PANCHA MAHABHUTA Yoga & Reiki Retreat: Exploring the Five Elements
TERCEIRA • Azores • PORTUGAL
A 5-night, 6-day retreat experience
“Return to balance within the same forces that shape the Earth.”
Gentle Flow: Sunday, August 29th - Friday, September 3rd, 2027
Heated Power: Friday, September 3rd - Wednesday, September 8th, 2027
REGISTRATION OPENS ON MAY 1
only 10 rooms available in each session • 12-month payment plans are available
10% savings when you pay in full at the time of registration
Set on the lush, volcanic islands of the Azores, this retreat invites you into a rare rhythm of nature, restoration, and intentional living — where the Atlantic meets geothermal earth and life slows to a nourishing, spacious pace.
This year, we’re offering two distinct retreat sessions, each designed to meet you exactly where you are in your practice and in your life.
Session One: Gentle Flow Yoga
A deeply supportive, slower-paced experience rooted in nervous system regulation, mobility, and mindful movement. Expect gentle yoga, breathwork, meditation, and spacious time to rest, explore, and reconnect — ideal for those seeking renewal, recovery, or a softer entry into practice.
Session Two: Heated Power Yoga
A more dynamic session designed for those who love to move, sweat, and build strength. Heated power classes, intentional sequencing, and strong yet intelligent alignment will be balanced with nature immersion, recovery, and grounding moments throughout the island experience. Studio is heated with infrared heated panels and infused with humidity for the most optimal experience.
Both sessions share the same heart: meaningful connection, breathtaking landscapes, geothermal waters, nourishing meals, and the opportunity to remember what it feels like to be held by nature — and by community.
Choose the pace, environment, and energy that best supports your season of life.
THE THEME
In yogic philosophy, the human body is composed of the same elements that shape the natural world—Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. On Terceira, where these forces are powerfully alive, we step into a retreat that honors the body as nature itself. Through practice, rest, Reiki, and elemental immersion, we explore how energy organizes form, how imbalance reveals itself, and how returning to nature restores clarity, vitality, and wholeness.
Throughout the retreat, Reiki will be woven into our exploration of the five elements—supporting grounding when Earth feels depleted, restoring flow to Water, balancing the transformative power of Fire, calming and circulating Air, and opening space within Ether. Rather than something separate from movement or meditation, Reiki becomes a subtle layer of support that helps the body and energy system return to balance.
Videos curtesy of @xhaleazores Instagram
Local Cousine
What’s Included in Your All-Inclusive Retreat Experience
5-night/6-day stay at Xhale private yoga resort
3 well-balanced meals daily including vegan, vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options, with meat protein offered at dinner
Daily yoga classes enhanced with hands on and off Reiki energy
Root to Rise Experience: A journey through the volcanic cave & forest bathing at Lagoa das Patas with picnic lunch
60min therapeutic massage
Daily study of the of yoga, asana, meditation and pranayama
Deeper yoga practices such as restorative yoga and yoga nidra
Focus on alignment and deepening our understanding how to experience yoga poses in a way that is healing and sustainable
Sample Day Schedule…
1st Day - Arrival Day
Brief orientation upon arrival • Lunch, opening circle and gentle yoga • Check-in to the rooms
2nd Day:
7:30/8am Tea/Coffee/light breakfast, 9:00am -10:30am morning yoga •10:30am Breakfast • 1:30pm lunch • 5:00pm - 6:30pm Restorative Yoga & Reiki • 7pm Dinner
3rd Day
7:30/8am Tea/Coffee/light breakfast, 9:00am -10:30am morning yoga •10:30am Breakfast • Root to Rise Experience with picnic lunch• 7pm Dinner
4th Day
7:30/8am Tea/Coffee/light breakfast, 9:00am -10:30am morning yoga •10:30am Breakfast • 1:30pm lunch • 5:00pm - 6:30pm Yoga Nidra with Reiki • 7pm Dinner
5th Day
7:30/8am Tea/Coffee/light breakfast, 9:00am -10:30am morning yoga •10:30am Breakfast • 1:30pm lunch • Day of leisure • 7pm Dinner at the Local Restaurant
6th Day - Departure Day
8am check out, followed by breakfast and 9am closing circle • 11am departure for the airport
Schedule is subject to change
Xhale Yoga Resort Facilities
Outdoor Lounge, BBQ & Pizza Oven
Sage Spa with Sauna, Turkish Bath, Aromatic Shower and massage/treatment rooms with Amethyst Heated Mat
Restoration Lounge with hydration bar
Moksha gym - fully equipped with change rooms with showers
Circular Firepit surrounded by medicinal herbs
Heated Infinity Pool with spectacular views to ocean and massage jets
2 electric bikes
Outdoor Pavilion
Zen Garden
Shuttle service to and from Airport
Free WiFi
ACCOMODATIONS
PAY YOUR WAY: CHOOSE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU: 12-month payment plans are available, or enjoy 10% savings when you pay in full at the time of registration.
Private Room & Bathroom with Ocean/Partial Ocean View
DOUBLE Occupancy ONLY - $2,795 per person
Your accommodations at Xhale Azores are designed to feel like a quiet extension of the landscape itself—simple, intentional, and deeply restorative. Each room blends modern comfort with the natural textures and tones of the island, creating a peaceful space to rest, reflect, and reset between practices.
Expect bright, airy interiors, comfortable beds, and thoughtful minimalist design that invites ease rather than distraction. Many rooms offer views of the Atlantic Ocean or the island’s lush volcanic terrain, allowing nature to remain present even in moments of stillness.
Amenities are simple yet supportive, prioritizing comfort, calm, and connection to place—so you can fully unplug, sleep deeply, and wake ready to meet each day of the retreat with clarity and presence.
Getting there….
The remote and serene island of Terceira is surprisingly easy to reach from New England. Direct flights from Boston Logan travel to São Miguel, the main island of the Azores, with a short 40-minute connecting flight to Terceira—your final destination. We recommend booking directly through SATA Azores Airlines for the most seamless experience.
If you plan to extend your stay before or after the retreat, please note that our group airport transfer on arrival is scheduled for flights landing at 9:05 AM, and the recommended departure flight from Terceira is at 1:00 PM.
Not included in the price of the retreat…
international flights
transportation to and from the airport in the US
gratuity for resort staff and local guides
trip insurance (recommended - visit https://www.travelinsurance.com for more info)
About the retreat leader…
E-RYT 500 Petra Appleget , the owner of CENTER Yoga + Wellness, and soon to be Reiki Master, found yoga after years of struggles with staying healthy, and grants regular yoga practice with finally being able to quiet her autoimmune system into long term remission. Petra believes that in order to take care of others, we need to take care of ourselves first. Once she fell in love with yoga, she knew she wanted to share her passion with others. She sees yoga as a way of living her most authentic self. Petra’s style of teaching is centered around YogaWorks method, a Vinyasa-based flow that balances precise instruction, detailed alignment, breath and fluid movement.
In 2020, Petra completed 300hr advanced yoga teacher training with The Container Collective, a Baptiste affiliated studio in Denver CO, under skillful leadership of Brittany Hopkins. Then later in 2020 continued her journey with YogaWorks and graduated with an additional 300hr of their advanced teacher training with Jodie Rufty as her mentor in February 2021. In October 2021, Petra completed another 300hr of advanced teacher training with Amy Ippoliti and her Vesselify School of Yoga.
Cancelation policy…
If you cancel on or before January 31, 2027:
You will forfeit your 1st installment payment, or 1/12 of the total cost.
You will be responsible for an additional $100 Cancelation Fee.
If you made any payment other than the 1st installment payment before that date, however, the remainder of your payment will be refunded to you (i.e. after deduction of the above amounts).
If you cancel after January 31, 2027 (for any reason including, without limitation, physical or mental illness or injury, voluntary departure, and personal emergencies):
You will not be entitled to any refunded amounts, and
You will be responsible to pay an additional $100 Cancelation Fee, and
You will forfeit all payments paid before that date.
Please note:
+ 6.35% CT sales tax applies