Hello: Vonetta Winter | Retreat Owner
We have lived in these valleys of Oleiros for 16 years. Seems a long time and in some ways it feels as if we’ve just gotten started. Andy and I always thought it would be fun to live “off the beaten track” so to speak. It has been, and it continues to be an enriching and encouraging experience to awake each morning to life in the countryside. It is primarily this experience that we have to share with you.
I grew up in the West Indies and am predisposed towards warmth and ease. Life is tough enough already, why practice difficulty? You are invited to Vale de Moses to experience ease and comfort in nature. This does not mean that we will always feel comfortable or always be at ease, but we can promise you an experience of nature. It is this experience that keeps me, my family, our team and guests returning to this valley. It is to this valley that we rush to as early as possible to commune with everything that is here - to the practice space, the kitchen, the stone wall or for just a wander along the river paths listening to birdsong. It is pretty hard not to be enchanted by the curves, the flora and fauna of this region. With all its complexities, historical and present, few can deny its beauty.
I am a Mum of two and like all mothers I have experienced a considerable amount of back pain. Pain is an interesting phenomena - it can lead us to such truth. What we learn to do to better care for ourselves, we are able to share with others, since we are all so similarly made. My journey with pain has lead me to study, train and practice yoga. While my training occurred some moons ago, my practice is my resting place. It is where I begin each morning in order to feel good for the day. Time on my mat in the floating space at Vale de Moses means a great deal to me. You are invited to share this space and come practice with me. It doesn’t matter whether you have a clearly defined somatic practice or whether you are looking for a new way to move your body, or to get back into something you once loved. Together we can share in a kind of silent interpretive dance to get us ready for whatever adventures a day in the hills has to offer.
The movements I turn to each morning are mostly inspired by my time practising Astanga yoga. Some days I feel the need for more holding of shapes and a restorative experience, as I learnt from time practicing Iyengar yoga. For a truly nourishing connection between body and breath, I rely on the teachings of Godfrey Devereux with whom I had the pleasure of studying the Dynamic Yoga Method. I like to practice in a way that is completely accessible to all. A somatic practice ought to help restore disturbed muscle tissue and requires no profound flexibility, stability or strength. I am happy to share with you the practices that I found helpful to me physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I have a BSc in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics and a Masters in Applied Anthropology with a Diploma in Community and Youth Work from Goldsmiths University. I worked for many years with people in the community, I do enjoy working with others, but mostly I enjoy when we work together in nature to co-create the kind of lives we want. Be it for a week or a lifetime. My studies in Anthropology led me to explore a variety of healing practices - yoga, meditation, breathwork, massage, acupuncture and herbal medicine. I continue to be a student and am happy to share my learning with you. I am also now a Grandma, so don’t worry about anything being too difficult, we will stretch less, tense less and feel more.
