we’re met by Silvia, an ashtanga instructor who
has been teaching at the retreat since it opened
three years ago.
Our group has mixed yoga experience,
including a few fi rst-time yogi husbands who have
been lured into yoga with the promise of surfi ng by
their wives, so Silvia carefully adapts poses to suit
each individual, with cranky knees and lower
backs well catered for. As our hour-long practice
draws to a close, sun streams into the studio, and
its warm rays serve as a welcome invitation for a
day at the beautiful beach.Water workouts
While the other guests head to the surf beaches to
tackle the waves, I’m sold on Karma’s new
stand-up paddle (SUP) option, offered in the calm
bay of Praia da Duquesa. Welshman Nick Evans, who
runs the Cascais Surf ‘n’ Paddle school, meets me at
the beach and invites me to join a class with local
instructor, Diogo, who spices up the paddling with
some Shakira-style dance moves to test our balance.
Given I already have paddling experience, Diogo
offers to take me on a coastal cruise to a quiet bay
marked by the iconic Santa Marta lighthouse. My feet
grip the board as we paddleaway from the shore and
negotiate the rock of thewaves as they hit the
concrete wall bordering the marina. Even on a cloudy
day, the ocean is a translucent deep blue, and the
surface glitters as hundreds of fish pop their heads
up around us. As we round the lighthouse, there’s a
sudden calm and the water turns a brilliant green—
the view is a meditation in itself. We take a quiet“ The water turns a brilliant green—
the view is a meditation in itself. ”From top: Yoga at Guincho Villa; SUP at the88 Algarve (southcoast); Living room - Guincho Villa. PHOTOS: ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF KARMA RETREATS; PADDLE BOARDING BY JAMES OWENS; BEDROOM BY KOLJA FRASE
august/september 2015yogajournal.com.autrl
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