the nourished body retreat: portugaL
For women and non-binary humans who want to immerse into nature and somatic explorations to stop binge eating, alongside people who truly get it.
12th - 18th July 2026
This week-long immersive retreat is designed specifically to support healing from binge eating and emotional eating. Together, we will explore the relationship between stress, trauma, the nervous system, and food and begin to gently untangle the patterns that have been driving the cycle, so you can experience more peace, freedom, and choice in how you relate to food.
Our time together integrates somatic work, movement, sound, live demonstrations, workshops, and group practice, alongside spacious time for rest, reflection, and being held within nature.
Over the week, you will move through a somatic curriculum designed to address binge eating at its root helping you understand and work directly with the nervous system patterns that sustain it.
This includes:
Understanding why binge eating happens
You will learn how binge eating develops as a nervous system response to stress, emotional overwhelm, and internal pressure and why it has persisted, even when you’ve tried to stop.
Somatic eating explorations
Guided experiences with food that allow you to observe and work with your body’s responses in real time helping reduce fear, urgency, and disconnection around eating.
Working with urges and impulses
You will learn how to recognise and stay present with urges without immediately acting on them, building the internal capacity that creates real choice over time.
Rebuilding trust and safety with your body
Practices that help you reconnect with physical sensations, hunger, fullness, and emotional states restoring the body’s natural regulatory signals.
Exploring relational patterns
Binge eating is often shaped by patterns of self-abandonment, over-responsibility, and difficulty recognising your own limits. It can also be deeply connected to experiences of loneliness, even when you appear externally capable and surrounded by others. Many binge eating cycles are intertwined with unprocessed grief, unmet relational needs, and the quiet ache of carrying too much alone. In this work, we gently explore these patterns in a supported way, helping your nervous system experience connection, boundaries, and relational safety differently
Exploring your personal binge eating pattern
Through both group sessions and private 1:1 support, you will work directly with the specific triggers, nervous system states, and emotional patterns unique to you.
Integration through rest, nature, and community
Change does not happen through constant effort. Time between sessions allows your nervous system to absorb the work, supported by nature, spaciousness, and relational safety.
This retreat is for you if:
• You feel stuck in binge eating patterns, even if you understand them intellectually
• You find yourself eating in ways that feel automatic, secretive, or out of your control
• You are exhausted from trying to fix or control your relationship with food
• You feel shame, disconnection, or mistrust toward your body
• You long to feel calmer, safer, and more at ease around food
• You want support that goes deeper than surface-level strategies
• You are ready to explore your nervous system and your relationship with food in a supported environment
This retreat may not be the right fit if:
• You are looking for a diet, meal plan, or weight loss programme
• You want behavioural strategies without deeper nervous system work
• You are unwilling to explore your internal experience
This retreat is focused on healing your relationship with food at its root not controlling your behaviour through discipline.
Food and nourishment:
Location:
Your home for the week is tucked deep in the Serra de Monchique mountains in the Algarve, Portugal a place where the nervous system naturally begins to slow down, breath deepens, jaw softens, heart opens.
Surrounded by lush rolling hills, ancient trees, and the quiet movement of natural spring water, this land invites your body to soften. The pace here is different. There is space to breathe. Space to feel. Space to return to yourself.
You’ll wake each morning to birdsong and soft mountain light, your body gently adjusting to a rhythm that feels more human and less hurried. The days unfold slowly moving between shared group sessions, private 1:1 support, nourishing meals, and stretches of time where nothing is required of you.
You might spend an afternoon resting beside the natural spring pool, feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. You might find yourself sitting under the trees with a book, going for a walk with bare feet in the Earth, or simply lying on the earth, allowing your body to fully exhale.
As night falls, the sky opens fully with the the stars dancing through the milky way, a quiet reminder of how much space there is beyond the patterns that have held you.
Monchique has long been known for its healing waters, a place people have come to restore themselves for generations. There is something about being here that allows the body to loosen its grip, to settle, and to remember a different way of being.
This is not just a beautiful place. It is a place that supports the work you are here to do. This is a place where both community and solitude exist side by side. A place where you can gently step out of the pace of your everyday life, and into a space that supports deep rest, reconnection, and change.
You are so welcome here, darling one.
Food is a central part of this retreat, not something that is controlled, restricted, or used to enforce discipline, but something that supports your nervous system in feeling safe, nourished, and cared for.
For many women, this part of the retreat can bring the most uncertainty.
You might already be wondering:
Will there be enough food?
Will I be allowed to eat what I want?
What if I lose control?
Will people notice how I eat?
I know this because food at retreats used to be one of my biggest triggers too - and that’s a huge reason for this retreat. I have been where you are.
In a space focused on healing your relationship with food, there can be an unspoken pressure to eat a certain way, to appear calm, in control, or different from how you really feel inside. We’re here to use that information to guide us in our workshops together.
I want you to know that during this retreat and in my spaces, you will never be forced to eat in a certain way, and you will never be judged for your relationship with food.
There will be regular meals each day, designed to help stabilise your nervous system and gently interrupt the cycle of restriction and bingeing. Meals will be thoughtfully prepared by a private chef using fresh, local ingredients, with a variety of both vegetarian and meat dishes available.
Our intention is not to prescribe a particular way of eating, but to create an environment where food is consistent, satisfying, and available allowing your nervous system to settle and experience a different sense of safety around nourishment.
This retreat has been carefully designed to support your nervous system in gently stepping out of binge eating patterns, and into a different relationship with food and your body.
Each day moves through a thoughtfully created retreat curriculum, including structured somatic exploration, somatic eating workshops, community support, private 1:1 sessions, and spacious time for rest and integration.
While there is a clear structure holding the retreat, the shape of each day will vary slightly. Some days will include deeper workshop spaces, while others allow for more integration, rest, and time in nature. This balance is intentional, allowing your nervous system the space it needs to absorb and integrate the work.
Nothing here is rushed. There is time to move slowly, to rest, and to meet yourself at your own pace.
It’s important to note here, this retreat is not about being in constant process.
Alongside the somatic work, there will be space for lightness, laughter, and simply being human together. Evenings spent sharing meals, moving your body, resting under the sun, swimming, dancing, singing and sitting under the stars.
Part of healing is allowing your nervous system to experience that it is safe to be here, safe to rest, safe to connect, and safe to feel moments of joy without needing to escape or control.
While each day will differ slightly, a typical day may look like this:
Morning
Wake up gently, sip tea and sit with nature
08.30 - 09.30am Movement & breathwork
09.30 - 10.30am Breakfast
Late Morning
10.30am - 1.30pm
Free time for rest, reflection, or time in nature, group somatic workshop or 1:1 sessions.
Afternoon
1.30-2.30pm Lunch
2.30 - 6.30pm Somatic eating workshops, education, guided exploration, integration time, rest, or 1:1 sessions
Evening
6.30pm - 7.30pm Dinner
7.30 - 9.30pm: Gentle group practice, movement exploration, reflection, or community holding. Tea and star gazing.
What’s included
• 6 nights accommodation at our beautiful private retreat centre in the secluded Portuguese mountains
• 3 daily meals and refreshments locally sourced and soul-nourishing
• Full retreat curriculum and somatic workshops including breathwork and movement
• One private 1:1 session to deepen your experience and receive personalised guidance
• Daily group sessions
• Nature walks in the mountains and river swims (dependent on water levels)
• Access to the retreat grounds, pool, and nature
• Airport transfers to and from Faro airport
What’s not included
• Flights to and from Portugal
• Taxi’s for local exploration (if you’d like to go and explore the local towns)
• Optional treatments (massage)
• Additional 1:1 sessions
The Shed
The Studio
Rooms, prices & bookings
There are a small number of rooms available, with options to suit different preferences around privacy, comfort, and budget.
All rooms have been designed to feel calm, spacious, and supportive of deep rest. You’re invited to choose the option that best allows your nervous system to soften and settle during your time here.
Because this is an intimate retreat, spaces are limited and each room type is available in small numbers.
The Barn (triple room)
A beautiful spacious canopy triple bedroom with private bathroom.
You’ll be sharing your room with two other guests. This is the most accessible option and still offers comfort, space, and a supportive shared experience.
Early Bird: £1,550
Full Price: £1,750
The Mill (single or double occupancy)
A double bedroom for one person or a twin bedroom with two single beds and a shared bathroom.
Shared:
Early Bird: £1850
Full Price: £2050
Private:
Early Bird: £2150
Full Price: £2350
travel
Outbound
If you are planning to arrive in Portugal the day of the retreat, we recommend you fly to Faro airport and land no later than 2pm.
We’ll be arranging a group transfer (included in your booking) from Faro Airport to the retreat venue at around 4pm. The journey from the airport to your home takes around 1 hour, and arrivals will be from 5pm.
If you’d like to take this transfer, please book a flight scheduled to arrive no later than 2pm on July 12th. If you arrive earlier or are already in Portugal, please make your own way to the retreat (we will give you the address once you have booked) or you are welcome to meet at airport arrivals and join the transfer.
Inbound
We will have a short morning practice, following by breakfast, before checkout at 10:30am. If you are planning to fly home directly from the retreat, we recommend you book a flight no earlier than 2pm. We’ll be arranging a group transfer from the villa to Faro Airport at 10:30am.
If you’d like to join the complimentary transfer but your flight is later in the day, you’re welcome to hang out at the airport or spend a few hours exploring Faro before departure, but please note the transfer will be going directly to the airport. And if you’re extending your trip in Portugal, you will need to organise your own onward travel for checkout (ubers are available).
Meet your host
There is something profoundly powerful about being in retreat.
When you step out of your usual environment and into a structured, intentional setting, your nervous system is no longer under the same daily pressures. That change in environment matters because it creates room, under gentle conditions to look at what has been happening with more curiosity and less shame.
So much of binge eating is shaped in isolation; in private moments, behind closed doors, in the car on the way home from work, in secret, disconnected from being seen and understood.
Healing does not happen in isolation. We need community support, we need environments where you are seen, heard, and supported in a shame-free space.
For those who binge eat, food has been your primary source of support for so long. In order for the binge eating pattern to dissolve, we must show the body that there is other support around too.
Nothing will ever be forced here. You will always be invited to move at your own pace, in your own timing.
This retreat exists to offer you that space.
To create the conditions where your nervous system can settle, and where a different relationship with food and your body can begin to emerge.
You are so warmly welcome here and I look forward to meeting you in the mountains.
With love,
Alex X
The Shed and The Studio (private double or shared twin)
These two rooms are offered as a private double room (king size bed) or as two twin rooms (single beds)
They are both beautiful rooms, with shared bathrooms and en suites.
Shared:
Early Bird: £1950
Full Price: £2150
Private:
Early Bird: £2250
Full Price: £2450
The Orangary (luxury private double)
The Orangery is the most spacious and private room on the property, offering a calm and beautifully held space to fully land during the retreat.
Private:
Early Bird: £2350
Full Price: £2550
A deposit of £500 is required to secure your booking.
Please note, deposits are non-refundable and contribute to the total amount of your booking.
You then have the option to pay your balance in full or via a payment plan. Payment plan: split the balance in 3. All final payments are due by 17th May 2026. If a slightly different payment plan is required.
This retreat is facilitated by me, Alex, a somatic therapist specialising in binge eating recovery.
My work is grounded in the understanding that binge eating is not a failure of willpower, but a very intelligent nervous system response shaped by lived experience. Rather than focusing on control or behavioural strategies, I supports clients in working with the body directly helping the nervous system develop the safety and capacity required for lasting change.
My own recovery was shaped through long-term therapeutic support and immersive retreat environments, where I experienced firsthand the profound impact of stepping out of isolation and into supported, relational healing spaces. This experience now forms the foundation of my work.
Over the past several years, I have supported women and non-binary individuals from around the world in healing their relationship with food and their body through somatic therapy, education, and nervous system work.
My approach is grounded, compassionate, and deeply respectful of each person’s individual pace. I createc spaces where clients can safely explore patterns that have often been carried alone for many years, without shame, pressure, or force.
This retreat is an extension of that work.
Retreat booking form //
Retreat booking form //
Fill out the below and we will be in touch shortly with a link to pay your deposit, secure your booking and join the Nourished Body Portugal Retreat.
First come, first serve. Please note, deposits are non-refundable.
FAQ’s
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No. Everything offered is invitational. You will never be forced to share, participate, or do anything that does not feel safe for you. You are always encouraged to listen to your body and take space when needed.
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Meals will include a variety of nourishing vegetarian and meat options, prepared by a private chef using fresh, local ingredients. There are no food rules, and dietary requirements can be accommodated.
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Yes. You are welcome to bring any foods that help you feel safe and supported. There is no restriction around food here.
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You will receive a welcome email with full retreat details, payment plan options, and information to help you prepare. You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions before arrival.
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This is a space where binge eating can be spoken about openly, without shame. In fact, binging or overeating may happen and we’ll be working with it directly, in an environment created for that.
Binge eating is not something you need to hide or control in order to attend. This retreat exists to support your nervous system, not to monitor or restrict you.
Often, simply being in an environment where food is consistent, safe, and not restricted begins to shift the internal pressure that drives binge eating.
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This retreat works directly with your nervous system and your body, not just your thoughts or behaviours.
Many people understand binge eating intellectually, but still find themselves caught in the same patterns. This work focuses on creating the internal safety and capacity required for those patterns to actually change.
Being immersed in a supportive environment allows your nervous system to experience something different, rather than trying to create change within the same conditions.
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You will never be forced to share anything you do not want to share.
This is a shame-free space where you are invited, not required, to explore your experience.
Many people find relief simply being in an environment where their experience does not need to be hidden.
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Yes. Many people who attend feel anxious about being in a group, especially when their relationship with food has been something they’ve carried privately for a long time.
This retreat is intentionally small, and there is no expectation to share beyond what feels safe for you. You will never be forced to speak, participate, or open up before you are ready.
You are always free to take space for yourself, rest, or step back when needed. Your nervous system’s pace is respected here.
Often, people find that simply being in the presence of others who understand their experience, without needing to explain or perform brings a sense of relief and reduces the isolation they’ve been carrying.
You are welcome exactly as you are.