See what others have to say about their stay at Relaxscape
Belinda, her space and all the plants and animals there contributed to providing a beautiful, quiet, nurturing, and challenging space in which to nourish my body and dig deeper into what it is I am searching for in life. On the physical level the place is lovely, the rooms are very comfortable and homey, the bathtub is divine, the full-size heating pad on the bed and the construction of the rooms and kitchen made the otherwise “cuff” cool season in Portugal very cozy and warm. Indeed, I loved being there at that time of year as it was warm but not too hot during the day and there were less people.
The kitchen and living area are also very homey with the well-equipped cooking facilities and dining table to the fireplace and big couch it’s a place where you feel you are at home and can hang out with a cup of tea and quietly read or have a deep conversation with its owner, all with a snuggle and purr from a cat or two. I had booked a week stay and after one day there I extended my stay to 10 days. The property and the countryside location away from city life provided many beautiful spaces and views of sun and moon, olive groves, fruit trees, forests and an abundance of plants and flowers. The overall energy here instills this deep sense of peace while still being very vibrant and alive. And the proximity to the stunning and very mystical Knight’s Templar town of Tomar provided the opportunity to take in some history, dining, and “city” life adventures.
Belinda was helpful from the very start of connecting with her through email organizing a Portuguese cooking class, a wonderful tour to the nearby town of Fatima, massages and other body treatments, personally guiding me on a forest therapy walk and answering any questions I had helping me navigate the area and how to organize food. The in-house kitchen there was really a plus to saving some money as I was able to cook many meals there. And her skills as a psychologist and Change Coach would pop in at the most appropriate times asking you questions on which to reflect, providing insight on places that were sometimes in my blind spot, and sometimes challenging me to look at places in my life I wasn’t being true, authentic or responsible to my own happiness in life. I had some resistance to writing this because I knew I would have to dig deep to be truthful to what my experience was there and what I learned and took away from it.
What I learned or was brought back to remembering was the importance of taking responsibility for ourselves and our lives, that happiness is a choice, that our mood, our day, our life and how it is going to look, or feel is a choice. Shit might happen that is unpleasant but what I choose to make of it and whether I choose to let it ruin my mood or day is entirely on me. Belinda emulates this in her life, she is a single woman running a multi-faceted business and taking care of a fair size piece of land, doing the physical work right down to all the nitty gritty small details of this by herself. The ease in which she switched gears from picking olives or doing something very physical on the land to teaching a yoga class (maybe in person maybe online) to caring and feeding her cats, preparing herbs for customers, or having an engaging conversation with her guest (me), was part of the teaching/learning I received in my time there. She didn’t need to take all this time to prepare switching from one type of job to another but trusted in herself to deliver what was uniquely her and that that is the best we can do. She did this all with a smile and literally humming some tune, never complaining about any job even if it may not be the favorite part of her life in this place, but “just getting on with it”, truly each thing as important and fulfilling as the last.
I believe she recognized that she chose that space to care for, it was her responsibility, and she was choosing to do it all with a smile and a tune. It was quite inspiring to see and watch. It was living example to me that we have the potential to do this or anything we desire if we put our mind and heart (and some hard work) to it! Since my time there and returning home, I continually come back to remembering this practice of taking responsibility for my life and how I feel, that happiness is a choice. Slowly and steadily I am seeing a shift in catching myself more often in negative thoughts where I am not choosing happiness or love or peace and I am choosing something different. Sometimes that means simply changing the thought other times it means physically doing something like yoga or time in nature or just moving the body to change the state I am in that is contributing to those thoughts. It’s a practice and practice takes dedication and consistency, a responsibility to your own life experience, and this was the biggest take home learning from Relaxscape that has translated into my daily life. Not to mention I just really enjoyed my time there, it was extremely special in a way I can’t even put into words. The END!!
Thank you to the wonderful Angela who wrote this after a personal coaching retreat with me!
"I would like to say that I was one of the lucky participants of the yoga retreat and it was fabulous. To be able to do yoga in the wonderful olive groves and by the river was beautiful - haloed with the mindfulness of the yoga practice. Belinda is a wonderful hostess, the accommodation is second to none and the food (primarily vegetarian and vegan Portuguese themed meals cooked using locally sourced produce when I was there) is delicious - I ate a lot! I definitely recommend Relaxscape."
A guest on one of our Yoga Retreats
"Gorgeous, peaceful setting in a superbly refurbished house. The views looking out of the bedrooms just instilled calm. If you wanted more than tranquility, there was plenty to see in the local environs by foot or by car. I will go back for the friendliness and the peace."
A guest staying at Relaxscape for a week's holiday
"I had the pleasure of attending the first retreat back in June, which was a yoga retreat.
I can’t recommend Relaxscape highly enough; you will find Belinda an incredible, welcoming host. The location is perfect and peaceful, the food, locally sourced, is wonderful - tasty and plentiful! The rooms are really comfortable & beautifully refurbished.
Thoroughly enjoyed my week here!"
A guest on one of our Yoga Retreats
"A gem of a place in rural Portugal. Relaxscape offers you a chance to unwind in a comfortable converted farmhouse surrounded by olive and fruit trees (the fresh picked oranges for breakfast were delicious!). You can while away the hours lazing in a hammock listening to the sounds of nature, swimming in the river, walking in the woods or exploring the nearby town of Tomar. A lovely opportunity to get away from it all."
A guest staying at Relaxscape on a week's holiday
"Beautiful space, tasty vegan food with great wine and always with inspiring people!!! A peace of heaven in Tomar! Can’t wait to visit it again."
A local guest who enjoys joining in retreat activities using the Day Pass facility
"Thank you we loved it here. It’s so beautiful and peaceful and we enjoyed exploring the area. We would like to come back."
A couple from Lisbon, staying for a weekend break
"Thank you for hosting last week, a very good time for me, notwithstanding the challenges of what I was working through! You have a beautiful place that I am sure people will find relaxation and inspiration in equal measure. – I did."
A company director here on a private coaching retreat
"Beautiful house, good taste in decoration. Spotless cleanliness. Good location. Calm environment, beautiful exterior space. Nice common areas. Belinda, an extremely warm and welcoming hostess!"
A guest from Lisbon, staying for a weekend break