5 Day Forest Immersion Retreat: Fungi, Herbalism & Rest, Portugal
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A five-day forest immersion retreat for anyone wanting to slow down, reconnect with nature, and spend meaningful time in the living landscape of central Portugal.
As autumn settles into the valley – mist threading through cork oaks, mushrooms emerging in quiet corners – we invite you into a different kind of retreat. One rooted not in doing, but in remembering.
This is a gathering for those who feel the pull of the wilder seasons: those who want to walk slowly through misty forests, learn the language of mushrooms, and return home with something deeper than a full camera roll.
A five-day forest immersion retreat for anyone wanting to slow down, reconnect with nature, and spend meaningful time in the living landscape of central Portugal.
Through mindful walks, forest bathing, wild herb and mushroom foraging, nature-based learning, somatic movement, meditation, gong sessions, and time around the fire, we’ll explore what the forest can teach us, about plants and fungi, our senses and bodies, seasonal change, interconnection, and our place within the natural world.
There is no pressure to perform or achieve. This is a gentle, grounded experience of walking, observing, learning, resting, sharing, and simply being in the forest.
Led by a Buddhist psychotherapist and herbalist, alongside an experienced forager and sound healer, this retreat offers a grounded and nurturing space for restoration, connection, and renewal.
Forest Bathing in Buçaco
One of our special journeys takes us to the ancient Buçaco Forest, a recognised healing forest in central Portugal. There, we’ll spend time forest bathing – slowing down, opening the senses and allowing this extraordinary woodland to become a place of deep rest and renewal.
Evenings gather around the fire—gong journeys with Jarek, cacao ceremonies, and the quiet of dusk settling over the valley. Between it all, there is space to simply be.
What awaits you is not a packed itinerary. It is an unhurried homecoming to your own rhythms, guided by the land and two facilitators who have spent years learning to listen to it.
Your Journey
Find Your Way Back to Presence
Chanan’s background as a Buddhist psychotherapist infuses every walk and gathering with gentle mindfulness. You’ll be invited to slow your steps, notice what’s beneath your feet, and let the forest’s quiet work its way into your senses and awareness. These are not simply hikes — they are opportunities to pause, reconnect and reset.
Walk with Experienced Foragers
Chanan and Jarek will guide you in exploring the seasonal fungi and plants of the surrounding forests. Together, you’ll learn to recognise, ethically harvest and appreciate wild fungi—including seasonal varieties such as porcini, chanterelles and hedgehog mushrooms, where conditions allow.
You’ll also discover simple ways to process and prepare what you find, bringing the forest’s seasonal abundance to your table.
Make Herbal Remedies to Take Home
Work with seasonal herbs to create your own simple herbal preparations and remedies. No prior experience is needed —just curiosity and willing hands.
Rest Deeply
Mornings offer gentle movement and mindful practices to awaken the body. Evenings bring gong journeys, cacao and fire. Forest walks ask nothing of you but your presence.
There will also be unstructured time to journal, wander, read, lie in a hammock or simply listen to the river.
Your Sanctuary: Blue Morpho House
Nestled in the valleys of Central Portugal, Blue Morpho House is a restored stone quinta where the land itself becomes your companion. Cork oaks, olive groves and forest surround you. The river runs nearby.
In late autumn, the air carries the scent of damp earth and woodsmoke—a sensory invitation to slow down and drop in.
Group size is intimately limited to 12 participants. This is not a conference. It is a small circle of people coming together to learn, explore and rest.
Chanan and Jarek will guide you through the forests and seasonal landscapes of Central Portugal, sharing their knowledge of wild fungi, plants and the art of slowing down enough to notice what is around you.
“Chanan and Jarek held such a gentle, grounded space. I came back feeling clearer and more myself than I have in years.”
— Past participant
Accommodation
Choose the space that feels right for you. Accommodation options vary in privacy and sharing, while all rooms form part of the same retreat experience.
Solo Sanctuary — Single Room
Private room with queen bed
£820 per person (approx. €940)
Shared Wild — Double Room
Two single beds, price per person
£725 per person (approx. €830)
Practical Information
Getting There
Fly into Lisbon (LIS) or Porto (OPO). Both airports have frequent connections to Coimbra where a group transfer will meet participants.
What's Included
- 4 nights’ accommodation
- All meals
- Water, tea, coffee served throughout the day
- Welcome drink
- Daily yoga classes
- Daily meditation classes
- Nature hikes with a trusted guide
- Specialized workshops
- Course Manual
- Pre and post retreat support from our team
- Transportation during the retreat
- Wifi connection
- Excursions & activities
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Travel to Coimbra,
- Optional private massage sessions
Good to Know
Spaces are intentionally limited to preserve the intimacy of the group.
A £150 deposit holds your place.
Your Guides
Chanan Tej
Chanan Tej is a Buddhist psychotherapist, community herbalist, yoga teacher and master gong player, with nearly two decades of experience facilitating workshops, contemplative practices and spaces for personal exploration. She brings together deep experience in mindfulness, nature connection and forest bathing, guiding participants into a gentle, receptive relationship with the land. Her approach weaves therapeutic presence with earth-based wisdom, creating space for both learning and deep rest.
Jarek Krzeminski
Jarek is an experienced forager, master gong player and dedicated bodyworker and massage therapist. His intuitive touch and resonant sound work support deep release and integration. He offers gong journeys during our evening gatherings, inviting you into stillness around the fire. Private massage sessions are also available for those seeking additional hands-on support.
Event availability
Fully booked
All places for this event have now been taken. Please explore our other upcoming workshops and retreats.
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