 Euros. Journey time is 90 minutes. If you think you will need an airport shuttle from Faro, please book a flight that arrives before 1pm.
THE JOURNEY HOME
Final Morning
Yoga Practice // 7.30am
Farewell Brunch // 10am
Once brunch is over participants start to make their way home, usually via Lisbon. Ideally we have enough space in hire cars for everyone to get a lift. Otherwise we can drop people at Zambujeira where there is a midday (TBC) bus to Lisbon arriving late afternoon.
Many guests choose to stay 1 or 2 nights in Lisbon over the weekend. So travelling after brunch is a little easier as there is no plane to catch!
With the retreat finishing on Friday, my hope is that many of you decide to spend the weekend in Lisbon. This can be such a fun way to end the retreat, and gives some time to hang out together and land in the ‘real world’ again before flying home.
If you fly back from Faro, if there are no hire cars available to give you a lift, we can book a taxi or a lift to take you to Saboia train station.
If you need any travel advice just get in touch.
