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Your creative soul is calling.
Awaken Your Inner Artist in Portugal
July 19-26, 2026
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An 8-Night Sacral Chakra Retreat Through the Algarve & LisbonÂ
Join us for an unforgettable 8-night Yinsa Retreat in Portugal, where we’ll spend five nights in the sun-drenched Algarve and three nights in the vibrant city of Lisbon. This journey is designed to awaken your sacral chakra—your energetic center for creativity, joy, and emotional flow—through yoga, meditation, storytelling, art, and cultural immersion.
If you’ve felt stuck, uninspired, or disconnected from your creative spark, this is your invitation to play, express, and write a new story for yourself.
This is a retreat about telling a new story. Personal narrative writing is an incredibly healing practice, and combined with yoga, meditation, and creative, hands-on activities we will begin to see the connection between healing and creativity. In combination with the Artists Way by Julia Cameron, we will dive deep into sacral chakra territory, helping us to remember our inner artist. Expect a week of restoration, creativity, and culture in Portugal.Â
Your Journey Begins Before Portugal
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When you register, your experience begins with a 12-week guided journey through The Artist’s Way—a renowned program for unlocking creativity and reconnecting with your inner artist.
By the time we meet in Portugal, your imagination will already be alive, ready to explore, create, and flow.
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WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE
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Mornings
- Gentle yoga and meditation to open and balance your sacral chakra
- Journaling and intention-setting to begin each day in creative alignment
Creative Workshops
- Personal Narrative Writing with Irene Yanniscoli
Transform your self-story through free writing, conversation, and scripting a new narrative for your life - Hands-On Art Sessions
Watercolor painting, pottery, and traditional Portuguese tile-making to connect to your inner artist
Immersive Excursions
Algarve Experiences
- Coastal boat trip along the dramatic Algarve cliffs
- Cooking class and local market tour
- Pottery or tile-making session in a traditional atelier
- Leisure time to explore the charming town near our retreat center
Lisbon Adventures
- Street Art & Creative Neighborhood Tour through Alfama and Bairro Alto
- Fado Music Dinner for an immersive cultural and emotional experience
- Azulejo Tile Workshop & Museum Visit, connecting to Portugal’s iconic artistry
- Creative Photography Walk to capture Lisbon’s vibrant colors and architecture
- Optional food and wine tasting to explore the city’s culinary artistry
Evenings
- Reflection and conversation circles
- Time for spa treatments or local explorations
Why the Sacral Chakra?
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The sacral chakra is the home of creativity, emotional expression, and joy. When open and balanced, it allows your life to flow with inspiration and pleasure.
Through movement, writing, art, and cultural experiences, this retreat will help you unblock stagnant energy and awaken the creative force within you.
Meet Your Teachers
Daniele Gates
Founder and CEO - YinsaÂ
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With over 15 years of experience leading transformational travel around the world — from Costa Rica to Washington D.C., Bali, the Dominican Republic, and Italy — Daniele has cultivated brave, inclusive spaces for healing and self-discovery.
A Certified Educator and Yoga and Energy Medicine Practitioner, Daniele specializes in yoga, Ayurveda, somatic healing, and chakra-based work. Her deep understanding of teaching in inclusive spaces, along with these modalities, informs the full retreat experiences she designs. This includes curriculum creation, budgeting, venue scouting, marketing, and team leadership.
Daniele is deeply committed to ethically, intentionally, and sustainably hosting retreats that honor the land, respect local cultures, and serve participants with care and consciousness.
Irene Yannascoli
Teacher, writer, peer counselor, and mom
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FeIrene Yannascoli is a Brooklyn-based teacher, writer, peer counselor and mom.
She began her teaching career as a writing and GED teacher working with incarcerated adults, and then shifted to high school as an English teacher in the NYC Public Schools.
Following a late term pregnancy loss in 2018, Irene began working as a peer counselor for individuals experiencing trauma related to pregnancy loss.
She writes about grief, teaching, motherhood and healing. On any given Saturday, she can be found sweating it out on her Peloton, or playing with her daughter at the local playground.
Felipe Gonzalez
RYT and Katonah Yoga® teacher
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Felipe is a 500 hour ERYT and Katonah Yoga® teacher based in Brooklyn, NY. Drawn to the practices of Vinyasa Krama, Bhakti, and Katonah Yoga® his teachings are rooted in an integration of breath, body, and imagination. He has also spent the last 9 years learning, exploring, and holding conversations at the intersections of yoga and social justice.
Felipe is currently pursuing his Master's in Clinical Social Work at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. He leads classes, workshops, retreats, and trainings both locally and internationally. He guides his practices with an artist's soul and a healer's heart.
Who is this for?
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Solo travelers, friends, and couples who want meaningful travel, gentle structure, and community. Beginners welcome for movement/practice.
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What's Included:
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- 8 nights in Portugal: 5 in the Algarve + 3 in Lisbon
- Flight-inclusive trips include round-trip group transfers on arrival/departure within set windows (from select major airports)
- Ground transfers between all retreat locations
- Daily yoga, Bhakti and meditation
- All creative writing workshops and art sessions
- Signature workshops taught by Irene Yanniscoli
- All excursions listed above (Algarve boat trip, cooking class, tile & pottery classes, street art tour, Fado dinner, and more)
- Spa treatment
- All meals during the retreat
- On-site support from the Yinsa team
- Welcome gift + retreat workbook, private online community
- 12-week The Artist’s Way program leading up to your trip
Please note:Â If you choose to arrange your own international flights, you will also need to arrange your own ground transportation to the Algarve at the start of the retreat and from Lisbon at the end of the retreat.
Early Bird Pricing
(Book by October 31, 2025)Â
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 SINGLE ROOM
$5,200 per person
$5,500 per person
ONLY 3 SINGLE ROOMS AVAILABLE!
DOUBLEÂ ROOM
$4,200Â per person
$4,500 per person
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Payment Plans Available
- Payment plans are available with a 6.7% finance charge applied to the total.
- Final balance must be paid by May 15, 2026.
Example:
- Single Occupancy Payment Plan: $5,549
- Double Occupancy Payment Plan: $4,482
Space is limited to keep this experience intimate and deeply connected.
EXTENDED FINANCING OPTIONS
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For those who prefer longer payment terms, you may also use Klarna, Affirm, or PayPal Credit to extend payments up to 36 months (approval required through the provider). This option allows you to customize your monthly budget while still securing your retreat now.
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Step Into Your Creative Flow
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If your heart is ready for inspiration, play, and self-expression, join us in Portugal for 8 nights of creativity, connection, and joy.
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