L. Farrah Furtado ERYT 500

L. Farrah Furtado is Canadian-Portuguese and is a Yoga Alliance E RYT 500 Ashtanga Vinyasa teacher, author of three spiritual best-selling award winning books, METAMORPHOSIS The Yoga Teacher journey book and director of Kaohsiung Yoga School and Bend it like Buddha Yoga in Portugal. Producer of the multi award winning yoga documentary Atha Gamma, available on Youtube for FREE. She has lived in Asia for over 14 years, studying the healing arts in Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan, Balinese healing with energy healing masters in Ubud, and has trained in the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa system and pranayama with BNS Iyengar, the lineage of Pattabhi Jois and Krishnamacharya in India for 4 consecutive years in Mysore, India. Krishnamacharya is known as the Father of Modern Yoga. Farrah is a third degree Usui Reiki master.

Bend It Like Buddha offers yoga fasting detox retreats, 200 hour teacher courses, Usui Reiki Levl 1, 2, 3 and Ayurveda massage courses in a center adjacent to a stunning beach locations in southern Portugal.

Our school started out as a humble yoga co-op called Kaohsiung Yogi in Taiwan and held public yoga classes, workshops … for and by our community of yoga teacher friends at the local park for the community, to raise funds for local animal shelters and orphanges in Kaohsiung and still continues to run community classes in southern Taiwan.

Currently just after a few years we have transformed into Bend it like Buddha Yoga, Praia da Rocha, Portugal which offers the top most popular yoga retreats.

This year our school was awarded best yoga studio in Europe awarded by the imminent UK Luxury Travel magazine and Bend it like Buddha will be featured in their best of Wellness & Yoga feature in their print magazine.

The 200 hour Vinyasa & Ashtanga teacher training is a life changing and transformative journey! !

Bend it like Buddha Yoga invites you to join them in this 200 Hour Ashtanga & Vinyasa Yoga Training+ Bonus 8 Hour Ayurveda Massage Course

Participating in Bend it like Buddha's program can be the first step in a life-changing journey of health and wellness. This program guarantees the best of the best teachers for this unique double certification training with a bonus of an eight hour Ayurveda massage therapy certification. Be inspired, meditate, learn, contemplate, take home a valuable gift of restored health, and learn in depth about the art of teaching yoga, meditation, pranayama, yogic lifestyle, and more!

We have a training coming up in Portugal December 7-20th, 2022. Check our website for full details.

Highlights
Reiki attunement session
8-hour Ayurvedic massage therapy
2 daily yoga, meditation, and pranayama sessions
200-hour Yoga Ashtanga and Vinyasa flow yoga
Support after completion of the program
Daily healthy vegetarian breakfast and lunch
14 nights accommodation

Skill level
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

What to expect: -
Ancient teachings brought into a contemporary context
Becoming a part of the family and feeling like you've know everyone for years.
Complete change in your lifestyle
Delicious healthy organic food during the entire retreat
Develop human interaction and connections that will last a lifetime
Surrounding beaches and the beautiful nature, sound of owls, singing starlings, and of course the amazing sunsets, sunrises, and millions of stars and moonlight
Lessons from a variety of 8 experienced teachers (each one has different strengths) who will help you grow in many different ways
Meet like-minded people from all over the world and build your international yoga contacts
Post-training support available on the private students or teacher forum
Transformational experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life

Daily schedule: -
(Subject to change)
06:30 Mantras, pranayama, Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and asana flow
08:00 Take rest and breakfast
09:00 Pranayama
10:00 Yoga Nidra meditation, Osho meditation, mindfulness meditation, Buddhist meditation, or Reiki
11:00 Alignment, adjustment, and modifications
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Eight limbs, ethics, philosophy, running a yoga studio, and social media
14:00 Anatomy, physiology, and Ayurvedic yoga massage modules or kirtan-chanting with instruments and voice
16:00 Light dinner
17:30 Applied teaching methodology and practice teaching
18:30 Take rest and dinner (two planned dinners out to recommended Portuguese restaurants)
The last training held by Bend it like Buddha Yoga attracted students and teachers from 17 different countries.

Program
This yoga teacher training is a perfect balance between peaceful countryside relaxation and upbeat, lively, and friendly cafes and restaurants of the beach strip of Praia da Rocha beach. The evening and morning yoga, meditation, and pranayama are the essential aspects of this training. You will find the teacher and the Bend it like Buddha Yoga studio uplifting and relaxing.

During the training, you will practice sunrise Vinyasa flow yoga in the morning followed by Yin or Restorative yoga session in the evening. The sessions are usually held in a stunning yoga studio on Praia da Rocha or on the beach depending on weather, and include pranayama (breathwork), mindful meditation, and Yoga Nidra meditation.

You will be enjoying a variety of unique healing activities such as Reiki, Tibetan bowl sound healing, yoga Nidra meditation, and healing, powerful pranayama sessions and how to teach students. All of the yoga sessions are Shakti inspired, empowering, and made with love to ignite your heart’s spark.

The teachers of this retreat have their own yoga brands and yoga studios and are teaching yoga worldwide and have valuable wisdom to share regarding yoga business, branding, and social media. You will be inspired by the talented, passionate team, and learn from their wealth of information and decades of experience.

Retreat location
This inspirational program is held at the gorgeous Praia da Rocha beach in Portimao. This area has inspired and has been chosen by several imminent yogis and well-known gurus to build ashrams and eco-communities in this region. As it is beautifully natural, peaceful and a refreshing place to restore your mind, body, and soul.

The program will take place a minute away from Praia da Rocha beach, Portimao-Algarve at the Bend it like Buddha Yoga school. There are several good restaurants, shops, and cafes with a variety of other activities nearby.

The accommodation venue, Flor da Rocha Hotel, is a five-minute walk from Praia da Rocha beach and a three-minute walk to yoga training venue at Bend it like Buddha Yoga studio. The accommodation was recently upgraded and remodelled. It has a new spa, gym, dry and wet sauna, swimming pool and a poolside cafe.

Food
During the program, you will be served daily breakfast, lunch, and light dinner. The food concept is healthy, tasty, vegetarian, and organic. Savor juicy local fruit, crunchy organic vegetables, crisp salads, and fragrant herbs while sipping on an energizing juice or sweet, colorful herbal tea.

Everything is freshly harvested and lovingly prepared with attention to detail in the on-site kitchen where you can cook your own meals if you prefer. There are diverse fusion recipes in a peaceful and tranquil setting. Bend it like Buddha Yoga believes that pleasing your palate is fundamental to your experience.

If you are vegan, raw foodie, or gluten-free, it’s no problem. The resident chef can make something delicious for you. You can choose from fresh tropical fruit, homemade organic yogurt, a wide selection of vegetarian dishes (delicious even for those not used to vegetarian food), curry dhal, rice, salads, herbal teas, and chai. Throughout the day, you can order small snacks, vitamin, health-booster juices, and fresh local fruit for a small extra fee.

You can also enjoy trying dinner out by visiting some of the delicious local restaurants nearby.

The following meals are included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Light Evening meal
Snacks
Drinks
Smoothies
Tea
Detox juices