CONGRUENCY
Open Floor dance retreat
with Deborah Lewin
and Anaïs Tamen
24 – 27 April
Essenciâ Nature Retreat
Aljezur
(South Portugal)
“We cannot change, we cannot move away from what we are, until we thoroughly accept what we are.
Then change seems to come about almost unnoticed”
Carl R. Rogers.
Congruency, noun, kən-ˈgrü-ən(t)-sē
. the state we experience when we feel a sense of alignment between our thoughts, emotions, body and soul.
. a state of consistency
similar words: accordance, harmony, tune, consonance
WELCOME TO…
… An immersion into nature to dive into self-inquiry through movement, within a group of heartful conscious dancers.
… An enriching journey focused on nurturing our emotional intelligence through embodiment, infused by consent work and systemic constellation work.
… A dedicated time to learn to listen to and trust our impulses to relate with authenticity to ourselves and our surrounding.
As a result of our lived experience, different perspectives and lenses contribute towards a sense of wholeness within us, as individuals, and as a group. By bringing this work, we wish to nurture this sense of wholeness and congruency, in togetherness. We warmly invite you to join us in this exploration.
Our vision and deep wish is to create a safe and brave vessel for each of us to embrace what wants to be felt and acknowledged, what is revealed organically in the present moment, held by nature, nature sounds, silence, and music.
Organic vegan food – Ocean time – Phone detox.
HOW
Meeting the messiness and mysteriousness that we sometimes are as relational beings, this retreat aims at increasing our confidence in our ability to be true to ourselves and maintain our congruency in relationship with others.
This journey will be supported by :
* guided movement explorations
* free expression through dance, writing, drawing
* enough time to rest and integrate
* Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent
* the principles of systemic constellation work (we will not practice formal constellations)
* the stunning nature of Essenciâ, a retreat center nested in the hills of Aljezur
Congruency rereat offers you 18h of conscious dance explorations. Each session will include time for movement, connecting with words, spoken or written, and will be taught in such a way as to encourage pacing yourself. There will be guided input from Deborah & Anaïs and plenty of space for your own free inquiry.
FOR YOU
This retreat is open to all adults regardless of their gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and age. We strive to co-create an environment that is inclusive, curious and expansive, and honours the experiences of each dancer. Due to the environment of the venue, and our intention to move both inside and outside in nature, a certain degree of physical mobility is required.
To participate you need some experience with conscious dance forms such as Open Floor, 5Rhythms, Movement Medicine, Biodanza, Open Hearts Dance with Anaïs, etc. This to ensure a base that allows you to deepen your experience.
ABOUT DEBORAH
Professionally, Deborah has been working in the field of movement and embodiment for 30+ years. She qualified as a Sesame Movement and Drama Therapist in her early 20s, soon broadening into the field of conscious movement and teaching 5Rhythms® for over 25 years.
In 2014, she was one of the 15 Founding Teachers of Open Floor International (OFI) and in 2016 attended OFI’s Therapy in Motion training with Andrea Juhan and Irit Ziv-Ron. In 2023-2024, she completed both the Foundation & Applied Training with The Centre for Systemic Constellations.
She has a blended professional life, working online and in-person, with large groups, small groups, and one-to-one. Her respect for the wisdom of the creative body is incisive and contagious.
“I am committed to personal development, and nurturing individual and collective transformation….. I hold the teaching space with deep attentiveness, clear instruction, and an absolute delight and love of movement.”
More about Deborah
Deborah’s music mixes and resources
ABOUT ANAÏS
Anaïs is a movement researcher and accredited Open Floor movement teacher, living in Alentejo, South Portugal.
She has been curating transformative dance spaces for the last 8 years, supporting beings into more acceptance and authenticity in their relationship to themselves and to others.
Passionate about connection to nature, soul and Spirit, Anaïs has 17 years of professional experience in accompanying beings through body and soul work.
She is known for her humor, and her eclectic and surprising soundscapes that stir up our life-force-fire and support tapping into devotional alternate states of consciousness.
A Butoh and CI lover, who also expresses her (he)art through writing, photography and performative arts, and who is devoted to presence, and nature. Being nature, in its raw spontaneous divine poetic expressions, rooted in the heart.
Anaïs recently started training in Systemic Constellations and consent work, and makes sure her spaces are as trauma-informed and as inclusive as possible to marginalised bodies.
Read more about Anaïs’ path and trainings.
Listen to Anaïs’ dancescapes
PRACTICAL INFO
To register, please fill the form at the bottom of this page.
We will contact you within 3 days after you send your form.
Dates & Time :
Registration: Thursday 24/04 – 2pm
Ending: Sunday 27/04 – 1pm (lunch afterwards is included in registration)
Daily schedule:
Thursday: 3.30-6.30pm
Friday: 10am-1pm / 3-6pm
Saturday: 10am-1pm / 2.30-5.30pm + evening at the ocean
Sunday: 10-1pm
Venue :
Essenciâ Nature Retreat
Aljezur (South Portugal)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kFcPyrqFtE6NDA3s6
If you travel by plane, the closest airports are Faro (2h by bus to Lagos then 20min taxi) or Lisbon (3h30 by bus to Lagos). Check the info for travelers at the bottom of this page.
Energy exchange
Prices exclude food and accommodation.
Before the 1st of March:
Re-balancing: 350€ – Abun-DANCE, you feel it! You have investments or savings and can afford to travel, go on vacations. This contribution ensure the sustainability of our work and supports others to join.
Balanced: 250€ – You have a stable income or access to financial supports.
This contribution ensure the sustainability of our work and supports others to join.
Fair: 200€ – You can afford occasional treats. You are a resident of Portugal or Spain.
Accessible: 160€ – You live on irregular low local incomes. You are a resident of Portugal.
This contribution covers the basic organisational costs of the workshop.
From the 2nd of March:
Re-balancing: 400€
Balanced: 300€
Fair: 250€
Accessible: 200€ (locals only)
If you can, please contribute to the solidarity fund to lower the costs for those with low income, your gifts are highly appreciated. Thank you.
If you experience financial difficulties, we offer 3 work exchange spots on supported price for local dancers in need (half price of the fair fee).
Meals
Full board of 3 organic local meals per day : 40€/day = 120€ (includes lunch on Sunday)
(just lunch: 22€/day)
Please pay the meals in cash on arrival at the venue.
Accommodations on-site
Private suite
Double-bedroom with private bathroom and your own terrace.
99€/night.
Extra night before and/or after the retreat : 50% off the price.
single bed in a double room in a the house
50€/night/pers
6 spots available (3 rooms)
Possibility for couples to have a double bed.
single bed in a triple room in the house
33€/night/pers
6 spots available (2 rooms)
(Room 1 for women & non-binary, Room 2 for men & non-binary).
Private Glamping-tent
44€/night/pers
Extra night before and/or after the retreat : 50% off the price.
single bed in shared glamping tent for 2
22€/night/pers
Possibility to book a tent for yourself only for 44€/night.
in your own tent or van
10€/night/pers for tent
15€/night/pers for van – WE ARE GETTING FULL WITH VANS, check with us if it’s still possible.
Access to sanitary and hot shower, and outside kitchen.
Nights before & after the workshop in the house & the glamping tents are available at a reduced price.
The common house :
Double or twin rooms :
Triple rooms :
Glamping tent (twin or double)
Inscriptions & questions
To register, please fill this form.
For any question, please contact Anaïs:
anais@anaistamen.com
+33782269919 (Telegram / Whatsapp / Signal)
+351966486923 (local phone)
Registration and Cancellation Policy
Registration is required to participate to the workshop.
You are definitively registered when you have filled the form for registration and pay the fee for your participation. Then you will receive a confirmation of your registration with the details for the payment, and later you will receive an email with further practical information.
Payment is made by via PayPal, Wise, cash or via bank transfer.
Please consider your registration carefully, as cancellation fees apply if you cannot come or changed your mind.
If you cancel, regardless of the reason, the cancellation conditions below apply :
- At all times, regardless of the reason for cancellation (including Covid19 reasons) : a cancellation fee of 75€ applies.
- Cancellation less than a month before the workshop : 25% of the workshop price
- Cancellation less than 2 weeks before the workshop : 50% of the workshop price
- Early termination of the workshop and/or missing classes : no refund possible.
Please cancel via e-mail, SMS or telephone with Anaïs.
Should there be a waiting list and someone from that list can join, or you find someone to take your spot, you will only pay the cancellation fee of 75€.
If there are insufficient registrations, the workshop can be cancelled up to 1 or 2 weeks before the start. The amount paid will then be fully refunded. This also applies if the workshop is cancelled for other reasons.
Registration form
If you cannot see the form clic here
TRAVEL INFO
From FARO airport:
Buses from FARO AIRPORT to LAGOS
11.15am-1.15pm – 17€ (Vamus – no wifi, no WC)
11.45am-1.45pm
- 19€ (Alsa – Wifi & WC)
5.45pm-7.45pm
- 19€ (Alsa – Wifi & WC)
6.15pm – 8.15pm – 17€ (Vamus – no wifi, no WC)
8.15pm-10.15pm
- 19€ (Alsa – with Wifi & WC)
Other buses are available from from Faro town center to Lagos, between 6.05am (Flixbus) and 8.30pm (Alsa)
You can book your ticket online (from Faro Airport or Faro Town) on BusBud.com
Trains from Faro train station (town) to Lagos:
Trains from Faro town to Lagos run between 7am and 8.50pm and take between 1h30 and 2h. Travel cost between 8€ and 14€ in second class. You can check the time on the national train company Comboios de Portugal. Booking tickets online is sometimes complicated on the train company website… If it does not work try again or get your ticket at the train station (often easier).
Taxi:
Taxi from Faro Airport with the taxi driver recommended by the venue is 100€. Can be an easy option for 3 or 4 travelers grouping together.
From LISBOA airport:
BUSES:
From Lisboa Airport you need to take a metro or a taxi to one of those train/bus stations : Lisboa Oriente (3 metro stops from the airport on the Red line direction São Sebastião) or Lisboa Sete-Rios (40min from the airport by public transport, or take a taxi)
You can take :
– a Flixbus from Lisboa Oriente to Lagos (run between 8.30am and 6.15pm – )
– or a Rede Expressos bus from Lisboa Sete-Rios to Lagos (run between 6.45am and 5.30pm – 9€-12€ – 3h40 to 4h).
TRAINS
Trains from Lisboa-Oriente to Lagos take abut 4h. You need to change in Tunes. They run between 8.30am to 6.30pm. And they cost around 13€. You can check the time on the national train company Comboios de Portugal. Booking tickets online is sometimes complicated on the train company website… If it does not work try again or get your ticket at the train station (often easier).
Once you are in LAGOS
You need to get a taxi to Essenciâ. Cost is between 30 and 40€. We will give you the number of a local taxi driver who knows the venue, when you register, and help participants to share rides. Local participants might also be able to give rides to traveling participants.