When trauma softens, what comes next?
Healing opens the door to something deeper: discovering who you are beyond survival.
Embodied Self is a rare, intimate therapeutic retreat for women, shaped as an archetypal journey through the feminine. Somatic therapy, Therapeutic Breathwork, and deep experiential work guide you towards greater embodiment, authenticity, and inner freedom.
With only twelve women, you’ll receive the depth, care, and individual attention usually found in private therapeutic work, while discovering the extraordinary power of healing alongside others walking a similar path.
Awaken Your Authentic Self!
A 5-day journey into self-discovery, feminine embodiment, and the shift from surviving to thriving.
19 April – 23 April 2027, Serra da Estrela, Portugal
The Therapeutic Experience
Where body, breath and deep inner work come together. Every element of the retreat has been chosen to create one therapeutic experience. Rather than simply learning new concepts, you’ll be invited to experience yourself differently, so change can happen through the body, the breath, relationships and direct experience.
Therapeutic Breathwork is the heart of the retreat, helping you release, regulate and reach altered states where body memory and the unconscious become accessible. Somatic Therapy transforms unconscious survival patterns through trauma therapy, developmental psychology and parts work.
Embodiment Practices of movement, mindfulness, meditation and grounding regulate the nervous system. A Transformational Group Process lets each person become a mirror and a teacher. And Reflection & Integration gives you time to integrate, because an experience that isn’t integrated stays a beautiful dream.
energy activation
Emotional release
embodied self awareness
Why Somatic therapeutic Breathwork?
Breathwork goes beyond traditional therapy by engaging both mind and body. While traditional talk therapy focuses on thoughts and emotions, transformational breathwork includes the body’s energy systems, where many memories, stressors, and emotions are stored. Through deep breathing, movement, acupressure, and meditation, you can release what no longer serves you.
energy activation
Emotional release
embodied self awareness
Why Choose Embodied Self?
Resources: An Experiential Programme
A transformative somatic retreat, lived through direct experience. Wellness retreats help you relax. This process of insight and inner transformation shifts you on every level, physical, emotional and mental, with each day building on the one before: a deep reset of your whole system.
Regulation: Only Twelve Participants
Unlike many retreats, this is a unique, intimate offering, created for deep personal transformation. Such a small circle gives you personal attention and the power of the group at the same time. Every voice is heard, the work goes as deep as you need, and you co-regulate with each other, feel supported and belong.
Integration: Selective Entry, Lasting Support
Very few retreats hold you this long. Your journey begins with a pre-retreat consultation, where we explore whether this retreat is right for you, and continues after you fly home, with an online integration session, practices and access to the somatic library.
Safe Guidance: Expert Teachers
Led by Joanna Januszewicz, an integrative somatic trauma therapist, the retreat brings together expertise in psychotherapy, therapeutic breathwork, bioenergetics and deep bodywork, archetypal and shadow work, and non-dual wisdom. Every practice is grounded in psychology and neuroscience, and held with the care of a safe space.
Release & Surrender: Time to Pause
This immersive retreat is a time for deep insight and inner work, as well as a time for rest, reflection and restoration. Letting the body decompress and reorganise back to its natural biorhythm. You will take a deep break from your busy life and immerse your senses in the world of embodied self-awareness. You will walk in nature, rest in peace, easefully learn and expand your understanding of yourself. We encourage journaling throughout your stay and have crafted the programme to allow for much self-reflection and slowing down.
Your Journey
An archetypal arc of the feminine
This women’s retreat offers a structured, therapeutic journey into the body and psyche. Guided by somatic therapy, breathwork and interpersonal neurobiology, the programme explores how survival patterns shape emotions, behaviours and relationships, and what it means to move from survival into thriving.
Across five days, you will meet five feminine archetypes and embody their energy:
01
The Mother
Safety, belonging and inner feminine healing.
02
The Maiden
Curiosity, vitality and sensual awakening.
03
The Wild Woman
Expression, boundaries and reclaimed freedom.
04
The Queen
Love, sovereignty and creative power.
05
The Sage
Discernment, clarity and embodied wisdom.
Through daily somatic practices, breathwork journeys and integrative sessions, you will reconnect with parts of yourself that may have been silenced, over-controlled or forgotten, and begin to embody a more authentic, balanced and grounded self.
Throughout this experience, you’ll begin to…
- Recognise survival states in your body and move from surviving to thriving.
- Meet the selves you lost, rejected or disowned, and the false self you built to survive.
- Meet your triggers as teachers, and respond where you once reacted.
- Release old emotional charge and return to your natural aliveness.
- Embrace the light and shadow aspects of your psyche.
- Reconnect with your feminine essence and integrate your feminine and masculine qualities.
- Embody safety, self-trust and inner authority.
The programme is intentionally designed yet remains responsive to the needs of the group. While the overall therapeutic journey follows a clear structure, the pace and emphasis of each day may naturally adapt to support the unfolding process.
Integrative Therapeutic Approach
This retreat brings together a carefully crafted blend of workshops, somatic practices, and therapeutic breathwork. The integrative design goes beyond mental insight alone — it allows you to feel, release, and reconnect through the body itself. By combining nervous system regulation, archetypal exploration, and breath-based transformation, you’ll move past old loops and return home with a deeper sense of clarity, vitality, and well-being.
Location
Retreat Venue
Our retreat takes place at Estrela Serenity, an eco-resort high in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s highest mountain range and a UNESCO Global Geopark. Far from towns and traffic, it is a place of silence, clear mountain air and wide views, where the noise of daily life falls away and the body can finally slow down.
The heart of our retreat is the Contemplative Hall, a hall of glass overlooking the Mondego Valley, where we breathe, move, practise and meditate. Instead of walls, you are surrounded by the landscape, the light and the changing sky, from the first morning practice to the last meditation of the day.
Within the grounds lies a natural lake with a wide wooden deck and sun loungers, for a quiet moment by the water or the last light of the day. Hammocks, terraces and walking paths invite you to rest between sessions, and at night, far from artificial light, you can get lost in the stars.
Throughout the retreat, you have full access to Serenity Spa & Wellness: an outdoor pool, traditional and infrared saunas, a hammam, an outdoor jacuzzi and a fully equipped fitness centre. Heat, water and fresh air become part of the work, helping the body soften, release and restore.
All of this, and more, is waiting for you.
Rooms & Accommodation
Rooms at Estrela Serenity are spacious and calm, offering panoramic views, a private ensuite bathroom and a kitchenette with a fridge and coffee machine. Natural cork details and wool blankets bring warmth, and some rooms open onto a balcony or terrace. Choose a single room with a queen- or king-size bed for your own space, or a shared room with twin beds.
Arrive a day earlier or stay a little longer to explore hundreds of kilometres of marked mountain trails, enjoy extra nights or book a massage.
Food Philosophy
Food at Estrela Serenity is fresh, seasonal and rooted in the region. The kitchen works closely with local farmers and producers, bringing the flavours of the Serra da Estrela into healthy, nourishing dishes.
For our retreat, the menu is created around you. Before arrival, every participant shares her dietary needs and preferences, and the meals are prepared to support the body through deep inner work. Three meals a day are served inside or outdoors, with fruit, nuts, coffee and tea always available.
BOOK YOUR SPOT
Our retreat takes place at Estrela Serenity, an eco-resort in the heart of Portugal’s Serra da Estrela. Only twelve places. Registration closes on 19 February 2027, or earlier if all places are filled. After you register, we’ll invite you to a pre-retreat consultation; your place is confirmed after the consultation.
RETREAT PROGRAM
Meet Your Instructor/Trainer
Joanna Januszewicz
Integrative Somatic and Psychosomatic Trauma Therapist
Joanna is an Integrative Somatic and Psychosomatic Trauma Therapist whose work bridges breath, body, and consciousness. Her approach combines therapeutic breathwork and body-based processing of trauma—through movement and sensation—with an exploration of how psychological and emotional patterns manifest as physical symptoms. She integrates insights from Hakomi, Gestalt, Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment and developmental theory, affective and interpersonal neurobiology, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, guiding clients toward regulation, embodiment, and coherence between body and mind.
Drawing inspiration from Alexander Lowen, Peter Levine, and other pioneers of body-oriented psychology, Joanna weaves together therapeutic breathwork, bioenergetics, and advanced somatic bodywork for trauma release and self-dearmouring. Her sessions support clients in transforming stored emotional imprints and reconnecting with the body’s innate intelligence as a source of clarity and power.
Trained extensively across Europe and Asia, Joanna brings an international perspective to trauma integration and consciousness expansion. She facilitates retreats, trainings, and individual sessions worldwide, creating safe and deeply transformative spaces where participants can release, integrate, and awaken to the living field of their own consciousness.
Her work rests on the understanding that embodied awareness is fundamental to consciousness — a living map through which healing, presence, and wholeness unfold.
- 19 Mon - 23 Fri Apr 2027
- 15:30
- FROM
- 1890 €
- Spaces are very limited, as the retreat is kept intentionally small. Previous editions filled months in advance — early application is highly recommended.
Let’s connect
Connect with us and prepare yourself for a magical and transformative retreat to discover who you truly are!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Portugal is the retreat held?
At Estrela Serenity, an eco-resort in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s highest mountain range and a UNESCO Global Geopark, near the village of Folgosinho in central Portugal.
Can I arrive earlier, stay longer or book massages?
Yes. You’re welcome to add a night before or after the retreat, for example to explore the mountain trails, and massages are offered by the Serenity Spa. Extra nights and massages are booked directly with Estrela Serenity, at an extra cost.
How do I get to the retreat from Porto or Lisbon?
The nearest airport is Porto, about two and a half hours away by car. Lisbon is about three and a half hours away. We offer transfers from both airports at an extra cost.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothes for movement, warm socks for the practice room (we practise without shoes), walking shoes, sliders for the spa and around the resort, swimwear and a journal. The weather in the Portuguese mountains can surprise you in spring: the sun can be strong during the day and the evenings cool, so bring warm layers and a jacket, as well as sunglasses and sunscreen. Please also bring a water bottle and any personal medication. Towels and toiletries are provided in your room, and yoga mats, meditation cushions and blankets are provided for the sessions.
What is included in the retreat package?
Your stay includes accommodation, all meals (three healthy, local meals a day, with fruit, nuts, coffee and tea always available), full access to Serenity Spa & Wellness, the complete retreat programme, a pre-retreat consultation, a post-retreat integration session and a retreat manual.
What is not included?
Flights and travel to Portugal are not included. Transfers from Porto or Lisbon can be arranged at an extra cost. Massages and extra nights are booked directly with Estrela Serenity, at an extra cost.
What kind of food can I expect?
Three healthy, local meals a day, prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients from the Serra da Estrela, with fruit, nuts, coffee and tea always available. The menu is created around the group: in the registration form, you tell us how you eat (vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian with fish, or everything) and about any allergies or intolerances. On the first day, snacks are served on arrival and dinner in the evening; on the last day, breakfast and lunch.
What is the accommodation like?
Rooms at Estrela Serenity are spacious and calm, with panoramic views, a private ensuite bathroom and a kitchenette with a fridge and coffee machine. Some rooms open onto a balcony or terrace. You can choose a single room with a queen- or king-size bed, or a shared room with twin beds.
What is your cancellation policy?
CANCELLATION POLICY:
We understand that life can be unpredictable. At the same time, organising a retreat requires significant commitment and upfront investment in our venue, team, and resources. Thank you for your understanding and for respecting these arrangements.
60+ days before the retreat (before 19 February 2027): Balance payments are refundable (deposit remains non-refundable).
30–60 days before the retreat (19 February – 19 March 2027): 50% of balance payments are refundable.
Less than 30 days before the retreat (after 19 March 2027): All payments are non-refundable.
No refunds or credits are offered for late arrival, early departure, or inability to attend.
We strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel and health insurance, especially for participants travelling internationally, to cover medical emergencies, illness, travel disruptions, or cancellations.
Participants are kindly asked not to attend the retreat if experiencing contagious symptoms such as fever, flu, COVID, or stomach virus. If a participant becomes genuinely ill before the retreat and informs us in advance, part of the payment may, at our discretion, be transferred toward a future retreat, private sessions, or online programmes/work.
Our intention is to support both individual wellbeing and the safety of the group environment with care, responsibility, and flexibility where possible.
What language will the retreat be held in?
The retreat will be facilitated in English.
Is this retreat suitable if I’ve never done breathwork before?
Yes. The practices are guided step by step and held in a safe and supportive way. Whether you are completely new to breathwork or have experience with somatic practices, the program is designed to meet you where you are.
Your pre-retreat consultation helps us make sure the retreat is right for you.
What is the weather like in April?
Spring in the mountains brings mild, often sunny days and cool evenings, so please bring warm layers. Between sessions, you can take a dip in the outdoor pool (a natural cold plunge for lovers of cold water), relax on a sunbed with a book and a view over the valley, or rest in a hammock among the trees. The saunas, hammam and heated jacuzzi are there whenever you want to warm up.
Are there additional therapies available?
Yes. Massages are offered by the Serenity Spa and can be booked directly with Estrela Serenity, at an extra cost. Access to the pool, saunas, hammam, jacuzzi and fitness centre is already included.
When is arrival and departure?
Check-in is at 15:30 on Monday 19 April. You’re welcome to arrive earlier, leave your luggage and enjoy the surroundings until your room is ready. Rooms need to be vacated by 12:00 on the last day, and the retreat ends at 14:30 on Friday 23 April, after lunch.
Can I bring my pet?
Yes. Estrela Serenity has pet-friendly rooms, for a small fee and with prior authorisation. Pets aren’t allowed in the pool or restaurant areas. Please let us know in the registration form.
What makes this retreat different from other wellness retreats?
This retreat goes beyond “time out” from daily life. It combines therapeutic breathwork with somatic practices such as fascia release, body mapping, and shadow exploration, creating an experience that is both deeply transformative and safely held. Unlike larger group retreats, we intentionally limit participation to just twelve people, so every voice is heard and every journey is supported with individual care. Integration support continues beyond the retreat, giving you tools and resources to bring the transformation into your daily life.
